BRIAN

Justin seemed to have a good time, but when he came back from taking a phone call he appeared to have something on his mind. I didn’t think it was that I let Ted and Emmett come with us, although he didn’t say a lot to either one of them. He spent all his time entertaining Gus. And he would answer when they asked questions, but otherwise didn’t really engage in conversation. When we were leaving the zoo, it was the first time Justin actually said anything directly to Ted.

“Blake’s coming over.” That was it, no invitation, just the facts.

“I’m not sure if he wants me around. I have a lot to make up for.” Ted tells him.

“I guess you like being single.” Justin tells him, walking off with Gus.

“Is it me or has he seemed to get quieter today?” Emmett asks me.

“He wasn’t really talking to us anyway.” Ted tells him.

“He was okay when we left the diner.” Emmett tells him.

“I don’t think he’s going to warm up to us any faster than we did to him.” Ted tells him.

“Don’t you see that he was almost having to make an effort to seem like he was having a good time.” Emmett asks me.

“I noticed, but I wanted to wait until we got to the house to ask him.” I tell them, getting worried when Justin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“We can take off, I mean, I don’t want him to feel like he has to put up with us.” Emmett tells me.

“It’s fine if you want to come over, I just have something I have to go do.” Justin tells us bringing Gus a drink.

“Do you need me to go with you?” I ask.

“Nope, just something I need to take care of.” He tells us.

When we got to the house I put Gus down for his nap and turned to see Justin changing into a dress shirt and pants. I wanted to ask, but he looked at me with the look I’ve given other people when I don’t want to talk about it.

“It should take me an hour or two, but I’ll be back in time to see Blake.” Justin tells me, walking out of the room.

He left his phone behind and it was hard not to grab it to see what changed him from happy to serious. He walked back in, picked up his phone and handed it to me.

“I don’t want to talk about it but I don’t care that you know.” He tells me.

I looked down at the name and wondered who Molly was, and why talking to her would have him acting in a way I did when my family called. I got up from the bed and went outside to his car, and stopped him before he could get in.

“I can come. Whatever it is, I can come.” I tell him.

“It’s not worth the trouble it would cause. Just knowing that you’ll be here after I deal with this is all I need right now.” He tells me.

“You don’t want to talk about it?” I ask him.

“Nope, it’s been talked to the point that I don’t have any more words to say about them. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” He tells me, kissing me while I looked in his eyes to see he didn’t want to go.

“If whoever this Molly is makes you feel like this why deal with her at all?” I ask him.

“I love her, even when she doesn’t love me.” He whispers, kissing me again.

JUSTIN

I called Daphne on my way and picked her up. When she got in the car she took the keys and wouldn’t give them back to me.

“Justin you don’t owe Molly anything.” Daphne tells me.

“She’s my sister, whether she likes it or not.” I tell her.

“Did you tell Brian?” She asks me.

“No.” I tell her, looking out the windshield.

“Why not?” She asks me.

“I don’t want the good parts to touch the bad parts.” I tell her.

“Justin, the good parts make the bad parts bearable.” She tells me, putting her head on my shoulder.

“Why am I even letting her do this to me?” I ask her.

“You can’t help who you love.” She tells me.

“I think I love Brian.” I tell her.

“Then why are you letting Molly taunt you into showing up?” She asks me.

“Stupid hope, that one day she’ll remember that she once loved me the way I still love her.” I tell Daphne.

“Go home, don’t go to it so Molly can be the pain in the ass she’s been.” She tells me.

“Thanks, go have fun with Jim, I’m sure he hates that I call and you run.” I tell her, thinking that I don’t want to be this friend.

“I had to tell him to stay inside, he knows you well enough to know that you don’t do this unless you have a reason. He told me to tell you if you want him to come to the engagement party then he’ll kiss you in front of your family and mine.” She tells me.

“Tell him thanks but I’ll leave that up to Brian.” I tell her.

“Justin, don’t bother to go, you don’t need Chris and Molly fucking with your head.” She tells me.

“He’s the best big brother she could want.” I tell her.

“I swear I’m going to go just to pull her hair out.” Daphne tells me, glaring out the windshield.

“I don’t even know why I thought I should go.” I tell her.

“I don’t either, why would you want to be anywhere near Chris and his mother. Your father deserves Chris and his mother, hell, Molly will figure out Chris isn’t who he pretends to be.” Daphne tells me.

“Straight.” I tell her smirking.

BRIAN

 Blake showed up and stayed in the kitchen at first, I tilted my head at the kitchen when Ted seem to be debating, he finally got up and went in there. I heard a car and went to see who showed up. I saw a younger girl get out of a car with a guy about Justin’s age. Before I could open the door, Justin pulled up and got out of his car. 

“Emmett, if Gus get’s up, keep him inside.” I tell him, walking out the front door.

“Dad expects you to be there.” 

“Dad expected me not to be gay either Molly, but life is just a bitch sometimes.” Justin tells her.

“I told you we shouldn’t have bothered, but Dad wanted Justin there.” Molly tells the guy.

“Why, because he didn’t need to give me job the way he’s giving one to Chris? It must really suck for Dad that the straight stepson will never make it past retail.” Justin tells them, as Molly gets in the car and slams the door.

“Not my fault that your dad preferred me for a son to you.” Chris taunted.

“Well, do yourself a favor and stop thinking about sucking my dick then, it’s the fastest way to lose anything my father is willing to pay for.” Justin tells him.

The guy looks at me and then hops in the car and peels out. Justin had his back to me watching the street. I walked up and didn’t care that he had the ‘don’t touch me’ aura about him. I pulled him to me and could feel him shaking.

“They always out themselves.” I tell him.

“I don’t care, but Molly doesn’t understand the kind of person Chris is.” He tells me.

“You have to let her find out. Even I can tell she did all this just to piss you off.” I tell him.

“I’m not sure how I feel about it at all. One of the reasons I worked so hard to go to college is because Chris’s bullying was getting worse, and I didn’t want to stick around and find out how much worse it would get.” He tells me.

“What caused Molly’s behaviour towards you?” I ask him.

“She’s always been closer to my Dad. I think she blames me because my mom divorced him. Mom moved to Chicago with her boyfriend. Molly refused to go with her and is giving my mom the same shit.” He tells me.

“I wish I could tell you she’ll grow out of this, but my sister and I still don’t like each other.” He tells me.

“Is Gus up?” He asks me, changing the subject.

“I won’t wear that.” We hear Gus yell, as he streaks past us.

“Hey, at least he’s in underwear.” Justin tells me.

BLAKE

When I came to Justin’s house, Ted, Brian and Emmett were just sitting quietly. It was starting to get on  my nerves. Brian told me that Justin said to make myself at home. I got up and went into the kitchen and got a drink. Ted came in and sat down with me.

“I got to see something I never thought I’d see.” He tells me.

“What’s that?” I hate how it’s a struggle to talk to each other when we are around other people.

“Emmett, getting in Ben’s face.” He tells me.

“Why would that surprise you? He did it to me once.” I tell him.

“When?” He growls.

“Years ago, when I was messed up and putting you through shit. He wanted me to know that I needed to clean my act up.” I tell him.

“Oh, I’m just not ready to lose two friends.” He tell me.

“Who else did you lose?” I ask him.

“Michael.” 

“Ted, I never asked you to cut him off. I won’t ask you to do that for me, because it would make me no better than him.” I tell him.

“I did it for me. I can’t be friends with someone if they don’t respect me and the man I love.” He tells me.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ll believe it when I see it.” I tell him. 

MICHAEL

When Ben and I got home he went to the bathroom, and I paced around the living room mad at everyone.

“Why did you have to say that shit to Brian?” I yell at the bathroom.

“He was being an asshole Michael, sorry for not wanting to kiss his ass.” Ben tells me.

“Brian would have listened to me if it wasn’t for you.” I tell him, sitting on the couch.

“He was being a cocky piece of shit, I’m not going to sit around letting him talk to me like that. I think it’s time he realizes that if he wants to open his fucking mouth, I’ll knock out some of his teeth.” Ben tells me.

“Calm down, just tell him you weren’t thinking when you said what you said to him.” I tell him.

You want me to apologize to Brian when he was the one in our faces?” Ben asks me.

“Of course I do. He’s mad at you, and I don’t need him mad at me when I’m only trying to get Justin out of his life, well, all our lives.” I tell him, worried when he was glaring at me.

“Anything else you want me to do to make Brian happy?” He asks sarcastically.

“Help me figure out how to make him believe that Justin should have been just a trick.” I tell him.

“Fuck that.” Ben yells, as he shoves the dining room table into the wall and then knocking down a lamp, before opening the front door and slamming it shut. 

I went into the bathroom and saw the needles in the waste basket. He’s nothing if not consistent when his friends die. I stood looking out into the living room, and then smashed the mirror with my arm and made sure to have scrapes on my arms. Then I made sure I had a bruise on my hip and I cut a small gash by my ear. When I was finished and looked the way I wanted to, I called Brian.