Chap 19: Love at first sight

Noah stared at the back of the guy who looked like an Angel. His heart was beating fast, and he felt his surroundings were more beautiful. Suddenly, he came to his senses and raced in the direction his Angel had disappeared.

On the way, Noah met his friend Rob who asked, " Where are you going? Our class is here..." but Noah dismissed him and continued his search. He scanned the entire building, his friend closely following behind.

" Will you stop and tell me what the f**k is going on?" Rob gasped, out of breath.

"I can't find him," Noah said in frustration.

" Whom?"

Noah realized that he did not even know the guy's name. " I don't know."

"You made me run the whole building looking for don't know whom?"

Noah ignored his words and said, "Maybe he is from another department. Let's check in the other buildings."

" What?" Rob was shocked. " Are you kidding me?"

Noah dragged his friend and rushed out of the Literature building. Rob was still protesting. " The introductory classes are about to start."

" F**k the classes. I need to find him first."

" Can you at least tell me who we are looking for and why?"

" You will know soon."

Meanwhile, after his strange encounter with the handsome guy, Aiden had left the building in a hurry and checked the one on the right. Luckily it was the Engineering Department. He walked to the admin office and got his schedule. The first two days, they had the first-year orientation.

The orientation for all the departments was being held at the auditorium, so he decided to follow the other freshers keeping his distance.

Noah and Rob spent the next two hours running around the entire Campus from one building to another.

" Please stop... I can't run anymore... I need a break..." Rob said, panting and sitting on the grass in the Garden.

" But we need to search for him, " Noah said exasperated.

" The f**k, dude!! What's gotten into you. Who's this guy, and why are you looking for him so desperately?"

" Who's desperate for whom?" Jay cut in and sat down beside Rob.

" Ask him," Rob said, pointing at Noah and snatched the coke bottle Jay was holding. " Thank you so much, " he said and gulped the entire bottle in one shot. Damn, he was exhausted.

" Why are you here? I thought you would be in class," Jay asked Noah, who was still looking around expecting to see his Angel again.

Jay did not get any response, so he nudged Rob, " What's wrong with him?"

" Wish I knew," Rob said, shoving the empty bottle in his hands. " We have been running around the whole Campus for the past two hours looking for a guy."

" Whom? Do you know which department he is from?"

" Are you nuts? " Rob looked at Jay as if he was an idiot. " If we knew that, why would we be looking in all the buildings."

" This guy you are looking for, how does he look?"

At this question, Noah was suddenly at attention. " He looks like an Angel. His eyes were as blue as the sky. His voice was so sweet it was like music to my ears. His hair, a beautiful shade of gold so smooth, I wish I could move my hands across them. His smile..? I didn't see his smile yet, but I would like to, and I want to be the one to make him smile. His..."

Noah went on and on about the guy while Rob and Jay were gaping at him with their mouths open. " He's lost it!" Rob exclaimed.

" Dude... stop it," Jay screamed. " I simply asked you how does he look like so that we can help you find him; I didn't ask you to write a book on his beauty."

" You are acting like a love-struck fool," Rob said, shaking his head.

" You are right!!!" Noah exclaimed excitedly. " I am in love." He was smiling like an idiot and felt like dancing right there in the Garden in front of everyone. I am in love.

Rob and Jay couldn't believe what they heard. They knew their friend to be extraordinarily romantic, but he was pretty picky in everything. Noah was openly gay and had his set of flings, but nothing really worked out. He always felt that something was missing, and he didn't feel the love. Now he claims to be in love with a boy he had just seen and knew nothing about.

" This boy you say you are in love with..." Rob started. " What's his name?"

" I don't know," Noah said.

" Which department?" Jay asked.

" I don't know."

" When did you see him?"

" Two hours, ten... no fifteen minutes back," Noah said, looking at his watch.

" And you say you are in love with him?" Rob questioned.

" Yes," Noah said without a doubt.

" Are you sure?" Jay asked.

" I have never been so sure about anything," Noah said adamantly. " Now get up and help me find him."

Jay and Rob still didn't look sure, but they were friends after all, and what are friends for. They stood up, wiping their pants, and Jay suddenly realized something. " You have never seen this guy before, then maybe he is a fresher."

" Why didn't I realize that earlier," Noah said, exasperated.

" Because you were lost thinking about his eyes, hair, and whatnot," Jay whispered to himself.

Rob, who had heard Jay, gave him a look and said, " The freshers must be having their orientation. We must check the auditorium."

" Come on, let's go," Noah said and sprinted towards the direction of the auditorium.

" Wait for us, " Rob and Jay cried out and followed Noah.

They reached the auditorium where the Principal was giving a lecture about taking their courses seriously. They were no longer in school and were adults now and all the usual sh*t. Noah was looking among the students hoping to see his love. Finally, he spotted the familiar golden hair at the corner in the back, but he couldn't see his face clearly. He silently moved a little further, trying to avoid getting noticed by the Principal and the Professors. Rob and Jay tiptoed behind him.

Noah's felt a breath of fresh air when he saw the beautiful face again. A smile came to his lips automatically, and he whispered to his friends, " I found him."

" Where?" Rob asked excitedly.

Noah pointed in the boy's direction, and Jay exclaimed a bit too loudly, " Him?"

A few students stared at them, and Rob whispered, " Be quiet."

Noah could care less. " Do you know him?" he asked Jay excitedly.

Seeing that they were gathering attention, Rob dragged Noah and Jay out of the auditorium.

" Dude... I want to see him," Noah whined.

" Do you want to go to the Principal's office?" Rob whisper shouted. Noah ignored him and asked Jay again, " Do you know him?"

" Is it the cute-looking boy with golden hair?"

" Yes, " Noah said with a smile.

Jay smirked. " Oh, I know him quite well."

" Please, tell me," Noah almost begged, and Jay decided to tease him. " What do I get?"

" Anything. Just tell me about him."

" Stop it, Jay," Rob glared at Jay. " Can't you see he's teasing you," he said, facing Noah.

Jay chuckled and said, " Fine... His name is Aiden."

" Aiden..." Noah said sweetly. " Even his name sounds so good from my lips. And...?"

" First-year engineering student and..."

"And...?"

" My new roommate."

Noah was stunned. He couldn't believe his luck.

" Are you there..?" Jay interrupted him waving his hands in front of his face.

" I am shifting to the dorm, and I want your room."

" Whatever happened to ' I want to be with my family..?'"

" They will understand rather they would be happy knowing that I am in love," Noah said confidently, thinking about all those times his mother and sister teased him about finding a boyfriend for himself.

" But I don't want to leave the room," Jay pouted. " Aiden is so good and sweet. He listened to me and didn't even stop me from talking. My last year's roommate ignored me like a plague. It was so boring."

Rob scoffed. " He didn't stop you because you don't allow others to speak."

" I knew he would be sweet. What is he like? The one time I heard him talk, his voice was like..."

" Music to the ears..." Rob finished it for Noah. " We have already heard that. You don't have to start with your poetry again."

" Come, let's meet Mrs. Carson and ask her about the dormitory."

"I don't want to change my room," Jay whined again.

" Please, dude... Don't you want your friend to be successful in his love?"

Rob suddenly realized something. " What if he is straight?"

Noah didn't like to hear that. " Are you my friends or enemies?"

" I am just being practical. You know it's a possibility."

Noah looked crestfallen. Was his love bound to fail even before it started? Even though he didn't want to accept it, whatever Rob said was true. Gay relationships are not easy. First, he will have to check whether Aiden is interested in having a same-sex relationship. The possibility of Aiden not accepting him felt like a stab to the heart.

Seeing his friend's joyful mood turn gloomy, Rob wanted to smack himself. He thought about what to say to cheer him up when Noah blurted out. " I have to try."

" What?" Rob and Jay asked in unison.

"In any case, I have to try so that I will have no regrets in the future. I fell in love at first sight, and I don't want to mourn my entire life thinking I didn't even try out of fear of rejection."