A few more years pass and Matthew is in high school and 17. It was nearing Halloween and he was at the mall with Christine trying to decide on a costume to wear for the nation’s Halloween party. His brother was hosting this year and Matthew was looking forward to the whole thing. Admittedly his friend wasn’t aware of who was going to the party or even that Matthew was a nation, he had managed to keep that from her in the 12 years they had known each other. He had tried to get her an invitation to the party but Alfred had said no, flat out. Matthew had pouted at that but was dealing with it just fine since he could still go to the school’s Halloween dance.
Which leads us back to what the two friends were doing.
“So Matthew, you’re finally going to tell him, right?”
Blushing madly as he looks through the costumes on the rack he manages to stutter out an answer. “Ye, yeah. So I need to find something really good to wear to my brother’s party.”
“I know. I really wish I could come, I don’t understand why I can’t though.”
“Well he is going to be having a lot of his business associates there, so that could be why he turned me down when I asked if you could come.” Matthew knew for a fact it was. His brother had told him no since this was a nations only party. There would be too much of a risk of her finding out about all of them if she did go.
“So what sort of things does Gilbert like, you should probably try and dress in something he’ll like, you know to impress him or grab his attention.”
Still blushing Matthew answers. “Well he likes cute things so I was actually thinking maybe a girl’s costume or something. You know, something really cute.”
Christine grins at her friend before trying to hold back a laugh. “Really, you’re, oh God, Matt!”
“Wh what?”
“Are you saying that you’re willing to wear something cute and girly just to impress this guy?”
“I, I well yeah.”
“Even though a lot of these people at the party are your brother’s associates, like big wigs for corporate powerhouses and stuff, right?”
“Uh, well, sort of. But, uh, I don’t think they’ll care. Some of them cross dress too.”
Christine blinks. “How many gay people do you know? Seems like everyone you know through your brother is gay, even your brother is gay. How many times have we walked in on him and his boyfriend making out on the couch?”
“More often than I’d like, at least you’ve never been there to walk in on more than that.”
They stare at eachother for a moment as both register what Matthew had just admitted.
“I’m going to forget you said that and you are going to get some brain bleach and wipe that from your memory and we can both live happily in blissful ignorance.”
“Agreed.”
They went back to browsing the racks when Christine let out a squeal before grabbing a hanger and yanking it off the rack.
“Here, here. Try this one.”
She shoves a white puffy dress into Matthew’s arms and pushes him toward a changing room. matthew complies and goes in to change. After a few minutes he’s poking his head out and blushing madly.
“Does it fit?”
“Ye yeah, but, but Christine I can’t.”
“Oh don’t worry we’re the only two here, let me see it.”
