Dream With Me
Chapter 3 - Dear
Todd, amazingly managed to drag himself to first period on time. Thorough exhaustion filled him to the brim. At about three am Nny had returned from the basement, cheerful as ever, and had rounded the small family up for a trip to the convenience store. It was only the second day and he already planned on sleeping through most of it. The good thing about sleeping through class was how amazingly fast the day went by. Todd sighed against his desktop before departing for dreamland.
Pepito had gone to bed fairly early, thanks to his mother's extremely boring book selection. As expected hid ream had revolved around Todd, just like every other night after he had interacted with him.
This dream had been a rerun, but had felt just as awful as the last three hundred times.
There was a slight variation on their age, which he thought was rather strange, but the conversation always went the same worn out way.
Pepito remembered calling Todd to ask if he wanted to sleep over but he had been busy. Then after the next family dinner he had still been busy. Nearly two weeks went by till Pepito had asked his mother during a Friday night dinner. Of course his mother was delighted to have little Todd over, Nny and Edgar saw nothing wrong with it but, Pepito had noted a certain sour look on his friend's face.
The dream usually picked up when the two had just settled down in Pepito's room. Despite both boys being thirteen, they still managed to sleep comfortably on the twin bed.
"Is something the matter, Squee?"
"…stop calling me that."
"Wha-"
"Don't call me that. My name's Todd."
After six years of using the nickname, Todd seemed too formal, too distant.
"Ok…Todd, how come this wasn't an issue before?"
"I never really had a choice, Pepito. Kinda like our friendship." Todd spat out the last word.
"I don't understand. Our friendship? What's wrong with us?" Pepito had been completely lost, yet now a feeling of dread began to spread throughout him.
"First it was you, deciding we were friends, then my parents forcing me here, and then Nny likes your mommy so much that they make me come here!"
"Make you? Squ-Todd, you don't like my house?"
"I hate it here! I don't like it or you or your creepy demonic-ness!"
Pepito actually felt his body pull away from Todd's harsh insults. Unconsciously adverting his two toned eyes, Pepito tried to pull his elf together.
"Y-you never wanted to be my friend? Not even now, a little?
There was no reply from Todd as he turned away, facing the door.
"Do you want to go home now…?" Pepito had been sure of Todd's response, till it actually came.
"No. I'll just wait for Mr. Edgar to get me…"
The rest of the night was filled with tension, hurt, and anger. His mind displayed it in the dream as him wanting to leave but stuck to the bed, unmoving. He would stare at the stiffened back of his not-friend until he woke up.
Pepito rolled onto his side and stared at the electronic clock. 2am. There was no getting back to sleep now. He slid out of bed and padded to the door. No, he shook his head, he wasn't going to wallow. This was an annoyance, a fly to be swatted away.
He went down the stairs and ambled into the kitchen. There were a few plates set out on the counter covered in towels. Pepito lifted p the towels one by one till he found the chocolate chip cookies. Then he grabbed the plate, pulled the milk carton from the fridge and went into the living room. The book his mother had given him earlier had been relocated to the end table by his father's arm chair. He set his snack on the table and collapsed into the comfortable leather chair. Pepito opened the book and stared at the page. His eyes scanned over the words but he didn't read them.
Soft delicate footsteps alerted him to his mother's presence. He started when she settled one of her petite hands on his bare shoulder.
"Are you alright, baby?" she murmured.
"No, but I will be," Pepito answered. His eyes ripped away from the page to connect with his mother's.
"Okay," she leaned down and kissed his forehead, "I love you, dearheart."
Pepito unconsciously leant into her hand as she swept it through his hair, "I love you too, mom."
"I'm going back to bed. If you're still up at six, start on breakfast."
"Okay mom."
She patted his head and walked out of the room her footsteps almost inaudible. Pepito was still up at six.
"Honey, we're using the new table-set tonight!" His mother told him. Pepito stared at what would've been the towel drawer for most normal families.
Instead he had a wide deep drawer filled with different 'table-sets'. A table-set consisted of cloth napkins, a table cloth, a ornamental rings to hold the folded napkins, and of course silverwear and dishes. They were quartered off and boxed. Pepito saw the box on top; shiny, new, and unopened. He took it out of the drawer and shuffled into the dining room. There he set the box on one of the tall backed dining chairs his mother had polished earlier.
After opening it he carefully pulled out the cream colored table cloth. It was soft in his hands and covered in a crimson floral pattern. He noted as he painstakingly unfolded it that it matched the furniture and décor seamlessly. Trained so well by his mother he cringed at the minute wrinkle in the otherwise exquisite fabric. Pepito ignored it, planning on setting a dish over it as soon as he'd laid it out. Besides that, to gather up the cloth and fastidiously go and iron it would slaughter his image of his manhood forevermore.
Pepito finished setting the table and looked to the clock. He had about half an hour before Todd and his dads would show up. He glanced at his mother, who was just finishing with dinner preparation. She moved back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen; gather the serving dishes and filling them with various courses. When that was done she straightened the already straight, then she returned to he kitchen to pick out a recipe for desert.
"Pepito, dear, come here please! Stop standing there staring at nothing, darling, it's quite unbecoming," his mom cooed.
Pepito shook his head, gathering himself, before entering the kitchen. His mother beckoned him to her side and he obliged her. Mostly his eyes were trained on her hands and how they were measuring out ingredients and putting them in small separate dishes. Her voice sliced through the air, rigidly happy. Pepito knew that voice. It was exhausted, exasperated, and forcefully cheery. It meant she was angry at him.
"Alright Pepi," she started, "since Todd couldn't make it over yesterday I figured out a way for you to get a bit more quality time."
Quality time?
"I know you can cook, Pepi. The last cake you made-"
"…turned out okay only because we made another batch of batter!"
"Oh Pepi-"
"Mom, you said it tasted like an anti-acid." Pepito gave her a blank look which she diligently ignored.
"So, I measured all the ingredients for you," his mom fished a pencil and some sticky notes out of the junk drawer, "and I labeled them."
"Follow the instructions, sweetie. That's all. Besides, with Todd's help I'm sure it'll be fine."
His mom showed him the cake recipe they'd be making after dinner and then sent him up to his room to clean. What this meant was: vacuum the floor your mother vacuumed this morning, and sit on your bed till the guests arrive. That's exactly what he did. While his mother had been explaining how easy the cake recipe was and how much fun he'd have all Pepito could think was, I think I'd rather catch AIDS. But of course he couldn't say that. Instead he smiled and nodded.
When he heard his mother's call to come downstairs Pepito mentally prepared himself for the worst night of his life. Then he went down the stairs and saw the look in Todd's eyes. Pepito could never prepare enough.
The dinner was arranged the same as it had been for the past eleven years. Barbara and Juan at the two heads of the table, Nny and Edgar on the side closest to the kitchen which left todd with Pepito on the other side.
Elbow to elbow not was good position for the boys. Though Todd had held back tonight, there had still been several 'accidental' bumps just as Pepito was about to take a drink, or swallow a bite. This resulted in much chastising from his mother.
Other than these reprimands the adults were consumed in their own idle chatter, content to remain ignorant to their sons and the hateful scowls they wore.
More than anything, Pepito just wanted the night to end. He had fought off a deeply rooted sigh as he raised his glass for a drink. His mother had always made a great stew and the biscuits weren't bad either. But Todd's foul mood seemed to soil the food as he chewed it, leaving a displeasing aftertaste.
He didn't even jump as Todd's elbow collided with his, ice water dribbling down into his lap. As he set down his glass a sarcastic and sickeningly sweet 'Sorry, Pepi' sounded from his left.
Pepito picked up his napkin, smiled and bent over, close to Todd's ear, "Its ok, Todd, I barely even noticed the ice since I've been sitting by a frigid bitch all night!" his voice just above a whisper to prevent alerting his mother's 'profanity radar'. The scrawny teen visibly tensed and all further tortures were delayed till after dinner.
"Now, you two have fun!" The cheerful command from his mother had not improved either of the boys moods, though Pepito currently had the upper hand and felt slightly more at ease.
Pepito stood at the counter, hunched over. He glared at the instructions double checking them. Todd had glanced at the recipe once, giggled and seated himself atop the counter directly opposite the mixing bowl. Oh yes, mom, he is such a great helper! He remained bitter all the while till the mixed ingrediants were ready for the oven.
"Thanks for the help, I had tons of fun, Todd! We should do this more often!" Pepito chirped before lightly patting one of Todd's thighs, to the boy's obvious disgust.
He blushed slightly, embarrassed, before cocking his head the side, "Any time Pepi!"
Then he hopped down from the counter, swishing his hips slightly as he made his way up the stairs. It was a habit he had absorbed from Nny's absentminded walk.
Todd had once told him it always signaled a very thought consumed and possibly homicidal Johnny, and these were most likely very similar to the emotions Todd currently harbored towards him.
Pepito begrudgingly followed his best friend up the stairs, first though, he had remembered to set the timer. He closed his bedroom door behind him, and noted that Todd was in his usual place; the worn old bean bag chair that sat in the corner of his room.
He chose to ease himself onto the large bed; and leaned back to better stare up at the ceiling. Todd didn't seem up for conversation and he wasn't quite in the mood to play video games.
Soon Pepito felt himself grow used to Todd's fixed gaze on him and even began to relax. He loved the place in between consciousness and dreaming. You were just free enough to allow your thoughts free reign yet still far from actual dreams. He was a frequent visitor there though his thoughts were dancing around more than usual making it nearly impossible for his brain to focus on just one. Being so transfixed on these dancing memories Pepito didn't even notice Todd's relocation to the foot of the bed.
He wasn't quite sure what his motives were at this point, but he had felt the need to further inspect Pepito's eyelids. The thin strips of skin were fluttering quite sporadically almost in a comical fashion. He nearly let his laughter escape as Pepito began to mutter complete nonsense. That could have been because the boy's lips were still closed or it really could have been a lack of proper language.
Todd snickered as Pepito's lips formed a slight pout. This seemed to loosen them, allowing for more audible mumbles to be produced. His face fell immediately as his name became apparent through the sleepy ranting.
"I jus on get…mnnn…jus..wan…be friens…squegeh…wh so mad."
As he fell silent Todd felt his confusion and frustration rising.
"How…how DARE you!" He finally erupted, Pepito, startled at both the shouts and the shift in position of Todd, stared wide eyed. "You don't get anything do you!? I had to deal with you for all that time and-"
Todd cut off his speech to glare at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"I…uh-" Pepito sputtered.
"No! I tried so hard, so god damned hard, and nothing! You cut your hair, a little training with Daddy and bam! You get it that fast: friends, popularity and anything else! I'm just the fucking same, while you…." You're normal, he finished bitterly to himself.
Finally Pepito had caught on. Same old Todd, same old fight.
"Todd's rant soon became a slur of whines on several topics, fighting to get his point across and failing. Usually such a great linguist, he found it all disappeared when yelling at Pepito. His string of obscenities finally died down and he focused once more on the other's face.
"…So, Todd,"
He really wasn't sure how Pepito would react, maybe turn over and ignore him like usual.
"I was thinking," his voice was surprisingly low and almost comforting. Todd had to strain to catch all of his words, "that maybe tomorrow we could go for a nice candle lit dinner, a movie perhaps, and then I could stick my penis in your VAG."
All of his words, that is, except the last which was screamed at full lung capacity.
"Get the fuck over it!" Pepito was perched up now, face slightly reddened with emotion.
Todd stood, mouth agape, eyebrows furrowed, for several agonizing moments before turning on his heel and marching from the room. What…an ass.
Said ass was soon to follow, hissing, "That cake better taste fucking magnificent."