Andrew's POV
Andrew never realized that silence could ever be so loud. Campus life seemed so
surreal, with fellow freshmen dragging suitcases across to their various dorms, upperclassmen yelling and moving about—the whole scene was bustling with life
everywhere. Deep down, there was something bubbling within Andrew, with his
newfound sense of freedom—one he refused to acknowledge. Taking a deep breath, college was supposed to be a new beginning for me, a way to
get rid of the other part of me I kept hidden for so long (the confused boy who
glanced at bodies in the locker room, the son who disappointed his dad just by mere
breathing). Smirking to myself, here I could be who I wanted—no fear of
disappointing anyone just by moving. Here I could be me: brave, fearless, the guy
everyone feared and respected. Well, even if they didn't, I would make them respect
me. I made a promise to myself to strangle out anything weak inside me while
listening to King Von's "Took Her to the O," which fit my current mood, making me
feel dangerous—and I liked it. Reaching my dorm room, I pushed open the door and placed my bags on the floor, then lay down on the bed. My buddies followed behind me, their noise drawing me
back to reality—Ryan and Mason discussing parties, Julian bragging about a girl's
number he just got and was texting. None of it bothered me. I stared out the
window, watching people passing by. FREEDOM—that word echoed in my ears.
I craved the chaos provided by college to escape and drown out what threatened to
drown me if given the chance.
I was brought back to reality by the sound of the door opening. There he stood—
HENRY. MY HENRY. A bit mature than before but same features Brown curly hair, big
green expressive eyes, his lips soft and pink; looks frail and weak, but the kind that's
intoxicating rather than needing protection. Just like I remembered him, always
staring like a deer caught in headlights. I tried to ignore him, hating how he made me
feel. I could feel myself straining in my pants just by the mere sight of him. Julian said, "Well, I'll be damned—they sent us a Disney prince." Damn right they
did—they sent my Disney prince back to me. "I'm Henry," I heard him say. "I think I'm assigned here." Mason also said, "Come on in, no one's gonna eat you."
I said nothing as he walked in. I watched him closely, wanting to engrave his image
into my mind, to gaze away but I couldn't. Watching him glance around cluelessly
made my throat tighten—the way he flinched when he noticed you staring or
laughing, the small scar on his wrist. It wasn't noticeable unless you were staring too
hard, and I couldn't keep my eyes away from him for long. What on earth had
happened to my Henry?
Ryan joked, "Need help?" Henry shook his head. "Nope, I can manage," he said gently, not in a timid way but
gentle in such a way that it made my heart race.
I looked around, confused. Why was I the only one among my friends remembering
him? Could none of them remember him?
I was confused. He clearly glanced at me. Why is he pretending not to remember me?
I watched him as he unpacked his things out of his luggage, my confusion deepening. Henry's POV
I felt his eyes on me from the moment I stepped in the room. His gaze was
impossible to ignore. I snuck a quick glance from time to time. Then Julian says, "So, Henry, do you like parties?" While unpacking, I replied quietly, "I don't know." Andrew said, "He doesn't look like the type."
"And what type is that?" I said sharply, and I saw his eyes narrow. He scoffed, eyes on me. "The type who shouldn't be at parties," he paused, staring
at me. "The type who's scared of breathing too loud." Clenching my jaw, I said through gritted teeth, "You don't know me."
"I know enough," he said. Andrew's POV
"I know enough," I said. "You don't," he replied softly.
I was beginning to get pissed at him. Why is he pretending not to remember me? It
hurts, the way he looks at me without any sense of familiarity in his gaze. I watched
him turn away; this time he purposely avoided where I was with his gaze. The
tension in the room multiplied and my friends, noticing, suggested getting something
to eat. Looking at Henry, I watched as his gaze swept through us, obviously
intimidated.
"Relax," I said, "nobody is going to eat you." I watched as a defiant expression
crossed his face and, staring right at me—and I staring back—I saw something
dangerous flicker in his eyes. Interesting, I thought to myself. There's a little of my
Henry remembered. There's something in me that wants to discover more, but I
pushed it down quickly. "Nobody can eat me unless I give them the chance to eat me," Henry said. Confused, I stared at him. What was that supposed to mean? Why would you give
anyone the chance to eat you? And if anyone tried, I'd hurt them. "I'll go with you," he said as he picked his phone up. As we moved across the hallway, I hated the way he shrunk inside himself when we
passed by people, saying sorry anytime he bumped into someone. Why was I so
bothered about him? Where was that earlier fire he had while staring at me? Why
did he go back into his shell now?
When we reached the cafeteria, a guy bumped into him and the way he quickly said
sorry pissed me off. "Watch it," the guy said, wanting to take it further. The guy opened his mouth. Pissed, I walked in front of him and said, "Walk away now and no one gets hurt."
"Dude, chill," he said, and walked away. Henry
I was confused by his actions. One moment he's talking down to me, the next he's
standing up for me. Very confusing guy. Andrew
Why was he not remembering me? I was deeply