Chapter 6
Connor stood in front of the sink doing the dishes in the small kitchen of his grandmother’s house in Saldanha. The smell of the ocean was strong in the air, and Connor could hear seagulls just outside of the kitchen window. It felt like a strange dream being back home, but Connor couldn’t imagine staying in Ridgemont. Not with the way that everyone stared at him when he walked into Initia Nova the night before. Not with Adam possibly being expelled for breaking the rules.
Connor knew that he needed to be home for a while. Perhaps he would try to find another place to live in Ridgemont when he returned for classes. He couldn’t face being back at Nova.
Connor’s grandmother walked into the kitchen, her hair tied back into a tight bun and her face lined and weary. She spent most of her days running the shop that Connor’s grandfather had opened in Saldanha many years before, but her age was catching up with her. She had saved money for many years to be able to afford to send Connor to Ridgemont, and he was determined to make sure that he could give her a proper retirement once he got a job after his studies. Now, all he wanted to do was crawl up into a ball in the safety of home.
His grandmother sat down at the small kitchen table, giving a deep sigh, and said, “Connor, you have to tell me why you came back here in such a state last night. I’m your grandmother. I’ve looked after you since you were a young boy. You know there’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
Connor’s face was pulled in a tight frown, and he couldn’t even look his grandmother in the eye. “I’ve just caused too much trouble and I haven’t even been in Ridgemont for three days. I was trying to be a different person, but maybe I should just go back to being the same Connor I’ve always been. The one who follows the rules.”
“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Connor. Maybe you made a few mistakes, but that’s all part of growing up. You’ll land on your feet. I know one thing: you won’t accomplish anything hiding here in Saldanha. You have to go back and face your challenges. I always wanted more for you than just living in this small town and working in the shop with me.”
Connor put down the dish he was cleaning and dried his hands on a cloth nearby. He sat down at the table with his grandmother and rested his head in his hands. “I was trying to follow my heart for once. I’ve always been so careful and guarded. I just wanted to be free. But I ended up ruining everything.”
Connor’s grandmother had a concerned look on her face and said, “I’m sure it’s not that bad, Connor. You’ve always been way too serious for your own good. You need to loosen up. I was hoping that being at Ridgemont would be fun for you, not cause you more worries. I want you to follow your heart, not overthink things so much.”
Connor swallowed hard. He felt his heart beating fast, but pushed aside his fear and said: “What if my heart leads me to… a guy?”
His grandmother seemed unfazed as she responded: “Then you need to trust it. If this boy makes you happy, you need to go to him. I always knew that you wouldn’t be able to live the kind of life that you wanted in this town. You need to be somewhere where you can be yourself and be with someone that makes you happy.”
Connor felt emotion well up in him. He walked around the table to his grandmother and hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Ma. Thank you for always believing in me. I just wish I had been a little bit more cautious during my first few days at Ridgemont. I might’ve messed things up with this guy for good.”
“Connor, if there’s one thing I know from experience, it’s that if it’s worthwhile, it’s worth fighting for. If this boy feels the same way about you, then go back there and fix things.”
Connor and his grandmother both turned their heads with a start when they heard a knock at the door. They hardly ever had visitors. Connor got up and walked through the small living room towards the front door, and his grandmother watched him from the kitchen table. He opened the door immediately took a step backwards; he couldn’t believe what he saw. Adam stood in the doorway, his olive eyes lighting up at the sight of Connor.
“I found you!” Adam exclaimed excitedly. “All of these streets look the same! I thought I’d never find the right house. Prof Steyn gave me your home address and I drove over as soon as I could. It took me a few hours, but I’m here. I’ve come to take you back to Ridgemont, Connor. And to apologize.”
Connor stared at Adam with his mouth slightly open, unable to form a coherent thought. “You came all the way out here to get me?”
“I couldn’t let you leave. I couldn’t just forget about you, Connor.”
Connor’s grandmother walked over from the kitchen and put her hand on Connor’s arm as she smiled at Adam. “This must be the boy you told me about, Connor. I’m heading back to the shop. I’ll give you some time to talk. Don’t leave without saying goodbye, okay?” She craned over to kiss Connor on his cheek and turned to shake Adam’s hand. “Nice to meet you, young man. Please look after my grandson at Ridgemont. He’s very precious to me, and it’s hard for me to think of him all alone out there.”
“Don’t worry,” Adam said, “he’s not alone. He’s got someone there who cares about him.”
Connor led Adam into the kitchen as his grandmother walked out the door. They sat at the table staring at each other, both of them overjoyed but restraining themselves.
Adam broke the silence first: “Your grandmother is lovely. And this town is very charming.”
“Nothing like Ridgemont, is it?” Connor smiled.
Adam averted his eyes. “I’m sorry, Connor. I’m sorry for making you feel like you did something wrong when I wanted to kiss you so badly. I’m sorry for not making you feel at home at Ridgemont like I was supposed to. I hope you let me make it up to you.”
Connor looked around the room before turning back to Adam. “This is all I’ve known for my whole life. Ridgemont is like another world to me. I wanted to act like it was no big deal leaving this all behind, like I wasn’t scared of anything. But inside I was frightened. I’ve never kissed a guy before. It was all so new to me. But I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t keep myself away from you.”
Adam smiled broadly. “Come back with me to Ridgemont. Let’s start over. Prof Steyn assigned you to another mentor. He’s actually a really cool guy.”
“I don’t know,” Connor said, sighing. “I’m not sure I can face everyone right now. The entire Nova saw a picture of us making out. And Vernon will be out to get both of us now.”
“I don’t care about any of them,” Adam said. “Vernon is jealous that he can’t have as much fun as the rest of us do. He’s too busy sucking up to the higher-ups, trying to keep me in check. But I can handle him. And the rest of the guys in Nova will forget all about the picture in a few days. We’ll be old news in no time.”
“Good,” Connor said, feeling a sense of calm descend on him. “To be honest, my grandmother has already convinced me to go back. But it’s nice having you come all the way out here to get me.”
Adam feigned indignance, and walked around to where Connor was sitting. He put his hand gently behind Connor’s neck, bent over, and pulled Connor’s face close to his own. “I’m just glad you’re coming back with me. I didn’t want to lose you.”
Connor stood up and faced Adam. They kissed deeply, slowly, holding each other around the waist. Connor said, “I’ve got a feeling we have many adventures ahead of us at Ridgemont University.”
They went to Connor’s room and began to carry his bags into his car, eager to get back to Ridgemont. Connor felt optimistic as he watched Adam carrying one of his bags. He was lucky to meet someone like Adam, someone who cared enough to come all the way to Saldanha to make sure that Connor was okay and to bring him back to Ridgemont. Connor was looking forward to getting to know Adam better. He was ready to go back, more confident than ever that Ridgemont University was where he belonged.