Chapter 11
There Goes My Hero
Kate
Justin talking, tossing and turning in his sleep, suddenly woke me from my sleep. I gently reached over and stroked his face and kissed him to calm him down. "Hush...shhh...it's ok baby." He was going through so much. I should have been so happy, but I wasn't. After all this time with Justin I finally made love with him. I loved him so much, but I know I wasn't his true love. It had taken a year and three months a lot of pain but I now understood and accepted it.... My relationship with him may have been over, but I'd be damned if I let it kill our friendship. He was going to need me more now than he ever had to get through this. I just hoped he'd let me in, unlike when I first saw how he really felt...
"Justin," I said to him as we were sitting in the courtyard. "Justin?"
"What? Oh, sorry babe."
"Justin, you could go over and say hi you know. It has been years."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Hello. It's me here, Just. I know you better than you know yourself. I'm talking about Brad."
"What about Brad?" he asked nervously.
"Sweetheart, I see how much you miss him, and I know we don't eat out in the court everyday for nothing."
"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" he asked in a panicky whisper.
"Justin, you used to be best friends," I said in a stern tone.
"Keep your voice down. You know I can't hang out with him."
"Why not? And I will not keep my voice down." I was trying to do my best mother voice.
"Kate, you know good and well I can't ...I can't because ...because..."
"Why? Because he's gay?"
He looked around. "Yes. That's why."
Justin, I never took you for a bigot or a homophobe. It doesn't matter if he's gay or not, he's your friend. I know if he was my friend I wouldn't care." I was pissed
"I'm not a homophobe. I just cant."
"Justin, I know you care about Brad, I can see it in your eyes," I told him, realizing what I was saying as I the words formed.
He looked at me shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a fag, he is!" he said furiously as he picked up his book and walked away.
That was when it hit me for the first time, that day in the middle of the 10th grade. The day I saw " The Look", it was the same look Justin always gave me whenever he saw me. That look of happiness, want, and completion. The look like you could see right into someone's soul. I started to wonder. That whole year I kept watching him, and studying him. He kept doing it, but every time he saw me watching him he would stop, get upset, and then ask me why I was staring at him. And then a year later while we were sitting outside eating lunch when Brad entered the courtyard.
From the moment Brad showed up until he left he had Justin's full and undivided attention. When he walked passed Justin and I, Justin smiled right as Brad turned his head to look at us. At first Brad looked at us like he was so frightened of Justin, but when he saw Justin's smile he looked down at the ground and a small smile appeared on his face. With his head still down, he exited the courtyard with that smile on his face. I saw it, and from that point I knew there was more to their friendship.
As Justin came back into our reality I asked him, "So, how much longer are you going to let him pass by without saying hi?" I asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Katie, do you remember what you said about me being a homophobe and not caring that Brad was gay?"
"Yes, I remember."
"Am I?" he asked "And would you really not care if someone you knew was...was...you know?" he asked, looking down at the ground.
"No Justin, I don't think you're homophobic. I just think that you're afraid of something. I think it's yourself. I do know that something is bothering you. I wish you would tell me. And No. A big fat No! I could care less if any of my friends...and I mean any...were gay," I said, looking into his eyes and smiling.
"I have to go." With that he got up and left the courtyard.
Six months later we broke up.
I looked over at the clock and saw that it was about 2 am. I quickly picked up the phone.
Ring...Ring...Ring
"Hello?' His voice sounded tired, as if he had not fallen asleep.
"Hi, Mr. Kemper, It's me, Katie."
"Hi honey. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I just called to tell you Justin is here at my house."
"He is? Thank god! Is he ok?"
"Yes sir, he's sleeping. He had a rough night. I just wanted to let you and Mrs. Westrick know he came over to my house late last night, and that he's ok. I'll bring him home in the morning."
"I'll tell his mother. She'll be so happy. And Katie thank you, thank you so very, very much."
"You're welcome." With that I rolled over and placed my head on his chest and fell asleep, thinking to myself that I'd be there for Justin. Always.
Alex
Knock...knock
"Just a minute," the small voice said. As I heard it a huge grin came to my face and I turned my back to the door before it opened.
"Yes," is all I heard as the door opened.
"SHIT ...HOLY SHIT! " the little guy said.
"Hey Drew," I said as I turned around with a smile. "Man you're getting big." I picked him up and gave him a big hug.
"Now what would your mom say if she heard you talking like that?"
Suddenly I heard, "She would say the same thing." I put him down walk over to her and give her a big hug too. "Alex, you've gotten so big. I can't believe you're here. Why are you here, anyway?"
"Just pickin up Baby Bear," I said with a smile.
His mother covered her mouth and a tear started to come down her face. " Well you know Bear. He's still asleep."
Then another voice bellowed out, "Andrew who was that at the door, I could swear I thought..." as he entered the room from the kitchen he stopped, took off his glasses and almost had to sit down, "Holy shit, Alex!" he said, rushing over to me and shaking my hand. I pulled him into a hug.
"That's the same thing I said," Andrew said, looking up at his father and smiling
"Ok...Ok...Marc, let the poor boy go," she said after about two minutes of silence and tears. "Alex have you eaten? Like I care if you have. Today you'll have two breakfasts."
"You know my family. We're not breakfast people. Everyone fends for themselves."
"I remember, and I remember your favorites, too. So we can catch up while we eat."
"Thanks. I'll be back,." I said with a smile as I walked up the stairs. I stopped when I heard someone in the bathroom. I smiled because I knew who it was in there. I leaned up next to the door.
"God how long does a guy have to wait to use the bathroom in this place?" I asked as Teresa walked out of the bathroom and past me.
"Alex!' she shouted with a smile.
" Shhh! I don't want to wake up bear."
"Please! Have you been gone that long that you forgot that the house could explode and my brother would still be asleep?" she said as she laughed.
I told her I'd see her downstairs. As I started to walk away she called to me. "Alex, do me a favor?"
"Anything Zoozoo," I said with a smile. (Inside joke, watch Adventures of Ford Fairlane)
"Don't ever leave again."
"I won't. I promise," I told her as she entered her room.
As I opened the door to Brad's room I quickly remembered the only way I could ever wake him up, and an evil smile emerged on my face.
Justin
I woke up feeling really, really relaxed. Stretching all of my muscles, I slowly started looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. It suddenly dawned on me that I didn't know where I was. All I knew was that wasn't my room.
Suddenly the door opened and I heard, "Morning...sunshine." She was carrying a tray with breakfast on it
"Kate?" I said, looking at her. She placed the tray on the bed, and then gave me a kiss on the forehead. "And how are we feeling this morning?" she asked as I started to sit up.
"I'm ok I guess. How did I get here?" Looking under the sheets I realized that was not the only thing I should be asking. "And why am I naked?" I looked at the smile on her face.
Alisa
Ring...Ring
"Hello?" I said as I answered the phone after just finishing taking a shower.
"What's wrong with you?" The voice asked as I figured out who it was.
"And a good morning to you too, Meagan," I said to her sarcastically.
"I can't believe you. You said no. How could you do this to us."
"Easy, this is how ...NO! Do you want to hear it again? NO!"
"What is wrong with you? You don't say no to Blake Prescott."
"Well I did, and there's noting wrong with me. And I am not sorry."
"I can't believe your doing this. Why did you say no?"
"Because he is a conceited ass."
"Blake may be many things, but he is not an ass. He's smart, cute, popular, and very rich."
"Well Meagan, if you think he's so great and you like him so much, then you go with him to homecoming, because I won't." And with that I hung up. Not even a minute later my phone rang again.
"What are you doing?" This time it was Marissa. I didn't say anything after I heard her voice. I just hung the phone up. I then realized I was in for a very long day. I just smiled because I knew things were going to be different from now on.
Alex
I quickly ran out of Brad's room and down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"So, you couldn't get bear up could you?" his mother asked with a smile.
"Naa," I said as I walked over to the cupboard to get a glass and fill it with crushed ice from the fridge, then fill it with water. "I didn't try yet. I need his alarm clock." I told them as I turned around and gave an evil smile to his family. I quickly worked my way back to his room. Again I open the door and he was fast asleep, curled in a ball oblivious to the world.
I grabbed hold of the sheets and counted to myself one...two...THREE. As I pulled the sheets completely off of him with one hand, I threw the ice water on him with my free hand. "AHHHH....SHIT...SHIT" he said as he jumped 20 feet in the air off of his bed and landed on the floor. He was as naked as the day he was born. I fell to the ground laughing so hard I can't breathe. He suddenly realized what was going on and quickly tried reaching for the sheet that I was holding onto so he could cover himself up. In all my 17 year of knowing Brad I have never seen him move so fast.
"YOU FUCKER," Brad said as a smile slowly appeared on his face. I continued laughing my ass off while he was still trying to get the covers away from me with one hand and trying to cover the family jewels with his other hand. Still laughing, "Since when do you sleep in the buff?" Then I noticed some marks on Brad's body.
"Oh my god," was all I could say as I stopped laughing and trying to keep the cover away from him. He noticed that I had stopped laughing and started staring at him. He suddenly realized what I was looking at and quickly covered himself.
"It's not as bad as you think. They don't hurt," he said as he backed away and turned his back to me. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled out a pair of boxers and put them on. I felt like I was going to pass out from what I saw. Brad's entire chest and rib cage area was black and blue. I slowly walked over to his bed and sat down.
Brad
"Are you ok? " he asked as I sat down next to him on my bed.
"Come on Alex. You remember how I bruise easily." I tried to tell him with a smile. I could see that he was getting angry and I needed to calm him down.
"THAT'S BULL SHIT! Your mom let you play one full season of tackle football when we were little and you never got bruised like that." He was right; I had to come up with something to change the subject before he went off.
"Yes, I did get bruises Alex. That's why Mom wouldn't let me play the next year."
"Wrong Bear, you didn't play the next year because you sucked and got cut," he said with a smile, looking at me with so much brotherly love and care. Smiling at him, I got him to change the subject and to calm down. Alex was always my protector ever since we were little. When anybody tried messing with me he was their kicking ass and taking names. I loved him for that, but because he had not been their for the past few years I kinda got used to him not being their so I didn't need him do that anymore, or go flying off the handle today. Then I noticed a change in his face right before he gave me a hug. He held onto me for a minute, and then whispered quietly in my ear, "Those Fuckers are going to pay." He slowly got up and walked down the stairs and out the front door. Panic started to set in as I wondered what he was going to do.
"Alex!" I shouted.
"Alex!" I called again as I quickly ran to my dresser to grab a shirt and then began to chase after him outside. He got to his car and took off.
"Where did Alex go?" my mom asked as my parents rushed outside.
"What happen Brad?" my dad asked.
"I have no time to explain. All I know is I have to get to school, like right now."