| Bell |
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| Justin never answered his phone. He never did. He had a system he used to determine who was calling him. He counted the number of rings before the other person hung up and he knew by how many rings who it was and he returned the phone call. The phone was ringing. It rang constantly and when it was someone he didn�t know, it never stopped before eighteen rings. When it stopped at eight rings, he knew it was one of the guys and when it stopped at five rings, it was his mom. Eleven was Justin and JC�s number. Whenever the phone rang eleven times, it was JC calling. Justin still counted to eleven rings, wishing unconsciously, his hope rising in his chest and it would stop ringing. But it didn�t stop anymore. It kept ringing. Justin hated the twelfth ring. It meant the person calling wasn�t JC. The telephone was an amazing invention; Justin always thought so. People who lived thousands of miles apart could keep in touch, lives were shared over the phone. Business deals were made over the phone. There were phones so big they were used to try and contact life on another planet, and phones so small they could fit in the pocket of a jacket. There were phones that had to have a couple of quarters inserted before they could be used. And of course, there were phone bills and night minutes and long distance plans and a million other phone things. Justin remembered three phone calls in particular. Of the hundreds of thousands of phone calls he must�ve made and received, he remembered three in almost crystal clear detail. There were only three phone calls that ever mattered. The phone had quit ringing, allowing Justin�s full attention to return to his memories. ~~~ It was a Monday afternoon in September. Justin hadn�t received many phone calls that day, so the day had been quiet, almost eerily so. He had been lying on the living room sofa watching a movie when the phone rang. Justin absently reached for it, forgetting about his counting ring rule. He pressed the button turning the cordless phone on. �Hello?� He said, realizing he�d only let the phone ring eleven times before answering and he had no clue who was on the line. �Justin?� A familiar voice asked. �Is that you?� Justin�s heart began to beat widely after it became clear it was JC�s voice on the other end. �Hey, yeah, it�s me.� Justin identified himself with a smile. �Hey Justin, it�s JC. How are you? What�re you up to?� JC was rambling. He sounded nervous. �I�m okay, JC.� He paused. �Are you okay?� Justin could hear JC�s throaty chuckle and his sigh. �Yeah, I�m okay.� He stopped talking and sighed again. Justin raised his eyebrows in anticipation. JC had called him for a reason, but wasn�t talking. �Uh� JC?� Justin asked. �Why were you calling?� JC was quiet a moment longer before he said, �I hate being so damn shy. I wish I had the nerve to ask you what I have to ask you in person, but I can�t. At least this way, I can�t see your physical reaction. I�ve known you a long time, Justin, and I can read your movements better than anyone else can.� Justin was getting impatient with JC�s pointless babbling when he softly heard JC say in an almost inaudible whisper, �Justin, would you go out with me?� Justin sat, too shocked for words. He had never taken JC for gay. Justin had only come out the previous June, but he had known JC for ten years and had never even sensed that JC was gay. �JC, did you ask me what I think you asked me?� Justin asked incredulously. �Yeah, Justin, I did. I�m gay. I just had an epiphany today when I found myself fantasizing about making love to you. I just realized suddenly that I was gay and that I wanted you to go out with me.� JC said this calm and matter-of-factly, as if it was a normal thing to wake up one morning and realize you were gay and wanting to date your best friend. Justin cleared his throat and said, �Well, hell, JC. I wish I had known this before. I�d love to go out with you; I always thought about how great we could be together. Justin closed his eyes. He could hear the excitement in JC�s voice when JC enthused, �Well, hell, Justin, I�ll pick you up at eight.� Justin smiled and glanced at the clock. It was three. �Great,� he said. �Maybe you can tell him your little fantasy over dinner.� JC laughed. �Maybe. I�ll see you later.� He hung up the phone. JC�s little fantasy, which he decided to tell to Justin, came true that night. |
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