6

"I'll eat mine at home. I can't wait for my bowl of ice cream." Ashley said in a singsong manner.

"Me, too." Bree said and quickly put her ice cream bowl down.

"I'm so grateful that you got me my favorite flavor. I was shocked it'd be that."

"Vanilla, huh?"

"Yes. I hoped you would get it, though I didn't want to mention it. Just predicted. That's what all ice cream should taste...."

 Ashley's phone began to ring and announce the caller, interrupting her. Hurriedly, she snatched it up and put it to her ear.

It was Maverick Broudus.

"Hey, Maverick. How are you? Did you already see your phone?"

"I'm so happy, Ashley. I found my phone tangled in the laundry like you predicted. And then, I began feeling excited about you finally finding the right one after your heart…."

"Maverick! Who told you the news, though?"

 He laughed from the other end.

"That was you, remember?"

"Oh, I already snitched on myself! Ha."

"Yes, sweetheart, like you used to do to me."

"Maverick!" Ashley cried again.

And they laughed for a very short moment.

"What you doing, though?"

"I'm driving back to the apartment with my...." Ashley glanced at Bree, fondly, and completed her sentence. ".... roommate."

"Oh God, lemme get it done. I just called to invite you two over. We're really eager down here. Erwina even burst into the house. And Alejandro didn't rebuke the offer. I made pasta and salad and some chicken nuggets and fries and some stuff I know about. Do you wanna resist?"

"Oh my God, I'm salivating. I want that. We're both outside, but I'll have to ask her first."

"Please, do. And tell her I'm nice and no one can resist my delicacies...."

"Yeah. It's you bragging again." Ashley said, covered her phone's mouthpiece, and looked at Bree. "Uhm, Bree? I don't know if you wanna but my friends are eager to meet you. Do you wanna come?"

"Oh yes. Sure." Bree said, nodding really hard, and Ashley smiled.

"Yes, Maverick. We'll come."

"Super! I can't wait."

"Bye."

"Yeah."

 The call ended, and Ashley turned to smile at Bree. She looked super excited now.

"We'll reverse, then."

"Yes, please."

 Ashley did, and Bree instantly began to feel nervous.

"Damn. I wonder who your friends are. I don't know what to expect." She managed to voice out.

"Oh, Bree." Ashley said, glancing over at her, compassionately and showing understanding. "You're nervous?"

"Like, badly."

"Calm down. They're very eager to meet you. And that's pretty much expected. We don't have friends aside from ourselves, and so I have always been paying off the apartment for two ever since. So, this is so new and different."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Well, we all don't like.... socializing. It's just not us. I couldn't share the room till now."

"Wow."

"So, there's Maverick. He's the one who called. There's Rolando. You can call him Row. There's Erwina, or you can say Erie. There's Alejandro...."

"Your brother? Alejandro, the guy I saw earlier?" Bree interrupted in a voice that gave off her panic.

"Yes. And hey, don't be scared of him." Ashley said and smiled broadly at Bree.

 Bree swallowed, embarrassed. She was beginning to sound like Alejandro was affecting her. And yes, it had shown.

Oh, she was acting so stupid now.

"He's just difficult sometimes but will prove to be a great guy if you look closely."

"Ashley, he doesn't like me. He told me to fuck off when he dropped me earlier. He is so hard to deal with. He wouldn't even say a word to me. I just don't think.... Well, that's not what I'm worrying about, though."

★★★

★★★

 Alejandro walked into the house, and what he saw made him wince in wonder. Erwina was here, and Maverick was putting on an apron. The aroma of delicious fries and whatnot came hitting him straight on the face.

 The constriction in his facial muscles slowly relaxed, and he walked into the sitting room.

"Yo, man. You missing out!" Rolando said, looking eerily excited, and Alejandro's visage made him elaborate. "Look, Ashley and her new roommate agreed to come, and damn, I need to put on my suit. There's gonna be a feast toevening."

 Alejandro shrugged and swallowed, then said.

"Good."

"Alejandro." Erwina called, excited, and walked over like she was some royal tigress walking on glass. She even seemed to be sliding over. She was smiling. "Ain't you happy? I know it's strange with the way we're feeling and acting, but did you ever expect a child? Like you've been boogie pregnant for years, and you finally....?"

Alejandro didn't say anything, and that made Erwina blush and look back at Rolando, who shrugged.

"Come on, Alejandro. Lighten up. It's gonna be fun. And, look, it's Maverick cooking today." She added, trying to get Alejandro to react or something....

For some time, there was none….

"I'm not complaining. Just wondering about the expecting a child and being pregnant thing."

"Haha, come on, man. Quit that." Maverick said and Alejandro began walking towards the staircase.

Maverick was quick to yell after the departing figure.

"Make sure you get your ass down here for the feastings. Just a few minutes to go."

★★★

★★★

Tobe Carvalho lit a cigarette and kept playing the grand piano with great precision and expertise. He was lost in it.

Slowly, he was lolling his head round and round with the soft and easy tingle coming from the instrument. Triggered by his fingers. To whoever would see this, he looked like he was in paradise.

Easily, he moved from one key to another. Lighter than feathers and yet heavy enough to stream the room with a strangely beautiful classical.

And opposite him was a set of drunk guys. About five or six of them. And five scantily dressed ladies.

They were littered on the large chaise lounge and on the floor, talking amongst themselves and laughing and smoking. Living like life was all about this ecstasy.

They were listening. And yes, they looked like they were on another world.

Savagely, Tobe bit his lower lip and flung his head back into laughter. Smoke and fragrance.... They floated around him like they were wrapping about his sitting structure. He laughed. Oh, he laughed. Really hard.

And suddenly, the guys began one after the other.

Nothing could be seen as funny but then, it was there.

The jolly feeling. This sweet ecstasy.

"Fuck it…." Tobe Carvalho mentioned.