Justin must have fallen asleep. He wasn’t even sure how long he had, cause he didn’t remember even being tired. The last thing he remembered was turning on the TV after Paul had came to talk to him. He saw and heard his door open and his mom walk in. She came over and sat down next to him on the bed and felt his forhead and cheeks.
“You feeling better?” Lynn asked. Justin nodded. “You’ve been sleeping for a while. It’s six o’clock.”
“Really?” Justin asked and stretched a little bit. She nodded.
“Paul told me that JC stopped by.” Lynn was rubbing Justin’s arm. Justin stiffened when she said that. He thought Paul was gonna keep his mouth shut. “That was nice of him to bring you your homework.” Justin sighed in relief and Lynn smiled.
“Yeah.”
“You feel better enough to go to school tomorrow?”
“Yeah I’m better.”
“You sure?” Lynn asked. “Cause I’m gonna keep Stephen home tomorrow.”
“No I’m fine.”
“Ok.” She smiled again at him. “You want something to eat?” Justin nodded and sat up as Lynn stood up.
*****
JC and Heather walked into their house and Karen greeted them at the door.
“When does your Christmas break start?” Karen asked. “I can’t find your calendar.”
“The twenty-first.” Heather said.
“And when do you go back? The second right?” JC and Heather both nodded. “Grandma’s on the phone she wants all of us to go there this year, and Tyler’s last day is the twentieth we’ll leave that night. You guys don’t mind missing a day of school right.” JC and Heather looked at each other and shook their heads no. Why would they?
*****
Justin walked into the cafeteria the next morning. He noticed that JC was already sitting at the table with Britney and Christina and Joey looked like he was gonna stop and pay them an annoying visit. He walked over to the table and stood right in front of JC’s legs.
“You’re early!” Justin said excitedly and plopped himself down on JC’s lap.
“Justin!” JC groaned. Justin wrapped his arms around JC’s neck and smiled at him.
“You’re early!” Justin repeated. “You’re never early.”
“I wanted to talk to you.” JC said and wrapped his arms around Justin’s waist.
“So talk.”
“You want us to leave?” Christina asked.
“No, you can stay.” JC replied looking at them.
“What’d you wanna tell me?”
“Remember all the stuff we said we’d do over Christmas break?” Justin nodded. He remembered very well. Him and JC all alone for a couple of days! No one else. Of course he remembered. “Well we’re not gonna be able to do any of it.”
“What? Why?” Justin already started to pout.
“Because, I have to go to Maryland to my grandparents house.”
“You’re gonna be there for Christmas?” JC nodded. “Why do you have to go there? Doesn’t she always go to your house?”
“She says she’s getting old, she doesn’t wanna travel.”
“That sucks.”
“Sorry Jus, I can’t help it. I don’t want to go more then you don’t want me to go.”
“That ruins everything.” Justin sighed.
“What does it ruin?” JC asked.
“Everything!”
*****
Justin was standing at his locker putting his books from his last two classes and taking out his Chem books, the only books he’ll need for the last three periods. He closed his locker and started walking towards Britney’s locker.
“Justin, you ok? You don’t look so good.” Britney said, eying him worriedly. JC walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.
“Josh stop! Don’t do that.” Justin whined pushing JC’s hands off him.
“What’s wrong with you?” JC asked letting go of him.
“I don’t feel good.” Justin grumbled leaning his head on JC’s shoulder.
“You ok?” Justin shrugged.
“I thought you really weren’t sick yesterday?” Britney asked.
“I wasn’t.”
“Serves you right for playing sick.”
“Shut up Britney.”
*****
“Do you want me to go up and get you something to eat?” JC asked as Britney and him were eating and Justin was just sitting there with his head resting on his arm on the table.
“No.” Justin sighed.
“You sure?” Justin nodded and picked his head up and leaned it on JC’s shoulder.
“If I eat anything I’m gonna throw up.”
“What about something to drink? You want me to buy you something?”
“Yeah get me water.” Justin picked his head up off of JC’s shoulder reaching into his pocket to get a dollar. He took it out and handed it to JC. JC pushed his hand away and stood up and walked to the front of the cafeteria.
“Aww, he’s gonna buy it for you.” Britney smiled.
“Shut up.”
“You really don’t feel good huh?”
“No.”
“Sorry, but it is cute.”
“I’m gonna kill my brother.”
“Why?”
“Cause he got me sick.” Justin put his head back down on the table and waited for JC to get back with the water.
*****
“Josh, you can’t skip gym with me. You’ll get in trouble.” Justin said as he was walking to the library.
“So what. You don’t want me to come?” JC looked at him.
“I do...but...”
“Just shut up and let me come with you.” They walked in and walked over to the desk where the sign in sheet was. “Go sit down, I’ll sign you in.” Justin nodded and walked over to one of the couches that were in the library and sat down and waited for JC to come over and sit after he was done. Justin slouched on the couch and rested his head against the couch cushion. “All signed in.” JC said and sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Justin. Justin opened his eyes and nodded. JC patted his thigh and Justin smiled at him and moved closer to him putting his head on JC’s leg.
“I don’t feel good.” Justin mumbled again.
“I know. It’s last period. Try and sleep for at least forty minutes.” JC said and ran his hand in Justin’s hair. Justin nodded and closed his eyes.
*****
“What are you doing?” Someone yelled causing JC to open his eyes. He noticed one of the nuns that worked in the library standing in front of them. “He should not be laying down sleeping with his feet on the couch.” She continued to yell.
“He doesn’t feel good.” JC said taking his hand out of Justin’s hair. He was playing with it while Justin slept.
“Then have him go to the nurse.” She glared one more time at them before turning around. JC ignored her, there was only 10 minutes left to the period anyway. He wasn’t gonna wake him up.
*****
JC and Justin left the library a few minutes before the bell rang so they could get to their lockers quickly and leave a little earlier.
“You’re not gonna puke in my car right?” JC asked jokingly. Justin smiled and shook his head no. JC took Justin’s backpack from him and threw it in the backseat of his car and opened the door for Justin. Justin got in and closed his eyes again. “Why don’t you put the seat down? You’ll be more comfortable.”
“No. This is good.” Justin mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Ok.” JC turned the car on and put his seatbelt on. JC looked over at Justin, he didn’t have his on. “Jus, put your seatbelt on.”
“Can’t move.”
“Justin you need your seat belt on.”
“Put it on for me.” Justin wasn’t gonna move. JC sighed and took his own seatbelt off and reached over and grabbed Justin’s and put it on for him. “Thanks Josh.” JC just smiled.
“You mind if I put the radio on?”
“No. Just put it low.”
“Ok.” JC said turning the radio on and turning it down really low and then pulled out of the parking lot.
*****
They pulled up in front of Justin’s house.
“Jus, we’re here.” JC said shaking him lightly. Justin opened his eyes and looked at him.
“I can’t move.” Justin groaned.
“You have to. You need to get into your house. You can’t stay in my car.”
“Why not?” Justin pouted.
“Because you can’t. Now come on. I‘ll help you into the house.” JC opened his door and walked around the other side of the car and opened the door for Justin and then opened the back door and took Justin’s backpack out and put it over his shoulder. “Justin, come on. You didn’t even take your seat belt off.” JC sighed and unbuckled it himself and helped him out of the car and then he walked the rest of the way the door by himself.
“My mom’s not here.” Justin said as he turned JC around so that he could take his key out of his backpack. He took the key out and opened the door. JC put Justin’s backpack on the couch as Justin collapsed on it.
“You look like you have a fever.” Justin nodded.
“You want me to go and get you some Tylenol or something?” JC asked. Justin nodded.
“There’s Aleve in the bathroom in the medicine cabinet.”
“Ok.” JC said and walked down the whole towards the bathroom. A few minutes later he walked out with two tablets in his hand. “What do you want to drink?”
“Water.” JC walked into the kitchen and took out a cup from the cabinet and poured water that was in the refrigerator into the cup.
“Jus, your mom left you a note.” JC grabbed the note and walked back into the living room and sat down next to Justin.
“What does it say?” Justin said taking the pills from JC and the water.
“That she took Stephen to the doctors and Jon is at a friend’s house.”
“Oh.” Justin said. “Can you stay with me until my mom gets home?”
*****
JC had convinced Justin to go upstairs to his room. He would be more comfortable.
Justin was sleeping and JC was just watching TRL. Justin was laying on his stomach on the bed and JC was sitting in on the side of him with his feet hanging off the bed. Justin’s face was buried in JC’s back. They were going on video three when JC heard the front door open and little feet running up the stairs, and the out of the corner of his eye he saw Lynn standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
“Justin didn’t feel good.” JC explained standing up. Justin groaned and reached for JC’s body. “He wanted me to stay until you got home.”
“Oh.” Was all she said. She eyed Justin as he was still reaching for JC’s body that was once right in front of him. “Well thanks. You can leave now.”
“Ok.” JC said and looked back at Justin. “I think he has a fever.” She nodded. Justin whimpered and opened his eyes. He saw his mom standing there.
“You ok honey?”
“No.” Justin said. “Where’s Josh?”
“Right there.” She pointed to the right of him and he saw JC and smiled at him. “JC you should leave. I don’t want you to catch whatever Justin and Stephen have.” He nodded.
“Bye Jus, feel better ok.” Justin nodded and smiled again at him. JC smiled back and walked out of Justin’s room.
“I’ll be right back honey.” Lynn said. Justin nodded. “I have to give Stephen his medicine.”
“Ok.”
“You’re not going to school tomorrow.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” Justin closed his eyes again.
“Why don’t you get out of your uniform and get some more sleep.” Justin nodded and Lynn left the room to give Stephen his medicine.
