More than a substitute

Ivan

“Damn! I almost passed out in there” Josh, my roommate and best friend exclaimed immediately as we stepped outside the classroom. 

“Felt like days in there” I responded honestly.

We had just finished a two hour statistics class taken by the most boring stoic Professor in school. His classes are nothing but torture but no student dares to miss it because of his reputation, word is one fuck up could cost you your entire degree.

“Callie and I are going to get donuts at McDonald’s, wanna come?” Josh asked, earning a raised eyebrow from me. 

 “It's on me!” He added 

I chuckled “Good because I was about to remind you of the pretty obvious” I said 

“Ivan Sexton! My office now.”  Mr Reynolds, the school dean called from the end of the hallway.

“Yes sir” I answered even if he had disappeared immediately. 

“Well I guess not” I said looking back at Josh 

“We could wait for you?” He offered 

“I'm  good man, don’t keep Callie waiting” I said, giving him our custom side hug, I turned to the hallway leading to the Dean’s office. 

A talk with the dean after two torturous hours of statistics isn’t what I’ll ever want to face but what choice do I have?

I placed a soft knock on the wooden door after taking long reassuring breaths in anticipation for what the old man was about to say. 

A subtle “Come in” followed almost instantly.

I knew what this visit was about, I was here a few days ago, but that only made my heart beat even faster.

Is there where he’ll give me the news of my expulsion?

“Sit” he motioned to the seat opposite his.

“You do know that exams starts in a week right?” he asked and I nodded before he continued.

“And you do know that there is nothing else I can do to keep you here after that?” I remained silent 

“Even if I want to” he added, earning another nod from me.

“You have until the end of the week to pay off your tuition or it’s over” he said in the usual dismissive tone he used whenever I was here. 

“But.. today, today is already Wednesday sir” I stared in disbelief 

“There is nothing else I can do for you here Sexton, my hands are tied”

Thirty minutes later I was rolling on my tiny ass bed thinking about my visits to the dean’s office, each time is always the same, he reminds me time was running out and then I went in search of jobs and financial aid programs to help pay up my tuition. But just as always, I came back futile. 

Being a student made it difficult to get three jobs at once, even the manager of the restaurant I worked for has now decided that nobody does more than two shifts at a time. 

Being kicked out of school was a terrific possibility at this point, a tear I didn’t know was forming rolled down my cheeks as flashbacks of how I managed to get into college filled my mind. It was hell….

“Ivan!” Josh's concerned voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Josh..?” I call him

almost came out as a question 

“I’ve been calling you, damn! I thought something happened to you” 

“Sorry man, I was just a little carried away”

“Little?” He let out a chuckle before sitting on a single seater couch in my room.

“What did the dean want this time?” He asked 

“The usual” I responded dryly 

“I’m so sorry I can’t help man”

“Stop it Josh, you’re the reason I still got a roof over my head” I told him seriously.

Josh has been more like my guardian angel ever since we met in high school, I still had a hostel because he made his mom pay for the both of us. 

“ .. I think I got us a little solution tho” he said after few minutes of silence 

“What is it? I asked, eagerness evident in my tone as I sat upright. 

“Well Callie and I ran into Fred at McDonald’s” he started, I nodded for him to continue. 

I didn’t like Fred and Josh knew it but I was willing to do hear this solution 

“He said there’s a private banquet at Prescott Hotels tonight and there’s opening for waiters”

“I’m down, call him and ask him to let me in on it” I said,getting more than excited. 

“Yeah I already arranged for the both of us..” 

“Both of us?” I asked, surprised.

unlike me, Josh had no reason to  meagre jobs.

“Yes dumbass, although the pay is pretty high it won’t be enough to cover your tuition, but double might help a little”

 By the time he was done I was staring at him speechless.

“Why do you keep doing these things for me Josh” I asked, blinking back the tears threatening to fall.

“Come on man, we need to get ready so we can get there on time” he said leaving my room.

“Joshua..” I called just as he was about to open the door, he only looked back without answering.

“Thank you” I said, the tears finally streaming down my face 

“You’re family Ivan, you’ll always be” he said before exiting the room.

Again Josh was my guardian angel. The only classmate who didn’t join in the fun of bullying me, the only friend who didn’t make me feel like shit for running away from the orphanage and the one person who didn’t judge me for liking men.

Hours later we were all dressed in the custom black outfit handed to us by the catering company and were receiving a lecture on the rules of serving here tonight. 

Like school lectures weren’t torturous enough. 

The rules were so long that I stopped paying attention midway, one look at Josh confirmed I wasn't alone in that. 

He gave me a “hit this bitch on the head” look and I couldn’t help but smile.

I spent the remaining time taking in the kitchen environment until I heard

“whatever you see or hear tonight doesn’t leave this place”

I looked towards my best friend and met the same shocked expression.

What is this banquet?

Some secret crime one? 

What was more surprising was that only a few of us looked shocked. The rest probably already knows what the banquet is about or they had some sort of masking over their faces.

After almost an hour of lecture, we were finally guided to the hall where the banquet was being held through a long ass hallway. 

I was signed to pass round drinks while Josh was among the cleaning crew at the kitchen. 

My mind kept repeating what the catering manager had said earlier, wondering what this banquet is about and who were those coming. Thinking about it, two hundred dollars was pretty much high pay for just moving around passing drinks around.

We were led into an event hall filled with well dressed men and women. Their outfits were majorly well tailored suits and dinner gowns that screams extravagance and old money.

I got to work with the rest of the crew, I moved around carefully to avoid spilling anything or getting on the bad side of anyone, just a few more jobs like this one and my tuition will be covered. I made a mental note to ask Fred later tonight. He was somewhere behind the bar area.

“A drink please” a calm soothing voice spoke behind me, bringing me back to focus.

I quickly turned around with the tray of drinks held towards her. She was so pretty, I almost complimented her. 

“Thank you” she said with that same voice and a really beautiful smile.

“My pleasure ma’am” I said with a bow of respect. 

“What’s your name handsome?” She asked while running her prettily nailed fingers along my arm. Well now the voice made sense, this queen was hitting on me.

Girl I’m gay!

“Sorry ma’am but I’m not supposed to be talking to you” I said nicely. It was after all part of the rules so I wasn't entirely lying. 

“Who?” She said almost biting her lips. 

“It’s protocol ma’am. Please excuse me” I said, making sure I left her with my nicest smile. 

Everything seemed pretty much normal the rest of the night, until a sweet, feet-sweeping scent filled my nostrils, my head snapped at an unhealthy speed towards the source of the scent and there he was, a stallion. 

My brain froze as I stood still like a fucking idiot openly drooling over a stranger. 

Don’t judge me, this stranger looked way too handsome to be human. His appearance screamed power and commanded respect, somehow he stood out among everyman I’d seen the entire night. His icy blue eyes pierced into my green ones like he was taking my facial features in.

A loud clearing of the throat jolted my frozen brain back.