No More Mio Amore

Chapter Fourteen “Formal Venom”
 

December 2, 1999

“Oh my god!” Justin held a purple sequined dress up to him. “Like who would ever wear this?”

Daphne put her finger into her mouth and made choking noise. “Only a slut. Do you see the neckline in that thing?”

Justin started to put the dress back on the rack when his eye caught an even worse tragedy on the garment. He turned it around for his friend to see. “Look, as if it wasn’t short enough! There’s a slit that’s got to go right up to the ass.”

“Hurry,” Daphne gasped. “Put it down now before someone sees us looking at it!”

Justin shivered. “The sad thing is, there’s only two left, so you know girls have bought it.”

“That isn’t sad, it’s scary. I don’t even think a drag queen would wear it,” Daphne commented. She pulled Justin over to the next rack of dresses. “Look at these. I like these. What style do you like?”

Justin whispered, “Just because I’m gay it doesn’t mean….”

“Shut up,” Daphne giggled. “If you weren’t so picky. I would’ve just bought that black dress from my cousin. She only wore it once, to her prom a few years ago.”

“It was faded and my tux is new,” Justin defended. “We would’ve looked stupid in our pictures.”

“Whatever.” Daphne pushed Justin’s shoulder. “So what one?”

“I don’t like these either,” Justin said. “They’re too plain.”

“But they’re brand new. And, they’re black. Black is classic.”

“Yeah, well there are many different shades of black. It’ll give us the same problem we had with your cousin’s faded dress. You need color Daphne.” Justin looked around at the department store’s walls. “Over there,” he pointed to a wall full of satiny dresses.”

“Oh no,” Daphne groaned. “That’s like a rainbow of fabric and jewels. There’s no way I can afford those dresses, Justin.”

“Come on, you won’t know until we look at the price tags,” Justin said. He took Daphne’s hand and pulled her over to the area. His eyes immediately zeroed in on a tangerine colored dress. The closer he got to it; he saw the intricate designs made with the beads. “This is the one,” Justin said firmly. He reached up and grabbed the garment in Daphne’s size, from the wall’s rack.

Daphne held the dress up to her chest and twirled around. “It’s beautiful.”

“The color is going to look great against your skin tone,” Justin commented.

Daphne looked at the tag. “Shit, it’s too expensive.”

“I thought your Mom was paying for your dress,” Justin said.

“She said whatever I went over a hundred dollars would come out of my prom dress budget,” Daphne explained. “After tax this thing will be close to a hundred and fifty dollars.”

“Then we’ll come here when all these go on sale and buy that pinkish one up there,” Justin told her. “If that fits, you have to get it. I’ll even make a deal with you and pay half of your prom dress if you buy that one.”

“You just assume I’ll go with you to Prom?” Daphne laughed.

“Of course you will,” Justin replied confidently. “Unless of course you dump me for another guy.”

“Like that’ll happen,” Daphne joked. She walked toward the fitting rooms.

Justin followed Daphne. “You never know. Some hot guy might figure out just how amazing you are and steal you from me.”

Daphne gave Justin a bright smile and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”

“Well look who we have here!” Chris Hobbes stood up from the chair he sat in just outside the women’s fitting rooms. “Two little lovebirds.”

Justin rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Millie is shopping for her dress. Same as you, Miss Taylor,” Chris sneered.

“She’s shopping for your dress you mean,” Daphne cut in before Justin could respond.

“Chris?” Millie walked out of the dressing room. “Oh, Daphne, Justin.” She glared at Daphne, smiled at Justin and then hung onto Chris’ arm.

Justin and Daphne shared a look and a huge smile. They did their best not to burst out laughing.

Millie eyed Daphne’s dress. “So you’re going for the little girl Princess look, Daphne?”

Daphne raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Well, it’s better than the slutty, eighties, bitch look.”

Millie ignored Daphne’s comment and walked in between Chris and Justin. She twirled around. Sure enough, the hideous sequined dress’ slit went up to the wearer’s ass cheeks. “I think it’s important to look classy and sexy. This is our Senior Winter Formal, it’s not like we’re in Junior High.”

“Riiight,” Daphne muttered. “Justin, I’m going to go try on this dress.” To piss Millie off, she ground herself against her best friend, gave him a passionate kiss and swaggered off into the fitting rooms.

“Hurry back, muffin-cup,” Justin called after her.

“I guess I’ll go slip out of this dress and change,” Millie spoke. She batted her eyes at Justin behind Chris’ back. “The longer I wear this the hotter I feel.”

Justin had to resist the urge to throw up in his mouth as she walked away and a bare, cellulite marked ass cheek peaked out from under the dress.

“Is she making you hard?” Chris hissed quietly when he noticed Justin staring at Millie’s ass.

Justin shuddered. “I know she’s not making you hard,” Justin said. “But I know what would.”

Chris lunged toward Justin and backed him up against the wall between two racks of dresses. He held Justin’s arms and leaned in toward his face. “Shut your fucking mouth, Taylor,” he growled.

Justin met Chris’ angry stare and showed no fear. “I thought you liked it open?”

Chris squeezed Justin’s arms harder. “I want you to meet me after school tomorrow. My parents are going out of town. Tell your Mommy and Daddy you’re staying at my house to work on a school project.”

Justin struggled against Chris. “Are you nuts?”

“You heard me,” Chris hissed.

“I don’t want anything to do with you,” Justin snapped. He pushed Chris off him and glared at him.

Chris leaned in to Justin’s ear and spoke in a whisper. “I know your secret. If you don’t want me to tell everyone at school, you’ll come to my house tomorrow at five. Otherwise, Monday morning I’ll make sure your and Daphne’s little secret is out.”

Justin pushed Chris. “Don’t you dare threaten Daphne, Chris. If you ever think about threatening me or her again I will out you,” he growled.

Chris laughed. “Who the fuck would believe you? No one. That’s who. You and I both know it. No matter what you say, what you tell people, they’ll believe that you’re an obsessed little faggot talking shit.”

“Chris?” Millie called. She didn’t see her companion anywhere.

Chris moved through the racks of clothes and reappeared by Millie’s side. He kept his voice sounding sweet and asked, “You finished?”

“Sure, what happened to Justin?”

Justin came around the rack of clothes and rolled his eyes. “Hey, Millie.”

“Do you and Daffy want to get something to eat with us?” She asked.

“No, that’s all right,” Justin responded. “We’ve got stuff to do after this.”

“Oh,” Millie said sadly, “all right, I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Justin responded dryly.

Millie started to walk off but Chris stayed behind for a moment longer. He glared at Justin. “Remember what I said, Taylor. Do you really want to hurt your best friend’s reputation?”

“What about yours?” Justin responded, though his words were weak as he thought of the Hell Daphne would face if Chris did expose them. The asshole was right. No one would believe him over Chris Hobbes.

Chris smirked and followed after Millie.

Justin sat down on the waiting bench and put his head in his hands. Daphne pretended like she was getting a lot out of their agreement. Justin knew though, that really, she was almost taking a bigger risk. What people would think of him being a fag wouldn’t be half as bad as what they’d say and do to Daphne if they found out about their lies and scheme. Daphne pretended not to care about her reputation at school, but that had been a big motivator for her saying she was his girlfriend in the first place.

All the girls wanted Justin and that made Daphne feel great. All the teasing she’d experienced before they were a ‘couple’ had practically dissipated in seconds. The girls envied Daphne, and Justin wasn’t sure he could risk taking that away from her. All because he couldn’t get his head out of his ass and realize that fucking Chris would be only sex and that it had nothing to do with love.

“Justin, you’re right!” Daphne glided excitedly out of the fitting room.

Justin looked up and plastered a smile on his face. “I’m always right,” he tried to joke but his heart wasn’t in it.

Daphne stopped her spinning and looked at Justin. “What’s wrong?”

Justin stood up and marched around Daphne. He stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes. “Nothing’s wrong Daphne. You look beautiful.”

Daphne twirled again and winked at Justin. “You’re the best friend in the world, Justin!”

“You too, Daphne,” Justin said whole-heartedly.
 

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