Seven

 

 

"Hey!"  Josh looked up in surprise as Lance entered the bookstore.  Business dropped dramatically after the summer ended, but they still got a few die-hard customers, so Teresa kept the store open year round.  Josh was on his stool behind the counter, doing a crossword puzzle.  "How's my sexy little schoolboy?"

Lance leaned across the counter to kiss Josh.  "I'm already failing," Lance moaned.

"What?"

"I know I'm gonna fail everything. They should just flunk me out now," Lance grumbled.  He pouted and Josh kissed him again.  "I mean, this is freaking community college.  Anyone should be able to do this!"

"Don't let Justin hear you say that," Josh said, smiling. "He tried to take a math course once and only made it through three weeks of class before dropping out."

"Ugh," Lance said.  "Great."

"Lance, it's the first day.  Calm down," Josh said soothingly.  "Pull up a chair and tell Joshy all about it."

"Okay," Lance sighed. 

He had only had three classes the first day, but it was incredibly hard to get into the swing of school. It had been so long, and he was so much older than many of his classmates.  The community college was about a half-hour away, and the community was totally different from Sun Beach.  He had already felt the hostility in many glares, and he had thought about removing the tiny rainbow bracelet that spelled "Josh" in bright letters.  Then he had looked at the bracelet, thought about everything Josh was doing so that HE could go to school, and he dropped that idea altogether.  Josh didn't need to know THAT part of his day, though.

"Hey, Peaches, get the door, would ya?"  Justin struggled in the doorway, trying to help Melody into the store while carrying a huge backpack on his back.

"Hi, Justin." Lance held the door.  "Hi, Melody!"

"Hi, Lance!"  Melody said, beaming up at him.

"Say hello to Josh," Justin said to her.

"Hi," Melody said, hiding behind Justin's legs.

"I do NOT understand why she's afraid of you," Justin said to Josh. "You're so harmless."

"Thank you," Josh growled at him, though he smiled at Melody. "What brings you in here?"

"I was going stir crazy in the apartment.  Chris is off at the courthouse dealing with some sort of problem with one of the tenants, and I thought we should take a walk."  Justin kept an eye on Melody as she ran up and down the small aisles of the bookstore.

"I never imagined you as a babysitter," Lance observed, his own problems momentarily forgotten.

"Me either," Justin said.  "But Chris asked, and I said I'd do it.  It's getting old real quick, though."  Justin leaned on the counter, smooth skin showing below his cropped tshirt.  "It's only been a few days, and I'm already feeling old."

"Yes, you're just ancient," Josh said, rolling his eyes.

"It IS a good way to get attention, though," Justin said, smiling.  "I thought women were bad...but gay men LOVE babies!"

"You're not supposed to WANT attention," Josh said, eyes narrowing. "You HAVE a man."

"I know that, Joshua," Justin sighed.  "But a little attention never hurt anyone."  Justin looked for Melody. "Mel...time for ice cream."

"Ice cream!"  Melody shouted, running up the aisle.

"Justin, it's three o'clock.  Won't you be eating dinner soon?"  Lance asked.

"Relax, Peaches.  If Chris doesn't like the way I watch her, he can find someone else to do it," Justin said.  He kissed Josh's cheek, then Lance's.  Melody waved over Justin's shoulder as he pushed back out the door.

"We'll be closing early tonight...want me to pick something up for dinner?"  Josh asked.

"I thought you had to work tonight," Lance said, surprised.  Josh was waiting tables at a restaurant in town.

"I made sure I had off tonight to celebrate your first day at school," Josh said.

Lance sighed happily. "I love you."

"I love you, too.  And no more moping, okay? You'll do great at school," Josh said, and Lance nodded, kissing him.

 

"You took her for ice cream?" Chris gasped.  "She won't eat dinner now!"

"Oh, Chris, lighten up.  You and I have ice cream for dinner all the time," Justin pointed out.

"Did you even think about putting her down for a nap?" Chris asked.

"She slept in the car when we were driving around," Justin said defensively.

Chris closed his eyes and counted to ten.  "Justin, I know you're not my built-in babysitter, so I appreciate any time you can watch her.  But...you need to think a little more, okay?  She's not grown up like us...she needs a specific schedule and order in her little life."  Chris looked down at his daughter, who was fast asleep on the sofa.  "She should have had a bath tonight and..." Chris sighed.

"And just how do you know all this?" Justin grumbled.

"Sisters, J. I have sisters."

"Well, I'm sorry." Justin stood up.  "I'm gonna crash at my place tonight.  I have to run through some numbers for my new act.  I need something to draw people in, since the season's over." Justin gave Chris a barely noticeable peck on the lips, and went towards the door.

"Justin," Chris said helplessly, but Justin was already out of the apartment.

Eight