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Chapter 5
"What do you mean, it's disgusting! It's beautiful!" Justi shouted at Vern. She'd been persuaded by Gordie and Chris to talk to Vern, and was being met with a lot more difficulty than she'd thought. "They're two people in love!"
"It's wrong," Vern said stubbornly. "It's a sin."
"How can something so lovely be a sin?"
"I don't know, Justi. It just is."
Justi looked at him threateningly. "If you don't lie for them, I'll pull a few sins on you. And not the good kind, either," she added, seeing his smile.
"Justi, I can't lie about something like that."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because. . . " Vern trailed off.
"If you don't lie for them," she pleaded, "no one in the whole world is ever going to respect them again. They're going to look at them and say 'Oh, there go the two fags.' "
"That's what they are!"
Justi shot him a horrified look.
"You know I didn't mean it like that," Vern amended hastily. "I just meant that if I lie for them, they'll be living a lie!"
"Is that worth losing two of your best friends?"
"Shit, I don't know!" Vern said, his voice rising. His lip trembled, and it looked like he was going to cry for a second. "I mean, no it's not worth it, but I. . . " He sighed. "What about Teddy?"
"What about Teddy?"
"Well, is he going to lie too? Because if I tell one story and he tells another, people are going to believe that they're gay. Teddy wouldn't have a reason to lie about them being gay."
"I talked to Teddy. He says if we buy him enough beer, he'll drink it all and scatter the cans around the tree house. Not only is he lying for us, he's helping it look good."
Vern sighed again. "Okay, I'll do it."
Justi smiled. "Thank you, Vern!" She hugged him, and then jumped up to go tell Chris. Vern just stared after her, mesmerized, before she yelled back, "And, Vern?"
His head snapped up to look at her.
"Meet me in the tree-house tonight at ten and we'll do a little sinning of our own."
"Hey, Vern?" Chris asked, knocking on Vern's door later that night. "You in there?"
Vern opened the door. The TV was on in the next room, and he did not look happy about being interrupted.
"Hey, Vern-o, I just wanted to say. . . you know. . . thanks for covering my ass."
Vern sighed. "Don't think I'm happy about it, Chambers. You owe me huge." He shrugged and swept Chris into the foyer. "Want a Coke?" Vern never had any liquor.
"Sure, whatever."
Vern disappeared into the kitchen and returned to find Chris planted in front of the TV. "I love the Lone Ranger," he said, looking sideways at Vern. "He always does the right thing, always sticks up for his friends, even if he knows some people might not like him for it. He's the best friend anyone could ask for. . . Tonto's real goddamned lucky."
Vern looked at him for a few seconds and then smiled. "Yeah."
While Chris and Vern were watching TV, Gordie was on a personal mission. Since he had broken up with Justi, he had spoken maybe twenty words to her. And fifteen of them were the other night, at the ice cream shop.
It had always kind of irked him that Chris had remained friends with her, and he, Gordie, was alienated from her to the point where they never even talked anymore. Chris had been the reason they'd broken up- Justi had always had eyes for Chris. When she'd left him for his best friend, he'd refused to talk to her, and she'd respected his wishes.
But now his wishes had changed. He'd like nothing better than to talk to her the way Chris did, and get the kind of advice from her that Chris got. He started walking up the lane leading to her house, trying to look cool just in case one of her eight brothers was watching. That plan fell through when he tripped up the stairs and fell.
"Ow," he muttered, and, looking around, stood up and knocked on her door.
"Gordie?" she asked in disbelief. "Get the hell off my lawn!"
He winced. "Justine, let me come in."
"No!"
"Why?"
"Because no matter how infatuated Chris might be with you, you have no charm over me anymore, Lachance!"
"What? You broke my heart! You left me!"
"Shut up, Gordie. You can't complain- you're not even straight!"
"How can you use that as a defense? You left me for a guy who isn't straight either!"
"Why are you making this about Chris?"
Gordie put his head in his hand. "Justine, this isn't going the way I wanted it to. . . just let me in."
Justi bit her lip. "Fine," she grumbled after a little while. "Step into my parlor."
Although Justi's determination could be trying at times, it reminded Gordie of the spunkiness he'd fallen in love with. It seemed like years ago now. Hell, last week seemed like years ago. Could it really have been only a week ago he and Chris were running down the riverbank, fishing poles forgotten, laughing and shoving each other into the water?
Justi shut the door behind him quietly and followed him into her living room. They both sat down at opposite ends of the ragged couch.
"For once I'm home alone, Gordie," she said. "Brothers are all at camp, and Mom and Dad are at a movie. So spill it. Everything. Spill your soul, to coin a phrase."
"Justine," Gordie began, trying to swallow his pride and ignore the macho voice in the back of his mind, "I'm sorry I was a colossal ass. That's it."
Justi looked at him, eyes the size of saucers. "You're sorry?" she repeated. "You're. . . you're apologizing to me?"
He frowned at her. "Thank you, Justine. You're right, this isn't hard enough. Please repeat that one more time."
She sighed. "You and your pride. Okay, Lachance, I'll accept your apology."
He looked at her expectantly for a good two minutes, until she finally added, "Okay, I'm sorry too." Her eyes narrowed. "What is this all about?"
"I just thought that you and Chris are really close, and he's never expressed any mad desire to kill you, so maybe I'm half the reason we hate each other."
"That's a very mature observation, Gordie."
"Of course, you're the other half. . . "
"I know. But I don't hate you as much as I did five minutes ago anymore. Before I didn't realize you knew how to apologize."
Gordie smiled. "When you live with my dad, you learn real quick."
She grinned back. "Hey, Gordie? If you want, you can call me Justi."
"If you want you can call me sexy."
"Or I could not, and pretend that I did."
"I think I like you a lot better when you don't hate me. Justi," Gordie added, trying out the use of her nickname. Though Chris didn't know her by any other name, Gordie had never called her anything but Justine. "Justi. I like that."
"So," Justi said, her tone getting very serious, "are you aware that the whole town hates you?"
"Chris was right, you are encouraging."
"Gordie, I'm serious. They think you're a freak."
"Relax. I've got it covered." And Gordie told her his plan.
"That's good," she said approvingly. "And Teddy's trashing the tree- house right now, as 'proof'?"
"Doing what he does best," Gordie affirmed. "Hey, Justi," he asked, looking her in the eye, "do you think Chris and I are freaks?"
"Um, duh. . . "
"No, really, dammit."
She sighed heavily. "No, of course I don't think you're freaks."
Gordie looked at her sad face. "But. . . ?" he prodded.
Justi sighed. "You cannot tell anyone this," she said. When Gordie nodded, she continued: "I. . . uh. . . I still kind of carry a torch for Chris," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Gordie stared at her for a long time before he could bring himself to speak. When he finally did, it was the incredibly lame, "No shit?"
She glared. "Gordie, you are not helping. You think I want to be attracted to my best friend, who just happens to be gay?"
Gordie had never seen Justi look like this before. Normally a very strong girl, she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"That must be awful for you," he said softly.
"No, it's fucking wonderful!" she snapped, and a tear rolled down her face. "You heard Chris, he thinks I can get any guy in the world! But the only guy I would die to have. . . you've already got." Her voice broke on the last word, and Gordie realized for the first time just how awkward this was for her.
"Justi, I'm sorry." What else could he possibly say? What else was there to say?
"Gordie, it's not your fault. But I want you to promise me something."
"What?"
"You can never, ever hurt Chris. He deserves so much, and if you don't give it to him, I'll hunt you down and kill you personally."
Gordie smiled and put an arm around her. "Don't worry, Justi. I'll take care of him."
End of Chapter 5
Chapter 5
"What do you mean, it's disgusting! It's beautiful!" Justi shouted at Vern. She'd been persuaded by Gordie and Chris to talk to Vern, and was being met with a lot more difficulty than she'd thought. "They're two people in love!"
"It's wrong," Vern said stubbornly. "It's a sin."
"How can something so lovely be a sin?"
"I don't know, Justi. It just is."
Justi looked at him threateningly. "If you don't lie for them, I'll pull a few sins on you. And not the good kind, either," she added, seeing his smile.
"Justi, I can't lie about something like that."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because. . . " Vern trailed off.
"If you don't lie for them," she pleaded, "no one in the whole world is ever going to respect them again. They're going to look at them and say 'Oh, there go the two fags.' "
"That's what they are!"
Justi shot him a horrified look.
"You know I didn't mean it like that," Vern amended hastily. "I just meant that if I lie for them, they'll be living a lie!"
"Is that worth losing two of your best friends?"
"Shit, I don't know!" Vern said, his voice rising. His lip trembled, and it looked like he was going to cry for a second. "I mean, no it's not worth it, but I. . . " He sighed. "What about Teddy?"
"What about Teddy?"
"Well, is he going to lie too? Because if I tell one story and he tells another, people are going to believe that they're gay. Teddy wouldn't have a reason to lie about them being gay."
"I talked to Teddy. He says if we buy him enough beer, he'll drink it all and scatter the cans around the tree house. Not only is he lying for us, he's helping it look good."
Vern sighed again. "Okay, I'll do it."
Justi smiled. "Thank you, Vern!" She hugged him, and then jumped up to go tell Chris. Vern just stared after her, mesmerized, before she yelled back, "And, Vern?"
His head snapped up to look at her.
"Meet me in the tree-house tonight at ten and we'll do a little sinning of our own."
"Hey, Vern?" Chris asked, knocking on Vern's door later that night. "You in there?"
Vern opened the door. The TV was on in the next room, and he did not look happy about being interrupted.
"Hey, Vern-o, I just wanted to say. . . you know. . . thanks for covering my ass."
Vern sighed. "Don't think I'm happy about it, Chambers. You owe me huge." He shrugged and swept Chris into the foyer. "Want a Coke?" Vern never had any liquor.
"Sure, whatever."
Vern disappeared into the kitchen and returned to find Chris planted in front of the TV. "I love the Lone Ranger," he said, looking sideways at Vern. "He always does the right thing, always sticks up for his friends, even if he knows some people might not like him for it. He's the best friend anyone could ask for. . . Tonto's real goddamned lucky."
Vern looked at him for a few seconds and then smiled. "Yeah."
While Chris and Vern were watching TV, Gordie was on a personal mission. Since he had broken up with Justi, he had spoken maybe twenty words to her. And fifteen of them were the other night, at the ice cream shop.
It had always kind of irked him that Chris had remained friends with her, and he, Gordie, was alienated from her to the point where they never even talked anymore. Chris had been the reason they'd broken up- Justi had always had eyes for Chris. When she'd left him for his best friend, he'd refused to talk to her, and she'd respected his wishes.
But now his wishes had changed. He'd like nothing better than to talk to her the way Chris did, and get the kind of advice from her that Chris got. He started walking up the lane leading to her house, trying to look cool just in case one of her eight brothers was watching. That plan fell through when he tripped up the stairs and fell.
"Ow," he muttered, and, looking around, stood up and knocked on her door.
"Gordie?" she asked in disbelief. "Get the hell off my lawn!"
He winced. "Justine, let me come in."
"No!"
"Why?"
"Because no matter how infatuated Chris might be with you, you have no charm over me anymore, Lachance!"
"What? You broke my heart! You left me!"
"Shut up, Gordie. You can't complain- you're not even straight!"
"How can you use that as a defense? You left me for a guy who isn't straight either!"
"Why are you making this about Chris?"
Gordie put his head in his hand. "Justine, this isn't going the way I wanted it to. . . just let me in."
Justi bit her lip. "Fine," she grumbled after a little while. "Step into my parlor."
Although Justi's determination could be trying at times, it reminded Gordie of the spunkiness he'd fallen in love with. It seemed like years ago now. Hell, last week seemed like years ago. Could it really have been only a week ago he and Chris were running down the riverbank, fishing poles forgotten, laughing and shoving each other into the water?
Justi shut the door behind him quietly and followed him into her living room. They both sat down at opposite ends of the ragged couch.
"For once I'm home alone, Gordie," she said. "Brothers are all at camp, and Mom and Dad are at a movie. So spill it. Everything. Spill your soul, to coin a phrase."
"Justine," Gordie began, trying to swallow his pride and ignore the macho voice in the back of his mind, "I'm sorry I was a colossal ass. That's it."
Justi looked at him, eyes the size of saucers. "You're sorry?" she repeated. "You're. . . you're apologizing to me?"
He frowned at her. "Thank you, Justine. You're right, this isn't hard enough. Please repeat that one more time."
She sighed. "You and your pride. Okay, Lachance, I'll accept your apology."
He looked at her expectantly for a good two minutes, until she finally added, "Okay, I'm sorry too." Her eyes narrowed. "What is this all about?"
"I just thought that you and Chris are really close, and he's never expressed any mad desire to kill you, so maybe I'm half the reason we hate each other."
"That's a very mature observation, Gordie."
"Of course, you're the other half. . . "
"I know. But I don't hate you as much as I did five minutes ago anymore. Before I didn't realize you knew how to apologize."
Gordie smiled. "When you live with my dad, you learn real quick."
She grinned back. "Hey, Gordie? If you want, you can call me Justi."
"If you want you can call me sexy."
"Or I could not, and pretend that I did."
"I think I like you a lot better when you don't hate me. Justi," Gordie added, trying out the use of her nickname. Though Chris didn't know her by any other name, Gordie had never called her anything but Justine. "Justi. I like that."
"So," Justi said, her tone getting very serious, "are you aware that the whole town hates you?"
"Chris was right, you are encouraging."
"Gordie, I'm serious. They think you're a freak."
"Relax. I've got it covered." And Gordie told her his plan.
"That's good," she said approvingly. "And Teddy's trashing the tree- house right now, as 'proof'?"
"Doing what he does best," Gordie affirmed. "Hey, Justi," he asked, looking her in the eye, "do you think Chris and I are freaks?"
"Um, duh. . . "
"No, really, dammit."
She sighed heavily. "No, of course I don't think you're freaks."
Gordie looked at her sad face. "But. . . ?" he prodded.
Justi sighed. "You cannot tell anyone this," she said. When Gordie nodded, she continued: "I. . . uh. . . I still kind of carry a torch for Chris," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Gordie stared at her for a long time before he could bring himself to speak. When he finally did, it was the incredibly lame, "No shit?"
She glared. "Gordie, you are not helping. You think I want to be attracted to my best friend, who just happens to be gay?"
Gordie had never seen Justi look like this before. Normally a very strong girl, she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"That must be awful for you," he said softly.
"No, it's fucking wonderful!" she snapped, and a tear rolled down her face. "You heard Chris, he thinks I can get any guy in the world! But the only guy I would die to have. . . you've already got." Her voice broke on the last word, and Gordie realized for the first time just how awkward this was for her.
"Justi, I'm sorry." What else could he possibly say? What else was there to say?
"Gordie, it's not your fault. But I want you to promise me something."
"What?"
"You can never, ever hurt Chris. He deserves so much, and if you don't give it to him, I'll hunt you down and kill you personally."
Gordie smiled and put an arm around her. "Don't worry, Justi. I'll take care of him."
End of Chapter 5