Justin got up the next morning, sat on the edge of the bed and thought about the line Scarlett O’Hara once said in the movie Gone with the Wind, “Tomorrow is another day.” He got dressed, went downstairs, and tried to pretend that the previous day never happened and that some madman didn’t attempt to gut him the same way Ted was. “Good morning, Sunshine,” Debbie said smiling. She also tried to pretend that nothing had happened the day before. “Morning,” Justin said evenly. “How did you sleep?” Vic asked trying to follow Debbie and Justin’s example of ignoring what happened the previous day. “I didn’t hear a thing. I was dead to the world,” Justin answered. “That’s not funny, Sunshine.” “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m still shaken about yesterday.” “It’s okay, Honey; we understand. If you want my opinion you shouldn’t even go to school.” “No Deb, I need to go to school. This way I won’t think about yesterday,” Justin finished sadly. “Oh, before I forget; Brian said he’s going to drive you to school.” “Really?” Justin asked, definitely surprised. “Oh yeah!” “Don’t tell me he’s worried about me!” Justin said with his sunshine smile. “Oh, he would never admit it but he was fucking terrified.” Justin smiled more. Maybe there is an advantage to being nearly killed. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Brian’s arrival. “Justin, are you ready? I don’t want to lose all fucking day waiting for you. I have things to do.” “I’m coming,” Justin said still smiling. “What are you smiling for?” “Oh, nothing special.” “I see you’re taking things well,” Brian said once they were in the car. “What?” Justin asked confused. “Well, about yesterday,” Brian clarified, as he turned on the ignition and pulled away from the curb. “Oh yeah, that.” “Yeah, that.” Brian gave him a genuine smile, one he reserved only for Justin. “Brian?” Justin asked breaking the comfortable silence. “What?” Brian answered sweetly not realizing his tone of voice, after all Brian Kinney didn’t do sweet. “How did you know that Ted and Blake were killed?” Justin asked. “What?” Brian answered with a confused look on his face. He did not understand what Justin meant. “I mean, after Michael said he had found Ted’s corpse, you didn’t ask, ‘what happened’ or ‘did he kill himself’ or ‘how did he died’. You asked him ‘what the police said’, it was as if you already knew how he was killed.” “I guess I took it for granted the police already had asked those questions.” “Yeah, you’re right,” Justin said but it was obvious that both of them were uncomfortable. “Look, we’re here.” “Oh, yeah.” “Have a nice day,” Brian said evenly. “Yeah, you too,” Justin said in the same tone. *************************** Once at school, Justin went straight to his locker located next to Daphne’s. He was disappointed when he didn’t see her. Actually, he really missed her. After the weirdness she stopped to talking to him and now after his conversation with Brian on the way over to school, Justin felt really confused, and needed his best friend. “This is a mistake, I shouldn’t be here,” Justin mumbled to himself. “How are you?” Daphne whispered to him when she found her friend standing by the lockers. “Alright,” Justin lied. The truth was that he felt miserable after what happened before, with Brian. He couldn’t help but feel that Brian had something to do with Ted’s death. “I haven’t seen you around lately. What have you been up to in the last few days?” Justin asked as he tried to reconnect with his friend. Before Daphne could reply she was interrupted by the biggest asshole ever; Chris Hobbs. “Oh, look the little faggot has come to school. Aren’t you afraid the candyman could be lurking somewhere on the school grounds?” “Chris,” Daphne admonish him. What Justin didn’t know was that his friend, Daphne had become intimate with Hobbs. “Owww,” he said after she hit him. Suddenly, a guy in a Father Death costume ran down the corridor past Justin as they looked at one another in surprise. “Why are they doing this?” he asked Chris. Justin was really disappointed and hoped his classmates didn’t hate him so much as to mock him about such a serious issue. Apparently, he gave them too much credit and realized how wrong he was about them. “Are you kidding? It’s like Christmas.” “Stupid jerk!” Daphne said hitting Chris with a lollipop. “Take it easy.” “Wait a minute! Why are you two so intimate?” Justin asked interrupting their exchange of friendly teasing. “Because we’re together,” Chris said, and to make his point he French kissed Daphne. “Jus, let me explain,” Daphne pleaded but Justin didn’t give her a chance as he quickly ran away. **** Jennifer was at Deb’s sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee. After what happened, the red-headed woman thought she should inform Justin’s mother. “It can’t be. If I thought that my baby could be… could be…,“ she let her voice trail. “Jen, hon, I had the same reaction. We have to be grateful that it didn’t happen and that Justin is still alive.” “Yes, you’re right. Fortunately, Justin is at school now. He should be safe.” *********************************** Justin went into the bathroom and placed his bag on one of the sinks. As he stood there he overheard two boys talking. Apparently, they were talking about him. The boys had not realized that Justin had entered and before they noticed him he slipped into the handicap stall. “He was never attacked, I think he made it all up.” “Why would he lie about it?” “For attention. The boy has some serious issues. What if he did it… what if Justin killed those two guys?” “Why would he do that?” asked the boy that seemed to be on Justin’s side. “Maybe he had the hots for one of them and killed them both in a jealous rage.” “What would Justin want with them? My girlfriend said he has a hot boyfriend.” “Yeah, but you know how fags are.” That comment was enough to bring tears to Justin’s eyes when he heard it. He had not realized all the rumours that was being said about him. “You’re evil.” “Please, you know what Chris said; Taylor tried to seduce him once while they were in detention being punished.” “Cut him some slack, he was almost butchered,” the one boy admonished his friend. “No, he was fucked up royally before that. Think about it; his parents find out that their oh so perfect son is gay and they throw him out of the house into a cruel and inhumane world. He becomes delusional and completely suicidal. He wonders if there is a God. Then one day he snaps, wants to kill himself but, finds out that teen suicide is out this year and homicide is a healthier more therapeutic expression.” “Where do you get this shit?” the one boy who sided with Justin, asked. He looked at his friend, disgusted with his cruelness. “Ricky Lake.” “You’re pathetic,” he said as they left the bathroom. Justin walked out of the stall. “Pathetic,” he repeated to himself. “JJJJJJJJJJuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssssssttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnn,” came a faint whisper. “Is someone there?” Justin asked, and looked up at the vent on the wall above the stalls. “JJJJJJJJJJuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssssssttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnn.” He heard it again, only louder this time. Frightened, Justin started to run and fell as he tried to quickly get out of the bathroom. Maybe it was a joke; maybe not. Was it possible the killer was one of his schoolmates? ************ “Honey, if only I had known that you were in danger at school.” “But you couldn’t. Please, Deb, don’t start again with the ‘it’s my fault’ thing, okay?” “How do you feel?” Justin couldn’t answer since Michael interrupted them. “Hi Justin, I’m sorry about what happened to you,” Michael said as Justin nodded. “See? We’re all worried for you, Sunshine. Michael has even come to see how you’re doing.” “Actually, I came to inform you that I’m organizing a party for Brian’s birthday.” “Are you serious? Brian hates birthdays. Did he really tell you to organize a party?” “No, he didn’t. It’s a surprise. I thought that after everything we’ve been through, a party would be the perfect occasion to take everyone’s mind off of things.” “You’re right. It’s time to move on. What do you say, Sunshine?” Justin had some doubts. How could they think about having a party when their friends had just been murdered? “Come on Justin, we’ll have fun.” “Yeah, Sunshine. It will be an occasion to take your mind off that stupid killer and his perverse ways.” “Okay, whatever.” “Yeah? Nice. Cool, now I gotta go. I have to tell Emmett. Bye Justin, bye Ma.” *********************************************************** “So Sweetheart, did you have fun?” Jennifer Taylor asked “Very much Mom, New York is amazing.” The youngest Taylor, Molly, answered. She was in New York for school and she would be back in five days. Until then Jennifer was all alone in her big house. “So, you’re okay?” “I am Mom, stop worrying and enjoy your time alone at home. If I were in your shoes I’d do it. Now, I gotta go, bye Mom, I love you.” “I love you too, Honey.” The truth was Jennifer Taylor wasn’t enjoying her freedom at all. In fact, she really missed her little girl; the house felt empty without her. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door “Yes? Hello?” she asked before opening the door. However, there was no answer. Jennifer opened the door anyway and stepped outside to look around but she saw no one. She was puzzled as she stepped back in and shut the door. As she shut the door she didn’t notice the killer coming out from behind it. Now Jennifer was trapped in her own house with the killer and she didn’t even know it. Obviously, her being unaware didn’t last long. In fact, immediately after the killer was sure that the door was closed he moved in behind her. A look of surprised washed over her features when she realized she wasn’t alone. “Ahh! Ahhhhhhh! Uhhh!“ she screamed as the killer stabbed her continually. ************** The next morning Justin was at school, completely unaware of the tragic end of his mother’s life. “Faggot.” “Fuck you, Hobbs.” “You okay? What an asshole,” Daphne commented after Hobbs walked away. “Does your boyfriend know that you call him an asshole?” Justin said to his friend. “He’s not my boyfriend anymore,” Daphne answered sadly. For a moment Justin’s instinct was to take Daphne into his arms, tell her that everything was okay and that he would always be there for her. He always wanted to comfort her whenever he knew how sad she was, but he couldn’t. She betrayed him and he didn’t know if he would ever be able to forgive her. “Geez, I wonder why,” Justin replied coldly. “I couldn’t stand all the bad jokes he made about you.” “Oh.” “Is that all you have to say?” Daphne questioned. Justin was wrong. Maybe forgiving her was the best thing to do. In fact ,there was a line that Justin remembered that really made sense at the moment:; “Love is never having to say you’re sorry!” He realized friendship is always saying ‘I forgive you!’ “Thank God, I won’t have to see him again for the rest of my life,” Justin breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, or anyone else either,” she said bitterly. “I wasn’t talking about you,” he explained as the two made their way through the halls. “So are you going to the Prom?” Justin asked, changing the subject. It was clear now that he wanted the things to go back like the way it was before the ‘weirdness started.’ “Are you kidding?” she stated, shaking her head dramatically from side to side. Justin couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I know, I’m not going either, no matter how much Deb says it’s a right of passage, and if I miss it I would regret it for the rest of my life…then tonight is Brian’s birthday party.” Justin told her, chatting as if the ‘weirdness’ never happened. “But you told me that Brian doesn’t do birthdays,” she said with an huge smile on her face. “He doesn’t. It’s a surprise party,” Justin said opening the door. “Oh shit! I don’t think he’ll take it well.” “I know. It was Michael’s idea.” Justin had laughed at the idea. He knew Brian would be so furious with Michael. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take it so bad since it was his best friend who organized everything. “I’ve missed you Daph,” he said as he handed over his cigarette to her as a peace offering. “I’ve missed you too,” she answered sincerely. She was glad her friend wanted her back even after what she did to him. “So how about you come with me to Brian’s party?” he asked before he realized what he said. He really missed his best friend. “Are you sure? I mean wouldn’t you like to enjoy Brian’s presence without me there?“ “If I invite you it’s because I want you there,” Justin interrupted her babblings. “Only if the weirdness is over.” “Weirdness is definitely over.” ********************************** Everything was ready for Brian’s party. The loft was decorated with festoons and artistic writings. There was even a Captain Astro poster because he was Michael’s favourite superhero and at times he often thought of Brian that way. He had organized everything himself. He wanted to give his best friend a birthday to remember; just like his own. Suddenly, the door opened and Brian entered the dark loft. He turned the lights on and… SURPRISE! Brian saw all his friends standing there with smiles on their faces. “What the fuck are you doing here?”