High Strung

"No, " Brian was telling Justin in the firmest tone he could muster, "No, no, no, no, no. Am I making myself clear?"

"I guess you're saying you're against the idea," Justin responded, "You're not usually quite that negative about anything so I'm not even going to ask you why. It just occurred to me that …."

"It did not just occur to you, Baby," Brian interrupted, "Mikey put the idea into your head. I heard him. 'You ought to learn to play the guitar, Boy Wonder,' he told you, ' I'm sure Brian would be glad to teach you.' Now there's a real friend for you."

"That's not fair, Brian. Mikey knew how impressed I was with you guys playing at the Gay-Lesbian Center. So did you. Everybody was impressed," Justin countered, "And I saw how much fun you were having. I thought I'd like to do that too. Mikey had no way of knowing you were going to go ballistic about it. Neither did I. It's just that I thought I'd like to be up there playing with you. We'll just forget about it. I'm sorry I even brought the matter up."

"You don't even like the kind of music we were playing," Brian pointed out, "And that metallic and electronic crap that you like to listen to can't be played on a guitar."

"I guess we better just drop the subject, Honey," Justin said in return, "But you know I listen with you to those jazz programs you like on WDUQ, and I even like some of those ancient composers like Cole Porter and George Gershwin. They can be played on the guitar, I'll bet. I'd really like to hear you play some of them sometime, but only if you want to."

"All that guitar business takes up a lot of time that I don't think I have, and I don't think you have either. And I would be a horrible teacher, Baby," Brian told him, "You know I don't have much patience."

"Well you've taught me a lot in the last few years," Justin reminded him, "And Debbie told me it was you who taught Michael how to play, and he's really good, not as good as you are, but really good anyhow."

That made Brian laugh. "And you want me to teach you," he tousled the kid's hair affectionately, "But you figure you'll end up better than me, don't you?"

"Never," Justin smiled back at him, "But if you're afraid that's a possibility, I can understand your position."

The subject of guitars was dropped then and did not recur until later in the evening when the fireplace was blazing and the guys were snuggled together. And it was Brian who rekindled the discussion.

"Sunshine," he said to the kid, "If you really want to learn to play the guitar, that's fine with me, but I don't think I should try to teach you. You could probably take real lessons at the Institute."

"Oh I could learn all right," Justin told him, "There are several guys at school who play very well. Actually Malcolm is pretty good on the guitar and so is Ethan. They could teach me but maybe it would be better if I just forgot about the whole thing. It was just a crazy idea anyhow."

"I don't think I'll ask why you have the jazz program playing on the radio," Brian mentioned.

"There was nothing on TV worth watching," Justin told him, "So I thought it might be nice for us just to sit and listen."

"You won't be bored?" Brian wondered.

"Bri," Justin responded, "I have never been bored when I'm with you, and I never will be." Brian thought the same thing in reverse, so the two unbored guys just sat there listening happily to the soft jazz wafting in from the high-tech speakers. That might have worked all evening if the telephone had not disturbed their tranquility.

Brian answered. "Mikey, old fellow," He said, making a face at Justin, "I've just been sitting here, doing nothing, and hoping you would call." Brian got up and walked about the room while engaged in his phone conversation. "Bad idea," he told Mikey; then "Can't do it" and "That just won't work." The discussion went on for only a short time before Brian hung up and resumed his place next to Justin. He didn't say anything.

"You don't have to tell me what Mikey wanted," Justin whispered to Brian.

"Because you already know or because you think I don't want to tell you?" Brian asked him.

"Neither one of those exactly," Justin said, "But I think you're wondering what to tell me or how to tell me, so I'm telling you that you don't have to tell me at all."

"Yeah, I do," Brian decided. "Mikey got a call from Ted. Some guy Ted works with needs a transplant and they're doing a fund-raiser. Ted wanted us to do the guitar thing at the benefit."

"And you turned him down?" Justin seemed surprised.

"Baby, we're not in the music business," Brian explained, "We can't be out playing guitars all the time."

"You know I don't like to argue with you, Brian," Justin protested, "But I really think you should do it."

"Actually, Sweetheart," Brian smiled at him, "I think you do like arguing with me. I don't like arguing with you, but I'm pretty sure you like arguing with me."

"Sometimes you don't understand me at all, Bri," Justin replied, "I do hate arguing with you, but I like making up, and the argument is just a necessary way to get to the making up."

"You have a good point there, Twink" Brian agreed, "You always have some objective to shoot for. That's why you always get what you want."

"I don't always get what I want," Justin protested, "Actually, hardly ever. But I think you should call Mikey back and tell him you'll do it. I think you'd have fun doing it and I'll have fun being there. I don't want to push you into anything but I think you do want to do this."

"And you really want me to?" Brian asked.

"Sure do," Justin confirmed, "You're a good guy, Brian, and you always want to help people. I'm proud to know you, Mr. Kinney."

So Brian dialed up Mikey and made the arrangements. When he hung up this time he was laughing. " I know I don't have to tell you why I'm laughing, and I probably shouldn't, but I'm going to tell you anyhow. Mikey told me he was pretty sure I'd change my mind if I told you about it. Why would he say something like that?"

"I sure don't have a clue, " Justin smiled at him, "You know Mikey. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what he means."

"I don't think it's so hard this time," Brian responded with a smile on his face.

So the boys went back to sitting and listening to the soft jazz from the radio. They could communicate without talking and that's what they were doing.

Brian eventually broke the silence. "I think maybe I should try to teach you to play the guitar," he said.

"No," Justin responded, "I have given up on that idea. You don't want to do it and I don't ever want to push you into something you don't want to do."

"Go over to the storage room and get the guitar," Brian ordered him.

"Can't do that," Justin told him.

"Sounds to me like another of your arguments so that we can make up later," Brian figured out. "Is that what this is?"

"No such thing," Justin told him, "Just a statement of fact. The guitar is not in the storage room. I put it under the couch this morning."

That exchange brought about a first for Brian and Justin. They had the making up without the argument.

Return to Fireside Chats