Chapter 11

9/17/2056

It had been a week since the confrontation with Justin's father. Chad sat in a chair next to Justin's bed and held his hand.

"I miss you and your smile," Chad said. "I really want to see those beautiful eyes again," he said. Chad was about to stand up when he felt movement under his hand. As he faced the bed, he held his breath. Emerald eyes returned his gaze.

"Chad?" Justin expressed his confusion.

"I've missed those wonderful eyes of yours," Chad said as he wrapped his arms around him.

Justin glanced down at his hand; his eyes trailed up to the IV. He looked at it with a puzzled look.

"Why is there an IV in my hand?" he asked.

"Do you remember anything after you confronted your father?" Chad asked. Justin shook his head.

"My brain is fuzzy," he said. "I remember hearing your voice, then everything went black," he said. "How long have I been asleep?" Justin asked.

"A week," Chad said.

"Are you kidding me?" Justin asked. "A week?"

Justin noticed the dark circles under Chad's eyes and how puffy they were.

"Have you been crying?" Justin asked. "Did you sleep at all?" he asked.

"When you passed out, I thought I had lost you," Chad said, sniffling.

"I'm fine," Justin said. "Get some sleep," he said. Chad opened his mouth to object, but he heard, "No objections." "Go lay down," Justin said.

"Yes, your majesty," Chad said, bowing. Justin chuckled. Both boys laid down on their respective beds and rested.

9/22/2056

Chad was in the bedroom, sitting at the desk, drinking hot cocoa, when Nurse Parker entered. She glanced at Chad while checking Justin's vitals.

"You look a lot better," she said while she removed the IV. "The bags under your eyes are almost gone," she said.

"Thanks," Chad said. "Since Justin woke up, I have been more relaxed and can breathe again," he said. That afternoon, Chad knocked on the bedroom door. "Justin, are you in there?" he asked. He leaned an ear close to the door but didn't hear anything.

He heard running water in the bathroom nearby. Chad reached out his hand and knocked. The sound of running water stopped.

"Who is it?" Chad heard Justin ask.

"It's me," Chad said. "I just wanted to see if you were alright," he said.

"I'm fine," Justin said. "I'm going to take a hot bath," he said.

"Okay, I was just wanting to ask you something, but it can wait," Chad said. Chad turned away and headed to the living room.

Justin stared at the bathroom door for several seconds before turning off the hot water. He stepped into the tub and leaned back against the back of the tub. Justin sighed softly and let the water soothe him. He remembered hearing that Chad wanted to ask him something.

"I wonder what he was going to ask me," Justin said to himself. Justin felt happy that Chad was relaxed enough to let him be alone for a little while instead of acting like a mother hen.

When the water turned cool, Justin got out, drained the tub, and dried off. Justin wrapped the towel around his waist and headed into the bedroom. He entered his walk-in closet and rummaged through his clothes. Justin grabbed a peach hoodie and light gray sweatpants. He brushed out his hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Justin hung the necklace around his neck and headed out the door.

Chad was sitting on the couch, watching TV, when Justin entered the living room.

"Hi there," Justin said, sitting down beside him.

"Hello," Chad said. "How was your bath?" he asked.

"Soothing," Justin said. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Um, I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day at the lake," Chad said.

"As in a date?" Justin asked. His cheeks were turning bright pink. There was an uneasy silence between them.

Chad stood up and turned to leave. "Forget I asked," he said. "It was a stupid idea," he said. Chad took two steps when a hand grasped his arm. "I'd like to go to the lake with you," Justin said. Chad grinned from ear to ear when he faced Justin.

"Is next week alright with you?" Chad asked, sitting back down.

"That would be fine with me," Justin said, nodding his head. "What will we do?" he asked.

"Let's keep an eye on the weather, then plan everything," Chad said.

"Okay," Justin said, nodding his head.

The next day, after he ate his breakfast, took his medication, and did ten minutes of meditation, Justin searched through his clothes for the right outfit. His bed was covered with clothes. Carrying an armful of clothes, Justin stopped when he heard the bedroom door open. Selene stood in the doorway.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, eyeing the pile of clothes.

"No," Justin said, shaking his head. He laid the armful of clothes on the bed with the rest. "I'm trying to decide what to wear," "Chad asked me out on a date," he said, blushing.

"Hon, just be yourself," Selene said. "Don't try to impress him," she said.

Justin found an outfit that consisted of a peach and white hoodie and dark gray slacks. He hung it in the far corner of the closet and put away the rest of his clothes. Now he must choose between sneakers and boots.

"If I'll be doing a lot of walking, these boots will kill my feet," Justin said to himself. He set the sneakers on the closet floor under his chosen outfit. Justin stood in front of his floor-length mirror and tilted his head from side to side.

"Maybe I should cut it," he mumbled. Justin shook his head and said, "I can't do that,"

9/22/2056

Justin was in his room, getting ready for the day. He saw Selene and rushed up to her.

"Nanna, can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've been thinking long and hard," Justin said. "I want my hair cut," he stated. Ten minutes later, Justin sat in a chair in the spare bathroom.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Selene asked, holding the scissors.

"Yes," Justin said.

"Is it because of your friend?" she asked, smiling.

"I want a change, and this is part of it," Justin said.

With a few snips and the buzz of a clipper against his neck, the trimming was done. Justin rose from the chair and stood in front of the mirror. He looked at the person in the mirror, and the image returned his gaze. Except for the jewel-like green eyes, the person in front of him was completely different. He wasn't Prince Justin Musa anymore. He was simply Justin Musa, a 17-year-old young man going on his first date.