"Justin"

“Justin”

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Justin whispered as we lay at the bottom of a heap of tangled, sweaty bodies, bruised arms, and scraped knees. We were on the winning side of a pick-up football game.
“NO! Dork! I’m tougher than that!” I hissed back at him, disgusted he would treat me like a girl.
Justin grinned his geeky grin at my agitation. That grin always made me melt. It was the same sort of smile seen on a two-year-old who has discovered a half-eaten sucker in the sandbox. Sand and someone else’s germs aren’t important: the candy is the point, no matter what shape it is in.
Before the pile had dispersed enough for us to get up, Justin kissed my cheek. He couldn’t pass up this rare opportunity. He had no fear of being punched because I was pinned to the ground. As was custom, I threatened to “get him” when we could finally stand. He grinned again at my idle threat. He seemed to understand that I loved him just as much as he loved me, despite my treatment of him in public. After all, I was a popular girl, and he was just a geek. It would have been against the laws of middle-school hierarchy for me to openly acknowledge my crush on him.
Finally, we could see daylight. Jumping to his feet, Justin gently tried to take my hand and help me up. A growl of protest emanated from my throat as I tried to swat away his chunky hand. He ignored the growl and wrapped his much bigger hand around my smaller one. As I was rising, feelings of warmth, love and security pricked at my heart.
Fighting back tears, and on my feet again, the football game melted away as I looked at this tall, awkward boy, who was my best friend. Some of his mussed blonde hair hid one of his sapphire blue eyes. His chubby cheeks were aglow from physical activity. He stood a good six inches taller than me. Dirt streaked the sweaty t-shirt that clung to his chunky frame. It was in such contrast to his normal neatness. The dirt and sweat drove him crazy, but he would play anyway because I loved the game. Computer games and nerdy activities were his cup of tea (nobody got hurt or dirty), but he would play his uncoordinated heart out. Football made me happy and it was the only time the popular boys accepted him. I was fighting the urge to kiss him.
A slap on the back awoke me from my quiet admiration of Justin. It was time for the next play. The quarterback handed the ball off to me, and I broke into a run. Jumping over bodies, and escaping tackles, I was almost to the end of the line when I realized no one had blocked this big, fat kid who was going to crush me. I braced myself for the impact, but in a rare show of speed and agility, there was Justin, knocking the kid’s fat ass in the dirt. I was home free.
Justin broke his collar bone that day, protecting me. It was just one of many occasions when he put injury (both physical and mental) to himself aside, for my benefit. He loved me unconditionally and never minded showing it, no matter what the cost to himself.
We were slated to spend all of high school together, but tragedy knocked on my door, and I had to move, without the chance to tell him good-bye, or to say out loud what I always felt for him inside. I’ve often wondered whatever became of my wonderful geek, Justin. If our paths crossed today, I’m certain it would be me who wouldn’t fit in at his table.