Yes, Chapter 1 was a crazy roller coaster of emotions… mwahahahahhaha

Chapter 2: 7 Years Later

"Don't forget your lunch. Henry said he would pick you up from practice today."

"Henry's back?!" Ivan yelled, a smile on both his and Mason's face."

Dimitri smiled. He knew how much they idolized their neighbor. "Yes, he's back. He's actually going to start looking for a job in the area."

"What! No way. Okay, see you later, Papa!" They gave him a quick hug and then went over to their mothers picture and kissed their fingers to lay it on the picture frame. "Goodbye, Mum."

"And don't forget your Grandfather is coming this weekend. You know what he wants to talk about." They sighed, knowing fully what this weekend was to bring. It was nice though, that they would begin it by hanging out with their friend Henry.

Henry was their neighbor, older then them by 5 years. When he was in highschool, he took care of Ivan and Mason a lot, and especially stuck around once their mother was gone. Rogelio and his husband, Anthony, were very happy to see their son be such a loving person for the other boys. When he had left for college, Ivan and Mason were incredibly sad and did not like the fact that they wouldn't be able to see their good friend for sometime. But, it made them excited to hear that Henry might be back for good.

They hopped into their friends car, another neighbor who went to the same highschool as them. His name was Liam. They all had their drivers liscence, but since Mason and Ivan havent begun working yet, rather than waisting too much money on gas, they decided to carpool together with the other kids who went to their school. Liam was driving, and Mason got in the passenger seat, while Ivan sat in the back. Claire was the next stop, who was already waiting outside for them.

Liam was a tall blonde guy with bright blue eyes, and stood almost as tall as Mason and Ivan, who inherited their height from their father thankfully. Sometimes they wondered what it would have been like if they had stayed as short as their mother. But those thoughts tended to lead to a mroe depressing area of their minds, so instead they were grateful for their towering height. Claire was tall, but not nearly as tall as the other three, and had long red hair she usually kept in a braid. Her makeup was simply, mascara and some lipgloss, and she got along with the other boys just fine. She had met them at their middle school, and would play soccer with Mason from time to time, since Ivan wasn't all that into it.

Ivan preffered reading in silence next to Henry.

They all had their uniforms on, something they sometimes hated, and sometimes didn't. Ivan hated it the most actually. He preferred to wear other things, preferred his ripped jeans and flashy shirt with a baseball cap to add. Mason was more bland in his apparel, like Claire, and Liam liked to be just as flashy as Ivan. They would go out together occasionally, and it was quiet the sight to see.

The last person on the pick up list was De. She had on large hoop earings and her kinky hair was pulled back tightly into a ponytail. She preferred heavier makeup then Claire, but had to hold back due to the strict regulations of the school they were going to. She wasn't necessarily flashy, but knew how to hold herself well, and tended to get a lot of attention for it.

"Hey, De, how's it going? You ready for our math test today?"

"What! There's a math test? Why didn't you text me?" Mason just shrugged and laughed.

"You should have known! They gave us the study guide a week ago."

"Whatever, I don't have to study and I'll still get a better grade then you."

Mason looked back at her, fire in his eyes, as it was whenever someone challenged him. "You're on." They bumped their fist and laughed. Claire was on her phone, scrolling through instagram.

"God." She spat out.

"What?" Ivan asked, peering over her shoulder to see what she was looking out, and frowned at what he saw.

"Fucking Brian is posting about how awesome he is again. I mean, nobody gives a fuck about how he did a few fucking push-ups when he woke up." A combined groan went through the car.

"That guy is such a douche bag. I can't believe he still does shit like that. He doesn't even get that many likes, what the fuck is he trying to accomplish?" De said.

"All I know is that I wanna beat his fucking skull in. After all the shit he pulled, I'm suprised you haven't just blocked him," Liam said, peering into the rear view mirror at Claire. She just shrugged.

"Have you seen the piece of work he has now? If anything, they deserve each other. Like, her name is actually Lindsey. Not to stereotype, but that's a hoe name. She filled those shoes easily," Claire said, moving on from the picture onto bigger better things.

"That is not a hoe. I know hoes. Bitch, I'm a hoe. That chick is trash."

"Dayuuummm," Ivan replied and gave her a high-five over Claire's head.

"You guy's are so mean!" Mason said but just laughed at them.

They arrived at school, promising to meet up for lunch, and went their seperate waves. De and Mason had math together, getting ready for the test they were about to take. Liam and Claire walked together, since their classes were near each other. Ivan was in more advanced classes, and rarely shared them with the others. Claire had English with him, but that was about it.

Ivan had a specific kind of responsibility than the others. One that wasn't really discussed, because he knew it just made Mason feel guilty. It was why their grandfather was coming, it was what they were going to have to discuss when he was here this weekend.

It being Friday and all, Ivan was happy for the end of the week. Weekends were his days to relax. On the way to his class, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled at the text.

Just made it to town. Did your dad tell you I was gonna pick you two up?

Ivan replied:

Yeah. Heard you might stay. We get out at 4 today.

Their classes ended at 2pm since it was Friday, which meant they would be practicing from 2 until 4. It was nice to be able to end the day early, early for them at least.

Ivan was also the only one of the group who was doing track. He ran long distance, something him and his father enjoyed doing, their way of bonding. His mother had loved running too. Although she had admitted that it was their fathers doing.

Ivan tried not to think too hard about it. He tried to reminisce the moments he had heard his mother laughing. The love and happiness he knew was inside of her, because he had felt it as a kid, and knew how much she loved his father.

"Hey, Ivan, did you finish your project?"

"Yeah, of course. Who do you think I am?" Ivan laughed with his classroom buddies.

Sure, his group of friends didn't share many classes with him, if at all, but he enjoyed the company of those in his classes. Not that he was necessarily close with any of them. The only outside interaction he's had with these people is for group projects. And, it didn't bother him. He was perfectly fine with the kids he grew up with.

They day went by relatively quick for the twins. At lunch, they hung out together, along with one or two others who would occasionally sit with them if invited. It wasn't long until they had to go to practice.

Today had been a long emotionally exhausting day for Ivan. Everything seem to remind him of his mother, and the knowledge that his grandfather was coming to town weighed on his shoulders. In a way, he understood how addicting running was. Sometimes he felt guilty, as if he was running away from his problems, just for the few hours he pushed his body to the limit.

Mason was similar. When he got in that kind of mood, he became a little more aggressive during practices, and others could tell. Mason luckily was having an easy day. Keeping the thought of his grandfather in the back of his mind and enjoy the laughs that echoed from his many friends.

Ivan didn't realize it was already 4, and he hadn't even changed yet. He ran inside the locker room and checked his phone.

Bro, hurry up. Henry and I are in the car waiting.

Omw

He changed quickly and rushed out of the locker room to the waiting car that held his brother and his neighbor.

"Hey Ivan." Henry sat in the driver seat and gave Ivan a hand slide and fist bump through the window before Ivan got into the backseat. Ivan felt a little dissapointed, not being able to sit next to Henry.

Henry's hair had grown longer. It was black and extremely straight. It was beginning to shadow his eyes. His eyes were something Ivan was particularly fond of. They were a dark brown. His skin was tanned, both from genetics and having gone to college in California. He graduated a while ago, but continued to work there for a while. It was honestly suprising that it was the first they were hearing of Ivan moving back to Vancouver.

Ivan did well with communication, at least he thought so. He was video chatting Henry pretty often. Of course, with school and his new job, it wasn't like Henry could be talking with Ivan every night. Ivan appreciated the attention though.

Henry had become an even bigger figure in their life after Rose died. Henry didn't necessarily know what it was like to have a mother, but imagining either father dying… he couldn't think of it.

Mason blasted the music, rapping along to Drake. He rolled his eyes at the obvious oggling that Ivan was doing to Henry. Mason had always wondered how Henry saw his brother. It had become obvious that Ivan had the hugest crush on the older friend, and pretty much everyone knew it. Sometimes he questioned whether their father had realized it just yet.

Henry hadn't really dated anyone. Sure, he had girlfriends here and there in highschool, but nothing ever stuck. In a way, Mason appreciated that. He couldn't help but feel protective over his brothers feelings. Even if it never happened, and Henry were to soon get married and have his own children, Mason would be there to support his brother.

Their parents had admitted to being around the same age when they fell in love. While their mother was still alive, she didn't talk much about her past. It seemed that their mothers life hadn't truly begun intil their father came into the picture.

It hadn't bothered Ivan and Mason very much. Their grandfather came around, and just looking at him knew that he wasn't in a particularly clean business, wherever it was that he was in the world. They understood he was Turkish, but they never knew where he was at any certain time.

Their grandmother… they had met her at Rose's funeral. The way she looked at them… it was as if they were being blamed for their mothers death. She hadn't spoken a word to them. The only way they had even known that it was their mothers mother was from the pictures. There father had not been happy with her presence. Mason attempted to ask questions, but all their father had given up was that their mum had never had a good relationship with her mom. When they first got together, it had seemed as though there was some progress, but with the realization that she was going to be living her life with a man older than her, and moving away from her friends, their relationship had begun to strain again.

Now that they were older, they wanted to ask more about their mom. Wanted to learn about how she was when she was their age, but their father skirted the questions. However he did admit that their mothers life was in no way easy. She struggled and defeated many obstacles to get to where she was. She had wished for a better more care free life for them, and that's what they recieved.

"So, where are we going?" Mason asked Henry.

"Well, I'm gonna take you out to see the new Aquaman movie, how does that sound? But we are going to stop by your house first, both of you stink!" They laughed. Ivan sniffed himself and cringed. It was definently the truth. If Mason actually got out on time, he probably showered briefly, but Ivan didn't get the chance.

After Rose had died, Dimitri had quite his job at the higschool he was working at. Rose had left them plenty of money to live a lifetime and a half, and so Dimitri focused mostly on raising their to sons. He was now a private tutor, and would either rent out study rooms from the library, or go to house calls.

During the summer, he would still take the kids on vacation. Not as long as they had done in the past, what with some family business that was always needing to be attended to, and also that Ivan and Mason practiced over the summer as well.

In all honesty, if Ivan and Mason had gone to Dimitri and told him they couldn't play sports anymore, that the tole was too much after their mothers death, he would have let them quit. Roza would turn over on her grave to know it, but Dimitri could barely handle himself after her death.

So when the door opened and revealed the sweaty teenagers, he couldn't help his smile. They hadn't given it up, and even revealed to him that it helped them feel closer to her. She was always the one to cause fights with other parents and sometimes get kicked out of games, so that energy no longer being there effected them greatly. But, Dimitri did his best to cheer as loud as he could. He even argued with a parent once, over something incredibly trivial, and he felt very embarrassed afterward. Ivan and Mason had laughed at it, never seeing their father get so heated over anything since their mother had gone.

"Hi Papa! Henry is stopping at his place to grab something, so we are going to shower really quick and change."

"Okay, are you eating dinner at home tonight?"

Mason had already called dibs on the shower and Ivan came to sit in the living room and watch some TV. Dimitri had been vacuming, but stopped and put it away to sit with Ivan.

"No, I don't think so. Henry said we were going to go see a movie, so we will probably go out to eat afterward."

"Okay, do you need any money?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm picking up your grandfather from the airport late tonight, so I might not be home when you get back. Make sure to lock all the doors."

"Okay. Hey, Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can we get a dog?"

Dimitri stared at his son for a long time. "Why do you suddenly want a dog?"

"Well, I've always kind of wanted one. And… I'm not really planning on going to college, so I was thinking maybe it would be okay. Plus, with Mason and I gone… it wouldn't be so bad to have something else here to keep you company."

Dimitri thought about it. "Let's talk about it after your grandfather leaves. And please, do not mention it to him. I'm not opposed to the idea, but if he hears it, he's going to give you each some kind of hellhound that will end up eating all of our furniture."

Ivan laughed. "Alright, Papa, whatever you say. I hope Grandpa Abe gets here fine."

"Not even the devil could kill that man, I doubt a plane crash would."

"Oh my gosh, that's so gruesome."

Dimitri laughed. "I got that from your mother."

Mason jumped out of the shower, calling to his brother that it was open. Ivan jumped up and ran inside the bathroom.

Dimitri sat and watched TV for a while, letting himself think. A dog, huh? Well, it wasn't such a bad idea.