Chapter Four
"Babe, what do you mean?" John tried to keep the severe worry out of his voice, but failed.
Alex suddenly looked regretful and quickly wiped his tears. "Nothing. I'm just tired. I'll come to bed soon."
"Okay..." John could tell Alex was lying, but he didn't want to upset him more by prying. "I'll be waiting for you."
Alexander sighed as his boyfriend walked away. He couldn't know about his problems. He would think Alex was a freak. Alex didn't even know why he had the problem he did. His life was perfect. He had great friends, an amazing boyfriend and good grades. But he still felt awful about himself.
-
"Guys, we have something to tell you." Angelica said, holding Maria's hand tightly. They stood in front of their seated friends and family in their apartment where they had called everyone together. Peggy, Eliza, Lafayette, Hercules, Alex and John. Everyone was there.
"What? What?" Peggy begged excitedly, full of energy like always. Peggy was her own character. She wasn't as graceful as Angelica and Eliza, but she had something that made her just as special as her sisters.
Angelica and Maria looked at each other with matching grins.
"You tell them." Maria said.
"No, you!" Angelica insisted.
"WOULD SOMEONE JUST TELL US?" Peggy bursted. She was fidgeting in her seat.
"Maria is pregnant!" Angelica announced, her face showing nothing but pure joy.
Everyone began talking at once, cheering, congratulating. Even Alexander momentarily forgot about his problem out of sheer excitement.
"How?" Hercules asked.
"Well," Angelica began to explain. "We got a surrogate. And we used my eggs, but Maria is carrying. So the baby will be from both of us."
Peggy and Eliza went and hugged their sister tightly.
It made sense that Maria was the one to carry. Angelica was so independent and did too many things. She did everything and tried everything. Being pregnant would limit what she could do and she was such an adventurous and independent soul. Angelica was going to be an amazing mother, though.
"To celebrate, I insist we all go out to a restaurant." Lafayette mused. "I will pay for it all! My... how you say? Tr-treat? Treat! My treat!"
"You can't afford that, Laf." Eliza giggled. "We'll all chip in. Minus Ang and Maria because this is for them."
John looked over at his boyfriend, only to see that Alexander was frozen in place and his face was completely pale.
"Are you okay, baby?" He asked as he rubbed the small man's back.
"Y-Yes."
"No you aren't." John's heart began to pound. Whatever was wrong with Alexander could be serious.
"Yes I am!" Alexander snapped. "You're not my mother! Just leave me alone!"
"Sorry..." John said softly, wounded. He walked away slowly.
Alexander felt bad, but with all the insistence from John his boyfriend could find out. He didn't want that. It was too embarrassing. He didn't know what he was going to do at the restaurant. He knew he wouldn't be able to eat. Forcing the food down his throat would only make him puke. And if he didn't eat, it would only cause more questions. He didn't want attention on him, especially because this was for Maria and Angelica. Their moment. So there was only one thing to do.
"Guys?"
Everyone looked at Alex.
"I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm just gonna go home." He lied.
Angelica pouted. "Okay. Feel better!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Alexander smiled slightly. "Congratulations again."
He got out the door when suddenly someone grabbed his hand and spun him around. It was John.
"Alexander, what is wrong?" He asked firmly. "You need to tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing!" Alex insisted. "There's nothing wrong!"
"Last night you said there was. Then you suddenly changed your mind. And now you're acting strange."
"I just don't feel good, okay?" The shorter man lied. "That's it."
"I don't believe you."
"That's your problem." Alexander turned and ran out of the apartment building. He got in his car and began the drive home. He wouldn't have left John, but he needed to get out of there. Plus, one of their friends could give him a ride home.
-
When John got home at ten o'clock in the night he peeked his head into Alex's small study and found Alexander typing away on his computer as usual. He sighed and went to walk away. Then he noticed that something was different. The smaller man was silently crying. He looked so tired. John stopped and studied him. He was becoming so thin and his face was losing color. He never slept. And John hadn't seen him eat more than a celery stick in two weeks.
John knew what was wrong.
AN: I bet you can guess what's up.