Have Faith in Me (Ianthony)

Chapter 7: It's a Long Story!

As everyone else followed the greeter to their table, Ian asked for a highchair for Audrina. It wasn’t something he was used to, not yet, at least, but he wasn’t embarrassed. One couldn’t say the same thing for Anthony, who had pointed his eyes down to the floor, purposefully ignoring Ian, Audrina, and the worker, much to Ian’s annoyance. 

Once the highchair was situated, Ian plunked Audrina down with a sippy cup of orange juice and took a seat beside Anthony. Anthony was seated beside Sohinki, with Mari on Sohinki’s other side. Joven, Lasercorn, Flitz, and Wes all sat opposite of them. 

The waitress waltzed up to the table and took their drink orders before heading back to the kitchen. 

“So…,” Joven trailed off, looking at Ian. “Who is this?” 

“Yeah Ian,” Anthony teased, “who is  this?” 

Ian rolled his eyes at Anthony. “Guys, this is…this is Audrina. She’s kind of, sort of…our kid.” 

“I was right!” Wes exclaimed, punching Lasercorn’s arm. “I told you they were-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Anthony interjected. “N-no! She’s not out kid, Ian! Goddamnit!” 

Everyone but Mari and Sohinki stared, puzzled, at Ian and Anthony. 

“Then who is she?” Flitz asked quietly. 

Ian bit his lip, fighting back the urge to punch Anthony in the face. How fucking unnecessary. “A few, well, I guess fifteen months ago, Anthony and I went to a dumbass club in Sacramento and when we woke up, there was a girl at our house. She left, but she came back this month and claimed that Audrina is either my or Anthony’s kid. And she just kinda…left.” 

“So now you’re stuck raising her?” Joven asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Basically,” Ian nodded, “but she’s only six months old and she hasn’t cried or whined in the weeks we’ve had her. She’s not a bad kid.” 

“She’s cute,” Joven offered, glancing over at her. He reached over, ticking her stomach. Audrina didn’t move. Instead, she looked at Joven quizzically.

Flitz frowned. “Something wrong with her?” 

Ian shrugged. “She hasn’t cried or laughed since she came to live with us. We’re not sure what’s wrong with her.” 

They stopped talking when the waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. 

“Huh,” Lasercorn said, “that’s weird.” 

Ian nodded sadly. “Mari’s worried that she has neglected baby syndrome.” 

The table fell silent. 

Ian sighed, regretting his words. “But the good news is that she’s still little. She’s probably gonna be okay, guys.” 

“Well, that’s good!” Wes exclaimed. “In that case, you and Anthony are daddies!” 

Anthony grumbled, but didn’t say anything. For this, Ian was thankful. He was really sick of Anthony’s snide comments. 

Once their food arrived and idle conversation arose, Mari began whispering to Ian and Anthony. 

“I know someone that could really help you guys out,” she told them silently, chewing on some noodles. 

“Really now?” Ian asked, scooping some apple food out of its jar and into Audrina’s eager mouth. She may not have laughed or cried, but it was clear to Ian that she loved to eat by the way she always gobbled down her food. 

She nodded. “He runs a support group for…,” she trailed off, searching for a word. “Young people with kids.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes. “It’s not a couple thing, is it?” 

She shook her head. “No, it’s for Youtubers. You might even see somebody you know there.” 

Anthony sighed. “Exactly what I need.” 

Ian elbowed him in the side. “Shut up, man. It…it might be good for us. You’ve needed help coping and I can’t seem to help you very well, now can I?” 

“Fine,” Anthony retorted, sucking in a breath. “Whatever, man.” He turned to Mari. “When and what time?” 

She grinned. “Well, they’re meeting tomorrow at four. We should be done filming by then.” 

Ian nodded. “Who will watch Audrina, though?” 

“You’ll bring her,” Mari smiled. “That’s the beauty of it! It’s not just for the adults. The kids get to meet and play, too. They also have snacks and drinks.” 

“All right,” Ian said, “it’s settled. We’ll go.” 

“Great!” Mari said, a bit too enthusiastically, “I’ll let them know you’re coming.” 

Anthony dug back into his food, ignoring his friends. Ian went on, feeding Audrina. Mari smiled to herself as Sohinki chatted with the other four guys. Wes and Flitz were speaking normally, whilst eating their food. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Joven’s fingers reached under the table, searching secretively for Lasercorn’s. Once he found them, he held them tightly, hiding a small smile to himself. 

Ian could’ve sworn that he’d noticed a quick change in Lasercorn’s demeanor, but he decided to ignore it. He had other things to worry about. 

This is absolutely the worst chapter I’ve ever written. God, I wish fillers weren’t necessary! I promise, promise, promise the next one will be better. You guys totally deserve better, I’m so sorry. Anyway, thanks for reading! C: