Making Statements

Justin felt a little uneasy. Brian had not said much since he returned to the loft from the office. They talked through dinner but it didn't seem like Brian was very interested and he had not commented on what Justin had anticipated being the major topic of discussion. That made Justin uneasy as the guys configured themselves in their usual spot in front of the fireplace that evening. Justin pondered the situation and decided to take the bull by the horns

."Hey Brian," he asked. "What do you think of my new hair style?"

"Oh," Brian acted surprised. "I didn't notice you had a new hair style, but now that you mention it, I can see the change."

"Well do you like it?" Justin pressed.

"What does it matter if I like it or not," Brian countered. "It's your hair. You're still the same Justin no matter what your hair looks like and that's what's important to me."

"You don't like it," Justin decided. "I was afraid it might be too mod for you. Do you think you could ever get to like it?"

"I didn't say I didn't like it, did I?" Brian responded. "Actually I was thinking maybe I should get my hair fixed like that too."

"You wouldn't do that Brian," Justin objected. "If you did something like that, you would just be trying to make me mad."

"So you'd be mad if I tried to have my hair look as nice as yours?" Brian wondered. "You know I like to look good too."

"It just wouldn't suit you at all, Bri," Justin continued. "I don't think it would look good on you at all."

"How come?" Brian demanded. "Am I too old for it, or just too old-fashioned?"

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin objected. "You're just trying to give me a hard time, and you are giving me a hard time too. You know you wouldn't ever get your hair styled like this. You'd look dumb."

"How come you don't look dumb then?" Brian wanted to know.

"I'm an artist, Bri," Justin said back to him, "And I guess I'm just making a statement."

"And may I ask what statement you are making?" Brian responded. "I don't think I can figure that out without help."

"I'm like saying I can do whatever I want," Justin informed him. "I'm saying I can make up my own mind about things."

"Well you didn't need to make that statement to me," Brian replied. "I don't think you needed to make that statement to anybody who knows you. I think we all know you make up your own mind, and I think everybody admires you for that. I know I do."

"You're trying to make me feel guilty, Bri," Justin groaned. "And it's my hair, after all."

"Well it is your hair," Brian conceded, "But I used to like to run my hand through it and muss it up."

"You can still do that Brian," Justin insisted. "I like it when you mess around with my hair. You know that. Go ahead. Run your hand through it."

"Do you think the glue has set yet?" Brian wanted to know.

That kind of broke the tension and Justin laughed. "Why don't you just say you don't like it, or order me to get it changed back, Honey?" Justin told him "It can be changed back. Pietro said the styling is completely reversible."

"If I ordered you to get it changed back," Brian answered, "That would be a statement that I make your decisions for you. I don't want to make that statement, so if I did any ordering, I'd order you to keep the new style, whether I like it or not, since that seems to be your declaration of independence. But you know what I would like to know, Baby, is how the idea of a new hair style came up at all. Do you want to start at the beginning?"

"Some kid at school had this style," Justin narrated, "And me and Malcolm decided we wanted to try it too."

"Malcolm has the same hair-do?" Brian interrupted.

"Yeah," Justin said. "We both got them together."

"Has Hunter seen it yet?" Brian had to laugh, "Or have Mikey and Ben seen Malcolm yet?"

"Hunter has," Justin told him. "Hunter saw us both together."

"What did Hunter have to say about them?" Brian interrogated. "I bet he had something to say to Malcolm."

"Wrong, Sweetheart," Justin informed him. "Hunter didn't say a word to Malcolm but he did say something to me. He said 'Brian - is - going - to - kill - you.'"

"Hunter doesn't know us very well then," Brian opined. "We love each other but we make decisions for ourselves."

"I'm going to get my hair put back the way it was," Justin told him. "You don't like it."

"I don't want you to do that," Brian replied. "I want you to have your hair the way you want it, not the way I want it. Like you said, it's your hair."

"But I want my hair to be the way you want it," Justin protested. "It is my decision to have my hair the way you want it. OK? I'll just have to call Pietro and make an appointment for tomorrow."

"You don't need to do that?" Brian told him.

"Yes I do," Justin insisted. "I want my old hair back. Brian, the truth is that Malcolm and me decided to get our hair changed back just about right away after we got it done but Pietro didn't have time for us today. So we decided to have a little fun and surprise you guys with this style. It was all kind of a joke, Bri, so I do have to call Pietro."

"Actually you don't," Brian told him. "I was talking to Mikey on the phone from the office when Hunter and Malcolm walked in on him. After he recovered consciousness, Mikey said Malcolm wanted me to tell you that Pietro would take you both at 8:00 tomorrow morning."

"You knew all along?" Justin gritted his teeth. "You knew all along and you let me go through all of this?"

"Yeah, I knew," Brian admitted. "Otherwise, I might have fainted dead away when I walked in the door. Maybe you shouldn't pull tricks like that on an old guy like me."

Justin had to smile. "I guess I really shouldn't, Bri. I'm sorry. You know what you said a little while ago, 'We love each other.' Do you really love me, even when I do these crazy things?"

"Yep," Brian acknowledged.

"How much?" Justin prodded.

"Enough to be seen in public with you even in that hair-do," Brian told him.

"How do you put up with me, Bri?" Justin asked him sheepishly.

"Putting up with you is my favorite activity in the whole world," Brian told him, hugging the kid while trying to insure that Justin's hair did not stain his sleeve.

"Brian will you promise me something," Justin asked him. "Please leave your hair the way it is."

"I will," Brian promised him. "I've made all the statements I need to make."

Return to Fireside Chats