Chapter 15 is out and I hope you'll like it. I am afraid it might be a bit boring, but I needed it, so, please forgive me ... please.... :-)

Thank you all for your comments, I am really happy you like my story!! A super "HI" to iloveronnieradke xox

Dedicated to Unspokenn_Wordss, who made the new cover.

On the right a picture of Ivan, Aleksandr's brother, just picture him with darker hair --> Riley Smith

A bit of old punk-rock school, I love The Offspring!

Enjoy and as usual, please, let me know what you think!

xox

RIVER POV

Something was definitely on with those two, I mean, it was crystal clear and evident to everybody, hmm exception made for Hayden, too dense to notice anything that wouldn’t jump right in his face.

Derek obviously noticed, man, he was smart and he had pestered me with questions, wanting to know if I knew more than him. I didn’t, though. We tried to talk to Sasha about that, but you know him, he isn’t exactly the easiest person to make speak. But I had my methods. I smirked evilly inside.

I saw Sasha and Travis together at the lockers and at lunch, it was like looking at two persons completely lost in their own world. Not because they isolated themselves or not talked to us, Travis and Jasper were inseparable as usual and it was really funny to see how it sort of annoyed Sasha. But, seriously, Jasper was such a cute puppy-like kid that you couldn’t think anything bad about him, you couldn’t tell him something awkward or harsh, because he was easy at blushing and stuttering. Travis was right to call him cutie. I wasn’t sure if he had or not a crush for Derek, but apparently he was the only he got along with. Hmm. I think he was also slightly relaxing with me, but I know it wasn’t that easy, I have this overconfident and attracting air around me that can get people disoriented. Plus I knew the kid was gay and I am sure being close to someone like and me and Travis at the same time wasn’t a simple thing.

Back to my best friend and Travis, as I said they didn’t isolate themselves, but it was clear that when they talked to each other or simply looked at each other, the rest suddenly disappeared.

I don’t know what happened on Saturday, after Sasha drove him home, but something for sure did happen. Why you ask? How slow of you. Aleksandr is my best friend and I immediately saw something was off on Monday and when we met Travis, well, bingo. I asked him about that and he simply told me they talked about stuff. Hmm, sure, about stuff. I wonder if they really only talked.

They are not acting anything too different than before, they are  now “friends” and, be nice enough to read and appreciate the quotes’ marks, they normally greeted each other or exchanged comments. Still. That annoyed me.

Better be precise, now it annoyed me, because it was already almost a week of that and even Dima asked what was going on between those two. So, you got my points.

I could see Travis had a thing for Sasha, hmm, more than a thing he liked him, no doubt about that and vice versa. If you knew Sasha that well as I do you’d understand immediately. He hated people getting close to him, telling him how much they liked him or loved him. Shit, he got so mad when girls told him they loved him that he literally froze them there with his harsh and icy answers. It was almost painful to see those little girls shattering in pieces because of my best friend’s attitude. But only almost. I understood him and his behavior and never questioned it. He had his own reasons and they were good reasons, but … but you can’t keep yourself caged in an icy prison the entire life.

So now, since he met Travis, something completely changed in him and it’s like a new Sasha has finally awakened. I was beyond happy and I knew he needed time to understand and admit everything, he was a really stubborn bastard sometimes.

And now comes the reason for my good annoyance. On Monday he finally admitted something to me and he was still at the same point. I rolled my to-die-for eyes at that.

-FLASH BACK- 

I saw Aleksandr at his locker, talking to Derek and Travis. More like, Derek-the-chatter-box-never-shuts-up and Travis were talking and Sasha was looking at him.

So walked there and hugged my friend’s shoulder and like last time Travis shot me a strange look, pure instinct, and then smiled at me and greeted me. I grinned at that.

“Sasha, morning, still aching from yesterday?” He turned to me and gave me his usual cracked smile.

“Hey River. Shit, it wasn’t very smart to skate the entire afternoon and then weight lift.”

“Skating and weightlifting the entire afternoon, on Sunday? Hell, are you insane?” Asked Travis, now playing with his piercing, a habit he had. I might add, a quite sexy habit. Sasha stiffened, not annoyed, but the complete opposite and I could see his eyes getting darker at that sign. Hmm, so he liked his piercing.

“It was crazy, damn true, but we didn’t play on Saturday and we had too much energy left.” I joked.

“Yeah, but Dima went on madman mood and my brother followed him, that bastard, I’ll pay him back.” Sasha cracked his neck and then cursed under his breath, I bet his neck was killing him. Yeah, Dima and Ivan tried to playfully provoke him and take him down. Impossible, obviously, but a guy can dream.

“Alexi, is your neck killing you?” Asked Travis, placing a hand on his neck. Ok, that was new and interesting.

“Yeah, thanks to my brother and Dima.”

“Well, if you all play like damn beasts, hell, you can’t have it otherwise.”

Sasha rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t annoyed, more like amused and completely relaxed. I mean, relaxed with Travis, someone he met weeks ago. Do you get my point here? I wondered if he finally confronted himself or if he needed another push.

“Want a massage?” Asked Travis with such a suggestive expression that I swear both me and Derek looked at them with equal shocked eyes. Sasha chuckled and leaned closer to him. Hmm, were they openly flirting now? Since when? Oh yeah, since Saturday at the hockey game. I never saw my friend doing that with anyone else, he never did that with any girl. The more important question was: did they realize they were flirting? I didn’t think so.

“God, don’t tempt me Travis. I’d really need it.”

“Well, how about at lunch?” Hmm, now I couldn’t wait for lunch. Sasha simply smirked at him and said “ok”, his eyes shining in a strange way.

Derek looked at me with a what-the-hell-is-going-on expression and I shook my head.

When we walked to class, he obviously couldn’t hold it in and asked straight away.

“Dude, what the hell is going on?” Derek fired in his face.

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? You and Travis, dude, I mean, massages? He knows how to do that?”

“Yeah, he already gave me one when he stayed over my place.” He avoided to answer the main question.

“Really? Man, is he good at that?” Figure, Derek got immediately distracted by non essential details.

“He is very good at that.” He gave quite a look in saying that.

“That’s not the point and you know it. Sasha, seriously, what’s going on? We don’t want to pry or mind your business, but we are your best friends and don’t you dare to say nothing, got it? Since when are you into guys?” Had to provoke him in some way.

“I am not into guys.” What a stubborn beast he was.

“Oh really? And Travis is a girl dressed up as guy? Hmm, I didn’t notice.” He snorted at my sarcasm.

“River, seriously, I am not into guys.” I gave him a dirty look and frowned. He sighed, I bet getting annoyed, he was easy to annoy. He stopped and looked at us with a serious look.

“I am not into guys, but I find Travis attractive and fucking hot. Shit, I have these crazy thoughts when I am around him and can barely control myself before slamming him against something and take him right there. Shit. Am I enough clear now? You satisfied now?”

Me and Derek stared at him like two cods, eyes and mouths wide open, not knowing what so say. Don’t get us wrong, it wasn’t shocking to hear he admitted he wanted a guy, but it was shocking the fact he said such a thing in the first place and actually felt that way.

“Dude, is this the real Alex?” Joked Derek, fingering and pinching his cheeks.

“Cut me some slack, mate.”

“I mean, icy and scary Aleksandr just admitted to want someone. Fuck, it will rain frogs tomorrow.” He mimicked as to watch the horizon and about to burst into savage laugh.

“Sasha, did you tell him?” That was the important point.

“What? No, he thinks of me as a friend.” I mentally face palmed, can anyone be more dense and slow that this? Not a chance.

Me and Derek exchanged a meaningful look and didn’t say anything, he had to figure out that himself and had to work his own ass to get it, I mean, to get Travis. He needed that and now I wasn’t going to make it easier for him and Derek agreed with me.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

I liked Travis, honestly, he had a genuine and extravagant personality, he was spontaneous and enthusiastic and friendly. He was like a warm and unpredictable fire and it was right what Sasha needed. But Lord, they were both dense and annoying. Why didn’t they realize they weren’t simple friends?

I didn’t want however to push them, what if Travis was only physically attracted to Sasha? What if he didn’t feel anything for him? I couldn’t dare too much, I loved too much my best friend, they had to solve it themselves alone.

I wondered what Jasper thought of all this situation and if he had asked anything to Travis. Hmm, maybe not, too shy for something like that. It was nice though to spend lunch and time with them, although Jasper was clearly terrified by Sasha, Hayden and Dima, too. I couldn’t understand why, though. A pity, because Dmitri seemed to like their companies and the fact the kid was a skater. He loved to snowboard in winter.

TRAVIS POV

A week has nearly passed since that Saturday and the more I spent time with Alexi, the more I liked him. Hell, I think I was at the masochistic and stupid point of being about to fall fucking hard for him. If I hadn’t already reached the point. Hell, that was a bad joke.

Alexi was simply perfect, in everything. Hell, I was daydreaming like a blasted teenager, it was what I felt and it was fantastic. No, no sarcasm here. He was pushy and stubborn and sort of demanding in a sexy dominant way and I didn’t mind it. Alexi never force me in doing something I hated, hell no, but he actually found the way to surpass my mule like pigheadedness.

Hell, that was … err, how many times I already said “hell”? I should make a song with “I love to say Hell” instead of “I love to say fuck”. I sniggered at the idea, sometimes I was a genius.

Anyway, all I could think about these days was Alexi. And dancing, obviously, but even when then my mind would somehow turn to him. Argh, it was so damn frustrating. River told me how Sasha has always hated people and girls expressing their phony feelings and love and that he would badly tell them off if they only dared to say “I love you” or the like. He didn’t explain the reason and I didn’t want to ask, but now I was freaking out even more.

I had something else I didn’t know about him.

Yesterday I met again his family, because he invited me there for dinner. I told my mum I was going to a friend’s place for dinner and she asked trillions of questions about this friend and his family. You can say she was worried and curious at the same time, so had to promise her she was gonna meet him soon or later. And soon for her means soon and not later. Great, wasn’t it? Well, that had been a hell of a surprise. Ivan’s fiancée, in other words my idol Nichole, was there. I was so happy and hyper that I jumped on Alexi’s neck to hug him and thank him. After I felt a utter idiot and apologized, but I met Nichole, she is fucking gorgeous and perfect. She said she knew me, because she saw two of my performances. Plus when I told her I was gay it was done. Hell, she jumped on me and said she already loved me and adopted me as younger brother. I could see she was perfect for Ivan.

Ok, I died, went to Heaven and then returned to life and back to Earth. She knew me and loved me. ME. Fucking awesome and sexy Travis Henderson. Got a problem with that? Bite me.

We talked all evening about dancing, classical and modern, different styles, steps, music and so on and Alexi didn’t mind that one bit, he stayed there with us and his brother, watching some sport on TV, but sometimes participating to our conversation. It was clear he liked her. His dad and Julie had been so nice that I was afraid to embarrass myself with my tongue. They asked if I was fine or if anything happened at school and Alexi groaned something about that, having his dad to make a strange face.

So you see yourself, I was way, way, way gone for Alexi. I sighed, too loud.

My mum asked a couple of time what happened in these days, because she said I looked like I was somewhere else, so I told her I met someone. She tensed immediately, remembering too vividly what happened with that asshole of Logan. I assured her it was everything ok and that the person in the matter was nothing like that piece of shit. Hell, Alexi was perfect. Anyway, we were friends and nothing else. She relaxed a bit at that, especially when I told her Jasper knew him. Well, obviously I omitted the part he feared Alexi and probably a couple of his friends.

Tonight even if I was beat after dance practice, I helped out mum with dinner and now we were talking while slicing veggies and waiting for the rice to be ready. She began to make questions.

“Mum, seriously he is not like that. He actually saved my ass a couple of time, from a jockass in school.” Shit, I didn’t tell her about Collins “peanut size brain” John-ass. That was his new name, charming, wasn’t it? It perfectly suited him.

“What? Travis Henderson, tell me it’s not what I am thinking and fearing.” She was talking about my first school and I could read worry and masked anger on her face. She pointed at me a carrot. Sort of funny.

“Nah mum, it’s the asshole that bullied Jasper, remember? I helped him out, gave that idiot a piece of my mind and so now we are not best buddies.” Hell, my ass not being best buddies, I hated his guts.

“Is he bullying you or harassing you or anything?” She began to kick in her super-protective mood.

“No, don’t worry and you know I can take care of myself. Plus now I have a bodyguard and he is a fantastic and amazing person. I really like him.” I didn’t tell her Alexi’ name (or that I had the hottest and horniest dreams about him I ever had in my life), and for sure I wasn’t going to tell her about that Thursday, she would freak out and worry for nothing.

It didn’t happen anything, thanks to my fighting abilities and more likely thanks to Alexi and the entire week he basically murdered Collins with his only beautiful eyes. It was the most hilarious thing to see that shithead to piss his own pants. Alone he was the most pathetic and lame excuse of man I have ever met. Well, maybe close enough to Logan. No. Fuck, that disgusting, sick bastard had his own category. His simple name was enough to make me want to vomit.

“So he’s the same friend you visited last night?” Argh, she was smart.

“Yeah, same person.” Admitted, looking down.

“I see, you were clearly too hyper and too concerned about your look last night. Well, more concern than usual. Probably he is a decent and nice person. You said Jasper knows him and talks to him, therefore he cannot be that bad.”

“Mum, he’s way more than “not that bad”, got it?” I started to get defensive for Alexi, a really bad sign, believe me.

She smiled at me as to say ‘someone here has a crush, hmm?’ and giggled. Only a crush would be fine. I was falling here. Falling really hard.

“Well honey, I really would love to meet this new friend and he seemed nice enough to invite you at dinner to meet your idol, therefore, bring him soon. You hear me? It would be only rude of me to not return the favor.” What a sly and smartass mum she could be sometimes, especially when her lawyer side comes out. I had no saying in the matter right now, well, probably not even in some future time. I got to give in.

“Ok, ok, mum, you won.”

She flashed me her victorious and satisfied smile and went back to her part of veggies, humming some song I didn’t know. Then I realized. Oh great. I just agreed to let her meet Alexi and sign a contract for future last longing loving mum’s teasing.

Fantastic.

Great.

Damn.