Only Ones Who Know - Derp Crew High School AU

Chapter 17: Can I Stay Alive Forever?

"True, you should see the sign we all made for it."

I cocked my head in confusion. "You made a sign? Like, one of those big signs people take to concerts and stuff?"

He thought about it. "Well, it's not that big..."

Johanna mumbled, "that's what she said", under her breath, making Tom blush and me laugh. We made it to our hall and he let her go, giving her a quick kiss before having to leave. The two of us continued to talk about tonight, and our plans to meet up at my house with In N' Out after it's over.

My nervousness faded away, especially after I saw Steven at lunch. He had a smile on his face and I could see his fingers practicing how to strum the notes. With all of our friends and family there to support us, I know we'll do great.

~~~

The school day is over and I make my way to the front to wait for Steven. We don't have to be back on campus for the show until 6:30, and it starts at 7:30, so I'm going home with him to get ready. I join Cielo at our usual spot while he came from the other end of school.

"Hey, Mr. Superstar," she greeted, twirling her earbud. "Still excited?"

"You bet. I'm just waiting on my duet partner to show up."

"Awww, cute! You'll do fine, don't worry."

"You should have entered, Ci-Ci. You would blow everyone away."

She scrunched her nose and shook her head. "Maybe next year. I didn't wanna go up against you and split Dad's loyalty."

I chuckled and pinched her side, then felt as a pair of hands covered my eyes. "Hey Chilly Willy," Steven whispered. He then spoke normally, "Hey, Cielo."

She waved and he removed his hands. I stood up to collect my bag. "See you later, Ci-Ci. Don't forget, doors open at 6:45."

"Got it," she mumbled when Dad's car pulled up. "See you then!"

We headed to Steven's car in the almost-empty parking lot. I crawled in the front seat and threw my bag in the back. Steven came in a second later and buckled up, another huge smile crossing his face.

"What?" I asked playfully. "You're always smiling at me, you weirdo."

"With a boyfriend this handsome, I have every right to be." I sneaked him a cheek peck before he pulled out onto the main road to his house. The drive to his house was pretty quiet, but I could tell that Steven had something on his mind that was more than just the show. At the last red light before his road, I reached over and brushed his arm, catching his attention.

"Are you okay, babe?" I asked. "You seem a little tense."

"I'm fine. It's just... I'm ready to stop hiding, Anthony. And with us going on stage in front of half our classmates, I'm feeling a little nervous. I don't want to hide who we are anymore. And I definitely don't care what anyone has to say about us."

"So, do you want to come out? As in, all the way? Are you comfortable with doing that?"

He nodded. "I'm comfortable as long as you are."

We pulled into his driveway and I pulled him over the center console for a kiss. "Then I'm ready too." He smiled, which will always cause my worries to go away. "As long as I have you by my side, I can pull through anything."

We stayed at his house for the next three hours, practicing through a couple times, listening to other music, and getting dressed. I decided to wear a blue button-up, my bow tie from Valentine's Day, and dark jeans. It's nothing too fancy, but it was the style we agreed on.