"TWO PAGES" by Shawn O'Shea

Okay. I have my coffee, I have as good table, I have my chocolate biscotti. My laptop is booting up and-----should I have gotten the anise biscotti instead? I had the chocolate one yesterday. No. I like the chocolate. Concentrate! I need to write at least two pages today. Remember, my goal is no less than one page per day, hopefully more. But since I didn't get anything written yesterday, I need to write two pages today. Good! All booted up. Click that. Click that. Open that. There! All ready to start typing. Yeahhhhhhhhh. Just start-----to type. To type. Tooooooo type. What to type? Damn! It was all so clear in my head last night. All right. That's fine. I'll just start writing and I can always go back later and edit.

Had Trevor known when he rolled out of bed that morning

Rolled? Come on! I can do better than that! Climbed? No. Stumbled? That doesn't make sense. Hmmmm. Rolled. Rolled. Rolled. I don't know. I don't know. Oh, well, it'll have to do for-----Oh! I know!:

Had Trevor known when he rolled, bleary-eyed, out of bed that morning

A little better.

Had Trevor known when he rolled, bleary-eyed, out of bed that moring what his day was going to bring and just how quickly it was going to bring it, he would have shut off his alarm clock altogether and skip his morning classes. However, the first fifteen minutes after he opened his eyes were going to begin a lesson for the second-year journalism student that no college course could ever teach him.

Okay. First paragraph down. Always the hardest. It's not great, but like I said before: I can always go back and edit later. Now! To continue. Oh. I need a refill. Already? Wow! The coffee's good today. Alright. I'll get this first and then it's down to serious work! Really. No goofing off. I need to finish two pages.

Hmmmm. He didn't charge me for my refill. I wonder if he likes me. He was kind of flirting with me. Nahhh. He probably just forgot. He-----Concentrate!

Hair tousled and clad only in his shower shoes and red

No.

.....purple

No.

.....green

No.

.....orange

Damn it! Why am I making this so difficult? Let me just keep it simple for now.

Hair tousled and clad only in his shower shoes and a white terrycloth towel wrapped tightly around his svelte waist

Was that so hard?

.....which helped accentuate his muscular calves and smooth six-pack abs,

Six-pack. Should I simply get a six-pack and a movie tonight or just go out? It would be cheaper to-----Will you stop it!? Concentrate! You can make plans later.

.....Trevor closed his dorm-room door behind him and, still groggy for sleep, lazily dragged his feet down the hall to the shower room. As he got to

Got to? I don't think so.

.....neared the showers, the sound of running water grew increasingly clearer drowning out any notice of his flip-flopping footwear. Since he did not hear any voices spouting the usual immature college-boy dorm-shower vulgarities, Trevor assumed whoever was in there was alone; at least he hoped so and that whoever it was had almost finished and was about ready to leave. Still in the closet about his sexuality, the handsome college sophomore was extremely uncomfortable showering with his fellow male classmates, always afraid that one thing which would give him away would happen.

Hee-hee.

Like a fog-bank, steam suddenly rolled into

Rolled again! Damn! Whatever. I'll fix that later.

.....into the hallway. It was so thick and hot when Trevor entered the black marble-tiled room that he was not sure if the dampness he felt on his forehead was moisture or sweat. He did know in order for that much steam to build up, the hot shower would had to have been on all night.

"Hello!" Suddenly feeling uneasy, Trevor slowly moved toward the open-bay shower. "Is anyone in there?" Receiving no answer, he commented to himself, "Some idiot must have been too drunk last night to remember to shut the water off."

Okay! I'm no a roll now!

Having heard no response, Trevor comfortably stripped the towel from his waist and hung it on

That boy has the most beautiful eyes. Boy? Listen to me! He's probably only a year or two younger than me. I wonder who he is. I've never seen him before. He'll probably just order his coffee to go since there are no empty tables. Damn! Why did this couple have to just sit down next to me!? Oops! He caught me looking at him. But he smiled and nodded 'hello.' That's a good sign. Smile back. Smile back! Okay, now look away and get back to work. Put him out of your mind. It's pointless anyway. There's no place for him to sit. Let me see where I left off.

Having heard no response, Trevor comfortably stripped the towel from his waist and hung it on That boy has the most beautiful eyes. Boy? Listen to me! He's probably only a year or two younger than me. I wonder who he is. I've never seen him before. He'll probably just order his coffee to go since there are no empty tables. Damn! Why did this couple have to just sit down next to me!? Oops! He caught me looking at him. But he smiled and nodded 'hello.' That's a good sign. Smile back. Smile back! Okay, now look away and get back to work. Put him out of your mind. It's pointless anyway. There's no place for him to sit. Let me see where I left off.

Doh! I didn't even realize I was still typing. Ughhhhhh! Highlight that, down to there. Good. Now-----delete! Now pay attention!

Having heard no response, Trevor comfortably stripped the towel from his wais and hung it on one of the brass hooks just outside the shower bay. Even though he still believed himself to be alone, the shy young man modestly covered himself with his hands as he walked toward the already running shower. It was not until he felt something under his left foot that he looked down to see he had stepped on someone's outstretched hand that he realized he was not the only person in the room. Looking closer, he realized the hand belonged to Jon MacCarthy, a professor in the math department and coach of the school's lacrosse team. And, considering that he did not move when stepped on, combined with the fact that he was fully clothed, and there was a dark red spot staining his dress shirt in the center of his chest, he was definitely very dead!

What? Oh, my god! Mr. Eyes just asked if he could share the table with me! What to I say? Of course I want him to sit here. But I really need to finish two pages today! Maybe I'll let him join me but just keep working. No. That would be rude. I don't know. I don't know. You know what? I've done enough today. Good. He sat-----oh! those eyes! Click. Click. Click. And it's saved. He said his name is Josh.

I'll just write three pages tomorrow!