Westpoint Tales

by Kiwi

Entangled Tales - 25 - Justin

They got back in the car and waited for Justin. He came out, escorted by several rough-looking Carvers, and got in the back. "I have to go and see Jeremy's lawyer now. Would you drop me off at Mr. Roselli's office please?"

Kathleen, resignedly, said, "Okay, Son, if you have to."

They left him there and returned to the Adelphi. Jonathan went straight up to their room to listen to the CD. When he came back down Kathleen could see that he'd been crying. "Jonathan, what's wrong?"

He grinned and hugged her. "I'm fine, Gran. Everything's beautiful. I've gotta go out, I'm taking the car. See you later Gran."

"Wait. Jonathan, what about the shopping? We've got to get your school gear."

He stopped, looked at the clock, and said, "Bugger! Okay, but can we do that now - right now? There's something I have to do, but it'll keep a while."

On the way out, they met Justin coming in the front door. He had an odd look on his face.

"Are you all right, Justin?"

"Yes, thank you Grandmother. I can't see Mr. Roselli until next week, he's away at court in Brownsville. I'll just have to wait patiently. I am not very good at that. I might as well go and rest now. Are you going to do the shopping?"

"That's right. Catch you later, Brother. I might be a while, but I'll be back. You'll just have to wait - patiently."

By the time Kathleen and Jonathan got back to the hotel it was almost lunchtime. He looked at the kitchen clock. "Whooah. Look at the time. Gotta go, Gran. I'll unpack the stuff later." He hurried out and drove away at speed.

Arriving back at the school as they were coming out for lunch, Jonathan went in and found Peter Lewis. They both came out, got in the car and drove around to Peter's home as Jonathan wanted his help to re-record the CD.

Several hours later, Jonathan came home, along with Peter and Jay, Claire and Carl. He left them in the lounge, brought Bob, Kathleen and Connors in to join them, and then went upstairs to get Justin.

The brothers came down to the lounge and Justin was grumbling. "What's this about? What did you have to wake me up for? Oh. Hey Everyone - Claire! What is this Jonathan?"

"Stop your moaning. Sit down and shut up. Peter, turn it on please."

They all sat around the room and listened to the song. Justin's song, but with changes as Jonathan's voice had been added now as well. A new version of 'Unchained Melody'. The first verse was Justin's voice alone. The second was Jonathan's. The third verse was both of them singing together in beautiful harmony.

Justin - "Oh, my love. My darling - I've hungered for your touch, a long, lonely time.
And time, goes by, so slowly - And time can do so much - are you , Still mine?
I need your love. I need your love - God speed your love - to me.
Jonathan - "Lonely rivers flow, to the sea, to the sea. To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me. I'll be coming home, wait for me.
Justin & Jonathan - "Oh, my love, my darling - I've hungered (Hungered!) for your touch
A long lonely time. And time, goes by, so slowly. And time can do so much
Are you ? Still Mine ? I need your love. I (I) need your love
God speed your love to me.

There wasn't a dry eye in the room as the reunited brothers stood and embraced each other. Silently crying over each other's shoulders. Connors broke the spell, smiling through her own tears.

"I wish I had a bloody camera. Peter, can I get a copy of that disc please? Well, two copies actually, one to take home, and one to play next time they're bitching at each other in my kitchen."

The identical, teary, brother's faces both turned to her, sticking their tongues out and giggling."

The next day they went off to school together in Jonathan's car. (He had offered to take the car back to his adopted parents, but they told him to keep it.) Justin happily, proudly, escorted his brother around the school - though the teachers made them sit far apart in the classrooms.

By lunchtime they were starting to niggle at each other again. But each time they started, Claire or one of the others, would shut them up by singing, "Oh, My love." Which got grins every time.

When they went in for the last class of the day, art, Jonathan sat down in the seat where he was directed and looked at the boy there next to him. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey, yourself." Came the reply.

"This is the third time I've had to sit next to you today. I'm Jonathan Shaw, what's your name?"

"Hello Jonathan Shaw. I'm Daniel O'Brien. I'm new here too, that must be why they keep lumping us together."

"That's all right, I don't mind. You don't smell. Haven't you got any friends of your own though?"

"Yeah, I've got some friends. But everyone sits in pairs, don't they? You'll do - you don't smell either."

"Well, thank you very much!" Jonathan grinned. "Nice to meet you too."

"Will you two over there be quiet please," interrupted the teacher. "I will do the talking here, thank you."

After school, Jonathan went off with Daniel, Toddy, Jinks and Max, to the Square to play football - well, Jinks went to watch, the others played. Justin went with Claire, Carl and Dee to the school hall where auditions for Oliver Twist were starting.

They walked into the hall and were greeted enthusiastically by Mrs. Lewis, but she only had eyes for one of them. "Justin! Great. So glad that you're joining us. I knew this was going to be a good year. How would you like to be Oliver? You'd be perfect."

"Umm, hello and no thanks, Mrs. Lewis. I told Claire that I'd come and watch. So that's what I'm doing - watching."

"Well, okay. You watch then, and listen, and think about it. The part's yours if you want it."

Claire nudged him. "Told you so. Told you so. Hello Mum, just call me Nancy."

"Yes. We'll see Claire. I told you, you'll have to audition like everyone else."

Everyone except Justin, eh?"

"Yes, except Justin. I've heard you sing, Justin, and I know that you're the best."

"Come on, Mum. You've heard me sing a hundred times. I really want to be Nancy."

"Well you will be, Dear, if you are the best. There’s a few others who would like the part as well. You'd better all sign up over there, for the parts you want, and take a number. I've got to get back. Remember, Justin, you're the star if you want it."

Claire, Carl and Dee were sorting through the clipboards on the table, Justin stood looking around the hall. He smiled when he saw a familiar face, and frowned at the look he got back. He turned and looked at the clipboards, searching to see which role Billy Mathieson wanted.

They sat together at the back of the hall, waiting and watching the stream of auditioners coming up on the stage. Number 14, Billy Mathieson went up on the stage and sang 'Where is Love', the main song for the role of Oliver. Justin listened and watched with rapt attention, but he frowned when Mrs. McElwee, Mrs. Lewis' assistant, cut the song short. "Thank you, Mr. Mathieson. We've heard enough, thank you."

Claire had already gone forward. Justin turned to Dee, "What did she cut him off for. I was enjoying that."

"Yeah. Well you would be, Gayboy. She cut him off because they've heard enough. It doesn't matter whether he's good or not - they're not going to give a starring role to a Carver in this town. He'll be lucky if he gets on the stage at all, back of the chorus, maybe, but he's never going to be Oliver."

"Well that's wrong. They can't cut him off because of his family."

"They can, Justin. They do," said Carl. "It would upset the whole town if a Carver got a starring role. Nobody would come to see us."

"It's not right! They can't. I am going to fix this." He got up and went down to talk to Mrs. Lewis.

Dee grinned at Carl, "Just won't be told will he? I think our boy's got a lot to learn about life in Westpoint."

"Mrs. Lewis, can I have a word please?"

"Of course, Justin. What is it?"

"I have been watching. I've changed my mind, I would like to be in the play please."

"Terrific Justin. Great! Okay, that's one role settled - you will be Oliver Twist."

"No thank you, Ma'am. Not Oliver. I would like to be the Artful Dodger."

"The Artful Dodger? No, that's not you. You'd be perfect as Oliver, but I can't see you as the Dodger."

"Mrs. Lewis, I want the role of the Dodger. Can I go up on the stage and sing? If I am good enough, I want that role and I want Billy Mathieson to be Oliver."

She looked at him, her eyes widening. "I..umm...er. Well, we've got to see this anyway. Mr. Squires, would you play 'Consider Yourself' - the Artful Dodger's song for Justin."

Justin limped up on the stage, nodded at the pianist, and when the song started, he became the Artful Dodger - complete with dancing, cheeky grins and mannerisms and a cockney accent. He spun and twirled, knelt down at the end and looked at his judges - grinning.

They both rose to their feet, amazed. Then Mrs. Lewis, and most of the hall, applauded loudly.

"Brilliant Justin. Absolutely Brilliant. I never would have thought.... You ARE the Artful Dodger. Terrific. The part is yours, no doubt about that. It's yours if you want it."

"Thank you Mrs. Lewis. I will....if. You know the deal - all or nothing."

"But, no. Justin, I couldn't, you just don't know."

"I do know, I know more than you think. All or nothing, thank you, Mrs. Lewis."

He left the stage and returned to his seat. Dee leant over and kissed his cheek, "Great Justin."

Carl touched his shoulder. "I'm not kissing you, but that was bloody brilliant Justin. That's me out as the Artful Dodger."

Embarrassed again, he sat down. "Thank you, Dee. Thank you, Carl. Be quiet now."

When the auditions were finished, Mrs. Lewis stood up and announced that they would make the decisions and the results would be up on the school notice board on Thursday. She thanked everyone, then came straight up to where the friends were sitting.

"Justin, please, won't you reconsider? You'd make a brilliant Artful Dodger, Hell, I suspect that you could play any of the roles, even Nancy."(That got a scowl from Claire.) "But I can't. We just can't have that boy as Oliver. He might make an Artful Dodger, if I dared put him on the stage at all, but not Oliver. Not sweet, innocent Oliver - we'd be laughed out of town. It's got nothing to do with his ability Justin. This is politics. He is a Carver and this is Westpoint. There's some things we just can not do."

"He who dares, wins Mrs. Lewis. Both of us or nothing, I'm sorry."

"But...What if I give him the Dodger? Would you be our Oliver then?"

"No, thank you Ma'am. I will be the Dodger if Billy is Oliver. That is all."

"No compromise Justin?"

"Don't know the meaning of the word."

"No. All right then, I'll talk to Mrs. Lowry, and I'll think about it. No promises now."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He got up and left the hall without looking back. If he had, he would have seen a stunned Billy Mathieson looking at him.

On Thursday, at the morning break, Justin, Lucas, Claire and Dee were making their way over to the school notice board, when they met a beaming Billy Mathieson coming back.

"Reynolds! She's done it - she's actually fucking done it! You are the Artful Dodger and I'm going to be Oliver Twist. Fucking Ace, Man. I didn't think she'd ever. I know what you did - I don't know why, but I know that you did it. Thanks Reynolds - Justin, thanks."

Looking a bit overwhelmed and embarrassed, he hurried away.