New experiences

Last night was a good night.
First off let me get the boring bit out of the way - me and Reece went to the estate agents to sort out all the stuff before we go away on holiday so hopefully when we get back we should be pretty much done with the mortgage application and the survey.
Now the interesting bit.
After the estate agents I went over to Russell's flat to hang out and hopefully cheer him up a little bit in light of everything that is going on with him and Jo. I was expecting to go round, maybe play some Blood Bowl. Maybe do a little painting maybe watch a film. What I wasn't expecting was what happened. We couldn't decide what to do and Russell wasn't really up for a game of Blood Bowl so we sat and we talked. For four hours. Just talked. It was really cool.
Me and Russ have never really talked before and it was so cool to be able to just tell each other so much about ourselves. We really got to know each other last night in a way that we haven't before.
I think I made some comments earlier on about the situation with Russ and Jo that may be incorrect. I suggested that he may not want to break up with her because he is worried that he would have trouble meeting someone else. I don't know if that true anymore. I got the distinct impression last night that Russ is mostly staying with Jo at the moment for two reasons. 1. He loves her and things have been so good with her in the past that he really wants to try and make things right between them and 2. Practical reasons: if he broke up with Jo now he would have to move back in with his parents, he would still be commuting to Blackpool and finally, he would have one less person to hang out with.
I was probably a little surprised about that. If it was me, I don't think I would stay for reason 2. Reason 1 is a very good reason to stay but I wouldn't let reason 2 sway me at all. Russell's reasoning is that if he can stay with her until he gets a job in Manchester (hopefully one that pays quite well) then he will be in a position where if he did decide to leave then he would be able to get his own place and would only be working a short distance away. He also mentioned that he was going to stay with Jo until the lease ran out on the flat and evaluate the situation then and if nothing has changed then he will leave. That sounds in keeping with his reason 2 but the lease on the flat doesn't run out for 5 months. I don't think I could stay around for 5 months in the situation their relationship is in now but as Russ points out, he hardly sees Jo as it is so it doesn't make much of a difference if they are together or not.
Anyway, we spoke quite a bit about Shaun last night and neither of us can quite work out what is up with him. Russell suggested that possibly Shaun is gay. It would explain a lot if he was.
He all of a sudden won't come to Rock Kitchen with us (Rock Kitchen is a cool club we go to in Manchester). He gave some lame excuse about rock music not doing anything for him anymore but since it's all he listens to its kind of hard to believe. Russ suggested that maybe he had had some kind of encounter with another man at Rock Kitchen and now he doesn't want to go back just in case the same man is there and we all find out that he is gay.
It's odd really because if he is gay then he couldn't have a more understanding group of friends.
Also he does something that Jon (Laura's best mate - also gay) used to do before he came out. When we are out in Manchester he will sometimes just leave - sometimes with an excuse and sometimes he will just disappear - and it makes me wonder if he is doing the same as Jon used to do: heading off to the gay village to meet other men. It's possible.
Anyway, even if it is true (and it is by no means a proven fact) there is no way that I can see Shaun ever telling us but he really needs to sort himself out - we are in a situation now where none of us are going to be calling him. He has alienated us so much that we have absolutely no desire to be near him.
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