JC walked over to where his parents had their van parked and got in.
“Hi Honey.” Karen said.
“Hi.” JC said and went to get all the way in the back. “Tyler get out of the back.”
“No, you took too long saying goodbye to your boyfriend.” Tyler said not moving.
“Get in your own damn seat. The backs mine away from you guys.” JC said pulling his little brother. “And Justin is not my boyfriend.”
“Then why’d you kiss him?” Tyler wanted to know.
“Get out of MY seat!” JC pulled him again.
“Mom!”
“No mom, make him move.” JC yelled.
“Tyler move.” Karen said.
“But mom.”
“Tyler do what your mother said or we’re dropping you off at the house before we go.” Roy, JC’s dad said.
“Ha ha ha!” JC mocked laughed as Tyler grabbed his stuff from the back and going and sitting in the single seat by the door.
“And he is so your boyfriend.”
“Tyler shut the hell up Justin is not my boyfriend.”
“You kissed him!”
“Will you shut up before I beat the crap out of you!”
“You are really friendly with him.” Karen admitted looking back at JC. JC groaned.
“He is not my boyfriend. We’re best friends. Just like we’ve been since he was five.”
“It wouldn’t be bad if he was.” Karen said.
“Ok mom, but we’re not.” JC leaned back and stared at the carpeted roof or the car.
“Son, you know...” Roy started.
“I know dad...whatever you were gonna say I know.” JC put his headphones on and turned the volume of his Discman all the way up to tune out his family and the tape that his brother and sister were watching.
*****
Justin slammed the front door as he walked into his house.
“Problem Justin?” Lynn asked walking into the living room after she heard the door slam.
“Yes!” Justin yelled throwing his backpack on the floor.
“So what’s your problem?”
“Everything.” Justin walked towards the kitchen.
“You gonna tell me what the everything is?”
“No!” Justin opened the pantry closet and reached down to the bottom shelf and grabbed himself a can a soda and put it down on the counter and opened it.
“Why not?”
“Because you wouldn’t care or understand.”
“You and Joshua have a fight or something?”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Justin took a sip from the can as Lynn shrugged. He put the can back down on the counter loudly. “You’re unbelievable.”
“So did you?”
“No.” Justin replied. “Sorry.” He picked up the soda can again.
“Then what happened? You get into a fight with Britney?”
“No. But I might she doesn’t come to the mall with me later.”
“Why do you have to go to the mall?”
“Hello! Christmas is in four days.”
“And you have money?” Lynn questioned. She seemed to think of the thought of Justin having money to be quite amusing.
“What? I have money.”
“Ok.”
“I’m going to my room.” He took another sip out of the soda can and then put it in the refrigerator.
*****
“Brit, you HAVE to.” Justin whined.
“Justin, I don’t have to do anything.” Britney argued.
“I need you to come with me.”
“Justin! I have stuff to do.”
“Well Josh isn’t here. I have no one else to go with.” Justin continued to whine.
“It’s not my fault that your lover-boy wanted to spend time with his family.”
“Brit!”
“Stop whining!”
“What are you doing that is SO important?”
“Baking cookies with my sister.”
“That is so not important.” Justin sighed.
“Yes it is.”
“Please, after your done?”
“I’ll call you, ok?”
“Ok.
“So I’ll talk to you later.”
“Aright...bye.”
*****
“Ok baby sis...beep me when you’re done ok.” Bryan told Britney.
“Ok Bry.” Britney said closing the door to her brother’s car. “The mall on a Wednesday is so much more empty.” Britney observed. Justin looked at her strangely as he opened the door and walked inside the mall. “What it is...there is like no one here. When we come on Friday it’s like there’s no room to walk.”
“Did you eat any of those cookies you were baking?” Justin asked smirking.
“Uh yeah...why?” Britney asked. That had nothing to do with the mall being less crowded in the middle of the week.
“Should have none. I think your poisoned yourself.” Britney sucked in her breath and reached over and slapped him.
“That was so not nice. You eat my Christmas cookies every year.”
“Under protest.”
“Do not!” Justin laughed and pulled her one of the stores that they had passed.
*****
“Ok, how long have we been here, and neither one of us bought a single thing for anyone.” Britney noticed.
“Yes we did.” Justin corrected her.
“What did you buy? I didn’t buy anything.”
“I bought us ice cream.”
“Real funny.” Britney smirked. “So who do you have to buy for?”
“My mom, Paul, Jon, my grandparents, and a Secret Santa gift for my cousin. And then Josh.” Justin grinned.
“Did you do any shopping before this?”
“Yes. I bought Stephen something in like November.”
“I’m so proud.” Justin smiled wide again.
“So who do you have to buy for?”
“My dad.”
“Any ideas.”
“Not a clue.” Justin laughed. “So what are you getting for your boyfriend?”
“Stop saying that. You’ll depress me. He’s not my boyfriend.”
“And that’s your own fault.”
“Will you shut up about it?”
*****
“You should get this for your Joshy!” Britney said.
“Will you stop?” Justin demanded. He was getting extremely irritated with Britney’s comments that she kept making.
“Well whatever you get him he’ll love because he still wears that Leo necklace you got him when you went to Florida a couple years ago.” Justin shrugged. “He never takes that thing off.”
“He likes it.”
“I think he only likes it because you gave it to him.”
“Shut up.”
*****
“You know going to the mall with you when I have a purpose to be in the mall is literally impossible.” Justin complained as they walked over to the phone booths in the front of the mall so that Britney could beep her brother and have him come and pick them up. “I never got anything for him.”
“That is not my problem...everything I showed you, you didn’t like.” Britney said dialing her brother’s beeper number.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“And that’s my fault?”
“I hate you I really hate you.”
“No you don’t. You did get stuff for everyone else in your family though.”
“So what...I never got Josh anything.”
“Wrap yourself in a big red bow and tape a card to your forehead. He’ll love it.” Justin rolled his eyes at her.
*****
Justin had just gotten back to his house from the mall it was about a quarter to ten and his brothers were still up. His mom and them were sitting on the couch watching a Disney movie.
Justin had changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt and sat down on the other couch and stared at the TV. He wasn’t really watching it, just staring at it.
The phone rang and Lynn leaned over on the couch and looked at the Caller-ID.
“Holiday Inn. Who would be calling us from a hotel?” Lynn wondered. Justin leaped off the couch and grabbed the phone from Lynn.
“I’ll get it.” He said answering the phone.
“Justin!” Lynn questioned why her son was jumping over the couch to get the phone, but Justin ignored her.
“Hello.” Justin said excitedly.
“Hey Jus.”
“Hey, where are you?”
“Some hotel.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t call too late did I?” JC asked looking over at the clock.
“No. Jon and Stephen are still up, they don’t have school tomorrow.”
“Yeah that would make sense, they go to the same school as my brother.”
“Yep...so what were you doing?”
“I just got out of the shower.”
“Oh...your brother and sister bugging you yet?”
“Tyler’s gonna get his ass kicked soon.” Justin laughed. “But he’s always a brat.”
“You guys have one room?”
“Two. Me and Tyler and then my parents and Heather. They have connecting doors though.”
“So you’re not stuck?”
“Yep... Ok Jus, I gotta go.”
“So soon?”
“Yeah my parents want me off.”
“Oh ok.”
“I’ll call you when I get to my grandparents. Ok?”
“Ok.” Justin said. “I miss you.” He said just above a whisper.
“Bye.” JC said and they hung up.
*****
“Josh, Josh are you awake?”
JC pulled off his headphones and noticed his sister standing over his bed. He turned it off and took it completely off his head and sat up.
“Hey Heather.” JC said and moved over slightly and patted the bed next to him for her to sit. She smiled at him and sat down. “Can’t sleep?” She shook her head no.
“Dad snores really loud.” JC laughed.
“Yes he does!”
“You weren’t sleeping right?” Heather asked starting to feel guilty.
“No.”
“Good. Can we just talk?”
“Yeah...what’s up? Something wrong?”
“No, we just never talk anymore.”
“Sorry.” JC said knowing that was true. With everything going on in his life he always seemed to ignore his family.
“It’s ok...can I ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“What’s really going on between you and Justin?” JC sighed and looked at his sister. She just smiled. “Come on, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone, please.”
“There’s nothing going on between me and Justin.”
“You are such a liar! I go to the same school as you and I have eyes you know.”
“But...”
“But nothing Josh.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Not really.”
“Yes it is.” JC sighed throwing his head back onto the pillow.
“Come on, I know Christina and Britney know. They’re in my English class and Britney’s in my math class. All they do is talk about you guys.”
“They’re my friends.”
“And I’m your sister. Tell me.”
“Heather.”
“Josh!” She mocked him. “Anyways Tyler’s sleeping, I don’t want him to overhear.”
“Then we’ll go out of the room or something.”
“Fine...come on.” JC said and pushed Heather out of the bed and grabbed the key from the nightstand next to his bed and they walked to the door.
“So where are we going?” Heather asked.
“I don’t know.” JC sighed. “This was your idea to get out of the room.”
“You wanna walk down the hall where they have the ice machine?” JC nodded. Neither one of them said a word until they got to the big brown machine. “You gonna talk?” JC shrugged. “Come on Josh, I’m in the middle of a hotel in Monkey Pajamas now talk.” JC laughed.
“Fine.”
“Fine what?”
“Fine I’ll talk...what’d you want to know?”
“Don’t play stupid with me. What‘s up with you and Justin? You guys hold hands in the hallways in school. Don‘t think I don‘t see you. And I hope you know that you being friends with Britney and Christina pisses me off.”
“Why does that piss you off?”
“Cause I don’t like them and they think because they are best friends with you and Justin that they should like rule the school or something.”
“They’re not my best friends.”
“Then why do they know and I don’t! And you are always around them.”
“I’m really only friends with them because Justin’s best friends with Britney and Britney and Christina are twins separated at birth. And me and Jus aren‘t together.”
“You call him babe, baby and sometimes honey. Josh...guys don’t do that.”
“How do you know that?”
“You talk really loud in the middle of the hallway walking back to your room with the phone. We have thin walls...you should know that by now.”
“Well we’re not together. We pretend we’re together. It’s a joke that we have.”
“Some of my friends went to Britney’s party...” JC blushed and looked down at his feet. “They said that you guys...”
“We were dared!”
“They said you spent the whole time making out on the couch.”
“Not the whole time.” JC smirked.
“You guys aren’t together right?” JC nodded. “Then do you like him?” JC shook his head no. “Josh! You are so freaking annoying.”
“Why am I annoying? You’re the one that dragged me out of my nice warm bed to stand in front a freezing cold icemaker at four in the morning.”
“Well you’re in denial.”
“I’m in denial.” JC arched his eyebrow at Heather and she nodded.
“You so like him.”
“And even if I did he wouldn’t like me.” JC slumped down onto the floor and rested his elbows on his knees.
“So you do like him? You can tell me.” JC shook his head yes.
“But he doesn’t like me, not like that. We’ve talked about it before.”
“He let you make out with him.” Heather sat down in front of JC and sat on her knees.
“Not really...”
“So are you gonna tell him or be miserable for the rest of your life?”
“I’m NOT gonna tell him...I already told you that he doesn’t like me.” JC yelled and Heather looked around to make sure there was no one around.
“Then be miserable.”
“I’m not miserable.”
“Sure you’re not...you have him being your pretend boyfriend.” Heather shook her head and stood up. “So does this mean your gay?” JC shrugged. “What’s that for?” Heather imitated the movement JC had done with his shoulders.
“I don’t know. Justin’s the only other guy that I’ve ever liked...I don’t think any other guy is hott or whatever...yeah I guess so.”
“So you think Justin’s hott?” Heather smirked. JC blushed and went to say something but she cut him off. “It’s ok, he is. I had the biggest crush on him when I was thirteen.”
“Is that why you were always following me around?” Heather nodded her head up and down and JC laughed. “Lets go back inside before mom and dad or Tyler realize we’re not in there.”
“So when did you start liking him?”
“July fourth.”
“July fourth?”
“Yeah.”
“Why then?” JC smiled and looked away from Heather.
“Let’s just say I saw something I shouldn’t...and more and he didn’t care.”
“Oh MY God!”
“Yeah.”
“This is cool...we can talk about guys together. I always wanted a sister, a gay brother is good enough.” JC gave her a dirty look.
“I don’t think so.”
“You’re not fun.” Heather said as JC opened the door. “Are you gonna tell mom and dad?”
“Eventually...now go to bed.”
“Ok...night Josh.”
“Night.”
*****
“Justin! Justin! Justin!” Stephen sung jumping up and down on Justin’s bed. “Wake up!”
“Justin wake up!” Jonathon came into Justin’s room screaming. Justin groaned and put his pillow over his head. Stephen jumped onto his back.
“Ow! Stephen get off of me.” Justin groaned again and shoved his brother off of his back and turned onto his side and looked at his clock. It was 7:15. He was supposed to be up an hour ago. He shot up in bed and looked at his brothers. “Why didn’t mommy wake me up?”
“You have no school.” Jonathon said.
“Yes I do...you guys don’t have school.” Justin corrected them.
“It’s snowing!” Stephen said jumping up and down on the bed and landing on Justin’s legs.
“Ow! Stephen!” Justin yelled.
“Stephen I said wake your brother up, not hurt him.” Lynn laughed as she walked into the room.
“Why’d you have them wake me up if I have no school?” Justin pouted.
“Because I have to go to work and since you’re home you can watch them so I don’t have to have your poor grandmother come over in this treacherous weather.”
“Yeah lay the guilt on me.” Justin sighed.
“Come on get up!” Lynn patted Justin’s legs and got up and pulled Stephen into her arms and carried him out with her.
*****
“Mom, Josh and Heather are scaring me.” Tyler said as he was staring at his brother and sister who were sitting in the back of the van talking.
“Why are they scaring you honey?” Karen asked turning around to see.
“They’re getting along.”
“Oh Tyler stop it.” Karen laughed. “They’re allowed to get along.”
“It’s freaky.” Tyler pouted.
“He’s just jealous Josh likes me better.” Heather said and Tyler turned around and gave her the finger. Heather just rolled her eyes.
“Heather.” JC whined.
“Ok...from all you’ve told me...I really think he likes you. You should really ask him out...or something.” Heather continued to whisper as her and JC talked.
“No! What if he doesn’t? Then that’ll ruin everything. It’ll ruin out friendship. It’ll ruin everything...trust me...it’s not worth it.”
“It might make you both so much happier.”
“I don’t think so.” JC sighed leaning his head back on the seat and closing his eyes.
*****
“You guys wanna help me wrap mommy and daddy’s Christmas presents?” Justin asked as he carried out a big from his closet.
“No! I wanna go outside and play in the snow.” Stephen complained lower lip in a pout.
“Stevie, we were just outside for an hour and a half. Aren’t you cold? And mommy said that I could only let you guys stay out for a half-hour. I let you stay out longer then I should have.”
“Can we watch a movie in here?” Jonathon asked.
“No.”
“Please Justin.” Jonathon started to pout too.
“Fine!” Justin said dropping the box onto his bed. “Touch ANYthing and die.” Justin smiled at his brothers before walking out of his room and walking into his parents room and picking up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey Brit. Wanna come over? I’ll pay you.” Justin asked hopefully.
“Excuse me.” Britney laughed.
“My mom’s at work so I’m all alone with my brothers...wanna come over.”
“Can’t.”
“Why?”
“My mom’s working too, so I’m watching Jamie Lynn.”
“Where’s Bryan?”
“How should I know?”
“Aright...I’ll talk to you later.”
“Ok bye.”
*****
“Stop looking like we’re going to a funeral Justin!” Lynn warned as they walked up the walk way to Justin’s grandmother’s house. He was pissed. JC was suppose to call when he got to his grandparent’s house and he never did. It was two days later and no call. Justin didn’t know if he should be mad, sad, worried, infuriated...something. He was actually feeling all that at once. Justin was holding a salad that his mother had made and was staring through the plastic wrap that was on top of it. “Justin go into the house.”
“Oh sorry.” Justin mumbled walking into the house and bypassing his grandmother without even saying hello or hugging her or anything. Lynn shook her head and walked into the house hugging her mother.
“What’s with him?” She asked. Lynn shrugged.
“Do I ever?” Her mother raised an eyebrow at her as Stephen ran over and gave her a hug.
*****
“Heather, will you walk up to 7-11 with me?” JC asked.
“It’s like 0 degrees out there...uh uh...no.” Heather said shaking her head and her hands to prove her point.
“Heather please.”
“I’ll go.” Tyler volunteered.
“No.”
“Fine.” Tyler stomped his foot and walked away from his older brother and sister.
“Why do you wanna go to 7-11?”
“Cause I do...I promised Justin I’d call him. And I haven’t.”
“Why do you wanna call from there? Call from here?”
“I can’t. Please come with me.”
“Fine.” Heather sighed and stood up from the couch. JC smiled at her.
*****
“You’re gonna like pay two dollars for one stupid call.” Heather rolled her eyes as JC was putting in four quarters into the pay phone. He started to dial Justin’s number and waited for someone to pick up the phone.
“Hi. We can’t come to the phone right now, but leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you.” Lynn said on the answering machine. JC sighed.
“Hey Jus, it’s me. Sorry I didn’t call you sooner, but I’ve been kinda busy. Uh, I guess I’ll call you tomorrow if I can. Have a great Christmas. Wish everyone a Merry Christmas from me. Bye.” JC hung up the phone and looked at Heather.
“Sorry.” Heather said looking over at JC.
“You’re sorry?”
