"Welcome home, Justin!  Joshua, so nice to see you again!"  Justin's mom greeted them at the door.  Justin gave his mom a hug, and JC stuck out his hand to shake hers, but she pulled him into a hug, too.  JC said, against her shoulder,"Hi, Mrs..." but Justin's mom cut him off.

"Just call me Lynn, honey.  Welcome home!"  JC grinned at Justin, who beamed right back.

"We're going to my room, Mom.  When'll dinner be ready?"

"Soon, we just have to wait for your father.  I'll call you two down when he gets here, OK?'

"OK, Mom," Justin said, already halfway up the stairs to his room.

"Thanks Mrs... Lynn."  JC followed Justin up the stairs.  In Justin's room, JC stopped just inside the door.  At Justin's direction he pulled it closed behind him and looked around.  "I haven't been here in ages."

"I know, C, and I've missed you," Justin said before disappearing into his closet to change his clothes.  JC looked around.  Not much had changed since he was last here.  Justin's bed was still unmade, and his basketball gear was still all over the floor.  There were a few more trophies on his bookcase, but that was about it.  JC walked over to Justin's dresser to look at the photographs he had, and he was surprised to find one of him and Justin in a silver frame, sitting right in the middle.  The picture had been taken less than a year ago, and in it Justin and JC had their arms around each other's shoulders after a big victory for their summer league basketball team.  "That's the last game we played together," Justin said, coming up behind JC and sliding his arms around the other boy's waist.  "We're a good 'us,' Josh.  We always have been."

JC turned to face Justin, and he ran his hands down Justin's chest.  JC's eyes blazed once again, but this time the fire was warm, and Justin didn't want to be anywhere except locked in JC's gaze.  "It's been a long time, Justin," JC said softly, leaning in to brush Justin's lips with his.

"What?" Justin asked, "we just kissed at my house before we left!  Not that I'm complaining, I just don't see what..."

JC put a finger over Justin's lips.  "Not that, J.  No, what I meant was..."

"Boys!  Dinner!"  Lynn called from the bottom of the stairs.  JC let his finger drop from Justin's lips and turned away, heading for the door to go down to dinner.

Justin scooted around in front of JC and stopped him, his face the picture of bewilderment.  "Josh, what?  What did you mean?"

"I'll tell you later, 'Lake, don't worry."  JC kissed Justin's forehead, then disappeared down the stairs.  Justin had no choice but to follow.

At the bottom of the stairs, JC and Justin ran into Justin's dad, and all three of them went into the kitchen to help Lynn get dinner on the table.  Dinner was more or less uneventful until dessert, when Justin decided it was time to explain that he wanted to transfer.

"WHAT?!" both of his parents said, loudly and in unison.

"There was a fight," Justin said softly.  "A kid, one of my teammates, hit me after school today."  Justin didn't mention that he hadn't actually gone to class today, but it didn't seem to matter.  Lynn's face crumpled at the thought of someone hitting her baby.  Justin's dad just looked pissed.  "I don't want to be there anymore," Justin finished, looking down.

"What happened, Justin?" his dad asked.

"This kid left a note in my locker and I went to talk to him about it and we argued some and then he clocked me in the face.  I really didn't provoke him, not really.  You know I hate fighting."

Justin's parents nodded.

"That's why he wants to come to Kennedy with me," JC cut in.

Lynn turned to JC, suddenly all smiles.  "Well, in that case," she said, "it's fine with me!  This boy here is a treasure, honey," she said to her husband, "Joshua has been nothing but good for Justin."

JC winked at Justin across the table.  Justin suppressed his laughter.  Justin's dad looked deep in thought.  "I don't know," he said, "transferring is a big decision."

Once again, JC spoke up for Justin.  "Jefferson is overcrowded, and Kennedy would love to get more students.  Plus, I'd love to play ball with Justin again.  The team really needs someone like him.  He'd be our new star."

Lynn's eyes lit up.  "Justin?  The star?  Oh, honey, can't he transfer?  It would be so good for him.  And Josh would be there to take care of him, too.  We'd never have to worry!  And he could be the star of the basketball team!"  Neither Justin nor his father mentioned to Lynn that Justin was already pretty much the star of Jefferson's team.  She seemed so excited that no one wanted to rain on her parade.

"Can I, Dad?" Justin asked, his eyes big and blue and his lower lip protruding just slightly.  If he tried that face on his mom, or on JC for that matter, he would've gotten anything he'd wanted, but on Justin's dad...

"OK, son, you want to go to Kennedy?  It's done.  I'll call both schools tomorrow."

"Aww, yeah!" Justin yelled, jumping up from the table.  JC jumped up, too, and Justin crushed him into a huge hug.  He almost kissed JC, but then he remembered he was eating dinner with his family.  That can wait, he thought, grinning.  JC returned his grin, the same glint in his eye.  Justin couldn't wait to get back to JC's big, empty house.

Thinking of that reminded Justin that he ought to make sure if it was still OK w/ his parents for him to be at JC's.  He asked, and both assured him that it was, but that the boys should try to get some sleep to be able to stay awake at school in the morning.  Both boys said they would try, grinning at each other.

When they were excused from the table, Justin went upstairs to pack some things so he wouldn't end up in the same outfit again tomorrow, when he did have to go to school.  Justin and JC both knew they couldn't pull off another attendance stunt, they'd actually have to go to classes tomorrow.  JC went into the kitchen to help Justin's mom with the dishes.  Lynn chatted amicably with him as they cleaned up, but then, as she handed him the last dinner plate to dry, she said softly and with a smile, "Joshua, I can see that something special is going on between you and my son.  I can see it in your eyes as easily as I can see it in his."  When JC tried to interrupt, Lynn shushed him and continued, "I want you to know that I'm thrilled for you two, Justin has been moping about not having that special someone for a long time now, and I know he's got his heart set on you.  I've always known it.  So, Mr. Chasez, you take good care of my little Justin, you hear?  I know you have only the best intentions, but you follow through with those good thoughts, OK?"

JC beamed at Justin's mom.  "I will, Lynn, I promise."

She smiled back and pulled him into another hug.  "I'm not going to say anything to anyone about this, don't worry, but that also means you have to tell Justin how you feel yourself.  Even if you think he knows it, tell him out loud for real.  He'll want to hear it."

"OK, Lynn, I will.  And thanks," JC added, looking over to the staircase.  Justin was bounding down the stairs two at a time.  JC's breath caught in his throat as the boy bounced into the kitchen, all golden curls and blue eyes.  It was all JC could do to keep from screaming "I love you!" at him right then.  Lynn probably would have approved, JC thought, but he kept the words to himself anyway.  There will be plenty of time for that later.
 

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