Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

Even as an incoming freshman he was out and proud, unlike some of his classmates. The Conservatory itself, for the most part, was filled with creative, open-minded people. For many incoming students, it was the first place they'd ever been, where they felt they could be themselves. Nobody cared if you were gay or straight, other than to label you into the respective dating pools.
    Friendly environment or not, coming out was really tough for some students, especially those coming from super-conservative upbringings. Jase kept his door open to anyone who wanted to talk, and every year he listened patiently and supported a lot of kids as they came out to their classmates. Jase was also talented, a triple threat, so his peers looked up to him and respected him. People came to him for advice on everything from relationships, to audition songs. For the most part, Sean had been a quiet observer of the chaos that daily surrounded Jase at school. He and Jase had lived down the hall from each other for three years in the dorms. Sean didn't participate in all the day to day gossip and drama that was life for most at the Conservatory. He just wanted to play music. He did his work, and kept his head down. Looking back though, Jase had taken care of him then too. They had just clicked as friends from the very first day they met. He had always gone to Jase's dorm room to unwind, he had spent hours on Jase's ratty futon watching movies, playing video games, listening to music, and talking. He often crashed on that futon, and always stayed there talking to Jase long after everyone else went to bed.
    Jase came back in, beers in hand, and handed Sean a bottle of Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde Ale saying, "Sorry," he said, wrinkling his nose, "this was all that was left."
    Sean grinned, he was a little embarrassed, but figured he could tell Jase the truth. "They're actually mine."
    Jase settled back on the left side of the couch and raised an eyebrow.
    "Really, I used to tell everyone they were Lisa's, but, truth is, I buy them for me." Jase sniffed his bottle, took a sip, and made a face. Sean shot him a look. "They're seasonal, and you can't get them except for now. Don't be making faces, I look forward to them all year."
    "I'm not judging you, I just forgot that you like girly beer." Jase snorted. Sean rolled his eyes in response, and reached out to rub the top of Jase's wooly head in what used to be a familiar gesture. They both looked at each other.
    "I've missed you," Sean confessed in a very quiet voice.
    "Missed you too, Tag."
    "So many things have happened, and I thought about calling you so many times." Jase nodded and Sean continued, "But, I didn't want to hang out with you and pretend everything was okay, you know? Like if I didn't admit it, to you or anyone, it wasn't really falling apart. It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud, but that's it. Well, that and the fact that there's no time to think about anything when you're taking care of a baby. I hardly slept Cody's whole first year." His two years as the band and music teacher at Quince High had been exhausting. The second year hadn't been quite as bad. By then, Cody was actually on a sleep schedule, and at least he hadn't been planning his classes from scratch.
    "I was busy too, Tag." Jase sighed. "That first assistant stage manager gig I got was a nightmare, the company was a disorganized mess, and the director was nuts. My next job at Signature was better, but even more demanding. I could have called though. I'm sorry I didn't."
    Signature Theatre was one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country, even Sean knew that. He and Lisa had gotten a sitter for Jase's opening night in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd at Signature, and ended up sitting in the same row as Stephen freaking Sondheim, which Sean considered one of the coolest things that had ever happened to him. He knew Jase had been rotating between performing and stage managing ever since, but Sean had stopped calling him sometime after that. Sean should have called, and he knew it. He opened his mouth to tell Jase so, when Jase continued, "Then Marcus and I called it quits when he left for New York."
    "You didn't even call me to tell me about Marcus, you know. I found out from Sandy Lampkins when my kids played at the Art Barn last winter." The Art Barn was one of the few cultural venues actually in Gaithersburg, Maryland where Sean taught, and the Barn's Director Sandy, was a former Conservatory