Love is... 1 (Marcus and Justus) - 5. Epilogue

“Okay, so what’s the deal? Are you two officially together yet?” I asked Marcus.

“Don’t even say we’re ‘together,’ you fat ass,” he replied, his voice fluttering with embarrassment… embarrassed enough to want to kick him.

“Why not, shithead? What are you waiting for? Didn’t you say he’s liked you since freshman year?” I tucked my phone under my shoulder and grabbed the headset from my nightstand.
“And you’ve been staring at him forever too, haven’t you? Jesus.”

“I wasn’t staring at him, man! I just think he’s good-looking, that’s all, you asshole.”

I rolled my eyes. “Right, Mr. Tough Guy. Always playing hard to get. I’m so bored of it.”

“And another thing— we only talked about this yesterday, okay? We have to see him at school tomorrow, and I don’t even know how I’m supposed to act,” Marcus said.

“Dude, you do realize you sound insanely annoying right now?” I chuckled. “Hey, let me plug in this headset real quick—keep talking.”

“Talk about what? I don’t have anything else to say.”

“You’re always mouthy, aren’t you?”

“What mouthy bullshit? I literally have nothing to say. But you— you yap about everything, yet you’ve never actually been in a relationship or seriously talked to anyone, fatso.”

Wow, he really hit me where it hurts.

“I haven’t not been with people,” I said. “I just don’t bother, you know? I’m a pretty boy so I have the right to be picky.”

“Ugh! You cock-faced bastard,” he laughed.

“All right, I’m all set here. You hear me loud and clear?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Hey, Marcus—can I say something serious?” I switched to a more earnest tone.

“What is it?”

“I’m really happy for you, man.”

“Yeah, yeah—I know,” he mumbled, clearly blushing.

“I’m not done yet. I mean it: I’m genuinely happy for you, and I want to see you happy. But if you ever feel confused or run into any problems—whether it’s with Justus or anything else—don’t forget to tell me, okay? I’m always here to talk,” I said.

“Mm, I know. Thanks a lot, dude,” Marcus said.

“Sure, I’ve never had a boyfriend—I might be inexperienced, but I can still be useful to you, right?”

“You’re a huge help,” he admitted. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d never have realized any of this, and I’d probably keep hiding.”

Hearing those simple words made me blush too. My heart felt like it was swelling, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. I’m really glad I can be there for my friend.

“Then you’d better hurry up and get a real girlfriend, fatass. Stop watching porn and jerking off alone—go find some actual pussy to help you out,” Marcus laughed.

“Shut your mouth! You’re no different, man. When you get laid, don’t forget to tell me, haha—I wanna know whether your bamboo worm or Justus’s earthworm is bigger, heehee!”

“Fuck you! That’s gross! And what about yours, you sardine-dick? Three for ten cents? Be careful—if you actually get a girlfriend, they’ll freak when you whip that out. They’ll be like, ‘What’s that tingle? Feels like I just got pricked by a needle!’”

“Dickwad! It may be thin, but it’s a garland-pinning needle, damn it! Open your mouth one more time, and I’ll shove a real needle down your throat, you animal!”

“Ew, dude! You’re disgusting! I’m hanging up—gotta call Justus now.”

“Aw, jealous much? Planning calls with him already?”

“No, I’m not planning anything—I just want to call him.”

I couldn’t help grinning. “Aww, how sweet—smoochy-smoochy, wheee!”

“Knock it off, you beast. Bye. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah—good luck, man.” I said, just as he hung up.

I tossed my phone aside, yanked off the headset, and lay back staring at the ceiling, a smile spreading across my face. Seeing my best friend this happy really made me happy too.

I got out of bed, hit play on some music, then flopped back onto the mattress. Suddenly, I remembered something important—Marcus’s promise to me:

“Holy shit—I never got to see him strip down and do that dance!”

So what do you think what love is for Marcus and Justus?