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