Inescapable History, Inescapable Fates

Henry Continues to Fail To Learn The Boy's Name

That night, Henry couldn't sleep. He had taken Melatonin gummies but they refused to kick in. And there was a light at the edge of his vision, the boy's lamp. First, the boy had been writing furiously, now, he was reading his dry-as-bones law book, making notes. Henry still hadn't figured out his name. He could ask Shaan, but he didn't want to care so much. He was not daft enough to pretend he didn't care at all, but he shouldn't. The boy already hated him, and was probably straight, and even if he wasn't- God. Henry had to stop thinking about him.

Henry hated sleeping in the same room with other people in general. He always sent his pick-ups home after sex. It was too vulnerable. It had been his least favorite thing about his first year at Sandhurst, even though he had roomed with his best friend Pez. Henry wanted his sleep, or lack thereof, to be a private affair.

Henry tried in vain to sleep for a few more minutes. Finally, he let his eyes blink open in defeat and turned towards the boy, "Are you going to keep the light on?"

"I need to finish this chapter." The boy said, not looking up. So focused. Obsessed. Hyper Focused.

"Of legal documents on human rights law?"

"Yes."

Henry rolled his eyes and shut them again. After a few more minutes he decided to he wasn't going to sleep any time soon and asked,

"What's your name?" He saw the boy smile into his book.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Henry James Fox."

Henry shut his eyes and refused to let them open. The boy's quiet grin was etched in his mind. When he awoke the next morning, he wasn't sure if he had ever gone to sleep. Maybe he had just lain there all night, refusing to open his eyes. A dangerous game.

Alex's journal:

The only thing that stopped me from punching him was knowing every word he said would make killing him easier.