CHANCE ENCOUNTER (Bieber x Male)

Part II

"Oh my god." I can't help but let the words slip out of my lips into the very real world of sound. "I mean, holy shit." I blush. "I mean, wow, hi. I know you. I mean, I know who you are. Justin."

Justin stands by his car with a kind of shy, tentative look on his face. "Yeah."

I realize I'm at least 20 yards away from him, my body facing one way and my neck turned around back to look at him. I turn around and walk towards him.

It truly is Justin Bieber.

I always wondered if this would happen someday. Justin, like me, is from Stratford. I didn't know him when he lived here, but I remember it being a huge deal in town when he made it big. A lot of the kids in Stratford felt resentment or jealousy, not necessarily for the fame Justin got but mostly because he was pretty much the only true success story that came out of our town. Everyone was a little bitter that they couldn't be the one to escape the boring monotony of Stratford.

I was never a super-fan of his music, but, not gonna lie, ever since the Calvin Klein ads and the infamous "vacation pics" I've had a bit of a celeb crush on him. So, being truthful, I've had a fantasy or two about bumping into him in town.

In those few fleeting fantasies, in not a single one was I as awkward as I am right now in the moment I'm actually face to face with him.

"What are you doing here?" I stumble. "What are you doing?"

He raises his eyebrows a bit. "Uh... this is my hometown. Can I ask you the same question? What are you doing here? On the side of the road in short shorts, tears on your face, sitting on a rock. I thought you were hurt or something. It's dangerous by the highway."

"Um. I had a bad fight. At home. I live here. In Stratford that is. Not on this rock, obviously." Fuck. "I'm just trying to clear my head and have a smoke."

Justin walks over to the rock. "Well, to be honest, same. I'm heading to Toronto. I was supposed to head tomorrow but I've had a bad night. I'm all out of smokes too and every place in this shit town is closed. Got one to spare?" He shoots me a look of innocence and empathy and I wonder if it's manipulation or if he's actually just... the cutest.

"Yeah. No problem." I walk over to him and hand him a cigarette. I feel his hand graze mine and it's warm and solid, fingers a little calloused from what I presume is playing guitar.

He sits down on the big rock and pats his hand next to him. "Join me?"

I sit down next to him and we both light up our smokes. I get a whiff of his scent and am surprised how he smells like fabric softener. I was definitely expecting expensive cologne or something. Instead he smelled like fresh laundry.

"So. What happened... uh..."

"Alex."

"Alex, hey. Yeah, what happened tonight? If you don't mind me asking."

I hesitate for a second. Or ten.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's okay." I say before taking a drag from my smoke and let out a long exhale. "Things have been rough with my parents. They're not cool at all with me being... uh...." I take another drag. "Gay."

Justin takes a drag from his smoke and exhales. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"Nah, don't be. It's my shit to deal with. Things just really escalated tonight and I felt like if I stayed there any longer I'd wind up so depressed I'd hurt myself or something. If that's not oversharing. I'm sorry."

"No. Honestly it's refreshing. I think that's the most anyone has said to me since I've been back home. Most people just take pictures of me."

I take a look at him, sitting next to me, smoking his cigarette. He's wearing a big grey t-shirt, baggy sweat shorts, and what appear to be generic tennis shoes. There's a bit of acne on his face and a messy, small moustache on his upper lip. He seems, in this moment, so incredibly human and distant from the Justin Bieber I know from the media. There's a look of sadness on his face, and I see him hesitate before he says, "but honestly what kind of problem is that. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make your pain about me or turn it into something that's 'refreshing'. I'm sorry."

"No, honestly, same. You're the first person in this town that hasn't flinched at me saying I'm gay. It's also very refreshing."

"I spend most of my time in LA. Everyone is gay. It's nothing." He laughs a little bit before throwing his cigarette into the road.

"I wish it were 'nothing' here." I throw my cigarette too.

"Listen, Alex, can I give you a lift anywhere?"

My heart skips a beat. "Uh. Nowhere in particular. Anywhere but back home. But I guess I should get off the side of the road."

Justin smiles. "Well, I'm heading to Toronto for a few days before my flight back to LA. It's one of those rare times I get to head out on my own and drive my car and be free. If you want a lift to Toronto... I can get you a ticket back here no problem..."

Holy shit. "I mean, I was just planning on finding somewhere to chill all night and then go back home sometime tomorrow, I don't know about running away to Toronto..."

Justin looks apologetic. "Yeah, you're right, it is far. Just putting it out there. Not to creep you out or anything. I'm sorry."

"No, no! Not creepy. I just..."

I hesitate.

I can't believe I'm turning Justin freakin' Bieber down on his offer for a road trip. What do I have to lose? My parents are shit, my life here is shit, this is arguably a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What the hell. "Road trip?" I ask, laughing a little at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.

"If you want." He laughs back.

I think for a second. My parents are gonna kill me if I leave town for Toronto. But I absolutely cannot fathom returning to them tonight. Maybe if I disappear for a few days it'll teach them a lesson anyway. And also, Justin fucking Bieber is asking me to get in his car with him.

"Count me in. Why the hell not?" I laugh nervously.

Justin smiles and also laughs. "My manager is gonna kill me if he found out I picked up a kid off the side of the road at 4am. That's if you don't kill me first... what's your deal again?"

"Oh my god!"

"Jokes. Come on, get in."