I Will Remember You

Chapter 2

Planning Spring Break

Justin's and Tee's, South Carolina

Tristin burst into the room, waving a handful of colorful papers around. Justin laughed as he watched Tris bounce across the room, obviously excited about something. Tee, who had been trying to sleep, growled at being awoken and threw a pillow across the room at his over-zealous cousin, who effortlessly caught it in midair and returned it, hitting Tee in the back as he tried to burrow his way under the covers.

"So, what has you up so early?" Justin grinned as Tris bounced over to Tee's bed, landing on it with a thud.

Returning the grin, Tris held up the papers he was carrying, which turned out the be travel brochures. "We've got to decide what we want to do for Spring Break." Tris started prodding at the pile of blankets next to him. "Come on, Tee. It's almost noon. How late were you up, anyway?" He'd managed to find a hole in the covering and slipped a hand inside. Tee, who was very ticklish, gave a squawk, jerked around and almost knocked Tris off the bed.

"What does a guy have to do around here to get some sleep!" Tee complained. He looked over at Justin, who had his hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. Then he looked back at Tris who was now bouncing on the bed. "Fine, let me go piss, then you can tell us all about the 'wonderful adventure' you have planned for us."

While Tee stumbled his way to the bathroom, Justin and Tristin went over to the coach and sat down. Justin started looking through the brochures Tris had brought. There was a little of everything here: cruises, beach trips, the mountains, even something on New Orleans.

Justin looked dubious just thinking about the cost of these trips. "Tris, they must be paying a whole lot more at Malia's than they do at Pat's." referring to their respective jobs, "How are we suppose to afford any of these?"

Tee came out in time to hear Justin's question. "Oh, it's not the pay." He smirked. "It's the tips he gets from all the horny old men he waits on."

Tris just grinned back, "You're just jealous. I bet you don't even get tips at the Climbing Wall."

Not to be out done, Tee responded. "No, but I do get lots of phone numbers from hot guys in skimpy clothes. And I sure can't complain about the view from below, either." Tee's job was to belay from the ground as the customers climbed the wall.

Justin, who occasionally picked Tee up from work, smiled as he remembered some of the guys he'd seen and the way they dressed. But back to his original question, "Well, since we don't all have horny old men to leave us outrageous tips, how are we suppose to pay for this?"

Tris sighed melodramatically. He was definitely a drama queen at heart. "Grandpa always springs for the college kids to do something special for Spring Break. You're one of us now, so that includes you."

Justin felt a pang of guilt just thinking about accepting more money from the people who had taken him in after he'd left the Pitts. They'd already given him a place to live, helped him pay for his first year at school and helped him find a job as a waiter at Pat's. There was no way he could accept money for something so frivolous as a weeks vacation.

Sensing Justin's reluctance, Tee tried to head him off at the pass (so to speak) before he could refuse. "Grandpa likes to spoil all his kids a bit. And he considers this our reward to going to college and doing well. He's already asked if we know where we're going yet and made a point of making sure we knew you were included."

Tris, not to be sidetracked from his mission, asked again, "So, where are we going? This is y'alls first year, so you should get to decide. I went to Myrtle Beach last year. There were a few gay clubs, but they were getting overrun by the heteros looking to see how the other half lives. And I kept getting hit on by girls who wanted to 'convert' me." Tris shivered at the thought. Justin and Tee both laughed at his theatrics.

One of the brochures caught Tee's eye and he picked it up. "I've never been on a cruise before. I bet it'd make for some fantastic photo ops." Tee was always carrying around his camera, taking pictures of anything that would stand still long enough for him to get it in his sights.

Justin, still uncomfortable with having his way paid by Tee and Tris' grandparents, shook his head. "Maybe we could find something that's not quite so expensive."

Tris, however, had latched onto the idea of a cruise. "Wait, check this out. There's a cruise that's just for gays." He frantically searched through the brochures until he found the one he wanted. "Can you imagine? Seven days and nights on a boat with nothing but wall to wall hot, gay men. Is that a wet dream, or what?" Tris was starting to bounce up and down on the coach as he talked, getting more excited by the minute.

Before Justin could say no again, Tee spoke up, "Look, Jus, it wouldn't be any fun if we don't all go together. Besides, everything is paid for up front. If you did something else, once you paid for hotels, meals, gas, it's not really that much more." Tee put on his best wheedling voice. "come on, Jus. It'll be fun. We can all three share a room…. We can lay out by the pool and watch hot guys… We can eat all day, as much as we want… we can have sex with hot guys all day, as much as we want…."

Justin had to laugh at Tee's description. It certainly sounded like a good time. And he didn't want to let his friends down, if this was what they really wanted to do. Justin made himself a silent promise that he'd find a way to pay his unofficial grandfather back all the money he'd spent taking care of him.

Taking a deep breath, Justin smiled at this friends. "OK, let's take this gay boy's wet dream cruise."

Tris and Tee did a 'high five', then Tris bounced off to make arrangements for their 'wonderful adventure'.

Justin sighed to himself and walked back over to his desk to finish up the homework that had been interrupted when Tris had come bouncing in earlier. He'd been sitting for a few minutes, staring off into space, when he felt Tee come up behind him and wrap his arms around his shoulders, Tee's chin resting on Justin's shoulder.

"You know, there's no reason we won't get those scholarships for next year." Tee voice sounded soft in his ear. "We can move into the dorm in Columbia. Tuition, books, room and board will be paid for by our good grades. No more taking handouts from the grandparents." Tee turned Justin around until they were eye to eye, Tee's hands on Justin's shoulders. "We won't be completely independent, but pretty damn close."

Justin knew Tee was trying to reassure him. Unlike Tristin, who never seemed to worry about money, neither of them liked taking handouts. They both wanted to make their own way in the world. Justin put his hands on Tee's shoulders and pulled him forward until their foreheads touched. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" he asked, rhetorically.

Tee smiled, "Just be born, I reckon."

Justin smiled back. Tee, seeing Justin was feeling better, kissed him on the forehead then stood up and stretched. "Guess I better get ready for work. Don't want to keep all those hot guys waiting."

Justin laughed as his friend headed off to get dressed. 'Well, get ready, gay cruise guys.' he thought to himself, 'You're about to not know what hit you.'

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