Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 08:24:30 -0700
From: ricky m <sliders23@zdnetonebox.com>
Subject: simple things 8 (adult-friends)

***************
Simple Things 8
***************


***********
Jason's POV
***********

	I hate this. I hate feeling this depressed. It's like I'm carrying
the world on my shoulders. I just walked around the city for a while and
ended up going home very late. I was looking down on the sidewalk as I
brooded how awful my life was turning out so I didn't see Mark sitting on
the steps into my apartment building.

	"Jason?" I heard Mark's soft voice calling out my name when I was
close enough to hear his voice. I looked up and saw him looking at me
warily. I just ignored him and walked up the short flight of stairs but he
grabbed my arms firmly. "Can we talk?"

	"We have nothing to talk about," I said through gritted teeth as I
pulled away. I looked at him and gave him a really bitter look. "Do me a
favor and forget everything I said earlier."

	"I can't do that," Mark shook his head at me. In a whisper he
added, "Not when I think I feel the same way about you." I was caught off
guard for a minute. I didn't expect him to say that. But I heard myself
laughing bitterly.

	"You THINK you feel the same way about me?" I said with a sarcastic
tone. "What do you want me to do now, huh? Jump with joy?"

	"I...I-" Mark's lips were trembling as he tried to say something to
me.

	"I spent years pining away for you," I glared at him. "I spent a
much longer time than that to try and get over whatever crap I was feeling
about you. You don't know how guilty and angry I was for feeling that way
about you and now you're telling me you might feel something for me also."

	"I just wanted to be a normal guy Jason," Mark said in a quivering
voice. "I didn't want my parents to hate me or our friends to make fun of
me. And how was I suppose to know you like me that way? I was just afraid
of the consequences."

	"I was afraid of the consequences too and I ended up being such a
lonely guy," I started to walk inside. "But I have learned how to live with
that consequences and get on with my life. The last thing I need right now
is you coming in my life and messing it up again."

	"Jason-" Mark called out to me but I just walked in the building,
ignoring him. I didn't need this in my life. He said he might like me that
way. I don't need any more uncertainty right now. I don't want to pine away
at something that might not happen at all.

******************

	"You came home late last night," Sarah asked me while we were
having breakfast the next day.

	"Just went out for a walk," I answered her as I stared at my cereal
glumly.

	"It was just a misunderstanding you know," Sarah said to me.

	"What was just a misunderstanding," I looked at her questioningly.

	"Ryan was here last night and he told me the whole story," Sarah
grinned at me. "He said that a friend of his set him up on a date and he
couldn't cancel it. He didn't want you to think that he'd rather go out
with that girl than help you out at the museum."

	"Ryan---was here?" I looked at her in shock.

	"He looked very desperate to talk to you," Sarah nodded her
head. "But he's afraid you're not going to let him explain his side so he
asked me to do it instead."

	"He could have just told me the truth," I muttered out to her.

	"But you would still get angry," Sarah smiled at me
knowingly. "That's why he just told you that he was working."

	"You're defending him now?" I looked at her in surprise.

	"He seems genuinely sorry for what happened," Sarah shrugged her
shoulders. "And he seems like a nice guy."

	"If he's such a nice guy, why aren't you guys still dating?" I
replied sarcastically.

	"Because he's not my type and I'm not the kind of person he's
looking for," Sarah smiled at me sweetly. "Try to be nicer to him. You're
not like this at all. He might start to think that you're a real jerk."

	"Who cares," I tried to sound bored at the conversation.

	"You might regret this later," Sarah warned me. I didn't answer her
anymore as I wondered why Sarah said that. Could she be possibly hinting
about my feelings towards Ryan? Am I that obvious?


**********
Ryan's POV
**********

	I hope Jason's not angry with me anymore. But I have this feeling
that it was just wishful thinking on my part. As I enter the backroom of
the children's museum, I saw Jason and Alecx sitting on a table and
talking. I hesitated for a few seconds before walking up to them.

	"Hey," I greeted them as I forced myself to look at Jason. Jason
sort of scowled at me and completely ignored me. But at least, he didn't
leave. I pulled a chair besides Alecx and sat down.

	"Glad you're here," Alecx gave me an impish smile. "Jason just
agreed to go to dinner with us later."

	"What?!" Jason looked at Alecx in shock. I also gave her a
quizzical look.

	"You agreed to have dinner with me later, remember?" Alecx laughed
out teasingly. "You could come with us later, can't you Ryan?"

	"Yes!" I said a little too enthusiastically. I saw Jason giving me
a sort of annoyed look so I added, "I hope it's okay with you Jason."

	"You could do whatever you want," Jason muttered out to me. "This
is a free country." Jason then engaged Alecx in some meaningless
conversation that made me feel left out.

	"I'll just go get a drink," Alecx said as she gave us a crooked
grin and left us alone on the lounge area. Jason just busied himself with
the cataloguing of the books and acted like I wasn't there.

	"You're still angry with me," I whispered to him softly.

	"Like I said," Jason looked up and gave me a bitter look. "You're
free to do whatever you want. I understand why you'd much rather go on a
date with your girlfriend than help out here.

	"She's not my girlfriend," I sighed out deeply. On a much more
subdued tone I added, "I'm not even looking for a girlfriend." I saw Jason
looked at me sharply.

	"You're not looking for a girlfriend?" Jason asked me slowly.

	"No," I gave him a weak smile. "I---" Someone entered the lounge
area then that effectively ended out conversation. A couple of guys came
over to our table and spoke to Jason about some problem.

	"I'll just be a second," Jason stood up and left with the two
guys. I was left alone in the lounge area. I just continued what Jason was
doing in silence. I wonder if I said too much to Jason or not.

*****************

	"When are you bringing Jason back to Riverside?" Alecx asked me
during dinner. I looked at her gratefully. She had been trying her best to
get Jason to like me since this afternoon.

	"When would you like to go back there Jason?" I asked him
softly. "I'm free the whole weekend."

	"I'm kinda busy," Jason answered me vaguely.

	"Busy with what?" Alecx asked Jason.

	"Stuff," Jason gave Alecx a dirty look.

	"Some other time then," I said to Jason tentatively. The rest of
the dinner was pretty weird. Jason would talk to Alecx and completely
ignore me even though I would talk to him. I did have one thing to smile
about. Everytime I ask Jason a question, he would acknowledge me and answer
it.  Maybe this will end up with a happy-ever-after ending after-all.

*************
ToBeContinued
*************


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