Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 03:37:42 -0700 From: Jeffrey Venzuela Subject: I Shall Believe - Chapter 14 ___________________________________________________________________________ Warning: If you don't tolerate or approve of the gay lifestyle please leave now. This is pure fiction. No one in this story is a real person, living or deceased. Any similarities is just a coincidence. ___________________________________________________________________________ It was the Saturday morning and Alex was pacing around in her room as she tried to call Ivan's home number. The phone kept on ringing and ringing until it reached the voicemail. Alex sighed but spoke anyway. "Hey, Ivan. It's me again, Alex. I don't know how many messages I've already sent you but you have to pick up. I need to talk to you." After the message she looked at the phone, exhaled deeply through her nose and tried the number again. At Ivan's house, the phone's ringing and Alex's voice could be heard as Jesse and Ivan quietly ate the breakfast Jean had made for them before she left for the diner. As Jesse chewed on his food, he took glances at Ivan who was nonchalantly eating the pancakes and bacons from his plate as if the noise from the phone was nonexistent. The phone stopped ringing, then Ivan's voice could be heard telling the caller to leave a message. After the beep, they heard another message from Alex. "Ivan, I just want to know if you're doing okay. I mean, hello, you haven't picked up the phone yet since last night. Don't tell me you're still sleeping? Are you ill or something?" Alex said from the phone. After swallowing his food, Jesse began complaining. "Dude, aren't you going to answer that? Her voice is getting annoying by the minute." Ivan didn't respond. Instead, like the phone and Alex's messages, he ignored Jesse. Jesse narrowed his eyes at Ivan and stood up. "Fine. If you're not going to answer the phone, I will." He made sure to give Ivan a mischievous grin as he passed by his seat on the way. Ivan quickly swallowed his food and said, "What are you planning to do?" He looked at Jesse who was already running for the phone. "Hello, Ivan's residence." Jesse chirped after picking up the phone. Ivan watched intently as Jesse listened to the other line. "It's Jesse." Ivan saw Jesse make a horrified expression. "What do you mean I sounded like a girl earlier?" That brought out a laugh from Ivan. Jesse gave him a dirty look and cleared his throat. "I just, ah, my throat's a little sore." He said in a deeper voice. Ivan nodded at him condescendingly and said, "Right." Jesse flashed him a fake smile as he listened to the phone. "Oh, he's fine." He said. "He's actually, uhm, up in his room." "What?" Ivan mouthed. "Yeah, he's definitely awake. You know, just between the two of us..." Jesse's mischievous grin showed again which caused Ivan to stand up from his chair. "I think I heard him moaning behind the door." Not liking where Jesse was going, Ivan ran to the phone. Ivan tried to grab the phone but Jesse ran from him. "I think he's jacking off." He said, stifling a laugh. Jesse put his encircled hand over his crotch and started pumping as though he was masturbating. Ivan shook his head and threatened Jesse with a serious face. "Uh, you know what, Alex. He's now walking down the stairs. Here he is." Jesse rolled his eyes and handed Ivan the phone. "Did you wash your hands?" He said loudly, making sure Alex heard it on the other line. "Haha. Very funny." Ivan said to Jesse. "What was that all about?" Alex asked on the phone. Ivan explained simply that it was just Jesse being himself. Alex didn't comment any further and asked how Ivan was doing. "I'm okay, much better now actually. Guess I was just really tired yesterday." He said. "Are you sure?" Alex asked. "Yeah, of course." Ivan replied brightly. Alex was convinced by his answer. "Okay. So listen, Michael and I are going to meet for brunch. Do you wanna come with?" Ivan politely declined, explaining that he and Jesse were already having their breakfast at the moment. Alex said she understood and both said their farewells before hanging up. Ivan walked back to the kitchen to continue eating his breakfast. He sat down and stared at the food as he thought of Alex and Michael having brunch together. Michael and Alex would be in the café downtown, sitting across each other, just staring at each other's eyes, smiling. They would talk about their plans for the rest of the day as they ate and then Michael would notice a tiny piece of what they were eating near the corner of Alex's mouth. He would reach across the table and wipe it with his finger which would cause her to blush. The two of them would be caught in the moment, just looking at each other until they leaned closer to each other and finally shared a kiss. Jesse finished his breakfast with a grin. "Ah, now I could die." Jesse looked at Ivan, already expecting his usual sarcastic comments but his friend was motionless on his chair, staring at the half-eaten pancakes and bacon. "Ivan?" Jesse called for him softly. "Ivan." He repeated louder. That seemed to catch Ivan's attention. Ivan looked over at Jesse with a surprised look on his face. "Are you okay?" He heard Jesse ask him. "Yeah." Ivan said, confused by himself. He couldn't understand the pain he was feeling. He should be happy. He should be okay with it all. But his feelings wouldn't go away. He needed to make it stop, to get rid of it even just for a moment. "I was just thinking..." Ivan started. Jesse asked Ivan what was on his mind. Ivan wasn't sure if it was a good idea but he decided he needed to do something so he continued. "Remember when you told me that at least one of your friends always throws a party on Friday nights?" "Yes." Jesse replied, wondering where this was going. "Is there any chance they might throw one on a Saturday night?" Ivan asked. "Yes, I think so." Jesse answered, now fully understanding the situation. "Why?" He questioned, just to make sure he was reading Ivan correctly— That he was really extremely affected by Michael and Alex. "Nothing." Ivan responded with a smile. "It's just... It's pretty weird actually but I think I want to go out tonight and just have fun." "Okay. Just let me go and call one of the guys." Jesse wasn't sure if this was a good idea but there was nothing else he could do at the moment but be there for his friend. Alex excitedly prepared for her brunch with Michael. She knew it was just a casual date but she also knew that it was really the small things that count. She heard Michael's jeep honking outside the house. Michael had just arrived. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled as she played with her hair a little. As she hurried out of her room, she saw her mother waiting for her by the stairs. Beth had a serious expression on her face but that only meant that she was sober, at least for the time being. "Where are you going?" Beth asked her. "Michael and I are having brunch." Alex answered. Beth just stared at her and then went back to her room without saying another word. Alex walked outside the house, thinking that at least her mother didn't have vodka for breakfast. She went inside the car and greeted Michael. "Hey." She smiled, leaning in for a kiss. Michael met her lips and let the kiss linger before pulling away. "Good morning." He said. "You could say that to my mom." Alex said with a scoff. "Everything alright?" Michael asked, trying not to sound so worried. Alex nodded with a smile. "Yeah. She actually asked me where I was going today." Michael was surprised. According to what Alex had been telling him, Beth barely talked to her daughter except when she needed her to get something for her. "That's great!" Michael genuinely felt happy for her. "And get this, not even a hint of alcohol on her breath. It seemed like she went to sleep last night without drinking anything." Alex couldn't help but smile. "No wonder you're glowing." She heard Michael say. All of a sudden she was back in junior high, with her stomach feeling butterflies. "I just feel like things are now turning out for the good in my life. I mean, my mother just really talked to me and now I'm getting to spend the entire day with the most handsome boyfriend on earth." She chuckled. "This is a great day." She looked at Michael and held his hand. Michael leaned in for another kiss before he started driving. Having just finished from drying off after his shower, Ivan was clad only in his underwear and was going through his dresser when a fresh looking Jesse barged into his room. "What the fuck?!" Ivan shouted as he rushed over his bed to grab the sheet for cover. "I told you to come back here after an hour and a half!" He shouted. Jesse tried not to laugh at Ivan's mortified face. Ivan started breathing deeply to calm himself before he spoke again. "Okay. There's this thing called knocking and everyone else is doing it, why can't you?" Jesse gave him a look that asked if Ivan was serious. "Dude. Because they're everyone else, not me. I'm Jesse." He answered as if it was already the obvious. Ivan had to admit, Jesse had a point but then it wasn't the whole point of the conversation. Ivan shook his head wildly. "Can you just leave me for a moment so I can get dressed?" "You said you wanted fun!" Jesse walked to the bed near Ivan. "Let's just say this is a prerequisite." He pulled away the protective sheet sheltering Ivan's body. Ivan quickly covered the bulge in his crotch with his hands. Jesse sighed. "If you want to go to one of our parties, you have to get used to seeing other people's bodies and other people seeing yours." He explained. "But—" "Or do you want me in my underwear too so that you'd be more comfortable?" Jesse asked in a serious tone. Ivan slowly dropped his hands to his sides and went back to his dresser to get his clothes. He was surprised by Jesse howling and saying, "Someone's packing." Ivan gave him a dirty look and put on a pair of jeans. After zipping up, Jesse commented again. "I'd tap that ass." "Jesse!" Ivan scolded him. "What are you doing?" "What? Did I offend you? Because a lot of guys will certainly hit on you at the party tonight." Ivan looked at him questioningly but Jesse shrugged. "That's just how it goes." Jesse could see the doubt in Ivan's eyes which was actually what he was aiming for, to make Ivan realize that those kind of parties really just weren't for him. "Or maybe we shouldn't just go the party tonight. Especially, if you can't handle this kind of small stuff." Jesse controlled himself from grinning as he watched Ivan consider his words. "You know what?" Ivan started. Jesse failed to suppress a smile. "What?" "We're going to the party. I don't care about all the other things. All I want to do tonight is have fun and I would even go to that party naked if that's what it takes." Ivan spoke with triumph. He really felt like he could go through with it. "Really?" Jesse asked. "Maybe not the going naked part." Ivan admitted to which Jesse chucked. "But we will go. That's for sure." Their conversation was interrupted by Ivan's phone ringing on the night stand. Jesse looked at Ivan to ask if he should check who it was and Ivan nodded. "It's Jean." Jesse said as he handed Ivan the phone. Jean started by telling that a lot more customers were coming to the diner that morning than she had expected and then asked if the two boys could lend her a hand. "Sure." Ivan said. After thanking him, Jean hanged up. "You don't have any other plans for today, right?" Ivan asked Jesse. "I thought we're just gonna hang out here." Jesse said. Ivan suddenly realized that maybe Jesse wouldn't like to go to the diner to help. Come to think of it, taking people's orders and cleaning up after them really didn't seem to be Jesse's thing. "There's a slight change of plans." Ivan announced. Jesse raised an eyebrow in response. "We'll still hang out but we are gonna do it at the diner." Ivan tried to make it sound vague so that Jesse would go with him. "Sure. Is it alright with Jean?" Jesse asked. Ivan chuckled. "Yeah. She actually invited us to come over." Jesse smiled. "Sweet." When the two boys arrived at the diner, Jesse wasn't so sure if they could stay there. The diner was packed with people. He could see Jean approaching them. "Thank god! Save me from these hungry savages." Jean greeted them as she hugged them both. Jesse didn't get what she said but smiled in return anyway. "You two could just wait on tables, simple job." She handed them a pen and a pad each. "Ivan already knows the basics so just ask him if you have questions." She said to Jesse before leaving them. "Yeah, right. Like I would spend my Saturday working as a waiter." Jesse chuckled and looked at Ivan. But he saw Ivan's apologetic face and he knew instantly that they really were going to do the job. "Unbelievable." Jesse shook his head. Ivan suddenly felt bad about not telling Jesse what was up before but he had really felt like he had no choice. "Remember, you still owe me two favors?" He asked sheepishly and hopefully. Jesse thought about it for a moment. He sighed, "Alright. Now you only have one left." Alex was surprised when Michael pulled the car over for brunch. It wasn't where she had expected that they'd be going but still, the place was special for her—for the three of them actually, including Ivan. "Wow. I haven't been here since, like, junior high." Alex remarked as they walked towards Jean's diner. "Really? Well, you're missing out. The food has really improved since Jean went to Europe for cooking school." Michael said. He opened the door for the two of them. "It must have. Just look at all these people." Alex said as she walked in. Michael scanned the place for an empty booth and found three guys walking away from one. Alex, however, found Ivan. "Look, there's an empty table right there." Michael said to Alex, pointing to the spot. Michael took her hand but she stopped him. "Wait. Ivan's here." Michael followed Alex's gaze and found his best friend, waiting on a table with a couple in their fifties. "Hey Ivan!" Alex called him. Ivan heard someone call his name. He looked around the place and finally saw Alex waving at him and standing beside her was Michael, holding her hand. Michael saw Ivan's eyes go to their entwined hands and immediately let go. He used the hand to wave hello. "Hey." He greeted. Ivan smiled at the two of them and went back to listing the orders of the couple at the table. "C'mon." Alex grabbed Michael's arm and they went together to the empty booth three tables to the right of Ivan. After he was done taking the couple's order, Ivan went behind the counter and took a quick glance at Michael and Alex's table. Alex saw him and gave him a smile. Ivan decided to keep himself busy. He went to another just emptied table, and rigorously began cleaning it. After putting the dirty dishes in the back, he stole a glance from behind the counter again at his two best friends. It looked like they were ready for someone to come and take their order. Ivan desperately looked for Jesse and found him walking away quickly from a table. He immediately intercepted Jesse and spoke to him. "Hey. I need you to wait on that table over there." At first, Jesse didn't understood why he had to cover for Ivan but when he followed Ivan's eyes, the situation became clear. "Right now?" He asked. Ivan nodded yes. "But I have to go to the bathroom. My bladder's about to explode." Jesse fidgeted uncomfortably as he talked. "I gotta go. Sorry." He said before hurrying to the employees' bathroom at the back. "You have got to be kidding me." Ivan whispered to himself. "What's the matter?" Jean asked from behind him. Ivan casually glanced at Michael and Alex's table to hide the fact that he was talking about them. Jean saw the two of them and told Ivan, "Don't worry. I'm on it." "Thank you." Ivan said with a relief. He started waiting on another table and tried to focus. He maintained a safe distance from his best friends' table and tried to manage the new people that came in. Alex was talking about what she would like to do for the rest of the day when she noticed Michael staring at Ivan. She stopped herself and smiled. "He's really sweet, isn't he?" Michael looked at her questioningly. "Ivan. Jean said that she just called him last minute for help and now here he is helping her. That's just typical Ivan, right there." Alex chuckled. "And I was afraid he had changed after what happened last year." Michael was looking at Jesse and saw him slap Ivan's butt as he passed by. Ivan jumped a little in surprise but then seeing it was just Jesse, he rolled his eyes. "Don't be so sure. He brought his new friend along." He pointed out. Alex had noticed it before and she had to ask. "What is up with you and that guy?" "What are you talking about?" Michael asked back. "Well, you just seem to really hate him." Alex answered. Michael tried to explain but he really didn't know how. "Look, I don't hate the guy. I just really don't want him around Ivan. You should hear what others say about him." Alex just shrugged. "In fact, I have. So the boy has a bad rep. But it's just your usual cutting class and some cheating here and there. But aren't you forgetting something here Michael, it's Ivan we're talking." She put a hand over Michael's hand on the top of the table. "He can take care of himself." Michael stared at Alex and realized that he was going too far with the whole thing. "You're right. I'm sorry." Alex smiled at him reassuringly. "It's okay." She leaned in for a kiss but this time, Michael didn't meet her. "What's the matter?" Alex asked, confused with Michael's lack of response. He looked at her apologetically. "It's just that Ivan's here. Don't you think it's a little weird?" Alex pondered on Michael's question. "Maybe a little. I mean, he's like our little brother and here we are making out in front of him." Michael chuckled. "Yeah. Something like that." Ivan had seen and heard some of the parts of that whole interaction. He felt a little guilty that he had felt happy when Michael refused to kiss her in front of him. But he couldn't help it because somehow, it gave him this tiny ray of hope. He continued working , avoiding his friends' table. Fortunately with the busyness of the diner, the next thing he knew Alex and Michael were saying goodbye to him. Once the door closed behind them, Ivan sighed heavily. After lunch hour, the crowd began to thin out. Jean thanked Ivan and Jesse for their help and told them she and her regular employees could handle it from now on. Before the two boys left, Jean served them free late lunch and gave them both some money. Ivan told Jean about the party later and she allowed him to go and to just sleep over at Jesse's if it got late. Both boys left the diner satisfied, Jesse with his new experience as a waiter and Ivan with his new found determination to go to the party later that night. ______________________________________________________________________________ Here's another chapter for all of you. I worked on it faster to make up for the very wait you guys had. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again to Mr. Dennis S for editting my work and for those who aren't still members of the facebook readers' page, We have lots of room for you guys. If you want to join, here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ISBreaders/ Thanks! Keep on reading :)