Justin woke up, feeling better rested. He looked around, confused of where Marcos had gone. He then remembered that he had left, but didn’t say where. Justin decided to go out since there was no reason to be here. He grabbed some clothes from his closet and grabbed his Hann suit. If Marcos really is Polaris and he’s not here, he might be robbing something again and I should be ready… He put on the Hann suit then put on his other clothes over it. He walked into town because he figured he should enjoy the short distance while they still have it.
When Marcos’ suit and shirt had finally finished drying, he snuck into an alley and changed into his Polaris suit. The was McDonalds right across the street that he could rob. It’d be a minor enough robbery that no one should really care… He turned on his heel and went out, straight into McDonalds. People were already evacuating when they saw him, so it was easy to walk up and rip open the cash register in front of a frightened cashier.
Justin was walking down the street when he passed by McDonalds and saw everyone evacuating. He froze when he saw Polaris. That could be Marcos or it could be Marcos. I don’t know. Justin ran around the corner and discarded his street clothes, leaving him in his Hann suit. He decided he need to test if this really was Marcos or not. He stood so he could se Polaris and Polaris couldn’t see him and he pulled out his phone and called Marcos.
Marcos heard his phone buzz in his pocket just as he was grabbing handfuls of cash. He sprinted out of the McDonalds, running towards an alley. The ring ended just as he was reaching for his pocket. Marcos frowned then looked at what he stole. It was a good amount of cash, it might even be enough for the bike… Marcos grinned, and started to strip out of his Polaris suit. No blood this time. He smiled to himself. He handle his job more secretly now, and make sure Justin never saw the suit again.
Justin saw Polaris run into an nearby alley. He didn’t answer and Polaris didn’t react. I don’t know anything yet… Justin tried to reassure himself. He put his phone into his pocket and used his super speed to run into that alley.
Marcos was just done taking off the suit when he froze. Hann -when had he even arrived- was there, seeing him without the costume. Seeing him as Marcos. He took a wobbly step back, dropping the Polaris suit without thinking, “No,” Marcos took another step back. Prison. Criminal. Justin will hate me, “No, no, no, no,” Then Marcos turned, sprinting farther down the alley, abandoning his suit. Tears brimmed at his eyes. No no no no no no no no no! Marcos was going to go the prison for this. Every little piece of his life will fracture into an unrepairable moment.
Hann saw Marcos standing in the alley, Polaris nowhere in sight. Once Marcos saw him he went running, leaving something behind. Justin went over and examined the object. It was the Polaris suit. No. No. He can’t be Polaris. Not the sweet Marcos. Justpicked up the suit and used his super speed to catch up to Marcos.
Marcos turned, fear written all over his face and in his teary eyes as the words tumbled out, “Pl-Please. I c-c-can’t go to jail, I just can’t. My- My- Justin will despise me and-and-and I love him. I don’t want him to hate me, b-but I c-can’t get a job. I’ve tried a thousand times, no one wants a trouble kid who couldn’t even make it through high school.” Marcos’ hand shook as he wiped at his eyes, forced to faced Hann head on finally. This can’t be happening.
Justin froze as he listened to Marcos. He never told me this… and he calls me his Justin… and he fully admitted himself… “So you are Polaris…?” Justin knee the answer but just wanted to hear it.
“No!” Marcos immediately said, though he was sure they both knew the truth. They all knew. He broke down completely, sobbing and shaking, “I-I can’t even buy a-a dang b-bike. It-It’s the only way I can get money and I-I don’t want h-h-him to down down on me because I don’t even have a job.” Marcos just wanted to be home, he just wanted Justin to hold him, he just couldn’t face it right now.
Justin figured he should take advantage of talking to Marcos while he didn't know it was him. "I'm sure that who ever you're talking about won't mind that you don't have a job. Just never lie. If you lie to them they will know." Yeah. I'll now know if he's lying. I don't even know if I can trust him anymore. What else has he lied about?
“B-But I already lied to him. I told him I write paperwork for fire fighters! Do I look like I’m even smart enough to know how to use grammar? And I never told him about this, how could I? I’m a criminal. I’m a disgrace!” Marcos wailed, wrapping his arms around himself, “That’s why I don’t tell him what I like. Because he’s too nice and sweet, he would’ve brought that outfit I liked if I had just told him. And if he knew how I steal for cash… My- My- Justin would h-hate me!” Marcos started choking on his sobs again, burying his face in his hands.
Justin tried to not react much. Even though he was hearing into Marcos’ head for the first time. “Next time you see him just tell him the truth. Forget about the past. Just come out to him. I don’t know they are but I’m sure they’ll be understanding. If you lie to them again, they’ll know and you’ll probably have some consequences.” Justin throw the suit back at Marcos. “I think you might want this…”
Marcos stared at the suit with teary eyes, asking in a quiet hopelessness, “How? How do I tell him? I’m going to prison…” Marcos wouldn’t survive in prison. He wouldn’t survive knowing Justin would hate him, Justin’s family would hate him, how Marcos would hate himself.
“I don’t care on how you tell him. All I care is that you tell him. I’ll give you a SINGLE chance to tell him and if you tell him a single lie I’ll turn you in.” Justin didn’t really want to turn Marcos in but he knew that if Marcos couldn’t tell him the truth he would have to. It pained him that Marcos has lied to him so much. Not the fact that he was Polaris.
Marcos looked up with wide eyes at Hann, “Th-Thank you, oh my gosh, thank you,” He wiped at his tears again, then looked at his Polaris suit, “I-I’ll even get rid of it, I promise.” A chance. I have a chance to keep my life on track. I just need to tell Justin… But what if Justin wants to turn me in? Marcos shook the thought away. If he didn’t tell Justin, he was going to be turned in anyways.
“You have one day. No stretching it out.” Justin looked at Marcos closely, knowing this is what he looks like when he’s not lying. He looked different when you really looked at him. Mostly the way he acts.
“Alright, I promise,” Marcos vowed, nodding his head as if to affirm it. He wiped at his eyes one last time, sniffling just a little as he looked at Hann. What will Justin say… “I’ll go home, I’ll tell him.”
“Good. You go do that.” Justin turned to leave. “I’m going now.” He ran off, going back their apartment. On his way he stopped and picked up his clothes he left in the alley. Once he was home he changed back into his normal clothes and went into bed.
Marcos sat there for a few moments, letting his puffy red face fade. Once he finally got up, he took his suit and got his things, then headed directly towards the apartment, Polaris suit tucked in his previously bloody shirt. As Marcos made his way up to their apartment, he paused in front of the door. Marcos decided to knock this time.
Justin looked up from his bed. He sat up and walked over to the door to answer it. Who could that possibly be? He opened the door to find Marcos standing there. “You know you don’t have to knock, right?”
When Marcos saw Justin… Gosh darn, he broke again, immediately wrapping his arms around Justin as he entered the apartment. He buried his face into the other’s shoulder, dropping his Polaris suit and the previously bloody shirt onto the ground, as the door closed behind him. Little tears fell out of his eyes as he cried, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Justin stumbles back a little as he wraps his arms around Marcos. “Why are you sorry… And where have you been?” Marcos didn’t even notice the stuff Marcos had dropped on the floor.
“I lied. I lied a lot, Justin. I-I didn't want t-to lie, I just c-couldn’t t-tell the t-truth,” Marcos sobbed, tried to hide himself from the world and its consequences in Justin’s arms. He tried to stop cry, he really did, but that only seemed to make him cry harder.
Justin brought Marcos back to sit on the bed. “What did you lie about?” I can’t believe he’s actually tell me the truth. Justin kept a concerned look on his face so Marcos wouldn’t know what he was thinking.
“Can we just skip th-that part? Can’t you j-just skip to- skip to hating me?” Marcos cried, tucking his knees close to his body. This is so bad… I’m going to prison no matter what.
Justin puts his hand on Marcos’ back. “Why would I hate you?” Okay… I might understand why I would hate him. BUT ONLY IF HE LIED TO ME AGAIN. But you know he wouldn’t do that. ARE YOU SURE? HE HASNT TOLD YOU THE TRUTH SO FAR. Justin has inner debat with himself.
“I’m evil, Justin. I’m- I’m- I’m toxic!” Marcos wailed, then pulled away from Justin to curl in on himself, one hand pointing at the Polaris suit on the floor. “I just- I just- I can’t get money, I never even finished high school, Justin, I don’t have a real job. I-I-I steal.” Marcos sobbed more, shaking all over as he cried more, “I’m a disgrace, a failure, a thief, a waste of a life!”
Justin acted surprised. He even added in a little gasp. “What do you mean you’re evil? And I thought you said you had a job and finished high school…”
“Don’t you realize by now? You recognized the pants last night, I’m the guy named Polaris. I didn’t want to lie to you, but- but- you hate me now, and I just loved you so much, I couldn’t tell you how I- I steal to get money. I was selfish,” Marcos explained through his tears, unable to look at Justin. Not wanting to see the anger, the disgust, the hatred.
