The Walk Home

You have only just set off for the dorm when you clear your throat. "I'm just going to make a quick call." Those pictures of Samantha had you missing her already. Not one tiny iota of you regretted being here or leaving without her...but it sure would have been nice to have someone to lie with at night.

You call your girlfriend as Charlie walks quietly beside you. You hear Sam's familiar voice. "Hey babe!"

"Hey Sammy! Miss me yet?"

"Of course! How was your first day in the big city?" There is a moment. "Have you cheated on me yet?"

You laugh, you knew she was teasing but you also knew it was a concern of hers. You play along. "Actually I just took someone out for dinner. Now we're going back to my place. Just the two of us, alone. It's going to be awesome." You shoot Charlie a playful wink. He forces an awkward chuckle.

"You shit." Sam gripes.

"Ha ha ha. Nah. My new roommate Charlie and I just grabbed some pizza. He arrived early too. He's a cool guy, I think you'll like him." You say. As you turned that statement over in your mind you weren't actually too sure of that. Sam could be mean, cruel even, to those she thought were weird or geeky. You really didn't care for that facet of her personality but when you were around she would behave herself.

"Handsome?" She asks.

"Very handsome." You respond.

"I can't wait to meet him."

The conversation moves on to how your trip was and how you were settling in. There really wasn't much to tell yet, you'd just seen her that morning. But it was nice to hear her voice regardless. Before too long you are saying your goodbyes.

"Bye baby, love you!"

"Bye Sam..." You hesitate just a heartbeat. "...love you too." You say like you knew you ought to. It's not that you didn't love her but...anyways.

You hang up and put the phone in your pocket. Looking to your side you discover Charlie was gone. Peering back over your shoulder you can just make him out standing perfectly still in the middle of a dark spot along the path. You stop and turn. "Charlie?"

He excitedly waves you over. You walk back, confused as to what was happening. As you get closer your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. His face is up turned, his ever present bangs pushed to the side, he looks this way and that, his head darting here and there. A look of wonder on his delicate features and his full lips in a big smile.

"Charlie?"

"Shhh." He whispers as he raises a hand. He points skyward at nothing in particular. "Do you hear them?"

Oh Jesus, was this guy about to snap? Was Charlie crazy?

Listening into the still night you initially hear nothing. And then you do! Ticking, clicking, chirping.

Charlie looks at you with wide eyed wonder. "Bats!" He whispers excitedly. A bright grin on his face. He looked so...happy. "Come on." He says in hushed excitement as he heads off the path and over toward a large open green space nearby. You hesitate a moment. Man this guy was one strange dude. You have a brief internal debate on what to do, but you eventually follow.

You catch up to him as he is sitting down on a bench overlooking the open space. You take a spot on the opposite end of the bench, leaving a good arms length between you. The pale light of a gibbous moon bathed the area.

"There!" Charlie says in a hushed tone as one of the nocturnal little mammals swoops overhead and out over the field beyond. "There!" He points as another zips across the open space. "They're hunting. Eating bugs." He informs you. His excitement is infectious. "They sound different than back home." He giggles. "There's one!" One flutters by to the left, extremely close to the bench.

Well. This is not what you were planning to do tonight but...what the hell. As if you had anything better to do. The pair of you sit in silence as you watch and listen to the bats on their night hunt.

In the wane white light shadows were more pronounced and everything took on an almost magical quality. Looking over at your companion even he looked different. He had pulled his hair back to get a better look, the moonlight shining straight down onto his dainty features. His hair tucked behind his ears so he could hear better. His ear, it was small, like the rest of him. Delicate. You notice the smooth gentle curve of his jaw line and his soft rounded chin. His full plump lips were in the most pleasant and genuine smile you'd ever seen. His raven black thick wavy hair glistened. His pale slender fingers gripped the front edge of the bench, he was on the edge of his seat. He looks left, right, spins back again. Completely caught up in the moment. His wide expressive eyes looking upon the scene before him in an almost reverence. He glances those huge soulful eyes toward you and flashes you a joyous look. He lets out a little laugh at sharing this moment with someone. There is just a brief second's eye contact before he looks back again.

He was so...he was so...

You shake your head. A trick of the moonlight. You look back out to watch the nocturnal hunters do their business. You say in a low quiet voice. "Do you like bats Charlie?"

He nods. "Sure. Bats, animals, plants, just nature really. I used to go hiking and camping all the time back in B.C. A lot of times alone. It's so quiet out there. So peaceful." He is quiet for a time before he says. "I'll miss that."

You stretch your legs and put your hands behind your head. You listen to the trills and clicks of the bats. A little night time symphony with an audience of two. You suggest. "There are trails and campgrounds around here."

He laughs. "Trails are okay. But I like to get off the beaten path." You believed that. Charlie definitely didn't seem the type to take the road most traveled. "Yeah, I'll have to look into it." He replies.

"Well...let me know. Maybe we can get a group together, make a whole thing out of it." You offer.

"Oh...uh, sure Jonathan." He says quietly, obviously not sure about that last part.

The pair of you watch the scene for what must be an hour. It was a quiet time, easy, comfortable. Charlie was finally just himself and it was nice to see. This is not something you would normally do but it was pretty damn cool, you couldn't deny it. Eventually though you'd had enough. You were getting cool, you didn't have as many layers on as he did.

Slapping your knees you announce. "Well, I'm heading home. You coming?"

He nods. He reaches up and tussles his hair, his curtain of bangs returning. You return to the path, Charlie in an even better mood than after the pizza.

"How's Samantha?" He asks.

"Oh fine. Misses me like crazy." As you thought about the empty bed awaiting you...you were missing her too.

Before long you see the old chapel, then the dorm hall beside it. The very sight of it brings a smile. A little place of your own. Not your parent's house, not a hotel room, not a friend's house. A room all your own...well, half a room.

You say in unmasked exuberance. "Ah, home sweet home!"