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Chapter 4: Everyone Has Something Under Their Sleeves

The Sports Center entrance is advertising try-outs for new players in the soccer club of the Roaring Rex Team. Broderick, Sol and the team Captain, a human named Spicer Morales. Busy with a line of new, interested students signing up for a good game of soccer to compete with Rexville's rivals, especially The Conquistadors of Southwest University in San Diego. Football or soccer, while both are in the tie breakers for students to what sport they are interested to play and choose from is up them to decide as they can try both before deciding.

Solomon, rumored to be the future captain of the team after Spicer retires after graduation, finished with the previous intrigued student, suddenly shook his head to who came next after. The no longer often mistaken Brazilian parrot from a grand carnival party in Rio.

"Xavier?"

"Hey, Soliado, que pasó?"

Broderick the reindeer did the same. "Xavier, you wanna play? What gives?"

"Uh... Sergio convinced me to leave out of the dorm and, huh, wanted me to do something outdoors."

"Why he would do that?"

"He sorta have a point and I took it for granted, so I decided that I should try to join the soccer team with you guys."

"Oh, that is so great, Xavier!" Broderick said.

Sol kept going to question him. "Anything else why?"

"Well, the truth is that I haven't gotten the opportunity to play this sport since high school, and, uh, I was a bit underestimated and other player surpassed over me and, uh, you know the whole revolution thing in my country." A lot has happened in Xavier's family in the past and Xavier held his personal's issues as open secrets to share.

While this excusable motive is true, Xavier has more motives than it meets the eye. Xavier may have a dorm to share with Sergio, but he lives up north of Rexville where a small Hispanic community in the suburbs is located. His parents sometimes come by and visit him or Xavier visiting sometimes in the weekends by taking the street car. Tired of doing that routine, maybe doing something busy and excusable may work. Sorry, mom and dad...

"You could have joined last year, but I guess this is your way of handling college." Sol said.

"Hey, it was Sergio who convinced me. I've been a fan of soccer since eleven and I didn't get the opportunity to be part of it." Xavier stated.

"Fine. Sign here." Sol handed him the clipboard with names signed on. "Think you can impress Spicer here?"

Xavier glanced at Spicer, talking with another intrigued student signing up. Looked back at Sol and said, "If Scarlets and Blue-yellow Macaws can play, I think a Puerto Rican Amazon can play." He leaned down and signed up his name.

"Good luck." Sol said with hints of doubt-ness.

"Don't worry, Soliado, I have a secret weapon." Lacking facial expressions on his ivory white beak, his eyes hinted deep confidence, but he's just excited. "Nos vemos luego." See you then, and Xavier left from the sign-up table.

Sol did not care whatever he has on his sleeves, but he wants to play soccer with them. After the busy lines ended and folded up the portable tables. Their unexpected encounter with Xavier really got them in their heads, especially Sol.

"I've never thought Xavier was a fan of soccer." Sol muttered.

Broderick said, "Xavier have talked a lot about it around with me."

"Then, how come I didn't get some of that conversation?"

"Oh, yeah, remembered when you met him?"

"What? Oh...right." Sol remembered.

Sol met him mutually by Broderick and Hunter. Sol naturally greet him and then flirted with him to which the parrot didn't accepted his way of welcoming him and find his energetic-extrovert behavior simply annoying. And the two are somewhat of frenemies around each other, not in a level as rivals, but possibly friendly rivals as now Xavier had given him a soft spot overtime as he knows he isn't a bad person. Sol just being Sol.

"So, anyways," Sol continued, "how come Sergio convinced him to play?"

"You have to admit that he's mostly seen around his dorm almost everyday, every time I look for him to help me with Spanish and stuff, I asked Sergio and he always tells me he's in the dorm with homework. But you have a point about Sergio over there..."

"I don't really recall him that much of a helper..."

"I thought Sergio stopped pranking on Xavier."

"No..." Sol began. "I think there's something more to it."

"Like?" Broderick could not follow him. "I... I don't get it."

"Personal space. You know; the healthy thing we men do all-day."

"Goddamn it, Sol, you have to go that far?"

"What? I didn't say it very vulgar. You know all the dorms don't have any doors for privacy between bedrooms except the main door and bathroom, and Xavier once told me he's a light-sleeper; meaning he's still aware of his sleeping surroundings."

"Woah, poor Sergio - Wait a minute! Xavier has classes, when he's not in his dorm, maybe Sergio has his private chance. Even the weekends!"

"That maybe true, but what made Sergio to practically got rid of Xavier?"

"Let's not think too much, Sol. You think too weird."

"Can't help it and cannot help but worry about other people's needs. But helping Xavier here, this is literary the first time he actually comes out of his shell."

Broderick chuckled, "I think he actually 'hatched' out of his shell. Get it!?"

"Yeah, yeah - He's a bird, don't ruin it." Sol rolled his eyes.

Not too long, Xavier send them both a text message. Both reading their quiet minds, it revealed...

Broderick and Sol. Thanks for giving a me try to be part of the Roaring Rex Team. All thanks to Sergio for convincing me to get out of the dorm. Boy, I really realized how boring I had been through the previous semesters. I think Sergio did this so he can have the dorm all to himself. Looking for some private time with his dates so he can get lucky. Well, whatever... Wish me luck!

The following day of Thursday came. Students have treated this day like Friday's cousin. Normally students' schedules focus from Monday to Thursday but depending on students' mayors they attend a single class mostly at morning to noon and afternoons. Sergio's design graphic class, his dedicated lecture, was in Thursday's morning. Class has been dismissed. Same for Milagros' art classes with Xavier and Keanu in the same building. The three were tasked to draw a self-portrait of themselves.

Milagros looked on Keanu's portrait, drawn rather cleaned with less detail and much cartoonish. Prof. Zamora advised Keanu to add more hair detail of his fur but praised his eye detailing and ears. Keanu's fur is so white that he didn't added a lot of shades of gray of shadowing pencils. He just took a quick selfie with the flash on of his new cellphone that he yet gotten use to it.

"It's not that bad, it's impressive." Milagros said.

"Are you into Japanese anime?" Xavier said. "You'll probably gonna get along well with Sergio, he's a big fan of this stuff."

"Yes, I watch some shows late at night." Keanu simply said.

Then Milagros saw Xavier's portrait, "Xavier, you drew your beak too big."

"I think I'd accidentally set my camera on wide close-up lenses." Xavier explained. "What? I thought artist likes to be spontaneous."

Keanu looks at Milagros portrait, "Your drawing looks lovely." He kindly said.

"Aw, thank you, Keanu."

"Is it true about a volunteer that would stand up naked in front of everyone in the classroom?" Keanu asked. He wishes this is not going to happen, he doesn't feel prepared, especially if the volunteer is a guy.

"I don't know." Milagros replied. "I think one of us will volunteer."

"But that would leave one student getting behind by one drawing." Xavier said. "Prof. Zamora said that she usually looks for one willing volunteer outside the class, so everyone can do their work at the same time. Last semester, Hunter told me that he had to draw some volunteer for his final project, since he was absent that time. Prof. Zamora let Hunter to choose anyone. Anyone!"

Milagros said, "So, who it was..."

"Pues Sol, que tú crees?" Sol, of course, what do you think?

"Uh..." Keanu fell into an odd conversation and hearing actual foreign language from someone like Xavier as his native language is Spanish. Keanu isn't the best Spanish speaker and barely managed to earn a C plus in Spanish class in high school.

Milagros somewhat did not care. "Well, that figures. Did he..."

"Yup, he stripped naked and lied down like one of those French girls. I saw his drawing." Xavier concluded.

"Uh..." Keanu blushed.

Realizing that they were talking right in front of the new first year, Xavier apologized. "Sorry about that. A lot of crazy things happened last year."

"Uh... It's okay, I mean, I'm the one who asked about the volunteer thing." Keanu stated.

"Right..."

In the same hallway, Sergio catch up the three. Calmed and a little serious. He seemed to be looking for his sister.

Xavier had to say it, "Hey, Sergio, looks like we have another anime fan here!"

"Oh, really?" Looking at Keanu with a small smile and swaying his white tail. "Cool..."

Milagros, as his twin, knew something was itching him. "Do we need to talk?"

"Uh, sí." Sergio nodded.

Milagros turn to Keanu and Xavier. "We'll meet up later at the cafeteria. I think Sergio wants a little talk."

The two coyotes left, leaving just Xavier with the new first year. Xavier wasn't even good at meeting new people and now stuck with the Arctic wolf-boy he barely knows. "Uh, cafeteria? You hungry?"

"Ah, sure. I heard they're having sloppy joe burgers."

The avian and canid leaved the building as Sergio and Milagros find a quiet spot around the near empty building. A corner that doesn't show any traffic. Apparently, Sergio have something on his chest that maybe Milagros can relate to. As twins of opposite sex, they share to what they see each other as their alternative counterpart of a real-life dimension.

Since they are by themselves with no one speaking English around, they freely can talk natively with no problems. Not that is discriminating, it's sometimes that they could use a break and talk like themselves.

"What is it, Sergio?" Milagros spoke in Spanish.

"Uh... Have you ever felt a little insecure but wanted to show more about yourself anonymously?"

"I'm not following."

"When you look up yourself in the mirror, do you want to gain some confidence?"

The coyote-girl practically has an idea to what he's trying to say behind those riddles. She's has no choice but to follow his riddle-ness. He's trying to speak as if he's been sent by an anonymous admirer to ask a girl out like Lenny did to Sergio. But this is different. Her first clue is confidence, and that's unheard of from him. Thinking that specifically, Since when he was self-conscious about his body? She thought.

After hearing that sentence, Milagros said. "I don't recall you having a pudgy belly. What, are you gaining weight?"

"N-no, is not that, is..."

"You're naturally fit, you have like..." She dared to lift his shirt and counted his bumps on his stomach, Sergio flinched at that and blushed. "...six visible abdominals and a quite of a chest there! Is there someone you saw today? Who is she?"

"No, I'm not having another crush, is about me. I just want to show myself as a little of the real me, you know?"

"Jeez, you're like trying to come out as gay without being gay." She scoffed. "Don't you have like three-thousand subscribers on YouTube? They all love your creative pranks. Is there something more you want to explore?"

"Something like that, but in private. I just talked to Xavier yesterday, and finally convinced him to play soccer with Sol and Broderick."

"What's this has to do with Xavier, and HE signed up to play soccer?" She cried.

"This was a sort of an apology-like advice, if you think about it." He said, thinking about the previous pranks he did on Xavier. "Now that he's going out more often from the dorm, I have more chance by myself."

"What are you planning?"

"Something that involves with the word sensual."

"Is that what you've been worried about? Being caught in the act?"

"I don't have to worry about that anymore. But there's more to it, and I want to make some experiences."

"And these 'experiences' will help you to gain confidence?"

"Just for a while, if it doesn't work, I'll just try something else."

"And why you want to talk to me about this?"

"Any advice as my twin sister?"

"Stick with the mirror for now and I think this conversation is over." Milagros stated.

"Are you mad with me?"

"No, but I see you want to do some daring, sensual actions. I may be your twin and that we should know each others' feelings without talking directly, but I'm actually surprised that you want to try this kind of stuff. You better know what you're doing. This is the era where everyone knows what we're doing online." She said. "See you later, then."

"Is that an okay?"

She turned back at him, "Has lo que te de la gana! ¡Tienes diecinueve años y legal para al público!" Do whatever you want. You're nineteen years old and legal for the public. She went on through the hallway and exited. She wasn't mad nor upset, but Sergio got a green light from her.

In the cafeteria, Xerxes the dragon came back from football practice. Tired, but feeling good until seeing a few stolen glances from fellow students, whispering one another with small chuckles from girls of all kinds. Keeping up his mood and pretending nothing had happened. Ever since kinder garden, Xerxes had been the face of ridicule from students of his unusual scale color of pink. Nicknamed Valentine, after the holiday, boys will always made fun of his color and girls... well... Some cases, girls thought he looked cute in pink. Because of this, Xerxes befriended with girls around since boys didn't wanted to hang out with a girly-looking dragon, and that was in elementary. Few boys did show him some sympathy towards him, since one particular student really made him what they treated him. But that didn't stop him to hide his scales, his childhood friends actually encouraged him to be himself. On every St. Valentine's Day, Xerxes took literally the mockeries of his tormentors and played as Cupid for the school activities and sending love letters and gifts for-and-from to other students. Thanks to that, Xerxes found his way escaping from ridicule and be proudly of his colors.

In middle and high school was another challenge, students began to rumor of his sexual orientation. His old friends innocently thought he was gay which Xerxes felt newly embarrassed of how everyone were looking at someone just by the color of his skin/scale. Officially speaking, Xerxes Windsor is straight as...of many macho men he could recall in many Hollywood movies he saw.

Luckily, this orientation phase was short lived when he joined football team in high school. His fellow teammates didn't think of him wrongly when they only jugged his personality. Motivating, rather loud, tough, and fun-loving.

At least throughout his high school and college years, his relationships on other girls were fine and made him confident as each previous girl he'd dated were the kind who did not judged him by the cover book. Now single, and available, but at this state is what some assume he's still out there and figuring out himself. But the factor that everyone hasn't yet noticed is that he had never been or seen near the local gay bar near the campus.

Now in Rexville University, third year. Rumors are still there but unconfirmed. People talking behind his back was bitterly and utterly insensitive. On the likely bright side, maybe the girls are just talking every cute or hot athletes and Xerxes is among them. He cannot tell as he didn't receive a secret admirer letter. Because of this, maybe the entire campus thinks he's gay. Maybe dressing as a Cupid was a dumb idea.

Seeing Xavier and Keanu eating their tables, he calmly took a seat with them. Saying hello to them. Xavier already read his mind by jugging his insecure-ness around the café full of students.

After swallowing a mouthful of sloppy joe, Xavier spoke. "They all still think you're gay, isn't it?"

"Well, whatever, let them think like that of my color." He rested his crossed arms on the table with his head resting on it. "Nothing weird has happened. So, why bother?"

"And I thought real men wear pink." Xavier muttered clear.

Keanu, with some stains on his lips of the saucy sloppy joe, curiously asked. "Why they think you're gay?" Hearing this peculiar subject was sort of sensitive and concerning-some. Asking casually didn't seem to affect them. Do they have a bad impression of this? Not that Keanu is testing on them but apparently this is Xerxes' personal issue.

Xerxes turns to Keanu, looking innocent with little knowledge about his new friends. "Oh, yeah. Right. You don't know..."

Xavier chuckled, "You want to know how Xerxes got this exotic color, Keanu?"

"Uh, it isn't personal, right?" Keanu looked at the slumped and tired big log.

"Don't worry about it, little guy." Xerxes assured him. "Just listen."

Turning back at the excited parrot, Xavier explained. "You know the whole red sock that ended up in a pile of all-white underwear?"

"Is that it...?" Keanu was resisting to laugh.

"His father is red-scaled and his mother white-scaled and... I guess you can tell where it all went."

"The moment when I hatched, my parents thought I was a girl." Xerxes added. "For five straight days..." Xerxes paused. "Enough to fill the birth certificate and write that name they soon regretted. It was too late, it wasn't until I was five when my parents legally changed my name to Xerxes."

"What was your first name?" Keanu curiously asked. This is where Xavier tried to resist laughing.

"Uh...is Rosemary..."

"Rosemary?" The dragon nodded quietly. "Because..."

"Because of the color, of course." Xavier filled.

"Dad went a little macho-macho after finding out that I'm a boy and named me Xerxes like my great grandfather."

"That's cool." Keanu mused. "I don't hear names that starts with an X."

"Thinking back, it gets funnier every time I speak about it." Said Xerxes.

A little while, the rest of the gang gathered up on the table. After the chat between Xavier and Xerxes earlier, it made Keanu think how tolerable they were, nothing sounded too harsh on the subject. Of course, in this century, is the era of diversity and equality. Ever since California left the States as a country of its own; divided people were eradicated into one wholly, healthy community. Keanu recalled one incident back in high school sometimes after coming out to his father. A student was beaten and taken to the hospital, it wasn't confirmed until that it was a hate crime involving a defenseless homosexual boy that the principal gathered all students in the gym about how serious is about bullying. The student victim recovered, and the tormentors were sent to juvenile prison. His father was involved in the investigation and thought for a moment that Keanu was involved but he was lunching when it happened. He remembered hearing the ambulance's sirens but never saw the vehicle or the site where it all happened; behind the bleachers of the football field near the parking lots. Keanu wasn't curious enough to know until his father wasn't around the house all night and called him later.

Because of this, after the case was closed; concluding two twelfth-grade students involved in the hate crime, Kendall had a talk with Keanu. His father was a little concerned about his son being discriminated. He asked if he made a friend until reaching trustiness, he could openly talk about it. But this was -somewhat- not the case, Keanu hardly talked to anyone in school due to personal ordeals that overshadows than just being a closeted homosexual wolf-boy. All he wanted to do was to breathe the morning, salty ocean air and find that inner peace that's he's trying to redevelop.

"Keanu? You okay?" Hunter shook his shoulder. Keanu was staring at the large glass windows of the cafeteria with thousands of thoughts swimming in his mind.

Waking up to his reality, his white pointy ears perked up startled. "Oh! Uh...I'm fine. Just thinking."

"First term exams are two weeks away." Hunter said. "You don't have to worry about it much."

"No, I'm n-not worried about that."

Hunter had been noticing his spacings just now. Keanu is sure a big thinker. Since he cannot listen to his thoughts. He must to learn his average body language. But Hunter just simply noticed his long spacing, staring at nowhere to no one.

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" Hunter asked.

Keanu softly replied, "I'm fine, Hunter. I'm just...really quiet."

Hunter laughed, "You talk enthusiastically in history class." Keanu loves history, so this is a different point of view pointed out by Hunter.

Keanu broke a smile on his muzzle, which really surprised Hunter as he hasn't seen him with a smile since he met him. This really made Hunter beamed up. Keanu responded, "Okay, maybe when I'm on my...my..." Keanu blushed and could not keep continuing his sentence.

"On your favorite subjects? I see now what you know and like."

"I guess, I should say a little more about me, shouldn't I?"

"Feel free, Keanu. No one is judging what you are."

Saying that, it really felt like Keanu was officially socially accepted for the first time in years. Hunter was already showing his genuine self towards him since they met and saying healthy, positive words that don't say anything like "I hate you" or "I don't want to talk to you". This is Hunter Montana talking nice to him without knowing not even a single fact that Keanu Winters is gay right across the table without any physical contact with their hands.

"Thanks, then." Keanu said.

"Hunter, you got the weekend settled?" Sol asked.

"Sure. My siblings have plans and so are my parents this weekend. I'm all home alone this Saturday." Hunter said as he turns to the white wolf. "Keanu, would you want to come?"

"Sure, I think Dad would be okay with it." He said.

"Alright!" Sol said. "You're gonna have fun."

Milagros then added. "Don't expect anything too much, Keanu. Just playing some video games and eating pizza."

"I'll get a spinning bottle, then." Xavier said.

"Dude, truth or dare? Really?" Broderick said.

"You know how we got to know you better when we were playing truth-or-dare with a spinning bottle. While we were humiliating each other, the new guest gets the special treatment by asking questions if the bottle picks the guest." Xavier explained. "Since Keanu is our new friend, we might try this for fun."

"And don't worry, Keanu, we're not going to ask personal questions. Unless you're open about it." Milagros added.

"Thank you." Keanu gladly said. "Is by you house, Hunter, right?" Hunter nodded.