~~ June 24, 2001~~
Justin's senior prom was over. He and Brian went to the parking garage. Justin was grinning. "Did you see their faces?"
Brian smiled back. "We gave them a prom they'll never forget."
"Me, neither. It was the best night of my life."
"Even if it was ridiculously romantic."
They kissed.
"Later."
"Later."
Brian opened his car door and turned and looked at Justin's sunshine smile over his shoulder. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw someone walking towards Justin with a baseball bat. He recognized the guy from the night Justin confronted him on Liberty Avenue. It was Chris Hobbes and he was heading for Justin. Brian ran towards Chris and grabbed the bat out of his hand before he had a chance to reach Justin.
"What do you think you're doing, asshole?"
Brian swung the bat at Chris's shin and hit him hard enough to send him to the ground. Justin heard the commotion and spun around. Chris got up and scampered off, limping all the while.
Justin ran into Brian's arms. "He was going to … Oh, my God!" He trembled as Brian held him.
Brian said, "That asshole could have killed you. I'm calling the cops." He got his cell phone out and began to dial. He asked, "That was Chris Hobbes, wasn't it?"
Justin nodded.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Justin's diary ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
June 25, 2001
Dr. Anderson said that I should keep a diary to help me sort out my feelings after nearly getting my head bashed in. It was pretty traumatic for me. He told me that I should give my diary a name, so I decided to call it a name to reflect what I'm feeling.
Dear "Rage",
I'm imagining that my rage is a person. He takes everything I hate and turns them into positive things for me. He looks like Brian and has superhero powers. I tell him what's bothering me and he makes it right. He fights evil for the good of mankind.
The first thing I want to get down on paper is
Thank God for Brian
If he hadn't been there and seen Chris Hobbes come up to me with a baseball bat, I don't know what would have happened. No, correction, I DO know. Chris could have killed me, or left me a vegetable or permanently disabled. But Brian saw him and grabbed his arm before he had a chance to swing at me. Then Brian hit Chris in the leg with his own bat and sent him limping off. I was so scared. Brian had to hold me for a long time before I stopped shaking. He insisted that we call the cops and report what happened. The cops came and then went to Chris's house and brought him in for questioning. He might get charged with attempted assault.
My mom is so freaked out. She had me move out of Debbie's to be back home. Mom doesn't want me seeing Brian. She drives me to school and picks me up. She won't let me out of the house. I have to get out of here, though. I have to see Brian again. I love him so much.
He won't return my phone calls, but I'll bet it's because my mom told him to stay away from me.
JT
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Justin's diary ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
June 29, 2001
Dear Rage,
I snuck out tonight to go see Brian. He answered the door to his loft and asked me what the heck I was doing there. Then he told me to go away and slammed the door. I know that he did that because my mom told him to. She probably convinced him it's for the best.
I came home and tore up my room. I even shoved my mom away when she tried to get me to calm down. I'm so pissed at her right now. I'm never getting better like this. I need to see Brian and be with him, really be with him, again.
JT
