The day was ending, and I packed up. When I walked out, my friend Justin was waiting for me. I sigh. Justin couldn't stop following me everywhere lately. I was just a transfer. He had a thing for transfers. But the last one was a narc that he figured out when she left. He told me he was lucky he didn't give in to selling her weed. He was a good a friend at first, but I caught on quickly that he liked me a ton.
We walked down the hall together he seemed nervous.
"Yo, Justin, is something wrong?" I ask.
"N-nothing!" He says. I stop him.
"I know there is something wrong, Justin." I said. "You can tell me, you can trust me."
He fiddles with his fingers for a second, then he yells it.
"I like you a lot, [name]!" He blurts. Almost the entire hallway goes silent, people staring at us. I chuckle nervously, grabbing his arm and turning the corner. I drag him out the door and onto the blacktop.
"Justin, I have something to tell you about that." I say. "I've known. Since the beginning of our friendship."
His face pales. "Then have you considered it?"
"Considered what?"
"Me?" He asks. "As your boyfriend?"
I pause for a long time. I scratch the back of my neck. Did I? He was cute and all, a pretty great guy actually. But I didn't love him. I didn't love anyone at the moment. I sigh, stuttering on my words.
"Justin." I start. "Your a..pretty great guy. But I don't love you. I'm sorry."
He freezes. His head turns away from me, staring away in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, too." He says, starting to walk away.
"Justin.." I say, walking towards him. He turns around.
"I'll see you later, [name]."
"Justin, wait." I say. He doesn't. He keeps walking away, back inside the school. For the next three weeks, he avoids me constantly, not willing to talk to me. I tried to talk to him, but every time he met my eyes, he looked like he was going to cry.
I didn't get the chance to tell him that I was going back to New York. After that, I thought about him everyday, wondering why I rejected him. I could've spent the last few weeks with him. In the end, I had to forget about him. I kept him in my subconscious p, though. I kept his picture in a photograph. He and I were in the picture, and I kept it in my living room. I was now an actor. I played JD in Heathers for a few years, and I played in the chorus of Hamilton for 4 or 5 years. Today I was trying out for Elfoba in Wicked. When I got to the theater for auditions, I saw Justin.
I walk past him, knowing he wouldn't want to talk to me. He turns to me.
"[name]?" He asks. I freeze, sighing.
"Hey, Justin!" I say, trying to pull off a perky attitude.
"How've you been?" He asks, sadness hinting his voice. He tried to smile, but he was struggling.
"I've been good." I say.
"So are you part of the Wicked cast or...?" He asks.
"No, I'm auditioning." I say. There was a long pause.
"Can I be real for a second?" He asks. I nod. "I missed you so god damned much. I'm sorry I ignored you and that I didn't say goodbye."
"Justin it's fine." I say.
"No it's not." He says. "I was acting foolish, you were the love of my life. And I threw you aside like a piece of garbage..."
He ran his hand through his hair, tears starting to flow from his eyes. I open my arms, and he was willing to go into them.
"I still love you..." He says. "But I don't know if you love me...."
"I can." I say quietly into his ear. "I can learn to love you. I think I've started to."
"I don't want you to do anything against our will." He says. "I just want to know if my hopes were for nothing.."
"Give me a bit of time." I say, pulling away from the hug and holding his hands. "I've know I've taken a lot of it, but just a bit more would be enough."
"Take all the time you need." He says, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I've waited this long, I can wait a bit more. But I have a question."
"Hmm?"
"What the heck did you do?"
"Do? What did I do?"
"I saw you in Hamilton and in Heathers, you were amazing!" He says. "What did you do to become such an amazing actor?!"
I laugh, and we walk into the theater. What the heck did I do to deserve a guy like this?
~~~~~~~~
Wow this was sucky AF hehehe
