1 month later
When I said I didn't see Kendall for a few months, I meant it, he had left city maybe even state and no one knew when he was returning even if he would. But just because one homophobic bully was gone, didn't mean they all were. Jo had done her best to assimilate back into school society, but she obviously wasn't normal. She quit all her sports and stopped going out past five. I had invited her to live with me for safety and she immediately jumped on that offer, moving into my room specifically which was a little weird, but I got used to it. She became like my child after the incident, following me like a puppy dog afterward for safety, but I think it was more because James was my safety. He became a guard to us gay kids in the school. We all coordinated on extra-curriculars so we wouldn't have to separate. James loved it, being with me all the time and Jo just liked company. Even if her normality didn't come back, her dark humor persisted and James's loved it cause it made me squirm and blush. Camille had to come to the school after being kicked out of her private school for matters that could not be disclosed. We all knew why though; the whole fucking town knew why. So Camille joined our group of misfits and it was nice. The best part though was this, James had insisted on us doing any kind of theatre, thespian, or choir activity and we agreed and this year, the drama teacher, Ms. Wainright, wanted there to be a ground breaking show. Something that would challenge everything the town believed in and stood for, and decided to do a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. One that would through everything in the blender and shake up the school's foundations and so the birth of Romeo and Julian was born, the story of two gay men in different points of life struggling to be together and dying in the end. It was beautiful and artistic, putting a spin on a classic that no one tried before. It also was a bit of a retelling of my past months here. James and I played leads because we were the only guys in the class while the other roles were played by the rest of the girls. We made due with a small budget, built our own costumes out of existent wardrobe and did our own backgrounds. After another month came February and we were finally ready, so Ms. Wainright called every newspaper and high society viewer in the area to come and see the opening night. I was helping with Camille's makeup when Jo threw me in my chair and started mine.
"You have to be flawless tonight," she started, foundationing my face as fast as she could correctly before she threw it down and started on lip gloss and mascara, "because you have to show our plight in this town to these people. They're influential. They could make the change." The makeup felt weird, but I couldn't lie, I looked amazing. One of the other girl's in the class, Jennifer, came up and got my costume on me as fast as she could before I heard Ms. Wainright start:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to put on for you classic William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, but before you start grumbling about seeing a million of this same production, hold steady with me. Me with my small group of Theatre and the Choir kids I could recruit," Jenny Tinkler beamed from behind the huge spotlight down at the curtain, "have decided to update the story of forbidden love with the Civil Rights movement of today. Welcome to the story of Romeo and Julian, and how love, loss and pain created a love no bigotry could break. I based the play off the two most beautiful boys I've ever scene cross my path, who are both out gay teens. I'm sure you've heard about them," Kelly, or Ms. Wainright rather, was obviously babbling on which made me tense, but she was beginning to wind it up, "and the difficult times they've had in this town in Minnesota, so without further adu, here is the story of Romeo and Julian." She walked off stage when the chorus walked up, consisting of a girl on her phone talking to a friend played by Camille.
"Did you here about those two faggy boys Nora," she said as Jo walked on across the stage on her phone.
"There not fags, I mean one is on the whole other social spectrum. How many homophobic bullies are closeted gays," she said with a smile at the end.
"You're being sarcastic, aren't you. Anyway, they'll never work out, there from two super different ends of, well, whatever, one is poor and one is rich." Camille said, still committed to character, "His parents would kill him if he ever came out. But they are obviously meant to be, even if it didn't work out."
"I know right," Jo said, "but Marce-Marce, this could end tragically considering I hear the rich one is suicidal."
"I heard the same thing about the poor one Nora," Camille insisted as if she were the character.
"We'll just have to see how this turns out because I'm getting a call from one of them anyway," Jo walked off, mock talking while Camille followed and the play began. It, the intro, forced me to realize something though, that we could make a difference depending on how James and I portrayed the characters. We play camp and nothing will change. We play serious and we could this could mean something. I would be the best damn Julian to ever exist, and Jo was gonna be an even better Nora because everything rode on it. There were high stakes.
Two guys (girls in heavy makeup, wardrobe and wigs) went on and got in a fight with Marcie (Camille) and Beth (Jenny) in the school cafeteria before Romeo (James) comes in and starts to talk to Beth (Jenny) about the girl he likes, alluding to Julian (Me) the whole time. Then Julian (Me) comes in with Nora (Jo) and is getting ready for the big Halloween dance where Julian (ME) goes in a very androgynies and Romeo (James) falls in love with him. He follows him back to his apartment before realizing it was a boy he had fallen in love with. And so on it goes where you can fill in the rest of the plot details with boy kisses and awful cell service. To be honest, its plot was amateur and stupid, but it was kind of a subtext was just a subtext; that hate towards people for loving who they love is dangerous. Because in the end, we all get damaged through hate. The play ends when James and I both drink cyanide while holding each other before our families and the town could split us. And the outcome was harsh. The final scene showed Religious groups (played by the music crew who picked up a couple of signs sitting at stage left) picketing the funeral to show just how ridiculous it was to be that way. Then a simple gunshot while smoke clouded the stage and every actor lay dead when it cleared. I could barely keep myself from laughing at the melodrama of it all, but the last scene was essential.
"Hate + Bigotry = Death" said the last standing pickett sign and the curtains began to fall. I was at first worried about audience reaction, until I saw James began to take my hand and slide forward. He made an effort to slip our intertwined hands go under the curtain before the applause happened. The bloodied holding hands struck a chord to the crowd. Ms. Wainright made the decision immediately afterward for no one to take a bow; everyone left the stage, but myself and James still covered in thick fake blood. I wasn't sure what she wanted. It wasn't clear if she wanted us to bow or just look at the crowd, but when the curtains rose for the final time, one spotlight struck us as James drew me close to him like the time at the hospital. He wiped some of the liquid off my eyes and lips, smiling while I giggled and the crowd drew in a deep breath. Then he bent me back and kissed me. He kissed me with a force that made the lights shine. Fireworks went off and I began to kiss back because I was hungry for his touch, his lips. And I felt the spark. I felt it clear and I knew now that this was meant to be; the passion I was missing was there, and it felt good. We finally took a breath, leaving me in bliss as I began to giggle and he smiled like a Cheshire cat. The audience applauded again and this time there were standing ovations. People were crying and cheering as the lights dimmed and we walked backstage, hand in hand, smiling and beaming the whole way. Backstage even more applauds happened as Ms. Wainright cried; she told us it was one of the best performances she had ever witnessed.
James and I beamed as we walked back home giggling and talking, playing and laughing down the dark streets.
"That was so corny, you know that right," I started.
"You loved it and you know it," he ribbed back.
"Yeah, I actually did," I responded.
"Especially the kiss?" he said a little softer.
"Especially the kiss!" I said, before drawing him close to me, "and I want you to do it again James. I want you to be here to do it for the rest of my life. Because I think. I think I l-"
He cut me off with a breath taking kiss that swept me off my feet as he put every ounce of passion he had into it and I felt it all. My brain felt like the fourth of July, exploding in joy as fireworks went off and sparks burned before my eyes. I even whimpered a little when he stopped, but I was determined to get out what I had to say.
"I love you so much" I finally said, "I love you so much that I can't stand being away from you anymore. I hate when you aren't next to me at night. I hate when I wake up and don't see your beautiful face. And I hate that I gave my gift to someone who isn't you. You are the only one in this life who can and will ever deserve it, and I want to give it to you. I want to give my all to you right now because you deserve it." It was hard to get it out, but he seemed to enjoy it.
"I'm happy you finally feel the same way I do, even if it took a super long time for you to get there," he poked me in the shoulder before continuing, "but I don't think that we're ready for sex yet Bambi. I want our relationship to get to that point naturally, not be forced because you make me happier than you know. But, if you want to stay over and sleep at my house tonight, you can." He nuzzled my face after I said it, forcing me to blush again which I hated because it meant he'd won. I shook my head 'yes' before holding his hand and walking home with him. We walked in and of course neither of the Diamond parents was home. Business negations and a cruise got in the way of meeting the parents for us tonight, but I didn't mind because it meant that I could win after all. I called Jo to tell her what was happening and after twenty minutes of freak-out, she finally said it was okay as long as we came back for her to have fun on the weekend. I agreed cause that was the plan anyway, and followed James up to his bedroom where I was shocked yet again. Last time I was in here, there was nothing but ass and boobs hanging off of each side of the walls, but this time all of that was gone and was replaced with some bad walls and a simple rainbow flag on the wall. And sitting on the bed was a little rainbow colored bear. He took in my face excitedly and to be perfectly honest, I was. James had grown up and out of the closet and was finally proud to be himself. Which made me proud. He took me to the bed and sat me down before looking deep into my eyes.
"I want you to know that you are the most beautiful thing I've ever had the chance to experience and you taught me to love myself by making me love you." James was staring longingly into my eyes as I searched his for some lust, some passion and I saw none. "So when I saw this bear at a gift shop, I instantly thought of you."
I giggled a little, "You think I'm a 'bear', because I'm hardly a-"
"NO!" James said, getting the joke as soon as I said it, "I meant that the way you never hide who you are. The way you always let your light shine out of yourself and don't give a fuck. I want you to have this." He put the teddy bear in my arms as I snuggled it, but I was still disturbed. Where was the passion, the fire that made me insatiable to him. I decided I needed to ignite it myself before it ate me alive so I got on top of him, straddling his hips as I stripped my shirt off as fast as I could. I immediately started to kiss him before he could protest while undoing the buttons on his shirt and stripping him. But he wouldn't give up. Mr. Chastity wouldn't give me any room to work and it was pissing me off, badly. So, instead I started to undo my pants, but he grabbed my hands and flipped me over so I was on my back.
"We aren't ready yet Bam Bam," he started, zipping my jeans back up before working on my shirt, "and it's not that I don't want it, but I've said it before, I want this to be real between us, not sex based. Maybe we could just lay here?"It was time to give up and I actually felt better. Because it's not that the passion was gone, but that he was controlling it, something I obviously was sucking at. Instead I buttoned up my shirt and started undoing the made bed. He smiled, realizing that I wasn't going to try anything more and took off his jeans and shirt. Apparently he slept in his boxers. How convenient. Right as I decided to give up my lust, he decides to go get all muscular and sexy. The worst part was this, what I slept in was embarrassing. But I decided to eat my pride and just do it. I went into his closet and grabbed one of his bigger shirts and put it on, slipping down my jeans as I came out of his closet, slinky as ever.
"You know," he said, "We should really call you Kitty cause you're sexy like one."
"You think kitties are sexy?" I questioned with one eyebrow raised.
"I think you are, hot cheeks," he said playfully, forcing me to turn so he wouldn't see my face.
"I think you just like being in control," I said back, climbing into bed.
"Maybe I do," he said as he snapped his boxer's side, then he got into bed, "but really, tighty-whities LoLo." I giggled as he turned the lights out and fell straight asleep. It took me a little longer as I snuggled into his warmth. I swear he had to have turned the air on cold because it was freezing in his house, specifically his room. After about an hour of lying down in his back, he turned in his sleep and put his arm around me, finally giving me the warmth I was craving, but as I fell asleep, I felt his hard-on hit my ass cheek. What a tease.
Author's Note: Sorry if the play sucked, but I barely remember Romeo and Juliet and trying to de-cliché a modern version is really hard. Try it. Also, I'm kinda writing Logan a little hipstery, which wasn't my intention but I like it. Luv ya, XoXo