"What If"...
Justin hadn't been Bashed
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The dance. He couldn’t believe Brian had actually shown up at the prom,
much less danced with him like he did. They were the only ones on the dance
floor. The only ones
dancing, anyway. Brian
took the white silk scarf he was wearing from around his neck and put it
around Justin’s neck. The fringed ends fluttered in the air as they
moved around the floor. As the music ended, Brian held Justin tight in his
arms and lifted him off the floor and together, they spun around. When Justin
was once again standing on his own two feet, Brian leaned in and kissed him.
Not just a little ‘lips barely touching kiss’, but a deep, intense
kiss that
said this is the man I
love, so deal with it.
Brian led Justin off the dance floor, oblivious to all the students who were
staring at them, some unbelieving and open mouthed, some smiling, and quite
a few, frowning at the display they just witnessed.
Halfway to the elevator, Daphne caught up with the two men. “Brian.
Your jacket.” She handed the black silk jacket
to Brian then reached over and pulled Justin into a hug. “I’m so
happy for you,” she whispered in Justin’s ear. Standing back, she
said, “Now go. I have my own way home, so don’t worry about
“Oh, no. You two came together. What kind of a date would he be if he
left you here? Just make sure you drop him off at the loft at a reasonable
hour..” Brian smiled and kissed Daphne’s
cheek, then looked at Justin. “We have the rest of our lives.”
Daphne waited until the elevator doors closed then headed back to the dance
to wait for Justin. As she neared the door, Chris Hobbs
pushed past her, almost knocking her over.
“Watch it,
“Your friend leave you stranded here? He’d rather be with that
old queer than you? I’d do something about that, if I were you.”
Daphne realized he was heading for the elevators.
“And just what do you have in mind, Chris? Where are you going?”
She had hold of his arm and pulled him off balance so that he almost fell.
“I’m going to do what I should have done months ago and you can’t
stop
“Yes, I can,” Daphne said, hoping she sounded surer than she felt.
“Okay,
Daphne saw one of the chaperon’s, her friend Rachel’s father, at
her side.
“You don’t have any authority to make me leave.”
“Yes, I do. And I also have the authority to tell the principal about
your
consuming alcohol at a
school function.”
“I have a ride. Come on, Christy. Let’s get out of here.”
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Brian and Justin were oblivious to the little drama being played out in
the
hotel lobby. They danced
to the jeep in the parking garage, singing the words to the song they had
danced to just a few minutes before. Brian gently pushed Justin against the
side of the jeep as Justin declared it to be the best night of his life.
“Even if it was ridiculously romantic,” Brian commented, staring
into the blue eyes he loved so much. The thought rocked him to his very soul.
Yes, love was the only word that described his feelings right now. He leaned
in for another kiss, hesitating just a second, searching for something in
the younger man’s eyes. Justin leaned in as if giving permission for
the kiss he knew would seal their fate forever.
Parting, Brian smiled and told his lover, “Later.”
Later. This would be a very special night for them.
One they would remember forever.
“Later,” Justin responded, as he walked away, then turned back
to give Brian one more sunshine smile.
Brian sat in the jeep and watched in the side view mirror as Justin walked
back toward the ballroom to get his official date. He couldn’t help
the smile that played over his face. “Yes,” he thought to himself.
“This is what love feels like.” He started the engine and slowly
pulled out of the garage into the night time traffic, heading back to the
loft. He had to put the finishing touches on the surprise he had prepared
earlier.
Meanwhile, Justin rode the elevator back to the lobby, only to find a crowd
of students milling about. He spied Daphne in the middle of everything and
smiled. “What’s going on here? Did something happen?”
“Yeah, but I’ll explain later. How about one more dance, although
I know you’re anxious to get home.”
A half hour later, Daphne parked her car in front of the loft. “Uh,
should I call Debbie for you? I think they’re expecting you back
there to tell them everything. Your Mom’s probably even still there.”
Justin hugged his friend before getting out of the car. “No, I’ll
call them, but thanks. See ya Monday, okay.”
Justin ran up the four flights of stairs, too excited to wait for the elevator.
When he reached the top floor, he hesitated slightly before knocking.
Brian pulled the door open and Justin could hear the sounds of soft jazz
filtering through the air. Flickering candle light cast soft shadows on the
walls. Brian was still
dressed in his tux, only
now there was one perfect red rose bud pinned to the lapel.
“Hey,” Justin said softly. He couldn’t believe how beautiful
his lover was in his black tux.
“Hey, yourself.” Brian stared into
the bluest eyes he had ever seen. “Prom
over already?”
“For me, it is. I had more important things to do.”
Brian smiled then tenderly kissed Justin’s waiting lips. When they parted,
Brian unpinned the rose bud from his tux and pinned it to Justin’s.
“This is the first time you’ve ever given me a flower.”
Brian couldn’t take his eyes off of Justin’s face. The smile he
received made his heart skip a beat. “And it won’t be the last,”
he said softly.
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