No More Mio Amore

Chapter Two: School Lies

Thursday September 9, 1999

“Oh….my….god,” Daphne whispered excitedly in her best friend’s ear. “He is so hot!”

Justin turned and looked at the new student of their school. “Yeah, he’s all right,” Justin commented on the tall red-head. “I wouldn’t call him a God or anything.”

Daphne sat her tray down at the empty lunch table and Justin sat across from her, both of their eyes followed Trent Turner until he exited the lunchroom.

Daphne turned and looked at Justin. “So, who would you classify as a God Justin?”

Justin felt himself blush and took a large bite of his burger. “I dunno,” he answered through his mouthful.

“Humph,” Daphne snickered, before taking a bite of her salad. “I bet you have someone in mind.”

Justin blushed again and stuffed his mouth with more burger. He did have someone in mind that he thought was very hot. However, Justin was not sure if he would classify that person as a God. When he thought of Godlike people, they were usually some sort of Adonis figure. He took a big drink of his chocolate milk and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to tell his best friend, finally. “Daph, I…” Justin mumbled and paused. Confessing his secret to Daphne was proving to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. He took a deep breath and started again, “Daphne, you are my best friend and I can understand if…”

“Hi Justin,” Millie Berkowitz’ voice singsonged from beside Justin.

He looked over at the girl that seemed to appear out of nowhere and gave her a small smile. He tried hard not to roll his eyes as the blond haired pre-Madonna sat down beside him.

Daphne sighed audibly, “Millie, Justin and I were just in the middle of…”

“Were you two discussing who you are going to the Winter Formal with?” she giggled.

“It’s the beginning of September,” Daphne pointedly rolled her eyes.

Millie giggled and looked at Justin batting her eyelashes at him. “I know, but I have to make sure I have a date,” she winked at Justin.

“I’m sure you’ll find one Millie,” Justin said, hoping not to visibly cringe at what he knew the girl was implying.

“Oh well,” she giggled. “I think I have found the perfect date,” Millie put her finely manicured, pink nailed hand on Justin’s thigh.

Justin took another bite of his sandwich and gave Daphne a save me look.

Daphne only smirked back at him.

He looked back at her with a look that said, I’m getting a new best friend, and that did it for the girl.

“So do I,” Daphne said smugly.

Millie tensed up and stopped staring at Justin to glare her dark brown eyes at Daphne’s mischievously sparkling ones, “Who is your date?”

Justin felt a flood of relief hit him as the girl took her hand off his thigh. He knew where this was leading though, so the relief was short-lived.

Daphne reached across the table and put her hand on top of Justin’s. “Well, even though we weren’t discussing the Winter Formal, when you interrupted our PRIVATE conversation, it doesn’t mean we haven’t discussed it at all.”

Millie tensed up and slid her body over, away from Justin’s. “Oh.”

“Justin and I decided to go together,” Daphne said with an amused tone.

“As friends?” Millie asked in a last ditch effort.

Justin was fluctuating between loving and hating Daphne. Millie had been after him for the last three years and he knew that what he was going to say next would FINALLY make her leave him alone. “As a couple,” he informed her. “Of best friends,” he thought to himself.

Millie giggled nervously and Daphne laughed with her. “I know it’s so great! Isn’t it Millie?” She was laughing at Justin and Millie both.

Justin groaned inside but managed to mumble, “It really is.”

“When he asked me to go steady with him this summer I was so surprised,” Daphne said in a high-pitched tone. “I had no idea he’s been in love with me since Kindergarten.”

“Daphne,” Justin exclaimed, embarrassed that his best friend would go so far.

Daphne squeezed Justin’s hand. “Oh, don’t be shy, pookie. I know you wanted to keep it to ourselves.” She gave him a teasing smirk and turned back to Millie. “He’s so possessive of me.”

Millie was extremely flustered. “Well I hope you two are happy together.”

“Oh, we are, aren’t we my pookie bear?” Daphne smiled.

Justin could not help but laugh and join in, “Yes muffin-cup we are.”

Millie did not bother with her lunch tray; she simply got up and left the couple alone.

“Daphne!” Justin took his hand away and leaned toward his friend. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

Daphne started to laugh extremely hard. “Oh, please Justin. You looked like you were about to crawl into a grave and die when I saw her put her hand under the table.”

Justin cringed and then started to laugh too. “I was not going to crawl into a grave and die,” he denied through his laughter.

“Sure you weren’t,” Daphne was laughing so hard she started to feel tears come into her eyes.

Justin got up from the table and grabbed his lunch tray. “Come on, I want to smoke a cigarette before lunch is over.”

Daphne followed her friend, still giggling. “Anything you say lover.”

Justin rolled his eyes and dumped his tray, smiling with her. “Oh, shut up. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Daphne smiled proudly following him down the hall. “I saved your ass is what I did.”

“Humph,” Justin walked away toward the doors for the school yard, confident that Daphne would be following him.

Daphne took out her cigarette’s and lit one up as they huddled between two of the school buildings. “I did you know.”

Justin took the cigarette from her and took a long drag. “I know, but did you have to go so far? Now everyone at school is going to think we’re going out!”

“If you would have turned down Millie they’d all know why Justin,” she said softly but pointedly.

Justin choked on the smoke and ground out his cigarette. “Because I don’t like slutty little rich girls,” he managed to say.

Daphne eyed him, shook her head lighting another cigarette, and taking a drag she said softly. “More like, because you don’t like girls.”

Justin turned beat red and started to walk off, he could feel tears coming to his eyes. “Daphne knows! If Daphne could tell I’m gay does that mean everyone else can too? Everyone at school? My mom? My dad? Molly? They’ll all hate me! My entire life will be over!” Justin thought dramatically.

Daphne grabbed onto his arm, swung him back in front of her, and wrapped her arms around him. “Justin.”

It took Justin a moment to realize that Daphne did not hate him. Daphne was hugging him. She had SAVED him earlier. He felt his tears start to abate as he put his arms around Daphne and hugged her back.

“That’s what you were going to tell me. Wasn’t it?” she whispered softly into his ear.

Justin stepped out of her arms and wiped at his eyes. “Yes,” he admitted.

Daphne took his hands in hers. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I’m telling you now, I guess,” Justin gave Daphne a grateful smile. “But you already knew. How did you know?”

“I think I’ve always known Justin. But I’d say that the sketchbook on your nightstand filled with drawings of naked men and NOT women was a clue,” she laughed.

Justin turned red and put his hands on his face embarrassed. “You saw those?”

“Well, duh, anyone could you know?” she gave him an admonishing look.

“My parents?” he asked.

“They clean your room Justin. I’m sure they’ve also noticed the pictures of all those guys on your wall too,” she told him thoughtfully. “So if they do know then they are probably okay with it.”

“Shit! Do you think everyone else knows too?” he said worriedly.

“Nah, I’m sure I’m the only one who has noticed your obsession with the quarterback,” Daphne teased.

“What are you talking about?” Justin grabbed the cigarette from Daphne and took a long pull.

“Please,” Daphne laughed. “Your other notebook is filled with him. Don’t actually try and tell me you like watching football practice for any other reason but Chris Hobbes.”

“Fuck!”

“Which is precisely why I am your now your girlfriend, that is, of course until you decide to come out to everyone.”

“Jesus Daphne, my mom and dad are going to kill me. I have to think about all of this. I’d get my ass kicked if anyone found out at school,” Justin took another drag and savored the nicotine before passing it back to his best friend.

“Yeah well, like I said, I have the feeling your mom and dad already know. Maybe they just haven’t said anything because they don’t want to embarrass you,” she reasoned. “Or maybe they want you to tell them?”

“Oh, god, I have to think about this. Do you think I should come out to them? They’ll probably just think it’s a phase or something,” Justin said, raking his hands through his spiky blond hair.

“Maybe they will or maybe not. But if you’re going to come out then you need to tell them first,” she said reasonably. She took a few puffs and handed him back the cigarette. “As for anyone else, I say fuck them. It’s not like you can help it. You were born gay and I think it’s cool to be so unique.”

Justin took the last drags and put the cigarette out before smiling widely, completely and totally, in love with his best friend for her awesome support. “You’re right Daphne! Or should I say muffin-cup,” he laughed and grabbed her hand.

Justin and Daphne walked back into the school, hand-in-hand, Justin could not have been prouder to have her as his best friend and for the meantime, as his beard.

 

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