Just Friends [✓]

16. Promises

[VOTE & COMMENT to vote for Spencer and Ethan as Junior Prom Kings.]

A/N: Keep up! There is a POV switch. It is in BOLD and kind of hard to miss.

Chapter 16 – "Promises"

At Last – Etta James

Spencer's POV

"Richard Styles, Alex Brighton, Brody Rhodes, Mathew Gonzalez, Spencer Haynes."

Ethan blinked as his hand slid off of white broad sheet with the names of the boys who were nominated for Junior Prom King. He swallowed harshly and looked my way with way too much sadness in his eyes, "I wasn't nominated?"

I patted his shoulder, "There's always next year."

He casually shrugged my hand off and leaned against the wall, hiding the sheet in the process. "I might be dead next year." He moaned, "Isn't the world supposed to end in December or something? This could be my one moment that I remember forever."

I rolled my eyes, "First off, The Mayan calendar thing is the media taken sensationalized bull and running with it, second, when since winning Junior Prom the highlight of anyone's life besides that one underachieving, ex-high football playing guy who was popular in high school and now is in the cheap bar down the street?"

"How the hell are you nominated and I'm not?" he continued, basically ignoring everything I just said. He kicked his feet sourly and lowered his head, "I'm the guy here."

"Woah, there partner, watch it." I barked, "I'm just as much guy as you are."

He didn't even make eye contact; instead, he raised his left arm and curled it back to flex his bicep, "Maybe I should start working out more."

I smacked him on his forehead and his head instantly snapped back; as well eyes his eyes back to me. He rested an angry open palm across the reddening area and growled lowly at me, "I'm in a crisis right now, Spence!" he spat and it came more so cuter than it did angry. The situation at hand was far too stupid to take his rising ire to heart.

For his sake, I suppressed the laughter that was bubbling and brimming at the back of my throat, "Ethan, this isn't that serious. It's just a stupid crown."

"Then forfeit."

I scoffed, "And lose to Mathew? Not a chance."

He pouted and gave me his best set of puppy eyes, "Not even for me?" I raised a brow and blinked and once he got the answer that stared (or blinked) him in the face, his head smacked the board, "You're a monster."

I shrugged, "You knew that before you started dating me." I muttered, causally playing with my fingernails.

After a few little seconds of silence, he radomly exploded. "So what am I supposed to do? Just let some chick dance with you while I watch on as someone wraps their arms around your waist and sways?"

"No." I responded as calmly as I could; hopefully not erupting like he was would give him a hint that he was – once again – blowing things up bigger than they actually were. "We are going to dance and have fun and party and celebrate each other. So what if I have to share a three minute dance to a Micheal Bolton song with some broad? If she isn't carrying a penis and isn't named Ethan Littman, then it means nothing."

Half way through my calm reply, his chest's erratic puffing had slowed and his heartbeat that practically echoed up and down the empty hall could have all but stopped; so, by the time I was done with proclamation, he was still and silenced with seemingly no 'angry-boy' retort in him.

"I love you – you, Ethan. So man up and act rational."

He gave me a stiff nod after a few seconds and leaned forward slowly with eyes dead set on my mouth. I planned to meet him half way with my own set of puckered up lips but his phone's annoying rap ringtone stopped us before we got started. He pulled back with an irritated sigh and reopened his eyes before looking down at the screen of his phone.

"I've got to go." he mumbled.

I swallowed lightly, "Who is it?"

"Nobody." He answered quickly and for the briefest of seconds, I saw a flash of guilt run through his darkly colored eyes. It was strange because I was positive that if I didn't know what was going on I would have missed it which was strange since I could write the lexicon on what each of his facial expressions meant.

I nodded a response, "Okay, well, if you don't have anything else to tell me, I'll catch up with you later."

That same brief spark twinkled again and disappeared as he leaned towards me and placed a kiss on my cheek that was cute, small, simple and the first one he had given me since we became official that wasn't connected to my lips.

He span on his heels clumsily and practically bolted down the hall. I huffed drearily and leaned against the wall before the heels of Karla sounded from around the corner where her and Abby were hidden and listening to our conversation.

I turned to meet her worried eyes as well as Abby's softer ones. "I'm sorry, Spence."

"I thought for sure he would have told me if I responded well to him not being nominated." I admitted and once again leaned up on the wall.

Abby sighed and came closer, wearing a yellow sundress with jeans under, "He's scared."

I rolled my eyes, "He's lying as well." I looked over to Karla, "Did you reprint the real nomination list with his name on it?"

She shook her head, "Not yet, and you're damn lucky that I'm on this damn committee."

I rolled my eyes playfully at her, "Remind me to thank you in my coronation speech Saturday night, then."

Abby tried to laugh but her smile was basically gone before it got a chance to grow, "So, what are you going to do?"

I remained silent and Karla stepped forward and rested a hand on my shoulder, "Has he called you back?"

I nodded and looked at her, "We spoke the same day Austin dropped had bombshell on me."

Abby leaned forward, "And?"

"It's true. Ethan and Austin dated back in March. They broke up, Austin was angry so he targeted me to torture Ethan. Apparently, I was just seconds late to watch the fireworks myself in the park."

"Thank God," Abby muttered, "This would have been much worse if you saw the both of them together."

Karla nodded, "I have to agree. You're level headed for the most part, Spence but, when you get angry, you're more dangerous than a hungry bear."

"I'm taking that as a compliment." I quipped and briefly looked down at my watch and groaned, "I better get home; my parents are having a Welcome home, Kai-slash-Congratulations Spencer family dinner."

Karla dry heaved, "I'd rather be dipped in lava than sit through family dinners." She shivered, "What are you celebrating anyway?"

"My 4.0 Grade Point Average that will get me into all my AP classes for senior year."

Abby cocked her head, "Isn't it a little too early to be celebrating?"

Karla nodded, "Those results aren't out for another three weeks or so."

I shrugged, "You know my parents, 'why be disappointed tomorrow when you could celebrate today?'"

Karla snorted, "At least they accept that you're gay."

"Compared to being successful and living up to the family name, hiding and coming out was a walk in the park. My parents may be accepting of sexuality but God knows they won't tolerate failure."

Abby sighed. "Too bad your family members don't die often." Both Karla and I gave Abby strange looks. She shrugged, embarrassed and sunk into herself, "You know what I meant."

"Yeah." I mumbled, "I'll see you two later."

Abby rolled her blue eyes and waved a goodbye while Karla offered a generous smile. I span on my heel and causally walked out the double doors that led to the outside and to the parking lot where my car was parked on the far eastern side of the lot.

Ethan had called me earlier this morning and told me that the traffic was 'killer' and I had better take my car to school or I was going to miss my first final. It must have been the whole guilt thing eaten him up because it could have literally been raining cat and dogs and he would risk taking the road to get me to school.

Half way across the lot, a ball – a basketball – shot across my eyes at bullet speed, mere inches away from making my face the proverbial basket and bounced passed a few cars before it got stuck under that ugly low-rider Steven Davidson bounced into school with every day.

My eyes shot over to the courts that were not so far from the lot and is if on cue, the boys all averted their gaze to the nearest insignificant figure they could find; all but one.

He smirked a little in my direction before jogging over and stopping three feet away from where I stood; arms folded.

"My bad, Spencer." Mathew snickered, not even trying to hide his laughter like the other boys. "Are you okay?" he scanned me over comically, "Broke a nail?"

"You're hi-lar-ious, Mathew." I retorted sarcastically and started for my car again. Unfortunately, he took that as an invite to follow me.

"How are the prom plans coming along?"

I huffed, "Mathew if you have something to ask me, do it."

I saw him blink in my peripheral, "Donna has a nasty case of the flu and I need you to fill in for her on the debate team for Regionals on Monday."

"And you had to throw a ball at my face to ask me that?" I asked, raising a brow.

He snickered, "I work in mysterious ways."

I snorted, "Or idiotic." I muttered, pulling out my keys once we had arrived at my car. My eyes slid back to his face as I sat down in the driver's seat. "I'll think about." I didn't wait for his reply; I slammed the door and drove away.

The ride home felt weird – not just because I was driving home from school to home for the first time in a while – but more so because there was no annoying humming of whatever song came on, there was no mind numbingly painful sounds of balled fist drumming on the steering wheel and no soft kisses whenever there was a red light.

I always thought that silence was what I wanted; just the sounds of one of my favorite rock and roll bands filling whatever numbing silence the AC vents emitted. I never realized how much Ethan's voice had become the norm that without it - things felt dead.

I felt dead.

And as melodramatic as that sounds in my head (I'm sixteen – sue me), it was true. I always called him an idiot for the ridiculous stunts he pulled, his explosive mixture of out-of-control temper and raging jealousy and questionable sense of hygiene but I never figured how much I needed it to feel, well - like me.

He had a large part in forming my sarcastic nature; his inability to make it through romantic comedies without emptying the entire roll of tissue and his misguided and inflated sense that he is macho all provided me with chances to retort. No one else made me feel more like Spencer. Without him, I'm just some smart kid with upper-class parents and a bad attitude.

I hadn't even realized I had arrived home because of my own thoughts. The driveway was empty but I still neglected to park there, opting for the curb instead.

The sprinklers were on later than usual and the mat that spelt 'Welcome' in German was curiously hanging on the porch's edge than at its usual place in front of the door; ready to confuse whoever stood and read the words on it.

I huffed at the scene. There was definitely a celebration tonight. I got inside and ran up to my room, stripping myself of my clothes and looked over my note book to see what I got wrong and right on my last three tests.

Not long after, the sun descended and the moon started peeking into my bedroom window; and soon enough, downstairs turned into its usual market place as Mom, Dad and whoever came to help them started prepping for the dinner filled that will be littered with idle chatter about today's economic climate, whatever the government isn't doing, what the opposition needs to do and what they would do if they were in those spots. Worst part is that I would have to sit through it.

Someone knocked. "Baby Bro."

I looked up from my book and to the close door, "Come in, Kai."

The handle pivoted and the door pushed open. Kai – dressed in a formal black and white suit walked in. His hair however, was anything but ceremonial. The sides were shaved and neat let cut with a high patch left in the middle.

I snorted, "Welcome back Pre-2000 Will Smith."

He scowled and stepped in fully and gently patting his do, "Don't hate, Spencer."

"Okay, Fresh Prince." I chuckled, "What's with the get up anyway?"

He shrugged, "I thought I should just make mom and dad happy this one time and since I can't do anything about my throwback haircut, I decided to do the whole Suit & Tie thing." He pulled at his collar harshly and groaned, "This thing feels like it's choking me."

I snickered, "That's usually what happens when you don't wear something for two years." He rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of my bed, facing me. "So, what's the situation like downstairs?"

He huffed exasperatedly and let himself fall onto the bed, "Code: 92, 12 and 41."

I grimaced, "God, why 42?"

"All two of their sons under the same roof with things to celebrate?" he questioned rhetorically and sat up and eyed me with dull eyes, "Of course 42."

"Jesus." I mumbled, closing my book and jumping off of my bed. "I better start getting ready." I huffed and opened my closet to sift through clothes.

"When's the last time you played that thing?" Kai said after a few brief seconds of me aggravatingly thumbing through suits.

I spun around to meet him but his gaze was towards the floor in the closet. I turned back around and caught a glimpse of the guitar Ethan gave me. I knelt down and pulled it out, nearly tumbling over in the process but managing to catch myself before I fell backwards onto the floor. I stepped out of the closet door with the guitar's handle tightly secured in my grip and stumbled backwards next to Kai on my bed.

I propped up the instrument onto my lap and looked it over. Dust was starting accumulate on its strings and the shiny wood was starting to look dull. "It's been a while." I admitted.

Kai smirked next to me, "Remember I caught Ethan singing you that song when we all stayed over at the Littman's?" I reluctantly nodded and Kai ate it up. He laughed heartily, "I think that's when I first realized you were gay."

"I know you're sad."

I grumbling inaudibly and spun around with my back to Ethan. "I'm not sad; just disappointed."

"There will be other Science Fair's Spencer. Don't let that jerk Mathew get you down."

"He isn't." I barked. "Now let me go to sleep."

"No." he launched back with just as much stubbornness in his voice. "You've been moping all day."

"I'm not moping." I mumbled.

"Are to." He murmured.

"Are not."

"Are to."

"Are not."

"Are to."

"Are to."

"Are not." He paused, "You tricked me!"

I snorted, "Because that's really hard to do."

He huffed and thankfully got quiet but, just as I wasn't about to drift into sleep, his side of the bed shifted and his feet tapped as quietly as possible against the floor.

I was going to say something but opted to just ignore him; he was probably just going to use the bathroom. But after a few more rustling noises, it was clear he wasn't leaving the room, and, just as I was about to get up and bark at him to be quiet, a soft chaotic sequence of strings played. My eyes blinked to an open and I sat up.

Ethan sat near the cliff off the mattress with a bronze guitar in his hands. He cleared his throat and started playing again, only this time, it sounded more melodic that it did the first time. "Hey you with the sad eyes..." he began, hardly on key; he needed work for sure.

"I'm pretty sure that was the night when you two fell for one another." he chuckled.

I gaped at him, "You were listening at the door?"

He blinked, "Both Josh and I." he cocked his head, "Didn't I ever tell you that?"

I shook my head and scoffed, "That's sick, Kai."

"What was sick was his singing." He shivered, "he was horrible."

I rolled my eyes, "He's gotten better, believe it or not." I frowned, "And I miss him."

"Then fix it."

I looked over, "Fix what?"

He smiled knowingly, "Just fix it, Spencer." He stopped me before I could ask him any mom questions, "You'll know how to. Just fix it."

"I don't know how you know anything that's going on, but I will." I cocked my head, "Any ideas?"

He smirked, "A few."

Ethan's POV

I woke early just to stop the alarm from ringing blaring and waking Spencer. He looked so peaceful; the exact opposite of the mess that he was last night.

He was obviously upset and I couldn't help but wonder why. My thoughts trailed back to the Austin secret but that was just my guilty conscience screaming in my ear. There was no way Spencer could have known about that since I haven't told him and Austin was M.I.A. since I last talked to him.

Spencer flinched in my arms and I stilled as he shifted his weight on me; resting his head deeper into my bare chest and curling his toes into mine with one of his legs brazenly resting on top of my thighs.

Once he stopped moving around and found a position that was comfortable, I reached over on the night stand and picked up my phone and dialed his number again. We met yesterday after Spencer and I chatted in the hallway. (Side note: I am still P-Oed that Spencer was nominated for Junior Prom King but I wasn't? Has the world gone mad?)

The phone rang about four times before his sleep voice filled the receiver, "It's early, Ethan." He croaked.

"I know, but Spencer came over last night, crying and I don't know why and I don't know what to do?"

"Where is he now?"

"I'm in my bed basically invading my body." I answered, slightly nervous, "Tell me what to do."

"How should I know?"

"You're his big damn brother, Kai." I hissed.io shrank when Spencer started shifting again.

"What do you want me to do?" he barked, sounding fully awake now.

"I don't know, dude but, if Spencer wakes up, I might not have the ability to lie to him anymore."

"Here's a crazy idea: Why don't you tell him the truth?"

"No!" I barked, a little too loud because Spencer mumbled something incoherently. "I'm not ready to lose him over something stupid; so, just help me, please?" I pleaded as quietly as possible.

He sighed, "Fine." I mumbled a 'thanks' and waited for further instruction, but the call disconnected.

The bastard hung up me! "Kai, you dick!" I whisper-yelled as Spencer shifted and soon enough, his eyes fluttered open. He rubbed his eyes to rid them of sleep and coughed a few times before he took the chance of looking me in the eyes.

His eyes were red and looked pained; I couldn't hold back the frown and I certainly regretted not doing so. The moment I frowned; he diverted his gaze to lower to avoid my eyes.

I took a chance, "You know," I whispered just enough for the both of us and the sheets to hear but stopped until I knew for sure he was listening, "I don't if I've ever been disappointed when someonelooked down there in my life; before now at least."

My attempt failed. He kept his eyes distant and far away from mine. Not long after, he removed himself from my chest and sat up in the bed.

I can't remember the last time me and Spencer shared a silently awkward moment but it was torture. I wasn't sure if he could feel it as harshly as I could but it was hard not to. The thing was, I knew why I was feeling tension. I was guilty for not telling him about the Austin thing; why he was avoiding eye contact was anyone's guess.

His phone rang and broke the awkward silence and perhaps saved me from making a fool out of myself by trying to break the tension that floated around us. I sighed inwardly and fell backwards; barely missing the headrest and landed softly on my pillow while Spencer inaudibly spoke with whoever had called him.

"Okay." He murmured before hanging up and sitting on the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor. I watched the back of his head as he silently collected whatever he had brought over with him. He stood and stretched, "I have to go."

I sat up quickly, "Why?"

He still wouldn't look at me and the cold shoulder bit at me a little, "Kai called and said mom is worried and wants me to come home before she calls the SWAT team."

I chuckled lightly, "Okay then." I paused and watched as he silently trudged towards the door.

My eyes fell for the briefest of moments but, long enough to catch a glimpse of his dog tag barley clinching onto the sheets. "Spence, you're forgetting the tag."

"Hold it for me."

"Say, what?"

"I said hol-"

"I heard you, Spencer." I growled, cutting him off. "Your neck can do that just fine."

He spun around to meet my eyes – his flaming with some type of intensity that I couldn't begin to understand. "Just hold the damn dog tag, Ethan." He barked.

"Spencer, you're being ridiculous right now."

He laughed but it was humorless, "I'm being ridiculous, Ethan? I am?"

"Are you PMSing, Spencer because I don't get where this attitude is coming from."

His eyes were dimmed and void of any kind of emotion but tiredness, "I just have to go, Ethan." He said dully, exiting the room and not even bothering to close the door behind him.

I sighed and collapsed onto my bed but before I could even close my eyes, Josh cleared his throat. I kept my lying position and looked towards the door to be met with his scowl, "Fix it." He barked and slammed my door.

"When's the last time you two spoke?"

I sighed, adjusting my tie in the mirror, "Yesterday morning." I growled, more so because the stupid tie wouldn't stay straight.

Russo crept on the side of me and moved my hands and began fixing it.. "You two have hit bumps before." He mumbled keeping his primary interest on the tie. "You'll fix this."

"Yeah, but at least those times I knew how I screwed up." I murmured.

"Maybe he knows." Jake grinned nervously from my bed. Russo turned around to probably scold Jake with a sharp gaze but I chose to blankly stare at him through the mirror. Jake's eyes blinked from me to Russo a few times before he shrugged. "It's-not-like-it's-impossible-maybe-a-friend-told-him-but-didn't-mean-to-tell-him-he-just-called-them-and-they-had-to-tell-him-insstead-of-lie-to-him-because-according-to-my-mom-lying-makes-everyhting-worse-and-it-pulls-you-down-down-down-until-someone-catches-you-in-it-and-then-boom-clash-bam-bang-you're-dead." He took in a huge breath after his long, quick tirade/confession and sank into himself.

Russo shook his head, "You didn't, Jake." He scolded.

I turned around slowly and faced Jake, who, for the life of him, wouldn't meet my eyes. "Why did you tell him, dude?" I questioned, unusually calm at the whole situation.

He kept his head lowered, "He called me like forty minutes before you told us about you and Austin. I told him I didn't know anything but then he called me again after you told us and I couldn't lie to him." he admitted.

He tried to look up at me but Russo quickly stepped in front of me to block him, "You're in direct violation of Bro Code 7-5-6-dash-4-4-b." Russo declared. Repeat it." He demanded. I stepped to the side to catch a glimpse of Jake's exasperated expression.

He rolled his eyes, "This is ridiculous."

"Repeat it." Russo urged, almost warningly. "Or else."

Jake rolled his eyes and flailed his arms into the air, "What is said among Bros in secrecy is to stay among bros."

Russo was tapping his feet, "Aaand."

"And any bro who breaks the former is subject to repeated kicks in the nads while nude and wet, Nair in his shampoo and sleeping with a rock as his pillow for three consecutive days." He said dully and with duller eyes.

"Prepare for punishment."

"No." I blurted just as Jake started to take off his pants. "At least I know why he's angry with me." I sighed, "I should have told him this a long damn time ago; it's not Jake's fault."

Russo frowned, "Well, he doesn't know that you know he knows." I blinked and he rolled his eyes, "You have time to think of something to tell him before they-"

"They're here!" Mom screamed from down stairs. Before I even had time to respond, the door blew open and in she jumped. A blinding flash of the camera blinded all three of us. "Honey, get the other camera!"

"Jesus Christ, mom!" I blasted, regaining my vision and resting against the dresser.

She gasped, "Do not use the Good Lord's name in vain." She chided before looking out the door, "Bring the God damn camera, honey!" she yelled out the door.

"I'm coming, Margaret!" dad screeched as he ran down the hall and into my room.

"Mom, no more pictures until we're down stairs!" I barked. The three of us held up our hands defensively and huddled up into one another. The back of Russo's shiny white suit was the only thing I could really see.

There was a light sigh, "Fine." She exhaled in defeat. I poked my head from behind Russ and grabbed Jake by the hand and led the boys cautiously out of the room and down the stairs.

Half way down the steps, my eyes caught a glimpse of Karla and her sparkling blue, knee length dress. Her hair flowed down to the back and was tinted in its usual blue highlights. Abby's gleaming red number that stretched to her feet and covered her shoes, complimented her amazing figure and contrasted from her sweet, sugary personality. Her girlfriend, who I'd never quite gotten around to speaking to, wore a similar dress but in black.

While, Spencer...

Spencer.

You know those cheesy teen prom movies when the girl walks down the stairs and the guy deadpans when he sees how beautifully she looks? Well, that was how he was looking at me and though, I admit it kind of made me feel embarrassed at the role reversal, it was nice to see him at least not looking upset with me. I half expected him to stick up both his middle fingers when our eyes met.

He wore a white suit, contrasting with my black and white one and it made his eyes shine and gleam radiantly; the closer we got to them, the quicker my heart would beat every second. I tried to slow my pace but Jake and Russ kept pushing me forward until I was directly in front of him.

"Hey." I mumbled. My mind was scrambled being in such proximity to him and not knowing if I could touch him and not be swatted away.

He took a brief moment to clearly scan me over before his eyes resettled back into mine. "Hey."

"You wanna get out of here before my mother attacks us with her Dolby?"

The line his lips had been pressed into twitched upwards a bit but fell right back, "Sure."

I nodded stiffly and guided the boys and girls outside to the black limousine that was waiting on us where inside, Russo's date; the man-eating volleyball player was waiting.

I looked around narrowed eyed, "Jake, where is your date?"

He shrugged, "We decided to ride with our respective cliques and meet there."

I nodded again and readjusted my sitting position next to Spencer who couldn't tear his eyes away from the window. Probably because I was on the other side.

The ride there wasn't as awkward for everyone else as it were for me; Jake and Karla bickered the entire way there. The two would not stop catapulting insults at one another. At least not until Spencer told Karla to can it and I told Jake to either 'tap it' or shut it.

We arrived about forty minutes after we left my place and all stepped out with our respective dates. Spencer, who was standing off to the side by himself as everyone else joked around looked nervous and was discreetly scanning the people in front of the building intently.

Jake broke my concentration "Dude, you coming in?" He asked, looking both sad and full of guilt.

I should have been angry at Jake for telling Spencer but, truth was, that would probably make me the biggest hypocrite on the planet, considering the current situation I had dug for myself. "You guys go in." I said with a smile and patted him on the shoulder.

He smiled back and patted me on mine before heading back over to the group and heading inside with them. I, on the other hand, walked over to Spencer and offered a hand. "I never asked." I muttered, looking as deep as possible into his cloudy eyes, "Will you attend this Prom with me?"

He blinked a few times and dismissed my hand. Agonizingly, I let it drop back to my side. "That depends." He mumbled, "Am I your only date tonight or is Austin joining you for the slow number?"

My jaw clenched and I tried to laugh off the hurt that gripped my stomach but it just sounded strangled. "I meant to tell you."

"But you didn't." he bit back quickly. "You lied to me for months, you lied to me through our entire relationship and you, quite possibly were never going to tell me about having a relationship with Austin. You can't even comprehend how embarrassing it is to find out that your boyfriend was dating someone who was faking trying to shack up with you to get close to your boyfriend." He took a breather, "It's not only humiliating; it's a freaking ego-killer."

"No, I can't." I murmured, keeping my head down.

"You made a fool of me, Ethan."

"I know."

"You played me."

"I know." I sniffed. He was starting to break me.

"You didn't deserve that."

"I kno-" I stopped and looked up to find one of these most perplexing expressions on Spencer. He was smiling. Smiling. "Is something funny?" I spat, "Is this funny to you that I'm freaking out that you're going to break up with me?"

He raised a brow, still looking amused. His eyes darted from me to somewhere behind me, though I chose ignore whatever idiot in a suit he was looking at. "Why are you smiling?" I barked; my heart was still going a 100 miles per hour and he was smiling?

"Turn around, Ethan." He whispered.

I was reluctant at first was but obeyed.

I scowled immediately at the sight of Piper, cladded in pink and black and Austin, dressed in a black suit and tie. "You dipshits don't go to this school." I hissed, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Austin clenched his jaw, "We were invited."

I snorted, "What ass would invite you two anywhere?"

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?" Piper retorted.

I spun back around to meet Spencer with bulging eyes, "Why?" I whispered.

Spencer smiled, "Ethan, I know you called Kai the night you and Austin had your little fight."

I growled, "That bastard wasn't supposed to say anything to you."

He grinned, "He is my brother, E." he chuckled, "I know everything and I was angry at first; hell, I had already made up my mind to end things with you when you wouldn't tell me. Then I realized my life without you, my life would suck and something like this isn't worth losing you over."

He grinned, "After Austin explained everything to me and after I heard it again from Jake, I was upset but, after a few heart to hearts with my brother and some thinking, I called The Martins and me and Austin talked for a while and decided that we were more alike than anything. Hating him and not me makes you a hypocrite." He said. "So, with the help of Kai, I came up with a scheme. I'd drop hints that I knew you were lying to me; then tell you that I knew."

"So, you coming over last night, balling your eyes out was a part of some plot?" I snorted, "You deserve an Oscar."

"It wasn't that hard to muster up sad emotions." he admitted.

My jaw clenched, "I guess that's my fault."

He blinked then snorted, "Well, you and millions of Americans. I visualized Community being cancelled."

"There's an ego killer." I mumbled and looked back to face Austin, "And that still doesn't explain why these two are here."

Spencer walked up next to me, "Piper and I are going to go inside and you and Austin are going to resolve things."

Before I could protest, Spencer gripped Piper by the arm and hauled her inside, leaving just me and Austin outside with just a faint playing of a Meatloaf song blaring from inside.

After a few tension filled seconds, he spoke, "I'm sorry about everything."

"Don't." I spat venomously, hardly allowing him to finish his so called apology. "We've said what we had to say to one another in that park. We have nothing else to say."

I began walking away but his hand grabbed my arm and swung me back to him. On instinct, I pushed him away but stopped myself from launching any punches towards him. Instead, I pointed at him accusingly, "You are a piece of shit, you know?" I hurled at him with as much animosity and hate I could muster up.

He visibly flinched too and it brought a wave of satisfaction.

"You told me you loved me and you cared but all you did was tear me down and made me hate myself!" I roared. My stomach flipped but I kept a string stance, "You taught me to hate myself, that no one would like me because I liked guys, that the world would either see me as a disease or a someone to be pitied. I trusted you, I cared for you." I stopped myself and allowed my hands that I hadn't even noticed that were flailing angrily through the air, to drop to my side and harshly hit my thigh. "I love you." I whispered, barely audible to me yet, somehow, he heard it. "I love you, Aussie; I really do but, I'm with someone else and if you can't respect that, then I want nothing to do with you."

He dared to take a step forward, and with solemn eyes he asked, "Feel better?"

I sighed. The lump in my throat had retreated and the flipping in my stomach had all but ceased, "Yes."

"Good." He smiled. "I don't want to hurt you, Ethan; I never did. And I'm sorry that my insecurities led us to break up and me cheating on you. You don't have to forgive me right now but, don't let me be the reason why you and Spencer don't grow old together. Go in there, make up and have fun." He paused, "And...I love you too."

I swallowed, "I don't want to hate you Austin but you're right, I can't forgive you yet."

He nodded incessantly, "I understand."

A harsh few seconds (could've been hours) floated between us after he spoke. I took it upon myself to turn around and start walking towards the front doors of the school.

I pushed through the doors of the school and the music nearly destroyed my ear drums. If I didn't already have Tinnitus, I definitely had it now

From the moment I had stepped in the gym, people were scattering to the side of the dance floor, until only one person stood in the middle. The pop music that blasted was silenced and the beginning of Etta James's At Last started.

On top of Spencer's head was a crown, obviously meaning he had won the title of Junior Prom King. I slowly walked to him with the occasional construction site whistling and howling from the crowed that circled us in the center of the gym that had been transformed into a poor man's version of black and white ball room.

Shredded plastic bags for streamers would do that.

It wasn't until I got close to him that I noticed that another crown was in his hands; smaller in size and less prestigious looking but one nonetheless.

He wore a small smile and stretched his hands out to me with the crown sitting securely in between his connected palms. , "Congratulations."

I smiled, though a bit bitterly since traces of the conversation with Austin were still dancing at the back of my mind. "I'm Prom King?"

He smirked and focused his eyes on anything but me, "Not exactly." He mumbled seemingly suppressing laughter and rested the crown on top of my head and grabbing me by the waist to pull me into him.

I narrowed my eyes at we started swaying, "What do you mean, not exactly?"

A grin was caught at the back of his throat, "Well, it would seem as though whoever was in charge of printing out the names for Junior Prom King and Queen mistakenly printed your name on the Queen's sheet."

I stiffened and went to take the crown off of my head but he stopped me and kept us swaying, "I wearing a chick's crown right now?"

"You can thank Karla later."

I groaned, letting my chin fall onto Spencer's shoulder with my face facing his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent. "I'm sorry, for everything."

"Let's just keep it in the past; besides, if that didn't break us, what will?"

I snickered in the crook of his neck, raising my head to meet his eyes, "Long Live the union of King Spencer-"

"And Queen Ethan."

"Okay, we're so not calling me that." He placed small kiss on my lips, forcing me to moan against his. I parted them and lazily reconnected our eyes, "Queen it is."

He chuckled and looked up at me, "I love you, Ethan."

My heart skipped a beat and the butterflies swarmed my stomach. "I Love you too, Spence." He smiled back and rested his head on my shoulder. I did the same as he whispered as soft as possible.

"I Forgive You."

I demand 6000 votes. Just kidding but, VOTE and COMMENT, eh?

P.S. I Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it and I p-r-a-y that you were satisfied by the conclusion. I wrote the end ten times. Each time was more hideous than the next so I settled for the original one. This isn't the end of the story, just the end of the first Arc. There are still ten chapters (plus an epilogue) to go!