[Hopefully, this will be the weakest chapter I've written. Not that I
meant to write it weak, but after I wrote it, I realized it's not very
good, so hopefully it won't become a trend. Weak dialogue and shoddy
narrative aside, this is a very important chapter as far as content, so
rest assure that there is a reason I didn't just erase it completely. Very
important foreshadowing in here.]
"I can't believe I'm cleaning out my locker for the final time," Dylan said.
"I bet it feels wonderful," Marco said, pulling a book off the top shelf of Dylan's locker and tossing it in the box on the floor. "I know I can't wait."
"Treasure it, Marco, treasure it." Dylan stopped for a moment to reflect with eyes fixated on the empty locker space. "It goes by too fast. Grade 9 and grade 12 seem no further apart than grade 11 and grade 12. I'll miss Degrassi, I'll miss the hockey team, and I'll miss you."
Marco smiled bashfully and began to think about how much he'd miss his boyfriend. He wished he'd met Dylan earlier in his tenure at Degrassi. It would have made life a lot easier for him. Coming out to all his friends and family was one of the toughest, if not the toughest, things he had ever had to do. His family struggled to accept it, but they did. His friends, with the exception of Spinner and at first, Ellie, had welcomed the decision with open arms and had been supportive. When he fell in love with Dylan, the pieces of his life seemed to fall into place.
"So what's for dinner tonight?" Dylan asked, slamming his locker shut and looking up and down the front of it.
"You tell me. You're paying."
"You're so needy," Dylan said with a grin.
"Nah, just cheap."
"What about the new Mexican restaurant by the mall? Paige and Spin went the other night and said it was fantastic."
"Ha, maybe we shouldn't go then," Marco said. "Spin and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things anymore." He leaned against the lockers and slid down to a seated position on the floor.
Dylan sat down beside him. "I thought you two had gotten better and worked everything out," he said.
"I mean, I guess things are better. When he found out about the time I was beaten, he was pretty sympathetic and promised he'd try to understand." Marco felt tears start to well up in his eyes like they generally did when he got emotional. "But, I still don't think he does. I still think he's homophobic. I think he attempts to be friendly because of Paige, not because of me."
"As cliché as it sounds, Marco, if someone can't accept you for who you are, then why do you need their acceptance anyway?"
Marco buried his face in his knees and then looked up. "You're right, you're right, you're right-you're always right. But, Spinner was my best friend. I mean, he thinks I'm odd for dating you, but I think he's odd for dating a girl. I understand that I can't understand his emotions. Why can't he understand that about me?"
"I don't know." Dylan stopped and then started again, "Are you happy, Marco? Are you happy about us? Are you happy with being who you are?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then, why are you so concerned with making Spinner happy? Why can't you be content with making the one person who matters most happy? If you're happy, then nothing else should matter."
"But, he was my best friend! This wasn't some sort of loose friendship, we were as close as two people could be. It may have never appeared that way on the surface in front of everyone, but when we'd hang out together, he would actually open up to me. Dylan, I miss that and I want that back."
"What you need to do is talk to him."
"Don't you think that's crossed my mind?"
"Don't let it cross your mind-do it! Beneath his tough exterior, this guy has a heart. He can be an understanding person if he'd allow himself. Lay it on the line for him. Ask him if his stupid prejudices are worth giving up a friendship."
Marco's eyes met Dylan's and his crying seemed to cease.
"Do you think he'll understand without Paige's influence?"
"I don't know. Listen Marco, he may end up disliking you even more because of it; I won't sugarcoat that for you. I'm going to be a realist. But, it's worth a shot. Just try. I don't like seeing you like this."
Marco smiled and hugged Dylan. He seemed to always know what to say to an overly emotional Marco. He was grateful to have him and thankful he'd met him. He could not even begin to imagine what his life would be like if he ever lost him. He didn't want to be obsessive, but he couldn't help it.
"Let's go, I'm starving," Dylan said. He stood up, took a hold of the box with his senior memories in it, and slammed his locker shut.
The two made their way down the hallway and then, out to the front steps of the school. As the door shut behind them, Dylan turned around and gave it a quick look. He could see through the glass door and looked into many memories past. The hallways were narrow and everything in his past seemed so structured. He was worried of what the future would hold, but couldn't imagine it being anything but the best.
"I can't believe it," he said. "My Degrassi experience just ended with that door closing."
"That is pretty amazing, but I'm sure university will be much better," Marco said. "Besides, the past may have been great, but just look to the future. Who knows what will happen? I guarantee it'll be more interesting than anything you have packed in that box or anything you've experienced in those halls."
"Let's hope so."
The guys made their way to Dylan's car and climbed in, setting the box in the backseat. The car ride was kind of silent, Marco and Dylan both reflecting on everything they'd just talked about-Spinner, the past, and the future.
"Nice place in here," Marco said when they entered the restaurant.
"Definitely is," Dylan said. "I hope the food is as good as this place looks."
They were seated and as they were looking over their menus, a waiter brought out a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of hot salsa.
"Thanks," Marco said, attacking the chips as they were set down.
"Wow, and I thought I was the hungry one," Dylan said with a chuckle.
"They looked good, what can I say?"
"You can say, 'Dylan, you can have some too, I promise I won't bite your hand off.'"
Marco rolled his eyes and shoved the basket in Dylan's direction. "Enjoy."
Dylan took a chip out, but didn't dip it in the salsa.
"Oh come on," Marco said. "Are you too much of a wimp to go for the hot salsa?"
"My middle name is hot salsa, Marco," Dylan said popping the chip in is mouth. "I just have a few mouth ulcers and hot stuff really bothers them. I'm not going to sit here and deal with that kind of pain."
"Uh-huh, I see," Marco said with a laugh.
"I'm serious, these things are spread out in my mouth. They're very painful. I'm going to give a call to my dentist, see if he has any recommendations to get rid of them. Maybe some mouthwash or something."
"Good luck with that then, but I still think you're just a wuss."
"Fine, fine, believe what you want," Dylan said. "But, remember, I could still kick your ass if I wanted."
They both laughed for a minute and the proceeded to order.
"I can't believe I'm cleaning out my locker for the final time," Dylan said.
"I bet it feels wonderful," Marco said, pulling a book off the top shelf of Dylan's locker and tossing it in the box on the floor. "I know I can't wait."
"Treasure it, Marco, treasure it." Dylan stopped for a moment to reflect with eyes fixated on the empty locker space. "It goes by too fast. Grade 9 and grade 12 seem no further apart than grade 11 and grade 12. I'll miss Degrassi, I'll miss the hockey team, and I'll miss you."
Marco smiled bashfully and began to think about how much he'd miss his boyfriend. He wished he'd met Dylan earlier in his tenure at Degrassi. It would have made life a lot easier for him. Coming out to all his friends and family was one of the toughest, if not the toughest, things he had ever had to do. His family struggled to accept it, but they did. His friends, with the exception of Spinner and at first, Ellie, had welcomed the decision with open arms and had been supportive. When he fell in love with Dylan, the pieces of his life seemed to fall into place.
"So what's for dinner tonight?" Dylan asked, slamming his locker shut and looking up and down the front of it.
"You tell me. You're paying."
"You're so needy," Dylan said with a grin.
"Nah, just cheap."
"What about the new Mexican restaurant by the mall? Paige and Spin went the other night and said it was fantastic."
"Ha, maybe we shouldn't go then," Marco said. "Spin and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things anymore." He leaned against the lockers and slid down to a seated position on the floor.
Dylan sat down beside him. "I thought you two had gotten better and worked everything out," he said.
"I mean, I guess things are better. When he found out about the time I was beaten, he was pretty sympathetic and promised he'd try to understand." Marco felt tears start to well up in his eyes like they generally did when he got emotional. "But, I still don't think he does. I still think he's homophobic. I think he attempts to be friendly because of Paige, not because of me."
"As cliché as it sounds, Marco, if someone can't accept you for who you are, then why do you need their acceptance anyway?"
Marco buried his face in his knees and then looked up. "You're right, you're right, you're right-you're always right. But, Spinner was my best friend. I mean, he thinks I'm odd for dating you, but I think he's odd for dating a girl. I understand that I can't understand his emotions. Why can't he understand that about me?"
"I don't know." Dylan stopped and then started again, "Are you happy, Marco? Are you happy about us? Are you happy with being who you are?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then, why are you so concerned with making Spinner happy? Why can't you be content with making the one person who matters most happy? If you're happy, then nothing else should matter."
"But, he was my best friend! This wasn't some sort of loose friendship, we were as close as two people could be. It may have never appeared that way on the surface in front of everyone, but when we'd hang out together, he would actually open up to me. Dylan, I miss that and I want that back."
"What you need to do is talk to him."
"Don't you think that's crossed my mind?"
"Don't let it cross your mind-do it! Beneath his tough exterior, this guy has a heart. He can be an understanding person if he'd allow himself. Lay it on the line for him. Ask him if his stupid prejudices are worth giving up a friendship."
Marco's eyes met Dylan's and his crying seemed to cease.
"Do you think he'll understand without Paige's influence?"
"I don't know. Listen Marco, he may end up disliking you even more because of it; I won't sugarcoat that for you. I'm going to be a realist. But, it's worth a shot. Just try. I don't like seeing you like this."
Marco smiled and hugged Dylan. He seemed to always know what to say to an overly emotional Marco. He was grateful to have him and thankful he'd met him. He could not even begin to imagine what his life would be like if he ever lost him. He didn't want to be obsessive, but he couldn't help it.
"Let's go, I'm starving," Dylan said. He stood up, took a hold of the box with his senior memories in it, and slammed his locker shut.
The two made their way down the hallway and then, out to the front steps of the school. As the door shut behind them, Dylan turned around and gave it a quick look. He could see through the glass door and looked into many memories past. The hallways were narrow and everything in his past seemed so structured. He was worried of what the future would hold, but couldn't imagine it being anything but the best.
"I can't believe it," he said. "My Degrassi experience just ended with that door closing."
"That is pretty amazing, but I'm sure university will be much better," Marco said. "Besides, the past may have been great, but just look to the future. Who knows what will happen? I guarantee it'll be more interesting than anything you have packed in that box or anything you've experienced in those halls."
"Let's hope so."
The guys made their way to Dylan's car and climbed in, setting the box in the backseat. The car ride was kind of silent, Marco and Dylan both reflecting on everything they'd just talked about-Spinner, the past, and the future.
"Nice place in here," Marco said when they entered the restaurant.
"Definitely is," Dylan said. "I hope the food is as good as this place looks."
They were seated and as they were looking over their menus, a waiter brought out a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of hot salsa.
"Thanks," Marco said, attacking the chips as they were set down.
"Wow, and I thought I was the hungry one," Dylan said with a chuckle.
"They looked good, what can I say?"
"You can say, 'Dylan, you can have some too, I promise I won't bite your hand off.'"
Marco rolled his eyes and shoved the basket in Dylan's direction. "Enjoy."
Dylan took a chip out, but didn't dip it in the salsa.
"Oh come on," Marco said. "Are you too much of a wimp to go for the hot salsa?"
"My middle name is hot salsa, Marco," Dylan said popping the chip in is mouth. "I just have a few mouth ulcers and hot stuff really bothers them. I'm not going to sit here and deal with that kind of pain."
"Uh-huh, I see," Marco said with a laugh.
"I'm serious, these things are spread out in my mouth. They're very painful. I'm going to give a call to my dentist, see if he has any recommendations to get rid of them. Maybe some mouthwash or something."
"Good luck with that then, but I still think you're just a wuss."
"Fine, fine, believe what you want," Dylan said. "But, remember, I could still kick your ass if I wanted."
They both laughed for a minute and the proceeded to order.