AllFreeNovel
Share Us
TheradianceofJustin’ssmile shone from the kitchen, perfectly accompanied by the aroma of coffee. “Everything back to sweet goodness in your world, Phi?” he asked.
I beamed.
He shut the door and lowered his voice. “He’s like a work of art. I mean, you can tell he’s fit through his clothes, but pfwah! Does he often walk round in the buff like that?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder you’ve got it bad.”
“He’s embarrassed. You’re not to say anything about it to him.”
“No, no. But listen, you make sure he knows it’s fine. This is a broad-minded household. If he wants to dance around starkers at any time of day or night, that’s perfectly acceptable.”
“Justin,” I warned, recognising his look of naughty intent just before it changed to accusatory.
“There really was no bad dream.”
“No.”
“Well, who could blame you? In bed with that? Plenty to keep you busy downtown, isn’t there? I had to fight a strong instinct to fall to my knees.”
“Justin! I’m opening this door, and we’re going to behave.”
That said and done, I sat on the worktop and sipped coffee until Aleks emerged, fully dressed, and joined us. A ‘How do you like your coffee?’ exchange took place, during which Justin smiled far too much. Aleks stood between my legs against the worktop, and I kissed him.
“Well, isn’t this lovely?” said Justin. “Mummy and Daddy are happy again. I have a slightly better chance of turning out well balanced, and the sun is shining.”
I rested my head on Aleks’s shoulder and smiled at my friend.
“And I hate to be the one to bring it up, my darlings,” said Justin. “But are we speaking about it? What happened yesterday, I mean, because, one: what the hell was that? We’re all mystery-solving geniuses now? And, two: is it going to happen again? Because I, for one, am not up for it. I have no desire to be a crime-fighting-ballet-super-hero, thank you very much.”
Neither did I.
“Is very bad thought for me also,” said Aleks. “I have such a long and stupid life, many things I would not want you to know.”
I tried not to think about that, about any of it.
“Well, you just have to get over it,” said Justin.
We both looked round at him.
“Look at you, all sweet and happy together, aren’t you? Well, everything you’ve been through, good, bad, stupid; that’s what made you who you are, and put you where you are too. Accept yourselves and each other, and everything will be fine.”
The speech was followed by a digestive hush which was eventually broken by Aleks. “I did not know you are so wise, Justin.”
“I can be extremely insightful at times,” he replied. “I should really write a book.Justin’s Little Book of Wisdom, the perfect stocking filler to give the person with everything or nothing, the one you love, the one you hate… But, putting my perceptive talents aside for a moment, what are we going to do now? Class as normal like nothing happened? Not likely, is it?”
Aleks proposed a plan. We would drive over to college early, right now in fact, and try the amalgamation before anyone else arrived. He was sure there would be no repeat reaction, and it was so good to discover that he was right.
In the early morning light of the studio, we merely performed a strange combination of steps with peculiar music. There was nothing exceptional or frightening about it at all.
After we’d finished, and breathed our collective sighs of relief, Justin put a loud and orally euphemistic song on the studio speaker system.
The mirror and I gave him a look.
Aleks went downstairs to get coffee while I headed for the bathroom to be alone for a moment, to breathe and be calm.
Emerging from the sanctuary a few minutes later, I ran smack into Gavin in the corridor. He didn’t seem so scary anymore either. He was just a stupid man who showed up on Tuesdays.
