Ask Me How

Episode: 4x08

Summary: During their morning jog, Marcos tries to figure out what has been going on with Ivan lately.

Ivan was running as if the devil himself was chasing after him. Marcos shook his head as he trailed behind his friend on their morning jog. He had learned to go at his own pace until Ivan wore himself down. This morning Ivan was running from two demons – his father's betrayal and his broken promise to Roque.

Usually, Marcos knew what was going on with Ivan, but both events had caught him by surprise. His friend had been distant, but Marcos had no idea that he had been up to so much. That would teach him to underestimate Ivan's ability to create mischief.

Marcos wasn't going to run himself into the ground over Ivan's mistakes. Ivan had been an idiot to sign those custody papers after everything that happened. He also deserved Roque's wrath for hooking up with Julia when he said that he wouldn't. He needed to squirm a bit, and maybe then he would think before he acted. Maybe he would learn to think about the consequences of his actions before committing them. Then Marcos remembered that this was Ivan, and the most that he could hope was for Ivan to accept that he had done something wrong at all.

It wasn't long before Ivan collapsed against a tree by the gate. Marcos caught up to him and gave his friend some room to breathe.

"I applaud this morning's hamster impersonation," Marcos said. "Maybe I'll get you a wheel for Christmas."

Ivan glared at him as he heaved breathlessly. "Maybe… you can get it… after you… go fuck yourself… for Christmas."

Marcos laughed. "I'll consider it. So, what's today's dilemma?"

This response received another dirty look from Ivan. Marcos' expression became more serious. He thought Carol was the only topic off limits between them, but lately he felt like the last to know what was going on with Ivan. Ivan was making so many stupid choices without consulting with Marcos, which he hadn't done in a long time.

"You don't want to talk about it? Well, I'll remind you that I'm the only one still speaking to you these days, so this is your last chance," said Marcos. "We have three topics to choose from today – your father, Roque, or Julia."

Ivan rolled his eyes. "You're like an old woman fishing for gossip."

"Pick one," Marcos told him, then raised his arm to display his watch. "We have fifteen minutes before we have to go shower. After that, you're on your own."

"Fine, you pick. Ask me how I could do whatever it is that's bothering you," Ivan sighed as he leaned back against the tree. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his sweatshirt. He offered one to Marcos, who accepted it.

"Thanks," Marcos said as Ivan lit the cigarettes. "Now tell me – how could you do it? Hook up with Julia after everything that's happened?"

Ivan grinned. "Well, besides the fact that she's hot, it's actually a funny story how we first hooked up in the boys' bathroom—"

"Spare me those particular details please," Marcos interrupted him. "How could you hook up with her after Roque asked you not to?"

Ivan shrugged. "It wasn't anything serious. If I told you about every girl that Roque liked that I made out with, we'd be here a while."

"Not serious? That seems like a lot of trouble for nothing serious. You expect me to believe that you just woke up one morning, and decided that she wasn't a crazy evil bitch trying to destroy us?"

"Look, there could have been information about your mother in her father's files. We needed to find out if she was right."

"You didn't even tell me that you were breaking out of school that night."

"Are you more pissed that I hooked up with Julia or that I didn't tell you first?"

"Considering that you're always telling me shit even when I don't want to know, I'm curious how this managed to go under the radar." Marcos took another drag from his cigarette and waited for Ivan's answer.

Ivan shrugged again. "She and I don't talk, so there wasn't anything to tell."

Marcos nodded. At first, he believed Ivan had hooked up with Julia on a whim, but Ivan's tense reactions made Marcos suspicious. "I imagine that your version of 'not talking' was exactly what Roque asked you not to do with her."

"I don't get what the big deal is. She knew that he liked her, and he knew that she was out of his league. Maybe now he can stop making a fool of himself over her. If it wasn't me, it would've been someone else that still wasn't Roque."

"I'm sure he's grateful that you took this hit for him," Marcos said sarcastically, finishing his cigarette and stomping it out on the ground. "What are you and Julia going to do now? Are you together or what?"

Ivan finished his cigarette and tossed it. "Look, stop trying to read something into this. We're not together. We just fooled around a couple of times. That's it."

"Wait, a couple of times? How long has this been going on?" Marcos asked suspiciously.

"Don't look at me like that. It started after Carol and I split… and before Roque asked me not to get involved with her," answered Ivan.

Marcos shook his head. "So you were lying to him the entire time? Unbelievable. How could you do it? I couldn't be with Carol if I knew it would destroy you."

"I'm not giving you my blessing to be with Carol, if that's what you're aiming for," Ivan snapped. "You leave me out of that shit."

"Can you imagine how Roque must be feeling?" asked Marcos. "You just proved that you cared more about getting laid than about him."

"That wasn't what happened!" Ivan shouted in frustration.

"Then what did? What could you possibly say to defend going behind everyone's back like that?"

Ivan shook his head. "I don't know!"

Suddenly, Marcos knew exactly what happened and he stopped pressing the issue. He couldn't believe it. Ivan had fallen for Julia. Well, now he had seen everything.

"What?" Ivan asked impatiently.

"Nothing. I need a shower," Marcos said as he began walking to the school.

Ivan nodded and followed him.

Marcos had wanted to know how Ivan could be so inconsiderate of Roque's feelings. When he and Ivan had become friends, he swore that he would stay away from Carol for the good of everyone. He knew the line and he wasn't going to cross it because it was for Ivan. How could Ivan not do the same for Roque?

Then Marcos recalled his affair with Amelia. He knew that it was wrong, but they had done it anyway. It was like a force of nature. He knew how it had happened all too well.