A Summer of Discontent by Massunm

Part I.

Dylan and Marco giggled beneath Dylan’s bed sheets. The two had been intent on making passionate love that night for the first time since they’d gotten back together, but their plans had been forted due to Dylan’s roommate coming home early from visiting his brother. The roommate, Mark, had apologized several times and told them to just ignore he was there. Mark lay on his bed with head phones on while typing on his lab top. Marco and Dylan had attempted to follow his advice but both were quickly loosing interest.

“Do we have to stay completely under the covers?” Dylan whined. “Yes,” Marco hissed for the third time. “This is awkward enough as it is! If Mark sees one inch of my naked skin I’ll never be able to show my face around here again.” “I know, I know. This is such a disaster. Don’t worry; I’ll have my own place by the end of the summer. I’m just having some trouble finding a roommate.” Dylan explained. Marco gave him an exasperated look. “Am I going to have to wait for a proper sexual encounter until then?” “I’d be more inclined to find a place if I knew I’d have you to come home to every night,” Dylan told him with a grin. “I told you I’d think about,” Marco assured him. “I just need some time. I also have to work things out with my dad and mom. You will never know the pressures of an only child.”

Dylan frowned at Marco. He didn’t see what there was to think about. He couldn’t imagine anything better than having Marco in his arms every night. Sure, moving in together would be a big step in their relationship, but Dylan loved Marco more than anything in the world and he was ready to make the commitment. He needed Marco to see that.

“I guess we’ll have to take a rain check on our hot, steamy night.” Dylan sighed. Marco gave him a peck on the cheek. “How about we just lay here together?” Marco suggested. “I haven’t done anything that romantic since last summer.” “We weren’t together last summer,” Dylan blurted out. Marco nodded. “I know.” They a situated themselves above the sheets and Marco snuggled up to Dylan.

Marco closed his eyes, taking no notice of the expression on Dylan’s face. Dylan squirmed uncomfortably, trying to forget what Marco had said. Marco fell asleep instantly that night, but Dylan was awake half the night imagining his boyfriend in someone else’s arms. He squeezed Marco tightly against him as if to say that Marco was his to this faceless person that had shared a romantic night with his boyfriend. He didn’t know why the knowledge that someone else had been intimate with his boyfriend irritated him so. After all he’d been with a few people since they broke up. He’d even made out with another man a few times before him and Marco broke up. It wasn’t right for him to feel wronged by this knowledge.

In fact, Dylan felt a little insane over his sudden fixation with Marco’s love life while they were split up. Questions began to race un-controllably through his head and refused to go away. Who was this guy? What exactly had he and Marco done together? How much had Marco enjoyed their romantic night? Had Marco enjoyed it more than he enjoyed him and Dylan’s romantic nights? These thoughts and images of Marco with another man haunted Dylan until he finally fell asleep.

---

Dylan woke up the next morning and was disappointed to find that Marco wasn’t still lying beside him. Mark, who was folding laundry on his bed, threw a ball of paper at Dylan. “Your boyfriend wanted me to give you that. I guess he had something to do and he wanted to let you sleep.” Mark told him. Dylan un-crumpled the paper; it explained that Marco had left to get ready for lunch with his mom, dad, uncle, and aunt.

Dylan looked over at the clock. It was nearly one o’ clock in the evening. “I can’t believe I slept in this late,” Dylan commented. Mark smirked. “Sounds like your night wasn’t completely ruined by me.” “Oh, it was,” Dylan scoffed. “Nothing happened.” “Is that why you’re being so grumpy- because you got plenty of sleep.” Mark teased. “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep last night because...” Dylan trailed off. “What?” Mark asked. Dylan sighed. “Marco brought up another romantic night he shared with another guy.” “What a mood killer,” Mark chuckled. “We weren’t together when it happened,” Dylan told him quickly. “It’s not like he cheated on me or anything. He just caught me off guard. I mean, I was his first everything, you know? It bothers me a little that I’m not his first and only. Is that dumb?” “No man,” Mark assured him. “It’s that primal male nature coming out in you. I was the same way with my last girlfriend. A part of me thought of her as my possession, even though that’s a little extreme us guys can’t help it. We don’t like sharing our possessions with others. In her case I didn’t like the thought of owning something that had been previously possessed. It sounds completely jerky, but I didn’t want to feel that way. Like I said, we can’t help it.”

“If I can’t help it then what the hell am I supposed to do about it?” Dylan asked; becoming frustrated. “Get over yourself like I did and realize that he’s all yours now and that that is all that matters.” Mark told him. “I don’t think I can let it go that easily. I need to know about this guy,” Dylan replied. “No-no-no,” Mark said quickly. “Trust me, the more you know the harder it will be to forget.”

Dylan tried to let Mark’s words sink in. How could he go on while having all these un-answered questions inside of him? He promised himself he wasn’t going to let the fact that Marco had been with someone else get to him, but he had to know all the facts. He knew who to call to get all the details.

---

“I can’t believe you and Dylan are thinking about moving in together already,” Ellie told Marco as they looked through a clothing rack at their new favorite clothing store, Electric Threads. “”Thinking” being the key word here. We’re just thinking about it, besides, why not? We love each other.” Marco sulked. “Love isn’t always enough Marco. Was it enough to keep you guys together last time?” Ellie asked him pointedly. “Hey,” Marco huffed, “that’s all behind us. Just because you haven’t had the best love life that doesn’t mean we’re all doomed.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “This isn’t about me. You know I’m glad things worked out for you and Dylan, I just don’t want you guys to rush. The last thing I want to see is you hurting again.” “El, I know you’re just doing the best friend thing.” Marco told her, appreciatively. “But I’m not going to be negative about me and Dylan’s relationship if there’s nothing in it to be negative about. The past is the past.” “So, why don’t you tell him you’ll move in with him already?” Ellie asked; her eye brows rising. Marco glared back at her. “I trust him El, okay? It’s my own personal dumb anxieties about taking the next step that are keeping us from moving in together. They have nothing to do with Dylan.”

Ellie held a black shirt with silver glitter on it up to her chest. Marco looked it over and shook his head. “Try this one,” he said, handing her another shirt. “So, are you seeing Dylan tonight?” Ellie enquired, accepting that their previous conversation was over. Marco nodded. “I made plans with Spinner to help him buy a nice gift for Darcy that he could mail her at camp. Dylan’s tagging along. Want to come?” “No way,” Ellie laughed, “uber Christian Spinner freaks me out a tad still. Ellie held up a jean skirt to her waist and Marco nodded his approval. “You have to get that one!”

---

“Hey Paige,” Dylan said cheerfully to his sister through the phone receiver. “If you’re calling for that movie back I already passed it on to your boyfriend,” she said. “Actually, I already got it.” Dylan told her. “I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s about Marco.” “What’s up sweet potato?” She asked curiously. “It has to do with the guy Marco met last summer,” Dylan explained, trying to sound like he knew more than he did. “He told you about Ali!” Paige yipped. “Yeah,” Dylan said softly, “sort of.” He knew Marco would have confided in his sister about this guy. “Why?” Paige asked. “Marco told me he didn’t plan on telling you about it. He didn’t even tell all of his friends about it. It was a what-happens-in-Africa-stays-in-Africa kind of fling.” “Africa?” Dylan asked, surprised. “He didn’t tell me that he met this guy in Africa...”

“Marco was in Africa for most of that summer, remember? Ali was a young journalist that signed up for the same volunteer program Marco got into. They shared a room in a boarding house together. Marco told me it was strictly a re-bound thing from you. I mean, Ali and him didn’t even get along that well, their summer fling was a strictly physical thing mostly.” Dylan cringed. “So, I’m guessing Ali wasn’t at all lacking in the bedroom.” “Jealous are we?” Paige observed. “If I were you I wouldn’t worry about that. There was something lacking in the bedroom actually, love. Marco didn’t love Ali- in fact he probably wouldn’t have gotten with the guy if not for his heart ache over you.”

Dylan took that into consideration. Finding out more about Marco and this Ali guy had probably been a dumb idea. Marco evidently had no feelings for the guy, so why should Dylan be jealous? “Got to admit though, despite the arrogant attitude he was pretty cute,” Paige continued. “You make it sound like you’ve met him,” he said. “I have,” Paige paused. “Didn’t Marco tell you anything?” “I thought you said they had a thing in Africa!” Dylan shouted, avoiding the question. “”They did!” Paige yelled back. “Ali lives here in Toronto too, but him and Marco ended things before they came home. Him and Marco both signed up for the volunteer work with HIV and AIDS victims this summer. I met him when I met up with Marco for lunch after the first day of his volunteer work.” “He sees this guy every Sunday?” Dylan scoffed, shocked. “Uh, yeah.” Paige said feebly. “Only until the end of summer.”

Paige began to realize she’d said more than she should have. “Um, look Dyl, I’ve got to go. I’m getting my nails done and I’m running late. Later.” Dylan stared at the phone receiver feeling like he wanted to punch someone, that someone preferably being Ali. How could Marco keep this from him? Why did Marco keep this from him? If there was nothing between him and Ali anymore why would he keep seeing Ali all summer a secret? With out even thinking he dialed Marco’s number. Marco answered the phone gleefully. “Hey babe, what are you doing?” “We need to talk,” Dylan told him hurriedly. “We’re meeting Spinner in, like, an hour.” Marco replied, puzzled by the tone of his boyfriends voice. “We need to talk now.” Dylan said roughly. “Okay...” Marco trailed off. Dylan had never sounded like this, but Marco could tell he wouldn’t get anything out of him until he saw him in person. “I’ll come over there.”

PART TWO COMING SOON