Tense

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Ro?" Betty called out softly, knocking on Roan's door before opening it and entering.

Roan was laying on his bed, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. Betty frowned at her son, and sat down next to him. She didn't speak up as Roan shifted and rested his head on her lap. She stroked his head, silently consoling the boy.

Both his moms had been trying to figure out what was wrong, and what suddenly happened between Kai and Roan. Never in the last fifteen years had they seen the two go this long without seeing or talking to each other. Sometimes even when they had fights, Kai would stay over and the two boys would glare at each other over the dinner table, till they calmed down in an hour and went back to normal.

But it was different this time, and both Betty and Lucia knew that. Seeing their son so lost and broken these last few weeks was torturous for them, especially when he wasn't even telling them what went down, and they didn't have a single clue as to how to make him feel better.

"You should start getting ready now." Betty said as she looked at the clock.

"I don't want to go." Roan mumbled.

"It's your senior prom, sweetie," Betty said, "And aren't you nominated for prom king?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does matter," Betty sighed, "You're going to regret it if you don't go."

"Kai will be there," Roan said, "Khaled posted on Instagram. They're all out getting dinner with their dates. He's there too."

"Oh baby.." Betty frowned, "Are you going to tell me what happened between the two of you?"

"No." Roan shook his head.

It's not like he wanted to keep it from his moms or that he wasn't comfortable telling them. But he knew that they would be very angry at Kai for hurting Roan. Kai loved his moms and they loved him, so the blonde didn't want to do anything to damage their relationship.

"Okay," Betty said firmly as she pushed Roan's shoulder, trying to get him to sit up straight, "I'll accept you keeping it from me if you get up right now and start getting ready. I don't care if you don't have a date or if Kai is going to be there. I need pictures of my baby in a tux looking handsome as ever for his senior prom."

"But—"

"No buts. You're getting ready now or I'm taking Luce out for a vacation and asking your grandma to come babysit you while we're gone."

"Which grandma?" Roan narrowed his eyes at Betty.

"Both of them." Betty replied with a devious smile on his face, and Roan's eyes widened in panic.

"Okay, okay, you evil woman, I'll get ready." Roan said as he got up from the bed. Betty got up after him and kissed his cheek before walking out the room.

Roan walked over to his closet, taking out the tuxedo that he got for his aunt's wedding last year. It was just a little loose on him previously, but now it fit like a glove. Roan rummaged through his drawer, trying to find a pair of cufflinks, but instead he found something else.

Back in fifth grade during an arts and crafts class, Roan and Kai made each other friendship bracelets for an activity. It was a colourful knitted bracelet with beads, something that wasn't Roan's style at all, but he loved it with all his heart because whenever he saw it, he remembered the smile on Kai's face when the brunette tied it around his wrist.

Roan took out the bracelet, sliding it on his wrist before pulling his sleeves down. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time, adjusting the collar of his all black tux, before leaving his room and going downstairs.