When The Heart Guides The Hand (Johnilyn)

Chapter 5

He stared at me, smiling hopefully.

"Uh, yeah. Just let me call my mom first, and uh, let her know I won't be coming home."

"Okay." He smiled again and went to go talk to Debbie.

I went into Aaron's kitchen to dial my mom. It took her forever to answer the phone, but when she did she sounded pissed.

"Hello?!"

"Hey mom, I'm, uh, gonna spend the night with my friend."

"Aaron?"

"No. His name's Brian."

"John, haven't we talked about this last minute shi-"

"He's gonna tutor me in math."

"Oh. Well in that case, you can go. Lord knows you need help there. See you tomorrow. Love you." Then she hung up.

I went upstairs to say goodbye to Aaron, only to find him in his room staring at something on his wall.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey Johnny."

"What are you up to?"

"Just looking at some of these old pictures. Do you remember this?" He pointed to a picture of the two of us with Leo.

"Yeah, that was the first day of freshman year." I smiled sadly, remembering the day vividly.

"That was also the day you told me you were gay, and that you were in love with Leo."

"Yeah, that too." I stepped closer to the picture. "You know, when I told you that, I was afraid that you would never speak to me again."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. I guess I just feel that way about everybody."

"Well, if there's a day I never speak to you, it'll be because I'm dead." He smiled softly and took the picture off the wall. He held it out to me. "Here, I want you to have it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I know how much he meant to you. And I never want you to forget about the three of us. You know, the three musketeers, as your mom called us."

I laughed. "If only she knew."

"Maybe one day." He smiled assuringly. "Look, I uh, know you don't like to talk about it, but, the night of the uh, accident, what exactly happened?"

"You still don't know?" He shook his head. "Oh. Well we were fooling around on the roof of some building, and he slipped."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Johnny."

"It's not your fault, Aaron. Sometimes I think that it was mine."

"Johnny, it's not like you pushed him off the roof."

"I know, but I just feel like I could have stopped him, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand. But it wasn't your fault. Never forget that."

"Thanks."

"I'm really glad to see that you're back, Johnny."

"Huh?"

He smiled at me and inhaled. "Over the last few years, I've watched you put yourself inside a box. You never allowed yourself to even consider love, and you never opened up to anyone. And now that Brian has come along, I think the old Johnny is back. The Johnny that I know. The goofy one who flirts clumsily and comes up with really bad jokes." He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm glad that you've healed, John. Now, go home with Brian and make passionate love under the moonlight."