Disclaimer: You know it, I know it... I wish I knew them, but I don't. This is complete fiction.
Notes: < ... > marks Justin's thoughts
Chapter 5 by Megan
About half and hour later, still watching the movie, Justin and JC were lying beside each other on the bed. Justin was trying to focus on the movie, but couldn't seem to because of the warm body lying next to him. That, and his mind kept going back to the picture of JC. He wanted to look at it again, but he didn't want JC to catch him staring at it.
Justin heard JC yawn a few times before saying, "do you want to go to bed? Because if you do, I can leave."
"No!" JC exclaimed, and then blushed. He hurriedly tried to cover up his rushed statement. "Uh, I mean, you can stay if you want. It's ok."
Justin smiled at JC and then looked back at the TV. There were a few minutes of silence before JC asked, "can I ask you a question?"
"Uh, sure," Justin replied, hoping the question wouldn't be too embarrassing.
"Why haven't you ever had a girlfriend?" JC asked simply, wondering why he had the sudden urge to ask Justin that.
"Because the girls back in Tennessee didn't like me," Justin answered, not sure how to explain.
"But how could they not like you?" JC questioned, propping his chin up in his hand and looking at Justin.
"Um, I don't know. They just didn't. I'm actually surprised that you think I'm worth getting to know," Justin admitted, looking away from JC.
"How can you say that, Justin? I want to get to know you because you seem like such a great person," JC told him.
"No one had ever told me that before, JC, that's why. Well, except for my mom, who doesn't really count," Justin replied. "She the only woman who's ever cared about me."
"Well, we're just going to have to change that," JC started, "tomorrow, if you're not busy, I can bring you to meet some of my friends. And then you can show me your art, ok?"
"I'd like to meet your friends," Justin admitted, "but I don't know about the art... I've never shown it to anyone but my mom."
"You don't have to show it to me, but I'd really like to see it. I'm sure it's great," JC commented, smiling at Justin.
"Fine, but I just hope you won't be disappointed," Justin said, already nervous about showing JC his very private work. <But if he likes it, maybe he will let me paint him.> Justin thought to himself. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about JC while he was sitting right next to him, but he couldn't help it.
His eyes strayed over to the wall with the picture of JC. He knew that no matter what he did that night, he wouldn't be able to get that picture out of his mind. <God, he is so gorgeous,> Justin thought, wishing that JC didn't have a girlfriend.
Now that Justin thought about it, he knew that while they were talking might be a good time to bring up the gay issue. But he didn't know how. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to talk to JC about it yet. <Am I ready?> he asked himself.
"Um, JC?" Justin asked, looking away from the picture. When he looked over towards JC, he found JC staring at him.
"Yeah?" JC replied, studying Justin's face.
"Can I ask you what your feelings are on a certain, uh, issue?" Justin asked, trying to get the courage to ask JC how he felt about gay people.
"What do you mean?" JC asked, not sure what Justin meant.
"Um, how do you feel about homosexuals?" Justin finally asked, feeling a little better, but worried that JC would get the wrong idea and assume that he was gay. <But am I?> Justin asked himself. He still wasn't sure.
"Well, I'm not really sure. My cousin told me he was gay a few months ago and he isn't really any different than he was before he told me. I don't really think it's a big deal. I mean, love is love no matter the gender, right?" JC told Justin, wondering why Justin would ask a question like that.
"Yeah, that's how I feel too," Justin agreed.
"Why do you ask?" JC asked.
"Well, no reason, really. I was just wondering," Justin replied, hoping JC would accept his answer and not press for more details.
"Cool," was all JC said.
"So are you sure you don't want to talk about Bobbee?" Justin asked, wanting to change the subject. He was excited that JC didn't hate gay people, even though he wasn't sure if he was gay. If he was, he was safe. He didn't want his soon-to-be stepbrother to hate him.
"Well, I guess I could talk about her," JC replied, deciding that talking about their fight might make him feel better.
"Ok, so what happened tonight?" Justin questioned, hoping that he wasn't pushing too hard.
"We were at a club and I was dancing with some other girls and she was jealous," JC explained, realizing how lame it sounded.
"That's why you guys were fighting?" Justin asked.
"Well, she accused me of cheating on her, which I'd never do by the way, and that made me really mad. And it wasn't the first time. She gets really jealous when another woman comes within a few feet of me," JC told Justin.
"So why are you still with her?" Justin questioned, thinking that JC should just leave her if she was so jealous.
"Well, I don't really know anymore. I used to think I loved her and that's why I still stayed with her. But I really don't think I love her anymore. I don't know what to do," JC admitted.
"You know what I think?" Justin said quietly.
"What?" JC asked, looking over at Justin curiously.
"I think you deserve better," Justin said, almost whispering. "If she doesn't believe that you aren't cheating on her, then how is there any trust in the relationship?"
"Well, there isn't really," JC admitted, looking away from Justin.
"But the base of relationships is trust, you can't really have a relationship without it," Justin said, defending his statement.
"You have very strong feelings about this, don't you?" JC questioned.
"Yeah, I guess I learned the hard way that you have to be able to trust your friends. Friends that you can't trust, aren't really friends at all," Justin explained and then he turned back to the movie again.
JC just smiled at Justin in admiration. Justin was such a smart guy, and he seemed to believe strongly in certain things. All the right things. JC found himself wishing that he could find the qualities Justin had in a girlfriend.
But why did he need a girlfriend when he had all of the qualities right there in front of him?
TBC... ******************************************************************** Feedback is very appreciated: Megan: jujuissecksi@hotmail.com
Dannii: raindrops79@hotmail.com