As promised, I went to shopping with Dean.
"Ares! Can you please buy me this pair of shoes?" Dean asked me holding a new collection of puma shoes.
"You've already bought a new pair of shoes. Why do you need more?"
"Because I want to get something from your sugar daddy's money." He giggled.
"Really!" I rolled my eyes and continued, "Just wait for 10 more years until I get a good job. Ill surelybuy then."
"Why? Didn't Eric give you a black card? Please let me have it? Please! Please!"
"Stop it Dean! I'll never use his money until it's an emergency. And you know that very well." I raged out of the mall.
He came running to me, "Sorry Ares! I was just teasing you." Pulling me to the Cafeteria nearby, he said, "Let's grab something before going."

As we sat down after ordering, Dean spoke again, "Ares! Sorry! I was just teasing you." Maybe he sensed that I was hurt with his previous conversation.
I smiled and nodded.
He spoke again, " I know it had been a hard decision to be with him. If it wasn't because of Aunt's sudden operation that you needed money, you would have never accepted thier family's marriage proposal."
As Dean was speaking, my mind flashbacked how it all happened.

                ****************
2 years ago~~~~~

I was in the college bathroom doing my business when I first saw my stud-muffin. He was holding a boy's hand. Our eyes met and I fled away not to disturb both of them.
The next day, as I was about to leave my classroom, Eric stood in front of me, blocking me.
I was dumbfounded. "Who are you? What do you want?" I asked timidly.
"Buddy! I swear I want that answer too. Why did you do that?"
"Huh! What?" I asked.
"Drop the act. Who sent you? Was it because of money?" He asked in his husky voice.
Pushing him aside from the doorstep I replied, "What happened? Don't spit gibberish. I don't even know you."
To this, he pulled me inside the room and locked it.
"Exactly! Then why did you do that?"
"Mr. Stud! (I mocked) If you have nothing sensible to say, I'll just leave."

SLAM!!!! He punched on the wall behind my face. My hands and feet were trembling suddenly.

"See this!" He held his phone near my face. It was picture of him and someone kissing inside the bathroom. The other guy's only back was visible. I looked at him. He was still looking fierce. I gulped.

"Not me." I had no more words to say.

"Don't bluff. Before I do something extreme bad to you, gently tell me the reason for spreading this picture." His voice seemed frightful.

"I don't even know you two. Moreover, I didn't see you doing that. I just saw you two holding hands..."

"Oh drop the act! James is already very tensed...."

"Who's James now?" As soon as I spit the words, his eyes widened. "Ok! Ok! I guess your boyfriend. But was I the only person inside the bathroom at that time?"

"I'm very much sure that it's you."

"I have no reason..." SLAMM!!! He punched the wall again. This time I wasn't frightened.

"Mr. Stud! (I took out my phone and showed him my IG account.) Investigate more if it's bothering you so much. Don't randomly pick anyone next time". And I swiftly moved aside him and came out of the bathroom. As I opened the locked door, there was a sea of heads facing towards me. There were whispers and murmurs, "See! They're making out openly now." "OH! It was him whom Eric kissed." "He was the reason for the bruises on Eric's lips last week."(So his name his Eric. But should I tell them it's someone called James and not me...Phew~~~~ no need to involve in their mess) I left the crowd.

But I had to deal with Dean with his questions. I preferred to tell him the truth. "Next time you see him, just try to ignore."

"Yes! I don't want to be a part of their shit." The topic was over for a week. But I had no clue that it was the calmness before the storm.

After two weeks, Dean came running to my house. " Ares! Something really bad happened."

I jumped out of my Sunday morning sleep and forcefully opened my eyes. Dean opened my room's door and shouted, "Ares! You are called by the Head of the Department tomorrow. I found out that someone spread a false claim that you were with Eric to exploit his wealth and that someone is none other than Eric himself. Maybe he wants revenge."

"SHIT!!!Not again that stud", I slammed my face on the pillow.

"Look! I've mailed you the IP address of the person from whose phone it was posted. You need to just explain it to the Head and Eric."

OHHHHH!! MY GENIUS computer science friend. I stood up and instantly gave him a tight hug, "Thank you so much Dean. You've bought the question paper along with the answer script. I love you my friend."

Next day I explained everything to the Head who was worried about the rumors. I also went to Eric and gave him the IP address.

Some more days swiftly went by. Both Dean and I got busy with our assignments. I had to stay till late in the college for my lab experiments. One night when I was heading to the college gate, I saw Eric. I decided to ignore him and pass without any unnecessary interaction. But it was the opposite. He came towards me and spoke, "Ares Right?" I nodded only. "Can we talk?" I paused for a second and nodded again. He took me near his car, "Get inside. I'll drop you home and meanwhile we can talk on the road."

I sat inside trying hard to keep our interaction limited. He sat and started to drive. "Sorry!" I looked at him in surprise. He spoke again, "Sorry to defame you. James was really pissed off by you at that time. And you know who did that? It was one of my childhood friend. I can't even trust my close friends. That's the reason I wasn't convinced even when you said so many times that it wasn't you. Sorry for that again."

"It's fine! What about your friend now?" Shit!! Why did I ask him that?

"His only reason was that he was jealous of us being together. So I forced him to leave the college."

"What! But he was your friend?" Shit! Shit! Why did I speak again??

"Not anymore! But how did you manage to find that IP address?"

"Dean, my friend, did that."

"Oh! I need to thank him too then. If you want we can meet someday....I'll treat you two a meal for your help..."

"Stop!" I exclaimed, "Thanks for dropping me." The car stopped on the road.

He looked around and said, "Here? But where's your house?"

"The road towards my house is very narrow. Your car won't get in. (I lied. I don't want this stud person to appear outside my house making a ruckus someday) "I'll walk from here. Thanks." And I got off.

That night was a sleepless night for me. How could he claim himself to be a friend if he doesn't have any room for forgiveness? The very next moment I thought that why should I care, it's not like someday we'll cross our paths again.

But the next day itself I saw him waiting outside my class. Soon there were murmurs about me and him inside the class. God!!! Not again! It was a finished chapter. Why to reopen it again. He and I are impossible. I rolled my eyes in frustration.

As the class ended, I took my belongings and was ready to flee when there was an announcement. 'Ares! Eric is waiting for you outside.' Shit!! The whole class was whooing now!!! Whooo! Whooo!

Fish!! It was a long gone story but why are these people not ignorant about it. Maybe it's solely because the other party involved is too much popular. It's true! I can't deny that he had a charming face with robust body. I ran out of the class in embarrassment.

"Ares stop!" He came towards me, "Can we talk?" I nodded. I held his hand and took him away from the vicinity of my classmates who were already eavesdropping on us.

We sat down at the empty cafeteria inside the campus. He was already glaring at me. I stood up and bought some drinks for him and a muffin for me. I passed him the drinks. "So...what do you want ...."

"James and I are together for like almost 2 years now. In the beginning, we both agreed to keep our relation a secret. But as days went by, it became difficult to continue as he got very busy with his works. Though I want to but I couldn't go to see him inside the college. He is afraid that if the rumors spread about him being a gay, he won't be offered any more works."

"But what does James do?" I spoke randomly munching my muffin.

He's studying performing arts in the theater department."

"Oh! So that's why he was angry when the photo got leaked."

"Yes! He's very particular about his works and his career. He worked really hard to reach this success. Now he gets to play the lead role for almost all the plays in the college."

"But why am I listening to his story?" I blurted out even before I realized it.

"Huh!" He had loss of words.

"What is the reason for me sitting here with you? Is something wrong? Are you here to blame me again?"

"No! No! (He sighed) I want to talk...talk to someone. I want you to listen to me for the next half an hour may be." His eyes were shinny, I guess, wet.

"Ok! I'm all ears." I couldn't say no to that cute little puppy faced human.

"I love him...love him a lot. He too does the same but he also has other priorities. I totally understand him but ... (He sighed) Last month he got a call from a reputed company for an audition. If he gets signed up, he'll have to stay in another country for nearly 2-3 years. The day you saw us in the bathroom, we were arguing about this. He was called to attend a 6 month's workshop in Bangkok. (He sighed again.) He'll leave this week."

"So...you should be with him now. Atleast stay with him until he leaves."

"I wish. But he's too busy with his rehearsal these days."

"What about him? Is he also having a dual feeling like you?" I knew I had no right to ask that question but as I was looking at that fellow, I felt bad, as if I could feel his sadness.

"One day he asked me what I want. Although at that time I said whatever he choose, I'll accept. But now it seems very difficult to do that. I cannot show that I'm sad now because I hope he can believe that he made a right decision."

I wanted to hug him as soon as he said those words. I felt pity for that soul.

I realized although he appears like a stud from outside, he is equally as sweet as a muffin from inside. Like a stud muffin!