Second Chances - 2. Chapter 2: Party Surprises

Jesse had never been so stoned in his life. His body felt as if it were floating in the air. He figured he could fly into the air with angel wings. Jesse decided to sing “I Believe I Can Fly” and the entire group began roaring with laughter. Their laughter was so loud that they barely heard the doorbell ring. Lexis stumbled to her feet and haphazardly walked to her front door. “Hi JP! Hey Sarah,” she said before hugging the couple. “Come on in.” She lowered her voice and whispered, “Marcus is here.”

JP Masterson had always been a good friend to Marcus. When Marcus came out, JP was the first to tell him that he would accept Marcus no matter what. JP hoped that Marcus would finally be at a party. He was happy to see Marcus because he had been worried about his friend. Sarah kept telling him not to worry too much. “JP, that’s how I’d feel if something happened to you. It takes time to heal. Marcus will be himself again. Be patient.” Sarah Delmar always knew what to say. She was beautiful and had a kind heart. If ever anyone needed advice, they called Sarah. RJ and Sam, another gay couple, followed closely behind Sarah and JP carrying a keg.

RJ Masterson, JP’s twin brother, was the reason his brother was so accepting of bisexuals, gays, and lesbians. JP was so happy when RJ finally found a boyfriend during their junior year. Sam also happened to be Sarah’s twin brother. The four of them became close because of what they all had in common. It was only fitting the four became two couples very much in love. “RJ… Sammy!” Lexis said lovingly. “Get the keg inside and put it down. I need more hugs.” They obeyed and hugged her. Lexis was always one to hug a lot. She, like RJ and Sammy, had always wanted to be a civil rights attorney. Though the group, including Jesse, was always smart, they were not at all nerdy. They knew how to have a good time. Though Jesse was new, he already felt like he belonged. He knew he needed to thank Alejandro and Jamal when he got the chance.

Soon more teens arrived on the scene. Lexis Gordon knew how to throw a party. This one was to be the end of summer bash. Her parents agreed to supply some beverages for the occasion, but Lexis and her friends had to clean up the mess instead of the housekeepers.

Jesse and Marcus decided to spend some more time in the pool along with RJ and Sam. People were drinking, dancing, and making out around the pool, some a combination of the three. Jesse and Marcus jumped into the pool and started splashing one another. RJ and Sam decided to make out instead. If not for the straight couples around the pool, the two naughty boys would have been doing a lot more than that.

Marcus dunked Jesse’s head under the water. When Jesse returned to the surface, he acted as if he were angry and yelled, “I’ll get you for that!” Marcus swam away, and Jesse couldn’t keep up. Realizing his unfair advantage, he was still determined to catch Marcus. Marcus had other ideas in mind. He latched onto the side of the pool and pulled himself out of the water. Jesse grabbed his foot, but Marcus pushed him off. Marcus ran away yelling, “You’ll never catch me!” Marcus had a good start as he ran around the pool. At one point, he even flipped Jesse off. Jesse’s football days had paid off as he finally caught Marcus by the arm. Jesse picked Marcus up as if he were carrying him over a threshold. He walked over to the pool’s edge jumping into the pool with Marcus in his arms.

Marcus managed to surface before Jesse. As soon as he saw Jesse’s head emerge, he dunked him again. This time, Marcus didn’t try to escape. He allowed Jesse to dunk him in return. “Are we even now?” Marcus asked.

“I guess,” Jesse chuckled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m having fun.”

“Yeah, I guess I had been avoiding people for too long,” Marcus said. He felt guilty for avoiding his friends for so long. “I’m surprised they still want anything to do with me.”

“We all have our problems, Marcus,” Jesse said empathetically. “I don’t know all the details, but I know something happened. If you’re not ready to talk about it, I’m fine with that. I hope you’ll tell me eventually.”

“I will,” he replied. “I’m tired of all the pity. That’s why I don’t want you to know yet.”

Jesse understood completely. He had been through some trials of his own. He knew there were similarities, but he wasn’t about to push Marcus into telling him anything before he was ready.

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

Lexis and Madison decided to go to Lexis’ room to talk. “It’s nice and quiet in here,” Lexis said. “What do you want to do?”

Madison looked into Lexis’ beautiful piercing blue eyes. She could sense the desire in her lover’s eyes, but at the same time, Madison was secretly upset with Lexis. Madison was increasingly jealous of Tyler. It’s not that she had anything against Tyler personally. She wanted Lexis Gordon for herself. While Madison liked men almost as much as Lexis did, she wanted Madison for herself. In her eyes, things would be much better if it were just the two of them. “I don’t know,” she sighed.

“What’s wrong, Maddy?” Lexis asked. “If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, we’ll never figure this out.”

Madison didn’t answer. She knew Lexis would be mad at her for asking her to dump Tyler. “I’m just a little tired. That’s all.”

“Maddy, the night is still young my dear,” Lexis assured her. “I thought we could fool around for a while.” Lexis walked over to her girlfriend and kissed her on the lips. Madison didn’t fight her off either. She loved her taste… her essence. Madison loved Alexandra Gordon more than life itself. If only Lexis would dump Tyler their relationship could reach new heights. Lexis only half-heartedly committed to their relationship. Deep down she knew why Madison was upset with her. Before Tyler appeared the two young ladies were inseparable. Sure, they both had their “f**k buddies”, but they were serious about each other.

Lexis had always assumed that Tyler was gay. One night when they were hanging out alone in Lexis’ living room, he proved her assertion incorrect. Before Lexis, Tyler had only had one-night stands. He often joined Alejandro and Jamal on sexual escapades; other nights he would have sex with one of the cheerleaders. When Tyler kissed Lexis on the lips, she was shocked. Once the shock wore off she spoke. “Tyler, I thought you were…”

“No Lexis, I’m not gay,” he corrected before she could utter the word. “I’m bi like you. I know why you thought otherwise. I’m good friends with Alejandro and Jamal. I won’t deny that. I even bottom for them sometimes. I’m just sexual. Gender doesn’t matter to me at all, Lexy.”

“Great minds think alike,” she beamed. “I must say that I’m glad to hear it. I’ve always thought you were cute, Tyler.” That was the beginning of Lexis and Tyler. Soon they were officially dating. At first, Madison tried to pretend the arrangement didn’t bother her. She hid her broken heart even from Lexis. Madison was committed, but Lexis was not.

Madison knew she couldn’t live without Lexis, so she stood by her girlfriend. She also made an effort to keep things civil with Tyler. The two even had sex a couple of times, but Tyler decided it needed to stop because Lexis was the only girl he wanted. When he told her she was fuming. She slapped him in the face without even flinching. Lexis spent two weeks trying to smooth things over. Finally, they exchanged apologies and pretended everything was “okay.” Things were far from “okay.” Madison and Tyler each decided that they wanted Lexis exclusively. Lexis’s duplicity fueled a silent war.

Madison put her feelings aside as Lexis was in her loving arms. Their tongues danced beautifully as they rubbed one another’s backs lovingly. Madison reached down to the tail of her girlfriend’s shirt and lifted it. After discarding her girlfriend’s garment, Madison unfastened her bra. Soon the bra had been discarded as well. Madison knelt down a little. She adored Lexis’ breasts, licking her nipples lovingly. Lexis moaned passionately as her girlfriend nursed on her voluptuous breasts.

Tyler quietly crept into to the room. He secretly watched as Madison greedily sucked on their girlfriend’s nipple. Lexis opened her eyes to see Tyler watching intently. She gave him a smile and a wink, assuring him that he could continue watching. Madison seemed oblivious to Tyler’s presence until he unzipped his hardness from his pants, moaning as he stroked his cock. She pulled away from Lexis, and turned around to see Tyler jacking off. She had never been one to exhibit her bedroom activities to anyone. Lexis, on the other hand, loved the extra attention. Madison composed herself and walked towards the door, smacking Tyler as hard as she could before exiting Lexis’ bedroom.

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

Jesse and Marcus were sitting on a couch in the living room. Alejandro and Jamal were cuddling across from them in a loveseat. The four sipped on their beers as they spoke to one another. “I’m not kidding! They were in the library making out at the end of one of the aisles,” Jesse said. “She was all over him. I couldn’t help but stare, because the guy was really hot. Anyway, the librarian walked over to where they were. She was pissed. ‘Get out, now!’ I thought her head was going to explode. Their faces were practically crimson. They ran towards the door as fast as they could.”

Madison was running down the stairs. She was blubbering. The four young men were amazed that she could even run down the stairs without falling. “Madison, what’s going on?” Alejandro asked. She said nothing. She ran towards the door. “Jamal, she’s totally trashed. We have to stop her.” Alejandro and Jamal ran out the door with haste, knowing that Madison was in no condition to drive.

“What was that all about?” Jesse asked.

“Jesse, it’s complicated,” Marcus reasoned. “I love Lexy to death, but she is hurting Madison.”

“You mean physically…” Jesse started to speak, but Marcus cut him off.

“Jesse, Madison wants Lexy for herself.” Marcus sighed in frustration thinking of his best friend. “Lexy thinks she isn’t doing anything wrong. She thinks she’s entitled to have her cake and eat it too. Whenever her duplicitous nature is mentioned, she shrugs it off. She always talks like she absolutely has to have both a man and a woman in her life. Eventually she’ll learn the hard way when she is alone.” Before he could say anymore, Lexis was walking down the stairs followed by Tyler. Lexis walked to the couch and sat by Marcus. Tyler walked out the back door.

“Why don’t they get it?” Lexis snapped.

Marcus was fuming that his best friend had even dared to ask such a question. Jesse decided to speak instead. “Lexis, may I say something?”

“It’s a free country,” she said sarcastically.

“Lexis, I’m not trying to offend you,” he said with assurance. “But you’re playing with fire. Trust me. I know all about this kind of situation. I was once in a love triangle of my own. I put my own selfish needs ahead of theirs. It was wrong, Lexis. Madison and Tyler aren’t your toys. They are human beings with feelings and emotions. Obviously, they don’t like the situation. You have to make…”

“What the f**k do you know?” Lexis huffed. “You have no idea what…”

“Lexis…” Marcus scowled. “Maybe you need to listen for once.” Lexis apologized to Jesse for interrupting.

“It’s okay, Lexis,” Jesse smiled. “I’m not trying to upset you, but you need to stop and think about what Madison is feeling. Anyone who watches her long enough can tell that she’s unhappy. I don’t know all the details, and quite frankly, I don’t want to know. But Marcus was telling me that you were with Madison first. She obviously feels betrayed. I’m not sure what just happened a few minutes ago, but apparently whatever you did, Madison is really hurting.”

“All I did was let Tyler watch us when he…” Jesse wasn’t about to accept her rationalization.

“Lexis, you should have asked her before you invited Tyler to watch,” Marcus interrupted. “She’s not a f**king porn star. What the f**k were you thinking?”

“Why aren’t you on my side Marcus?”

“Because you’re being a f**king bitch!” he snapped. “How can you do this to her? Do you have any idea how much Madison loves you, Alexandra? She worships the ground you walk upon. You are everything in her eyes. She wants to spend the rest of her life with you. And tonight, you treated her like she was nothing more than a low class whore. You may like being watched, but she doesn’t. You need to go apologize to her. Apparently, you upset Tyler too. Sooner or later, you’ll have to make a choice.”

“I love them,” Lexis whined. “I need them both. Can’t you see, Marcus?”

“Lexis,” Jesse cleared his throat. “Love triangles only cause pain. Take it from me. I put my selfish needs above everyone else. I used two people. One of them is dead, and it’s all my fault. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

“I had no idea…” Lexis frowned. “I don’t want them to die.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying that they’re going to die. All I’m saying is that you’re hurting them. I realize the situation is difference. I was using a woman to mask my own inadequacy. I used my best friend for sex. They were both in love with me. He ended up overdosing. I finally came clean to her, and she told me she wished me dead. She almost got her wish.” Jesse was fuming. He lost his temper and yelled, “So don’t f**king tell me that I don’t know what the f**k I’m talking about!”

Jesse got up and left the room. He went out the back door to the pool. “What the f**k just happened?” Lexis asked.

“What do you mean, ‘What the f**k just happened,’” Marcus growled. “He just told you about what happened to him. That’s the best you can come up with? Lexy, for a straight A student, you are f**king dense sometimes. Obviously he feels guilty. Are you telling me you don’t understand that? You feel absolutely no guilt for what you’re doing to Madison and Tyler, do you? Maybe you’re not the friend I thought you were, Lexy. You only care about yourself. I’m getting Jesse, and we’re leaving. Unlike you, he actually feels bad about what he did. You don’t.”

Marcus walked out the back door in search of Jesse. He spotted Julie first. As usual, she had not been drinking. He asked her if she could take Jesse and him home. She agreed and followed Marcus to Jesse. Jesse had taken off his sandals and put his feet into the water. “Jesse, are you okay?” Marcus asked. “Look, my friend Julie isn’t drinking. She said she can give us a ride home.” Jesse pulled his feet out of the water. Marcus handed him a towel so he could dry his feet. Jesse donned his sandals and followed Julie and Marcus. As Jesse and Marcus walked by Lexis, they said not a word to her.

Once Jesse and Marcus arrived in their neighborhood, they exited Julie’s car, thanking her beforehand. “Are you okay, Jesse?” Marcus asked with concern.

“I can’t believe I told you already,” Jesse sighed. “I just told you my darkest secret. I’m surprised you don’t hate me.” Jesse sat down on the curb in front of his house. His guilt resurfaced, but his feelings were mixed. He liked Marcus as a friend, perhaps more.

“I don’t hate you,” Marcus replied with an assuring smile. “You regret what you’ve done. It takes a real man to admit to his mistakes. I do have one question. Did you love him?”

Jesse became even more uneasy. It took Brad’s death to make him realize the answer to that question. “Yes, I did. I was so confused back then. Why did I have to hurt him? That’s what I keep asking myself. He’s dead because of my selfishness about not wanting to accept who I am. How can I ever redeem myself?”

“Jesse, you’re too hard on yourself.” Jesse gave Marcus a look of confusion. In his own mind, he needed to continue punishing himself for Brad’s death. “He chose to kill himself, Jesse. He made a choice. Obviously, there had to be other issues. Maybe what you said to him made it worse, but he was already depressed. You have to let him go. I know how hard it is to let someone go. I’ve been trying to do the same thing.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready, Marcus.” Jesse’s sincerity was refreshing to Marcus. Marcus wasn’t ready to talk to him about Zach. If not for his counseling sessions, Marcus probably wouldn’t discuss it at all.

Marcus appreciated Jesse’s patience. Everyone had been pressuring him to get back amongst the living. He felt as if nobody understood why he might want to hide for a while. Lexis seemed to be the worst about it. She kept telling him that he should continue to be on the swim team. That was Lexis’ nature though. Any time Lexis Gordon wanted something, she was determined to get her way even at the expense of others. Marcus started wondering why he even bothered being her friend. She tended to be a “self-absorbed drama queen”. She wanted Marcus on the swim team as an excuse to see a bunch of nearly naked boys in wet Speedos. At least, that’s what he thought.

“Jesse, I appreciate you not pushing me into talking about it,” Marcus said with his trademark angelic smile. “I’m going to go to bed now.”

“Good night, Marcus,” Jesse replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow. What time is dinner?”

“We eat around six.”

Okay, I’ll see you then.” They shook hands and went to their respective houses. Jesse’s parents were already sleeping. His mother had an 8-hour shift at Research Belton Hospital’s outpatient department the following morning. Jesse unlocked the door and entered his home. He decided to take a quick shower before going to bed. He had managed to avoid having a threesome with Alejandro and Jamal, but he was still horny because of the herbs. It wasn’t that Jesse didn’t want sex. He felt the need to deny himself the pleasure out of guilt. He also had interest in Marcus. “Sleeping with Alejandro and Jamal wouldn’t help my cause,” he said to himself. It wasn’t long before the sandman visited him and sent him into the land of dreams.

Marcus was glad he had met Jesse. Jesse was a “breath of fresh air”. Jesse had suffered just as he had. Marcus wasn’t angry about the situation Jesse had gotten himself into. In fact, Marcus felt empathetic towards Jesse.

Lexis was a different story. Marcus was tired of how she treated her lovers, Madison especially. He considered Tyler a good friend as well. Lexis was trying to have it all. Marcus knew that having two relationships was just asking for trouble. Lexis loved the attention and adoration. Marcus kept hoping she would figure out what she really wanted.

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

Forty-five miles south of Belton, there was another party. Butler may be a small town but teens knew how to party there. Tanner Rutherford always hosted the best parties. He had invited McPherson to the party. He had heard that she was on the rebound. He was hoping to score with the beautiful blond. “Hey Alison, I’m glad you made it. What would you like to drink?”

“I’d like a Bud Light,” she answered with her warm smile, a smile that hid the darkness beneath the surface. Alison knew what he really wanted. Since Jesse, she had always looked for indications of interest. She learned how to tell if a guy really wanted her. She had always thought Tanner was a total hottie, but she had other plans in mind. Once Tanner handed her a beer, she thanked him and scoped out the party. She was hoping she could find him, the one she thought might help her set a trap for Jesse. Even after being broken up for a while, she was humiliated to find out she had been dating a gay man for over a year. The thought made her skin crawl. She felt violated and used.

“Hello Chad,” she said amiably. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better,” Chad Nelson admitted. “I still can’t believe he’s gone. All he wanted… I’m sorry. I forgot that he used you too. I shouldn’t…”

“Chad, you don’t have to apologize to me,” Alison said altruistically. “He hurt your brother even more than he hurt me.” Chad was unable to pick out her fake sincerity. She was just as disgusted by Brad as she was Jesse. After all, Brad was still another “sick and twisted faggot” like Jesse, only he was no longer alive as Jesse was. She gently squeezed his right hand and said, “I’m here for you Chad. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask me.” She gazed into his eyes, giving him a “f**k me” look. She wanted to have Chad at her beck and call. He was a pawn in her game of love and war. Chad took the bait. They walked into the bathroom and removed their clothes. The first phase of Alison’s plot had reached fruition.