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John stood in the foyer to his grandmother's mansion, pacing nervously
back and forth, back and forth.. he only paused in his wake to peek
out the window every now and then. Wringing his hands nervously, he
glanced into the adjoining living room, turned, crossed the hall,
peered into the sitting room, turned, crossed the hall.. over and
over, wringing his hands, running his fingers through his hair,
pulling at the collar of his button-down shirt..

The real test had arrived, and it was making him nervous as Hell.
Because today was the day he would know whether or not the boy behind
the counter wanted to be with him. It was a simple test really.. if he
shows up, he's interested. And if he doesn't.. well, then..

"John?" He turned so fast in surprise that he nearly slipped and fell.
Gamma smiled good-naturedly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I
just wanted to let you know that we've started dessert, and we'd like
you to join us. That is, if you're finished pacing."

"I'm not pacing," he insisted, shaking his head vehemently. "I'm just
waiting for a friend to arrive."

"A *girl*friend?" she asked, a hint of a smile on her lips. "The same
one that kept you in bed for that whole week, perhaps?"

"No, no," he responded, glancing out the window once more. "It's a
boyfriend. I mean, a boy who's a friend.. I'm just waiting for him."

"It's nice of you to invite a friend," she said, coming up beside him
and joining him in looking outside. "But can I remind you that you've
been waiting for over an hour?"

"I have??" he asked, turning to her in surprise. He knew that it'd
felt like an eternity since eight o'clock, but he hadn't really
expected that much time to have passed by now. And a glance at the
clock showed him that his grandmother was very right. "Oh.. I didn't
realize.. um.. yeah, I.. guess I'll come back now.. "

"All right," she said, and laced her arm in his as she began to lead
him into the dining hall.

Well.. he guessed he'd gotten his answer now. And he felt his heart
flop into his stomach as he slowed in his walk until he actually
stopped, his appetite gone along with his anxiety. "You know what? I'm
not feeling that well right now.. I think I'll just go upstairs and
retire for the night."

"John," she began, and he could see that look on her face that let him
know he was about to be royally chastised. "You've been acting so -- "

And there it was. The doorbell, ringing out so loud John could've
sworn the neighbors heard it, and the closest ones they had was about
a half of a mile away. He smiled broadly, pulling out of his
grandmother's grasp and rushing to the door, unable to hide his
excitement even if he wanted to. He could hear Gamma behind him,
questioning his sanity as he pulled open the door with a flourish.

"Hi," said the boy behind the counter, said Dave, looking quite
handsome in a chunky blue sweater and khakis. He must've seen John's
eyes travel, as he indicated his own outfit. "I hope I dressed okay..
this was the nicest thing I had."

"No, no, you look great," he blurted out, and immediately felt the
heat rise in his cheeks. "I mean, you dressed fine. It's great."

"Good," Dave said, nodding slightly. "Uh, so.. can I come in? Or is
the party on the front steps?"

"Oh, no, come in," John said, smiling warmly as he moved over to allow
Dave passage. He closed the door, then stood beside his Gamma, who was
watching intently, curiosity in her eyes. "Gamma, this is Dave. Dave,
this is my Gamma."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, extending her hand, and he shook it
firmly, looking her right in the eyes. "John failed to mention you
were coming until the last minute."

"Oh," Dave said, glancing between the two of them. He took a step
back. "If it's any trouble, I can go. I mean, you know.. it's no
problem. I took a cab here, I can take one back."

"By all means, stay," she stated, after John nearly had a freaking
heart attack. If his grandmother kicked Dave out his chance would've
gone with him -- whatever little chance he had, that is. "Dessert's
just started, however late it may be. But these events are always that
way, I suppose."

"Yeah," Dave replied, nodding with a smile as Millicent turned and
began to walk back towards the dining hall. The boy glanced at John,
whispered, "I wouldn't know."

John flashed a grin. "That's okay. I hate these things anyway. It's
all about gossip anyway: What corporation's doing what, who's being
hired for what job.. who's dating who."

"Whom."

"What?" John asked, puzzled as they began walking down the hall together.

"It's whom," he clarififed, glancing at John. "Who's dating whom."

"Right," John replied, as if he'd realized his mistake. Did Dave go to
school, he suddenly wondered? He wanted to ask, but now wasn't the
time as they entered the dining hall, filled with at least
fifty-people at several different tables. He heard Dave curse softly
in surprise. "Don't worry," he whispered into the boy's ear, over the
loud roucous in the room. "It's not as overwhelming as it seems."

"I hope not," he stated, glancing at John with raised eyebrows. "Where
should we sit?"

We. John like the sound of that, and he found himself smiling as he
took Dave by the elbow and led him towards a table. "Right over here.
Get ready for a ton of political bullshit."

"I can't wait," he said, and actually sounded excited. He suddenly
flashed a grin. "Bullshit is my specialty."
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