Page 21 of Dream a Little Dream

Chapter six

Bad Reputation

Present day

“Mum said I need to join a club. Do more than study. Makefriends.” Mel dragged Aaron through the double doors leading to the sports centre where various stalls had taken over the double basketball courts to showcase what the Student’s Union offered in the way of extracurricular clubs and societies. “Bet your mum says the same, right?”

“Not so much.”

Mel had latched onto him all week. Now Friday, the end of the first week of classes, she’d come with him to check out the Fresher’s Fair after their second lecture with Dr Kenneth Lyons. Aaron had sat at the back this time. Unable to make eye contact. The last few days, he’d felt hollow. More scooped out than normal. It was strange how a man he’d only known from scraps of relentless research a week ago could make him feel as if he’d clawed out his insides and kept them in a glass jar by his bed.

He wanted them back.

Sweeping his eyes across the rows of stalls, he followed Mel through the swarm of eager freshers. Stalls adorned with vibrant banners and the enthusiastic faces of society members were a blur of colours and shapes Aaron had little to zero interest in. He didn’t want to join a club, even if Jervine had told him to. What the fuck was he gonna join? He stopped at the Pole and Aerial society, a couple of flexible girls demonstrating pole dancing moves.Huh. Maybe he could givethata go.

“My sister joined so many clubs at uni, my mum says that’s what got her the job at KPMG.” Mel took a leaflet from the Salsa society, a couple dancing behind the desk. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Uh…” Aaron flinched at the raucous noise coming from the other side of the hall, the men’s football and rugby teams doing some standoff. At least three of the lads queuing to sign up for the team were in his Halls of Residence. And they were knobs. “Only child.” Said his file.

Hecouldconfide in Mel that he’d been in care. That the siblings he had were other children with destructive home lives. But he wasn’t there with her yet. Because as soon as he mentioned the careleaver status, a ton more questions stacked up and Aaron could get tripped up. Or more likely, he’d shut off and Mel would assume he was lying, and their newfound friendship would cease to flourish.

She smoked, so Aaron had a use for her.

Plus, she was all right.

They moved along, shuffling through a horde of people around the Islamic Society desk. Aaron tried to squeeze through, but a bloke squirming out the other way rammed his shoulder.

“Sorry!” The bloke held up his hands in surrender, as if he was expecting to get a pounding. “Hey, I know you.”

Aaron doubted that.

“I’m your next-door neighbour.” Bloke held out his hand. “Rahul.”

That could well be true. Aaron hadn’t been the social butterfly with his hall mates. There were ten lads all living on the bottom floor of his block, sharing a kitchen and two bathrooms. Many of them had partied in each other’s rooms since Monday. Aaron had kept his door shut. He missed Inferno. Missed dancing. But the uni bar was full of wankers, and the union club was full of melts.

“Aaron.” Aaron shook his hand.

“I know.” Rahul smiled, brown eyes sparking. He chuckled, self-consciously, red tint glowing on his cheeks.

“Aaron!” Mel’s voice cut over the unrest as she beckoned him over to a stall painted with rainbows, the pride flag waving behind it.

“I better…” Aaron pointed, assuming as soon as Rahul saw him head over to the LGBT society desk after him having signed up for the Islamic society, he’d realise they weren’t such a good match.

“Oh. Yeah. Of course. Go ahead!” Rahul stepped aside, waving his hands at the rainbow stall a little too overzealously. “See you at home!” He snorted.

Aaron would have rolled his eyes, but the kid had a warmth about him, tugging on the better nature he didn’t know he had. So he smiled, then squirmed through to meet Mel at the desk, colourful pamphlets spread out like a peacock’s tail. Mel was already writing her name and email on the tablet a bloke behind the desk held out to her.

“Sign up to this one, at least,” Mel called to him over her shoulder.

Aaron had no intention of it.

“I have to agree with her.” The bloke behind the desk raked his gaze up and down Aaron.

No doubt which letter this one identified as. His tight white tee with the pride flag emblem on his left chest gave much of it away, but also his invasive loiter over Aaron. Bloke was decent looking. Definitely made use of the gym complex on campus, and his hazelnut hair styled with highlights, designer stubble cut just so, and his jeans framing a decent arse said he looked after himself damn well.

Aaron hadn’t ever been interested in the unsullied.

He much preferred damaged in transit.

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