彡
Calvin turns to look at the door once more, expecting Dallas to walk through the doorway.
"Maybe he's not coming," his older sister, Carly, says, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"No, he told me he'd be here..."
"Did you call him?"
"Yeah... he didn't answer."
Tonight is Calvin's senior prom and his best friend, Dallas, was supposed to be here. He had graduated a year early, and gone off to base camp, but he said he'd come to prom.
"I'm sorry, Cal," Carly says. "We should go."
Calvin nods and Carly puts the car in drive.
Carly took her little brother in when he was sixteen years old, when their parents were no longer able to care for him.
Calvin adjusts his bow tie in the mirror before he gets out of the car.
"Have fun!" Carly calls out of her window.
"No Dallas?" His friend, Natalie, asks as he walks into the gymnasium.
Calvin shakes his head. "I haven't heard from him."
彡
As soon as Calvin is gone from sight, Carly backs out of the parking lot, rushing home to meet Dallas.
"I still don't know how I feel about you standing my brother up." Carly says unlocking the front door, letting Dallas go ahead of her.
"I just want to surprise him. It's not every day you tell your best friend you're in love with him." Dallas retorts.
"And that's the only reason I'm letting it slide."
Carly reaches up to fix Dallas's hair. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I can be, I guess," Dallas replies nervously.
彡
When Dallas walks into the gym, he sees Calvin almost immediately, laughing at something one of his friends says, then accidentally catches Natalie's eye; shaking his head, he looks for a way to get over to Calvin without being noticed.
"Is that—" somebody begins.
"No. Shut up." Natalie snaps.
Calvin turns his head, but sees nothing.
"Sorry I'm late." A voice says behind him.
Calvin turns around, seeing Dallas holding out a boutonnière.
Calvin takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, my flight got delayed, and I didn't have cell service..." Dallas explains, fastening the boutonnière to Calvin's suit jacket. "I thought I was going to land in time. I need to talk to you. In private."
Grabbing Calvin's wrist, Dallas leads him out to the courtyard, finding a spot where they can be alone and not seen.
"You're not getting sent to the other side of the world, are you?" Calvin asks nervously.
Dallas snorts. "No! No! Thank goodness! I.. dropped out."
"You what?! Is that even allowed? Aren't you considered AWOL or something?"
"No, I got permission. I'm not AWOL, promise."
"So... what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to move back home. Go to college..."
Calvin moves to hug his best friend. "I'm glad you're home."
"Me too," Dallas murmurs into Calvin's neck.
"Well... come on, let's go back in—" Calvin says.
Dallas grabs his wrist. "Wait, Cal."
Calvin looks nervously at Dallas.
"Dal? You're kind of scaring me." Calvin says, looking up since Dallas has a couple of inches on Calvin's six-feet.
Dallas can't get the words to come out, no matter how hard he tries to, standing there open-mouthed like a fish. Calvin glances at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you okay?" Calvin asks. "Did something happen?"
Dallas takes a deep breath, looking at his feet.
"Let's take a walk." Dallas manages. "Come on."
They walk a little bit behind the school, into the forest-y area; Dallas stops. Calvin looks at him.
"I'm happy to be home." Dallas finally says. He can't get the words out.
彡
"How'd it go?" Carly asks when Dallas gets in the car, Calvin saying bye to some friends.
"It didn't. I chickened out." Dallas says.
Carly turns around to look at him. "What? Why?"
"I don't know. He was just looking at me, with those eyes, and I... They wouldn't come out."
The door opens and Calvin slides into the seat.
Silence falls in the car as Carly backs out of the parking lot for the third time that night.
"Go talk to him." Carly tells Dallas when they get back to the house, Calvin standing out in the backyard.
"I know. I know." Dallas says, walking out of the sliding glass door.
Calvin turns around, watching as Dallas walks toward him.
"It's pretty out tonight," Calvin says when Dallas stops beside him.
"I like you." Dallas blurts.
Calvin laughs. "I know."
"What do you mean 'you know'?" Dallas asks.
"I saw the way you looked at me earlier. I wanted you to say it. I didn't want to drag it out of you."
Dallas takes a step back, scoffing, as he smiles at Calvin.
"So... what now?" Dallas asks after a moment of silence.
Calvin laughs again. "I think now you should kiss me."
Dallas moves closer to Calvin, closing the gap between them, kissing him lightly, his hand cupping the side of Calvin's face.
Dallas pulls back, seeing the moonlight on Calvin's face and smiles.
"You're so beautiful," he whispers.
"And you're mine." Calvin tells him.
"Possessive, are we?"
Calvin bites his lip, tipping his face up. "You should know that by now."
Calvin pulls out of Dallas's grip, going back inside.
Dallas waits a minute before he follows Calvin, ignoring Carly's smirk.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't do it." Carly says.
Dallas turns red. "I-We—" he stammers.
When Dallas comes into Calvin's bedroom, Calvin is taking off his bow tie.
"Your face is bright red." Calvin teases.
"Yeah. I- Carly." Dallas finally says.
Calvin sits down on his bed beside Dallas, taking a deep breath, grabbing his hand, sending shivers up his spine.
They try to watch a movie, but both being so tired, they end up just falling asleep, cuddled up together.
10/13/2022
