The Wish - Part 8

“Cale, it’s me,” Justin called out as he closed the door behind him.

“I’m in the bedroom,” he heard Caleb’s reply.

Justin smiled, dropped his backpack on the floor and walked over to Caleb’s bedroom.

“Hey,” he said when he saw his boyfriend putting clean clothes away.  “And here I thought you were waiting for me in bed.”

Caleb put the shirts down and placed a soft kiss on Justin’s lips.  “Give me five minutes and that can be arranged.”

Justin smiled and flopped down on the bed.

“How was your day?” Caleb asked.

Justin’s reply was a loud sigh.

“That bad, huh?”

“Just Chris Hobbs being an asshole.  No big deal.”

“No big deal?” Caleb stopped what he was doing.  “Justin, you practically outed him in the middle of Liberty Avenue.  You should be careful around him.”

“You overreacted then.  And you’re overreacting now,” Justin said.  Deciding to change the subject he pulled out an envelope out of his pocket.  “I got this today in the mail.”

“What is it?”

“A letter from the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts.”

“Oh,” Caleb walked over to him and sat next to him on the bed.  “Did you get in?”

Justin sighed and looked up at him.  “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I just…couldn’t open it.”

“You’ve been carrying it around with you all day?”

Justin nodded.

“Justin, you do know that even if you don’t get in, it doesn’t mean anything.  I mean, you can practically get into any school you want with your SAT scores,” Caleb said, trying to make his boyfriend feel better.

“I know.  I just…” He looked down at the envelope in his hands.  “Would you…would you mind?” he handed the envelope to Caleb.

Caleb took the envelope from him and carefully ripped it open and took out the letter.  A few seconds later Justin saw a huge grin spread across Caleb’s face as he looked up at him.

“Yes?” Justin asked in disbelief.

Caleb nodded, “Yes.”

“YES!” Justin jumped into Caleb’s arms, both of them laughing.

~~~

Justin was about to push the door to his house open when somebody else pulled it open from the inside.  He came face to face with a red-haired woman.

“Oh, hello,” she said cheerfully to surprised Justin.

“Uhm…hi,” Justin said trying to figure out what this stranger was doing in his house.

“Oh, Justin, this is Sue.”  Justin turned around to see his mother coming out of the kitchen.  “Sue, this is my son Justin.”

Justin shook her hand.

“Well, I should get going,” Sue said.  “Jennifer, I’ll call you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Jennifer replied.

Justin waited for the other woman to close the door behind her before turning to his mother.  “Who is she?”

“She’s a realtor,” Jennifer said, turning around and going back into the kitchen.

“What’s she doing here?” He followed her.

“Uhm…” Jennifer turned around, “I’ve asked her to list the house.”

“You’re selling the house?” he was dumfounded.

Jennifer sighed.  This wasn’t the plan.  She didn’t want to tell her son this way.  “Justin…your dad and I…your dad and I feel that we no longer…” She struggled to fight the tears back, “we no long…” She covered her face with her hands.

Justin took a step closer.  “What?...What?”  He was sure that whatever his mother was about to tell him was going to change his whole life.

“Oh…we’re getting a divorce.”  She turned around and left the kitchen, leaving her astounded son to process the information.

~~~

Justin spotted Caleb at their usual table in the corner of the bar. 

“Hey,” he said, putting on a fake smile.

“I thought you said you were gonna stay in.  That your dad was on your case,” Caleb said.

“Fuck him,” Justin said, taking a sip out of Caleb’s beer.

“You got that right,” Nicholas said, patting him encouragingly on the arm.

“So, what did your mom say?” Caleb asked.

“About what?” Nicholas asked curiously.

“Justin got into Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts,” Caleb said proudly.

“Oh, wow,” Nicholas exclaimed, jumping up, and in the process almost spilling Kevin’s drink all over him, and gave Justin a big hug.

“So, what did she say?” Caleb asked again when Nick settled back down.

“I need a drink,” Justin said, starting to get up, but Caleb grabbed his arm, a look of concern on his face.

“Justin, what did she say?”

Justin sighed.  “She didn’t say anything.  Because I haven’t told her.”

There was a joined “What?” from Caleb and Nicholas.

“Why not?” Caleb asked.

“Because she has enough shit to worry about,” Justin said, finally getting up and walking toward the bar.

“What the fuck was that about?” Nicholas asked Caleb.  His answer was to get up and follow Justin.

He took a seat next to Justin at the bar while waiting for his drink.  “Justin, what’s going on?”

Justin bit his lower lip and looked down at his hands.  “My parents are getting a divorce.”

“Oh.”  That was all that Caleb was able to come up with.  He had no idea what to say.  Justin’s whole world was falling apart.  Even though his father was an asshole, he was still his father, he still had his parents together, his family together.  Being raised by a single mother, Caleb always wanted what Justin had.  Not anymore.

~~~

“You ok?” Caleb asked the man lying next to him in bed.  Justin had been distant and quiet for the last few days.

“Hmm?  Yeah,” Justin replied.

“Justin, talk to me,” Caleb pleaded.  He wanted to help, but didn’t know what to do.

Justin finally looked up at him, “I’m fine.”

“Look, I know it’s tough…”

“I’m going to Dartmouth,” Justin cut him off.

“What?!”

“I decided to go to Dartmouth.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Caleb demanded.

“It’s no big deal, Cale,” Justin sat up and started pulling on his pants.

“No big deal?  Ever since you applied that’s all you ever talked about.  Going to PIFA.  You got admitted and now you tell me it’s not big deal?!” 

“I gotta go,” Justin got up and pulled his shirt on.  “I’ll talk to you later,” he said giving Caleb a quick kiss on the lips. 

“Justin!” Caleb called after him, but Justin was already out the door.

~~~

A couple of days later things had only gotten worse.  Justin was becoming more distant from everybody, including Caleb and Daphne.  He refused to talk about anything concerning college at all.  His father moved out the day before.  And today his mother informed him that they would be moving out in less than a month as well.  He felt like the world was crumbling around him.

The only good idea on how to fix this mess was the decision to go to Woody’s and get drunk.  So, he sat at the bar, nursing his fourth drink.

“Shouldn’t you be keeping the bed warm for Caleb?”

Justin turned to see Kevin standing next to him. 

“I don’t see Nick anywhere,” he shot back.

“Does he know you’re here getting hammered?”

“Does Nick know you’re here annoying the crap out of everybody?”

Instead of leaving, Kevin sat down on a stool next to Justin’s.  “You know, it’s not worth it.”

“What’s not worth it?” Justin finished his drink and flagged the bartended for another one.

“Your parents.  They’re not worth it.  They’re not worth throwing the rest of your life away.”

“What the fuck do you know?!” Justin snapped at him.

“Trust me, I know.  Because that’s what I did.”  Justin looked at him, surprised not only at the fact that Kevin did something to please his parents but at the fact that Kevin was actually talking to him.  “I went through four years of college hating my life and everything around me.  Because that’s what my parents wanted.”

Justin looked down at the drink in his hand, “And now?”

Kevin sighed, “Now…now I’m going to school for me.  I want to be a teacher.  And no matter what my fucking parents say and despite the four years that I lost, I AM going to be a teacher.”  He squeezed Justin’s shoulder, then got up and left.

Justin took his wallet out and was getting the money out when he felt somebody standing next to him.  He looked up, thinking that Kevin forgot some other piece of valuable advice…or one of his sarcastic comments.  Instead he saw a blonde guy, about twenty-five years old, smiling at him.

“You seem lonely,” the guy said.

Justin looked him over.  The guy was hot.  “Yeah, and you’re looking to make me feel better?”

The guy grinned, “That’s the plan.” 

He pulled Justin after him into the bathroom.

~~~

Caleb rang the doorbell, not really sure what he was going to say.  The only thing he knew was that he had to do something to help Justin.  He couldn’t let Justin give up on his dream.

The door opened and he saw a little girl standing in the doorway.  He had only seen pictures of Molly never having actually met her and Justin’s drawings, but he recognized her right away.

“Hi,” he said, smiling at her.

“Who’re you?”

“I’m a friend of your brother’s.”

“Justin’s not home.”

Caleb was about to say something when he heard another voice from inside the house, “Molly, who is it?”

“It’s Justin’s friend,” Molly yelled back and then went back inside, leaving the door open.

Caleb wasn’t sure whether he should go in or not, so he just stayed in the same spot.  A few moments later Justin’s mother showed up in the doorway.

“Hello, Mrs. Taylor,” he said, suddenly wondering what the hell he was thinking coming here.

“Hello.  You’re Caleb, right?” she said, recognizing the young man right away.

Caleb wasn’t sure if it was a good thing she remembered him or not.  “Yes.”

“Well, Justin’s not home right now.”

“I know.  I’m actually…I wanted to speak with you.”

“To me?” she looked surprised.

“Yes.  About Justin.”

“Oh.  Well…uhm…come in,” she opened the door wider for him.  He walked in and followed her into the living room.  “Please, sit down,” she said politely, pointing to the couch.

“No, thanks.  I’m fine.  This won’t take long.”

“Ok, well, what is it?  Is something wrong with Justin?” she said, showing a sign of concern on her face.

Caleb took a deep breath in, “Uhm…well…he…Justin got into the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts.”

A surprised look on her face confirmed the fact that Justin still hasn’t told her.  “He didn’t…”

“I know.  He said you had too much going on and he didn’t want to bother you,” Caleb explained.

“Bother me?...I…”  She didn’t know what to say.

Caleb ignored her, continuing on with the prepared speech, “He didn’t tell you, but he has been nervous wreck ever since he applied.  Just waiting for that letter to arrive.  This was what he wanted.  More than anything.  The day he got the acceptance letter he was so nervous he couldn’t even open it.”  Caleb had a faint smile on his face, remembering that afternoon. 

“I don’t understand.  What is the problem?”

“The problem is that he’s convinced that your divorce is his fault.”

“What?!” she exclaimed.

“And he feels like if he gives up PIFA and goes to Dartmouth it would make things better.  He said that it’s the least he can do after all the pain he’s caused you.”

Jennifer was dumbfounded by this information.  “Well, his father does expect him to go to Dartmouth, but...”

Caleb sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.  He felt like he wasn’t saying the right thing.  “I know.  BUT…that’s not what he wants.  Not really.  Not at all.  He WANTS to go to PIFA.  He’s an artist.  First and foremost, he’s an artist.  It’s been his dream.  Always.  He CAN’T just give it up.”

Jennifer stared at this young man who was standing in HER living room telling her about HER son.  ‘How dare he?’ she wanted to say.  But she didn’t.  Couldn’t.  Because everything he said was true.  And more than anything, more than the fact that her son was gay, that her marriage was a failure, more than anything else…the fact that this young man knew her son better than she did HURT like hell.

~~~

Jennifer knocked on the door to Justin’s bedroom.  She was surprised that the door wasn’t locked.  But then she realized, he only locked it when his father was home.  Now that he’s moved out it wasn’t a problem anymore.  And she felt hope.  Hope that maybe now her son would open up to her.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

Justin was at the desk, printing something from the computer.  “Is there something you need?”

“Oh, no.  Well.  I just wanted to talk,” she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.  “What’s that?” she pointed to the piece of paper Justin just got out of the printer.

“Uhm…a letter to school.  To let them know that I’ll be attending in the fall.”

“To PIFA?” she asked.

Justin’s eyes snapped up at her.  “How did…”

“Caleb,” she explained.  “He came to see me.”  She hated the look of panic on Justin’s face.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…uh…” he looked down at the piece of paper in his hands.  “There was just too much going on.”

“Justin, I’m your mother.  No matter what’s going on, I always have time for you.”

“I know.  I know that.  It’s just that…with the divorce and everything…”

“Justin, it’s NOT your fault.  You understand?  What happened with your dad and I had NOTHING to do with you.”  She wanted to make it clear.  And even though she knew that Craig would be furious that Justin wasn’t going to Dartmouth she had to do what was right and make her son’s dream come true.

“Yes, it did, mom.  It had everything to do with me.  If I hadn’t come out…all the fights you had…they were about me.  I know.  I heard you fighting and arguing.  It was ALWAYS about me.”

Jennifer stared at her son.  How could she not have known this before?  “Justin, honey, it wasn’t about you.  I just realized that your father wasn’t the man I married.  That I had no idea who that man was.  Because I know that I didn’t marry a homophobic asshole.”

A shock of hearing his mother use such a word sent Justin into a fit of laughter as well as his mother.  It felt good to be able to laugh together.  It felt even better to see her son laughing again.  That’s when she knew she made the right decision.

“Justin, what is it that YOU want?” she asked him after they both calmed down.

He looked down at the piece of paper in his hands again.

“Justin?”

“I want…” He looked back up at her, “I want to go to PIFA.”

Jennifer nodded, “Then I think you should probably toss this.”  She pointed to the letter Justin had just printed out.

Justin smiled at her, crumbled the paper in his hand, and threw it in the garbage.

Go to Part 9

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