Revenge Is Us

Brian was sitting at the kitchen table – smiling at the kid – as Justin prepared an evening snack of sandwiches and coffee.

“You look like the Cheshire Cat, Kinney – with that big grin on your face,” Justin grumbled. “You’re darn lucky I’m even making you a snack - after what you did ….”

“What the hell did I do, JT?” Brian grinned even more broadly. “You like old movies as much as I do ….”

“I like ‘good’ old movies, Brian,” Justin pointed out. “And that damn movie was not a good movie at all – and you knew it wasn’t too – and you tricked me. It was just like - revenge on your part ….”

“Revenge for what, Sweetheart?” Brian asked him. “Why would I need revenge – or want revenge? Maybe like - revenge for you insisting that we go skating at PPG Place instead of North Park where I wanted to go when I suggested going skating – because PPG Center is a lot smaller and they have that grouchy old guy who blows his damn whistle if you even try to do any little tricks at all? All they let you do there is like – skate around in circles. Boring ….”

“Well at least I don’t have to watch you every minute we’re there so you don’t fracture your skull trying some silly-ass move,” Justin had to grin back at him. “The whistler watches you for me - so I can maybe do a little skating myself, Bri.”

“Well I saw you doing a few little tricks yourself - and there wasn’t any whistle either, Taylor,” Brian complained. “That old whistling grouch likes you better than he likes me ….”

”Maybe because I’m not always falling and tripping the half-dozen folks right behind me, BK,” Justin suggested. “Like some people do – not mentioning any names or anything….”

“Yeah, Twink,” Brian told him while maintaining his grin. “Little Mr. ‘One-in-a-Million Super Skater’ ….”

“Don’t remind me about that movie, Kinney,” Justin warned him. “Bad idea. I’m working on your food, you know. That could be dangerous to your health ….”

“Yeah,” Brian said, “carbs too – and after seven o’clock. That’s dangerous enough ….”

“Serves you right, Brian,” Justin told him. “Serves you right if you get fat – deliberately subjecting me to that dumb movie ….”

“Well we were in the ice skating mood, Baby,” Brian pointed out. “I asked you if you’d like to see an ice skating movie. You said you would. And Sonja Henie was the most famous ice skater movie star ever. One in a Million was her first picture – 1937 it was, I think ….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin retorted. “You knew about that movie. The comedians weren’t funny – the guys weren’t all that good looking - and she wasn’t all that good a skater either. She didn’t do any jumps at all – much less any triples or quads ….”

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian came back at him, “Sonja Henie won three Olympic gold medals – 1928, 1932 and 1936 – and you’re such a great skater yourself – and you haven’t won like – any Olympic gold medals ….”

“And I haven’t tried out for the Olympics either, Brian Kinney,” Justin reasoned, “so maybe that’s why ….”

“Yep,” Brian agreed facetiously. “I’m sure that’s the only reason too….”

“Well if Sonja won three Olympic golds, Mr. K,” Justin told him, “they didn’t skate nearly as well back then as they do now ….”

“I don’t think they did, Baby,” Brian admitted with a smile. “But they did make a lot of good movies in the olden days …..”

“And some pretty bad ones too, Bri,” Justin smiled back at him. ”And One in a Million was not one of the good ones either. Did Sonja Henie make any good pictures at all?”

“Well maybe Sun Valley Serenade might be a little more to your liking, Babe,” Brian conjectured. “So maybe we can watch that next time you decide we have to go skating at PPG Place instead of North Park.”

“I hope that isn’t a threat, Brian,” Justin warned as he placed Brian’s turkey and swiss cheese sandwich in front of him – and then sat down beside him. “'Cause if it is – two people can play at this ‘revenge’ game – and if Sun Valley Serenade is as bad as One in a Million …”

“I’m not worried, Kiddo,” Brian stated confidently as he reached over and put his arm around the kid sitting next to him. “You can’t scare me ….”

“PPG Place has season tickets for the skating rink, Bri,” Justin moved closer and whispered in his ear.

“Geez Taylor,” Brian ran his fingers through the kid’s blond locks. “You are a vengeful soul. Is there anything I can do to maybe - avoid your wrath?”

“Yep,” Justin replied.

“So are you gonna tell me what that would be, Honey?” Brian wondered as Justin cuddled even closer to him.

“Nope,” Justin told him – seeming to be quite willing to move on - while still “winning” the discussion. “Figure it out for yourself. I’m still mad at you.”

And being every bit as resourceful as he was vengeful, Brian was able to meet Justin’s challenge. He did figure it out himself – and correctly too - right after he finished his sandwich and coffee.

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