Joey’s house smelled of alcohol and sweaty bodies. The place was packed and the music blaring and Justin had to fight and push his way just to get across the room. The kid who had let him into the house had already disappeared and Justin wondered if any of his friends would show up.

 

He’d almost gotten lost trying to find his way to the house but as soon as he got into Joey’s neighbourhood, it had been easy to find. He hadn’t had to even look at the house number; the kids littered on the lawn had kind of given it away.

 

“Have you seen Joey?” he asked a couple sitting on the couch.

 

The guy nodded. “Yeah. He was in the kitchen a couple minutes ago.” The guy jerked his head towards the room across from the living room.

 

“Thanks.” Justin made his way to the kitchen, smiling when people greeted him but not stopping to talk.

 

People were milling around the open doorway to the kitchen. The room was bright compared to the dim lighting of the living room and somewhat less crowded. He looked around until he spotted Joey on the other end of the room. He was standing just inside the backyard doorway and laughing at something that was happening outside.

 

Justin walked over to him and the closer he got to the doorway the more he could smell the pungent scent of weed.

 

Joey turned his head and saw Justin coming up behind him. “Justin, man. You made it.” He pounded Justin on the back.

 

Justin laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. So, what’s going on?”

 

“Nothing much, man. Lance is trying to entertain us with really bad jokes. You know him, right?”

 

Justin peered into the backyard and saw a group of guys standing a few feet from Joey’s pool and passing a spliff between them. They were all crowded in front of the kitchen door and the outside light was bright enough for Justin to see the guy Joey was gesturing to.

 

He nodded and made a confirmatory sound in his throat. The guy was a junior and in a couple of his classes. They’d never talked though. Justin knew who he was, he just didn’t know him. “I thought his name was James.”

 

Joey chuckled. “It is. Lance is his middle name. I started calling him that when we were kids and it just stuck – so now everyone calls him Lance. Only, like, family members and teachers call him James.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Lance parted from the semi-circle of guys and walked up the stairs. “Were you saying something about my jokes being bad? I saw you laughing at them earlier.”

 

“I was laughing at you, not with you.” Joey snickered.

 

Lance shrugged and turned his gaze to Justin. “You’re in my Biology class, right?”

 

Justin nodded. “And History.”

”Right.”

 

They both stood around in awkward silence. Joey looked on in ill-disguised amusement and was about to comment when the music abruptly changed from a club mix to Radiohead. “What the—I’m going to kill JC!”

 

Justin looked at Lance questioningly as Joey raced out of the kitchen. “Sounds like JC hijacked the CD player again. Actually, he’s in charge of the music but sometimes he slips in some weird shit that no one wants to hear at a party. Joey will have to talk to him again.” Lance laughed as he said this.

 

“JC? That’s that guy who won’t respond to people calling him by his full name, right? The guy with the Prince complex?”

Lance snickered. ”Yeah, that’s our boy.”

 

Justin heard the low laugh and blinked. He wasn’t sure he’d get used to that deep voice coming from a kid with such pretty features.

 

“How long have you known Joey?” Justin asked, suddenly curious about this weird group of friends.

 

Lance looked thoughtful. “Uh, God I can’t remember. Eight or nine years. We’ve lived next door to each other since we were kids.” Suddenly he gave a soft laugh. “When we moved here from Mississippi, Joey’s family was the first to welcome us into the neighbourhood. I don’t think my mom knew what to make of them at first but our families have grown real close over the years – not that you probably care about that stuff. Sorry,” Lance said, red spreading over his cheeks.

 

Justin shook his head. “No, it’s cool. Your friendship’s important to you, I get that.”

 

Lance gave him a searching glance and nodded. “I think you do. You’re not what I expected.”

Justin looked at him in surprise. ”Meaning?”

 

Lance moved over to the kitchen table and leaned against it. “I don’t know. In class, you come across as real cocky and full of it. Joey said you were cool but I didn’t really believe him. He has a way of ignoring the bad in people. But I think he’s right. You’re not a bad guy.”

 

“I don’t know if I should be insulted or not,” Justin said, raising a brow.

 

Lance laughed. “It was a compliment.”

 

“You need some work.”

 

Lance laughed even harder. “Why do people keep telling me that?”

 

“Telling you what?” Joey walked back into the kitchen. He must have had his talk with JC because the music was back to hip-hop.

 

“That I’m bad at complimenting.”

 

“Because it’s true.” Joey turned to Justin. “This guy told a date once that he wasn’t usually into chubbier guys but he’d make an exception for him.”

 

Lance rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. So, I’ve made a couple mistakes. Sue me.”

 

Justin interrupted. “You went out with a guy?”

 

Lance exchanged a look with Joey before responding. “Yeah, when you’re gay you do that.”

 

“You’re gay?” Justin asked incredulously.

 

“What my overwhelming masculinity threw you off?” Lance snickered.

 

Justin shook his head. “You just seem pretty open about it.”

 

“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m not ashamed of it.” Lance shrugged. “Is that a problem for you?”

 

“No. I…” Justin stopped himself before he admitted that he’d had one or two male kisses of his own. If that information came out people would think he was gay. And he wasn’t gay, just curious. Very curious.

 

“You what?” Lance asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

Nothing at all.

…

 

Hours later found the guys in Joey’s backyard, sprawled in the patio chairs and peering at people skinny-dipping in the pool.

 

The air was balmy and the bottle in Justin’s hand was cool. He took a swig and relaxed further into his chair. If he had a choice, he wouldn’t be moving out of it for the rest of the night.

 

“I thought I’d find you cunts out here.” A voice said from behind them. Justin didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was.

 

He glanced behind him and saw Chris walking towards them with JC, who he had met earlier. He was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and baggy cargos but what caught Justin’s eye was the smile on his face. Justin was sure he’d never seen the guy smile before.

 

“Look who I found manning the CD player. What did I tell you guys about leaving JC in charge of the music?” He was looking at Joey and Lance but hadn’t seen Justin yet, who was on Lance’s right.

 

“He said he wasn’t going to play crap music this time,” Joey responded.

 

”Crap music? Bjork is not crap music, peasant,” JC scoffed, walking around Chris to look down at Joey.

 

Joey raised both brows. “Peasant? Is that the best you can do? We have got to get you some new insults, man.”

 

JC rolled his eyes and sat down on the ground.

 

“Given up on the CD player?” Lance asked as he watched JC stretch further out on the ground.

 

“Mmmphh.” Was the muffled response. Once JC got comfortable, he wasn’t the easiest person to talk to.

 

“He left Howie in charge.” Chris’s look of disgust showed how he felt about the replacement.

 

Joey shrugged. “At least he won’t play Bjork.”

 

JC lifted his arm and gave Joey the finger before putting his hand back over his eyes.

 

Joey snickered and turned back to Chris. “So, you showed up.”

 

“If there’s free food, I will come,” Chris said, walking around them to get a chair.

 

He’d only walked a couple of feet when he noticed Justin. “—the fuck?” The two words came out unexpectedly, as if they'd been dragged from his throat. He looked at Joey a tautness coming over his face.

 

Joey sat up from his reclining position and straightened. “Umm, yeah. I was going to tell you J here was coming but I, uh, never got the chance.”

 

“Joe, you know…” Chris didn’t finish the thought and shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll see you guys later.” He turned to go back into the house.

 

Justin, who had been watching it all silently, got up suddenly. “They’re more your friends than mine. I’ll go.”

 

Chris turned his head and looked Justin over, an unreadable expression on his face. “Fine by me.”

 

By this time, Joey and Lance had also gotten up and JC watched from his position on the ground.

 

Joey shook his head. “Nobody’s leaving. This house is big enough for the both of you. Don’t be an ass Chris.”

 

“Joe…” Chris gave him a warning glance before walking into the house.

 

Joey followed him inside.

 

Justin looked over at the remaining guys. JC had settled back on the ground and Lance was looking down at Justin. “He’ll come around,” he said before sitting back down and turning his full attention to the pool.

 

Chris would come around? Somehow, Justin didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

…

 

It didn’t take long for Justin or Chris to realize that they were avoiding each other. It took even less time for them to realize that it wasn’t working very well. When Justin had walked into the kitchen to get a drink, Chris was already rummaging in the fridge. He walked to the bathroom at the same time Chris was coming out of it. He was outside getting some air when Chris came out laughing with some other guys. They just couldn’t avoid each other. Joey’s house wasn’t big enough after all.

 

It was two in the morning and Justin hadn’t seen Chris for at least forty-five minutes. He hoped Chris had finally left and he could relax a little. Stressing over a guy wasn’t his idea of a good time.

 

The party was mellowing and he was starting to feel a little tired, the alcohol warm in his stomach wasn’t helping the issue either. He walked over to Joey who was leaning against a wall watching Lance dance with a few kids in the center of the room.

 

Joey turned his head slightly when he felt Justin’s presence beside him. “Kid can’t dance for shit but that doesn’t stop him from trying.” He turned his attention back to Lance.

 

“Yeah,” Justin responding, noticing the strange expression on Joey’s face but not registering the cause of it in his mind.

 

“Hey Joe, got a place I could crash for a bit?” he asked suddenly.

 

Joey kept his attention on the center of the room. “Second floor. Last door on the right.”

 

“Thanks man.”

 

Joey didn’t even respond.

 

Justin climbed the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door, stumbling a little as he made his way into the room. He shouldn’t have been surprised to see Chris sprawled across the bed, eyes on the TV across the room, but he was.

Chris’s eyes caught his and they both stilled. Then Chris smirked, a derisive lift of his mouth, and sat up on the bed. “This is fucking stupid.”

 

“What is?” Justin asked. He was closer to the bed now and he wondered when he’d walked further into the room.

 

“This.” Chris gestured to both of them. He slowly got up from his seated position on the bed and walked towards the door.

 

“You’re right this is stupid. We’re both adults. We can both stay.” Justin blocked his path to the door, tired of dancing around Chris, who didn’t seem quite so intimidating now that he was standing so close.

 

Chris frowned at Justin. “No we can’t.”

 

“Why not?” Justin crossed his arms, trying to appear impressive. It made him feel much better knowing that he was at least four inches taller than Chris.

 

Chris couldn’t help but smirk a little at Justin’s obvious plays at intimidation. It might have worked with some lesser being but Chris had been one of the smallest kids in school for as long as he could remember and a little height didn’t affect him in the least.

 

He wished he could say the same for Justin himself. Standing this close to him was having a weird effect on him. He smelled like summer. Chris felt stupid thinking it but it was true. He had that fresh, clean scent about him and Chris had to stop himself from inhaling and breathing the scent in. He blinked; maybe Justin was a little impressive after all and that thought more than anything made him angry.

 

This made him answer the question a little more harshly than he would have otherwise, not much but a little. “Because I don’t like you.”

 

Justin stepped back, surprised by the burning anger in Chris’s eyes and the contempt in his voice. He wasn’t used to people hating him, not unwarranted anyway. Guys like Nick Carter hated him because he was a better basketball player than they could ever be. Girls like Britney hated him because he’d broken up with them with hardly a care for their feelings. But people didn’t hate him just because.

 

“What’s your fucking problem? You don’t even know me,” he said in frustration.

 

The anger had dulled in Chris’s eyes but the contempt was still apparent in his demeanour. “But I know kids like you. You’re all the fucking same. You think you own everything that walks into that school. You think you’re owed everything that walks into that school. You think I’m impressed with you?” Chris ignored the fact that only a couple minutes ago he had been. “Of what? Some kid who’s never had to work for shit in his life. Who’s gotten everything handed to him on a silver platter? If I didn’t already hate your fucking friends, just knowing that much about you would be enough. Your friends are just the icing on the cake.”

 

Justin looked down at his clenched hands and wanted to direct one to the middle of Chris’s smug little face. “Fuck you—fuck you,” he stammered out the words angrily.

 

Chris watched as Justin’s face grew red and his shoulders clenched up. Little Justin was pissed – like he gave a damn. “Yeah, fuck me,” he said dryly, amused at Justin’s anger. He sauntered around Justin and opened the door. “See ya, Timberlake,” he said over his shoulder before leaving the room.

 

Justin stood in the middle of the room for a few seconds before he slumped down on the floor, still angry but tired from all that spent emotion. He laid the back of his head on the bed and took calming breaths, letting his chest rise and fall in slow, even movements.

 

Thick rage filled him every time he thought about Chris. He hadn’t thought he had it in him but for the first time in his life, he truly hated someone.

 

Next time Chris met up with his friends, he wasn’t going to try to stop them from fighting. In fact, he was going to make sure he had the best view of them beating the smugness off of his face.

 

He fell asleep with that cold thought lingering in his mind.

 

 

 

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