Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. It involves romantic and/or sexual relationship between males. If you are offended of this subject matter, if you are a minor, or if you are in a place where it is illegal to read this type of literature, please stop reading now.
Copyright © 2008, 2014 by Fritz Diantan. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the law, no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the Author.
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Falling for a Straight Guy Chapter Seven: Secrets Revealed
David did not know what his friends ate for breakfast as they all climbed the stairs to the library to review for their upcoming examinations. It was unprecedented for the girls to take the initiative to study for as long as Dave had known them. He was now unsure whether it was a good idea because he had the impression that he would probably be tutoring all of them for the next hour or so.
Looking around the silent room, it was not unusual to see less students at this part of the campus. Only a handful of teens hangout in the library, a few who truly needed to study for a quiz bee or something but most that stray in were those who just needed a quiet place to chat. The librarian, who is also a Science teacher, was always too busy and can only stay in the library for short periods. This in turn gave the students opportunity to talk as loudly as they can.
As they all took their seats, Dave saw that some of the students that was already there were also seniors. He blushed a bit as he saw a familiar guy who was noticeably perusing a math textbook with full concentration. Yet, Dave got a twinge of annoyance when he saw Teresa Perez trying to flirt with Daniel, obviously distracting the guy from studying. Breathing deeply to focus himself, Dave started to take out his notes so he and his friends can start studying.
After the first five minutes, Dave knew this would be a tough job for him. It was as if the kikays, Marcelo and Ferdinand never paid attention to their teachers' lectures for the past quarter. They keep asking Dave to clarify even the simplest things. Belinda and Paul were stifling chuckles and giggles seeing that David was obviously at the brink of imploding. Jemma and Jaypee on the other hand looked like robots in automatic mode. They were just flipping their notebooks at random, pretending to read in silence as they ignore each other and the rest of the gang.
Dave wanted to kiss Belinda after she announced that they should all take a little break. Dave consumed almost half an hour trying to explain to his clueless friends the difference between a motor and a generator. The kikays stood up and stated that they were going to the "powder room" to freshen up while Paul and Jaypee went down to the cafeteria to get sustenance. Marcelo and Ferdinand chatted idly while looking to the other side of the library as they fantasized the things they would do to Daniel if they were left in a room alone with the guy. Jemma, on the other hand, just played with her cell phone and ignored the rest of the world.
Unexpectedly, Dave felt Belinda pull on his arm and motioned for him to follow her towards the bookshelves. Pretending to look for books they would need for their review, the two went to the other side of the library and stood behind the shelves away from the earshot of their friends.
"Don't tell me you hadn't noticed?" asked Belinda softly as they hid behind the walls of books.
"Is this about Jemma and Jaypee?" said Dave. "What's up with them? Are they in a fight or something?"
"Well..." Belinda started but clearly having second thoughts whether to divulge information or not.
"Oh don't give that look, Bel," said Dave fiercely. "We'd been friends for how many years now..."
"Yes, I know but if Jemma hadn't told you about this, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say," Belinda said with total desperation that Dave felt shivers on his back. Whatever the reason behind the lovers' quarrel was really serious or else Belinda would not have dragged him behind the book shelves. But what was bothering Dave the most was why Jemma did not asked the help of everyone in the gang.
'Yet,' Dave thought for a bit as he realized what kind of a prick he was, 'Jemma tried to tell me her problem that day when I ditch her so I can talk to Daniel...'
"What is it? Are they breaking up?" he asked quietly.
Belinda took some books at random, pretending to check them out. She was silent for a while and Dave wondered whether she had not heard him. But her answer was something he never saw coming.
"They might be if they don't get things settled," said Belinda in a voice no louder than a whisper. "It's about... um... Jaypee wanted to do it but Jemma said she was not ready."
Blinking in confusion, David stared at Belinda. "Do what?"
He got surprised when she glared at him, something that never happened before, as Belinda was the gentlest among the gang.
"Oh come on David! You're a guy, isn't it the only thing you all think about? You know... do 'it'," she said sounding a bit frustrated.
Biting his lip uncertainly, Dave just stared to her, as he was still completely clueless. A whole minute passed in silence as Dave tried to guess what exactly Belinda was talking about. It was not an easy feat as his brain was still in academic mode and only school related stuff floated to his mind at the moment.
"Oh my god, you're hopeless!" said Belinda through gritted teeth, pushing the books forcibly back to where she got them. "I was talking about sex!"
Dave's jaw dropped in shock while his eyes got big as dinner plates.
"W-what?" he asked stupidly.
Belinda scoffed as she checked what Marcelo, Ferdinand and Jemma were doing. The three were still minding their own business so she turned back to Dave.
"You might be running for valedictorian but as a guy..." Belinda shook her head a bit then continued. "Jemma told me Jaypee talked about doing it but she was so shocked that she nearly slapped him. She didn't mean to overreact but the damage was done. Jaypee turned cold after the rejection so now Jemma thinks a break up is coming."
"But Jaypee just got a bruised ego or something... he won't break up with Jemma just because of not getting laid, would he?" asked Dave.
"Well, you're the guy, you tell me!" said Belinda. "Jemma wanted to talk to you to get another guy's opinion even though how embarrassing it would be. But after offering your help you ditched her so suddenly... I mean, what's gotten into you lately?"
Dave was guilty as charged and he knew his friends needed satisfactory explanations on his mood-swings. Most of all, with what he did, Jemma deserved more than a text message for an apology.
"I mean... please don't get mad Dave, but these past few weeks, it's like you're in a daze or something," Belinda continued cautiously, watching her friend's reaction. "We know that you're busy with clubs and classes but in the past, you'd been able to do all those things with ease and still have time to hang and be our rock. I don't know about Marcy, Ferdy and the girls but, honestly, Jemma, Chris and I miss that...."
Dave stared to where their friends were sitting. He saw Paul and Jaypee arrived with a tray full of snacks and handed it to the gang as Shaina, Marites and Mica entered the library, chatting enthusiastically, totally ignoring the "Keep Quiet" signage all around them. Then, he saw Daniel get up and leave the library making Dave's feelings of guilt increase a hundredfold.
Looking back at how long he had been friends with the gang, Dave realized he had always put them on top of his priorities... afraid that if they leave, there will be no people left who will care for him. He had been the adviser of the group, the rational voice amidst the impulsive hormones, the wise and all knowing Mr. Reliable. He displayed the attitude of being in charge and self-assured, always helping others but never needing help for himself. Dave needed that image to survive because not having geographically available parents can really make life tough for a teenager.
But, after he realized his feelings towards Daniel, Dave lost his focus and certainty. It took him completely off guard that it rendered his logical thoughts useless. It even brought forth insecurities he never knew he had and made him do things he regretted. And when he gave time to sort out himself, his friends assumed he was no longer the Dave they knew....
'Was it really wrong of me to put my own problems first this time?' Dave asked himself silently.
Belinda continued to look at him, thinking that maybe she went too far. If Jemma and Jaypee do not sort out their problems soon, the rest of their friends might smell trouble and it could lead to them taking sides, breaking their gang apart.
"I know I had been out of it lately... I'm just preoccupied right now. Some things that I never expected are happening and I need to sort them out on my own," whispered Dave. It was vague but he cannot just 'out' his feelings... there were so much at risk.
Belinda frowned, apparently unsatisfied by what he said but she knew it would be pointless to pursue the subject. Years of knowing Dave taught her he was adamant once he made up his mind.
"You know we'll always be here if you need us Dave," said Belinda. "This is what friends do... even without invitation we put our nose to our friends' business with the hope of helping them."
"Yeah, that's what we're trying to do here, right?" Dave said with a smile. "So, who else did Jemma talk about this?"
"Only me," said Belinda, looking guilty. "Jemma was so embarrassed but she needed to talk to someone. I'm not sure how she'll feel if she finds out I told you without asking her first but I needed to talk to someone too."
"Yeah, I know that feeling. I'll talk to Jemma then and maybe with Jaypee too though it would be tricky... I mean, it's one thing to care for a friend but to discuss their sexual lives, that's a whole new level," said Dave, making a pained face. Belinda just laughed.
"Well, I know we'll figure it out. You always do," she said. "I think we should go back before they get too suspicious."
Belinda then walked from behind the bookshelves and joined the gang. David was about to follow her when he remembered their alibi was to look for books they were going to need for the review. Thinking it would be weird if he did not brought any, Dave scanned the shelf for any Physics text book available when female voices from behind another shelf mentioned Daniel's name. It got Dave's attention so suddenly, he did not notice he was holding his breath just to eavesdrop to the conversation.
"He is so cute I wouldn't mind kneeling for him," said a familiar feminine whiny voice Dave recognized as Teresa Perez's. She had the reputation of being a boyfriend collector to what Dave had heard from the kikays.
"Oh my gosh, I cannot believe you just said that!" Dave heard another girl's voice said, which he did not recognize. "But I think I wouldn't mind too."
"So you want to see who he'll pick between us?"
"Why do we have to compete? We can always share?"
The giggles that followed gave Dave shivers, which he never got except when watching a horror movie. Fuming for a bit, Dave took a rather thick textbook at random and turned to go back to his friends. But an exclamation from the girls made him stop again, curiosity getting the best of him.
"Ooh! He forgot his math text book!" said the other girl. "I guess, he was really in a hurry... maybe he went to the bathroom to take care of some business."
"Yeah, I guess me rubbing his leg turned him on too much," said Teresa.
'Maybe Daniel wanted to get as far away as he could from a creep like you!' thought Dave while stopping himself from puking. He could not believe there are girls as desperate as this.
"What's that stuck between the page?"
Dave walked back to his friends no longer interested to whatever Teresa will say.
"Where've you been?" asked Paul while handing Dave a soda.
"Just took a text--" started Dave but his sentence got drowned by Teresa's shriek.
"OH MY GOD!"
The whole gang plus a few more students in the library looked towards the scream's direction. Dave saw Teresa and a girl looking at a piece of paper with shocked expressions.
"Excuse you?" said Ferdinand loudly, looking directly at Teresa with a raised eyebrow. "Can you keep your voice down? You don't own the place."
Teresa ignored him for a second, and then she folded the paper and pocketed it while staring at Ferdinand with a smug look on her face. The girl beside Teresa meanwhile, was looking at Dave with a small frown that totally confused him.
"Don't tell me what to do, fairy!" Teresa snarled.
Picking up Daniel's math book, she and the girl walked toward the exit. As she passed the gang's table, Teresa shot David an ominous smile. Everyone in the table looked at her with loathing until she was out of sight.
"That bitch!" said Marcelo. "She got some attitude going up against us!"
"Well, we won't let this slip," said Shaina, putting her hands together and resting her chin on them. It was the sign that she was really pissed. She rarely do this gesture and as Dave remembered the last time she did so, Shaina nearly scalped a senior last year.
"Who does she think she is?" Mica said, looking at the exit as though the air around it was putrid just because Teresa walked there.
"Calm down girls," said Paul. "She was just herself. Did you really expect anything less?"
By the tirade of indignation that followed, Paul knew he should have just kept quiet. Letting the girls bitch about Teresa's lack of respect, Dave was only half listening as he tried to decipher Teresa's expression. He felt as though there was something more in Teresa's smile... like a storm just waiting to strike.
David found himself alone a few hours after the gang went their separate ways as the day ended. The study session went nowhere after Teresa dampened the gang's mood thus Belinda thought they might as well go home as it was also getting late.
Preparing another meal alone in the kitchen, Dave still felt uneasy as he opened a can of soup for his dinner. His sister was still somewhere he did not know and most likely be home after midnight. This was not the object of his worry though... Dave knew very well that his sister could take care of herself. But something was about to happen, Dave can feel it... something bad.
A loud noise from his room startled him, making him drop the can opener to his feet. Cursing silently, Dave picked up the utensil then dashed to his bedroom as he realized it was his phone that surprised him. The caller ID told him it was his mother.
"Hello mom?" Dave said as he put the device to his ear.
"You have things to explain young man!" the voice from the other line said with such volume that David had to hold out his cell phone a few inches away from his ear.
"Um... what?"
"Your grades! I cannot believe how low they are! Your father and I are sacrificing so much working and this is the only result we get?"
Realization hit Dave like a ton of bricks. He knew he cannot tell his mother the real reason why he got 'unsatisfactory' grades.
"I'm sorry Ma... it's just, I got busy with the school paper and the council... I'm the chief editor and school president now so--" Dave began to explain but his mother's voice stopped him.
"School paper? Council? You're letting yourself get sidetracked by extra curricular activities? Do you know that in college, you don't get any extra credits for those? Academics are more important when you find a job. Focus on that instead! You're friends made you do this, didn't they? I knew they were a bunch of--"
"My friends have nothing to do with this," said Dave before he can stop himself. "And my grades are not that low. I'm still one of the best in class--"
"Being one of the best is not enough! And don't interrupt me, young man!" The voice from the other line was so loud it was as though Dave's phone was in speaker mode. "I told you and your sister no grades lower than 85 percent! I'm working day and night here and I expect the best effort from both of you. I want to know whether I'm getting my money's worth in supporting you!"
Dave closed his eyes as he continued to listen to his mother. Tears fell to his cheeks before he could stop them. He anticipated his parents would get disappointed but Dave never knew his mother would react this way.
"Your father and I are giving you anything you want. You should be thankful that you have a house, you go to school, you have a computer and expensive clothes. There are people out there that could not even afford eating three times a day! And all we expect from the two of you are to focus on your studies! I tell you, if these marks don't improve by the next grading period, you might as well not study at all because I'm not going to waste money in laziness."
The line went dead. Dave stared at his phone as he stood immobile in his room. Most probably, his mother's phone run out of prepaid credits.
Wiping his tears, Dave sniffed the air and cursed aloud as he smelled something burning. Running to the kitchen, he turned off the stove. There was thick black smoke coming from the pot where he was heating the canned soup. His dinner now resembled like liquefied charcoal.
Loosing his appetite, Dave dumped the contents of the pot down the drain. He went back to his room then laid down in the darkness.
'If she reacted like this just because of my grades, what more if she found out that I'm...' Dave thought as he buried himself in his sheets.
He felt so tired suddenly after the call. It was as if all he do to the people he love was to disappoint them.
The alarm clock blared to his ears as it signaled Dave to wake up. Groaning impatiently, he tried to reach out to it but it was too far. Dave knew he got the tendency to be lazy sometimes so he placed the clock where he would not be able to reach it without sitting up. Giving in to the obnoxious sound, Dave sat up on his bed, his hair standing in all direction while a bit of drool clung to his left cheek.
He felt exhausted and Dave felt as though his stomach was wrestling with his other internal organs in hunger. Extending an arm to the shrill device, Dave finally pushed the button to shut it up. Scratching his head, he knew he got no choice but to go prepare breakfast and shower.
A note by the fridge made Dave frowned.
"Next time, fake it before mailing it. I don't want to be told off because of your screw up."
Crumpling his sister's note in anger, Dave went back to his room and took a towel. He showered as fast as he could... unable to stand the house that never gave him comfort.
Walking pass the school entrance, a cup of coffee and a pack of cookies at hand for breakfast, Dave saw a small group of students congregated near a bulletin board. As he stride pass them, some gave him weird looks. Guys had smirks of triumph while girls frowned with look of disbelief in their faces. Getting a little bit annoyed, David ignored them and just continued his way to where the gang usually hangs out in the morning.
As he got nearer, Dave saw that everyone was already there but the expressions on their faces told him something was definitely wrong. No one really noticed him at first but as he stood a few feet behind Paul, Jaypee looked up and gave Dave a look he never wanted to see again.
"Guys, who died?" asked Dave, intending it as a joke as Jaypee diverted his stare.
The kikays gasped in surprised as they realized who spoke. After a brief look to Dave, Marites, Mica, and Shaina looked down to the table.
No one said a word for a whole minute, while Dave stood frozen in his feet. Then, Ferdinand stood up clutching a piece of paper so tightly that it was tearing. He brandished his hand to David to show him what it was.
All the air escaped from his lungs, as Dave recognized the words printed on that piece of paper. He dropped the coffee and cookies as he took it from Ferdinand. It was a photocopy of his letter to Daniel explaining everything.
"W-where... where did you... get this?" Dave asked.
"Someone left a stack of it by the cafeteria and posted it on the bulletin boards," Belinda answered who apparently was having a hard time looking at him. "David... it's not true, is it?"
He could not answer her... he could not believe what was happening.
"Answer her!" shouted Ferdinand so suddenly that it shocked Dave to the core. He looked at his friends... all waiting for his answer.
"Oh my god!" said Shaina as she stood up and ran. Mica and Marites went after her.
Marcelo stood up too while shaking his head. He walked towards Ferdinand, who continued to wait for Dave to speak.
"Let's go."
Dave closed his eyes. It was two words but the tone on Marcelo's voice said so much more. As he opened his eyes again, Dave's blurred vision saw most of his friends walking away. His tears flowed as Jaypee gave Dave a disgusted look.
"Jems, let's go," Jaypee growled to his girlfriend. Jemma looked at him, then to Dave. She stood up too and walked behind Jaypee.
More students began to arrive and Dave remained frozen in all the chaos. Some of them looked at him with frowns on their faces. Some were pointing at him while whispering to their classmates. Belinda and Paul remained at their seats, staring at Dave but looked so lost to what they should say.
As the murmurs grew louder around, Dave knew he could not take it anymore. He ran as fast as he could, knocking students on his way. The security guard tried to stop him from leaving the school grounds but David ran passed him, his tears streaked face obvious for all to see.
"David!" someone called from behind but he ignored it.
All he wanted was to go away... away from all the whispers... away where he could be on his own. He had never felt so weak... so broken... so alone.
(To be continued...)
FROM THE AUTHOR:
I took a bit of break from, well, everything the past few months. But now I'm back and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. To be honest, rewriting/revisiting this story (which is loosely based on my experiences) reminded me of certain things and forced me to deal with them all over again. That's probably the reason why I kept on procrastinating in submitting a new chapter. I started writing this story a few years back when I was still a teenager and used it as a coping mechanism/outlet for my youthful angst. For those who have expressed though email how they like the story or how much they relate to it, thank you. And to those who are still experiencing the anxieties that come with teenage youth, sharing my stories and reading those written by others here in Nifty made me realize that we are never, truly alone.
I wish you a happy life and stay tuned for new chapters.
Support the Author: 1.) If you enjoy my writing check out my other works:
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Love Assassin: (if you've already read and enjoyed it, please give it a rating or a review. I really need the support.) https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/415936
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Thank you for reading and the support!
Fritz Diantan theadlaotribe@gmail.com theadlaotribe.wordpress.com