"Ew, he totally has his eye on you."
"So? Most guys do."
"This is different, Scott! He's one of those grotty skaters. People like us don't even look at people like them." Kirstie brought her bag around in front of her as she crossed her legs and started to pull her hair from the tight bun that it had been trapped in for the past hour. Each pin she tugged out allowed another blond strand to fall in a way that was almost too graceful to be natural.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." The blond boy leaned over and finished taking off his ballet shoes, standing up and yanking his grey pullover up and over his head. He still felt pretty exposed in his tights but luckily it was big enough to hide... Everything.
"I know it sounds mean but she's right. We're just trying to look out for you. You go on one date with him and suddenly you'll be drinking and smoking and who knows what else. You have to look after your body." Esther backed up her friend, moving to stand beside Scott as she swung her bag up over her shoulder.
"And your reputation." Kirstie added, letting down the last strand of her hair with a serious nod.
"Hey calm down. I never said I liked him back!"
"Do you?" They practically asked in unison, Kirstie standing up at eye-level with the other two.
"It doesn't matter even if I did." Scott shrugged as they all started heading out of the ballet hall, both girls wriggling their eyebrows at him "– not that I do! I just meant that there's no way I'd date him whether or not he was pretty. Skater punk idiots are way out of bounds."
"Good. Remember that next time Matt bats his eyelashes at you."
"His name's Mitch."
"Whatever!" They made their way down the hallway and split off at the end, Kirstie and Esther going off to shop or whatever they did, and Scott walking home. Of course, his house was just past the skate park and most days he'd stay and watch for a little while but today was different.
"Hoying!" He turned around quickly as he was walking past, stopping just long enough to watch the shorter brunette walk up to him, taking his helmet off and running a hand over his buzzed hair.
"Hey, what's up?" Scott kept walking once he caught up, forcing Mitch to walk alongside him. He knew it was a dick move but it was also the only way it wouldn't look like he was purposely talking to him.
"I... I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?"
"I'm busy." The blond suddenly wondered if he was allergic to this boy. They'd never been this close before and his presence was making his heart rate increase, and his throat start to close up.
"I didn't mention a date... Or time." He saw the brunette frown slightly as he chewed on his lower lip. "If you're not interested, just tell me."
"You're a wonderful guy and you're really cute. It's just..." Scott stopped walking and turned to look down at him, trying not to get caught up in his big brown eyes. "... I'm so busy with my dancing. Sure I'd be free to go on a few dates but a relationship? No way. I know that's what you want and it'd be nice but I just don't think it's a good decision for either of us."
"Oh. Yeah, I get it. Gotta be professional." Mitch nodded slowly, looking at the ground.
"I hope that you find someone who can be good to you." Scott sighed and quickly looked around, knowing that they were far enough out of everyone's sight before he stepped in and pulled the brown-eyed boy into a gentle kiss.
He pulled back after a few moments and smiled, his dimples sending bullet holes through Scott's stomach. He found himself smiling back and running a hand down Mitch's arm. There wasn't much else to say so he simply nodded and turned around, continuing to walk home.
"Oh, and Scott?" He heard Mitch call behind him, causing him to stop for a second and turn back to face the boy with his eyebrows raised. "Keep wearing the tights. Your ass looks phenomenal." He sent a perfect toothy grin his way before strapping the helmet back on and rolling back to the skate park.
---
Five years later, Scott finds himself alone in his apartment. His six-year-old adopted daughter Millie was off at school and his divorce papers were strewn across the kitchen table. After the sixth hour of going through every single line of everything he needed to sign, he decided it was time for a break. The tall blond collapsed onto the couch, finding the TV remote and clicking it on.
A familiar dimpled face filled the screen at the same moment his stomach hit the floor.
"Yeah, I guess the song is about someone I had a crush on in high school. I think he thought he was too good for me or something, but I guess you live and you learn."
"Well, maybe you'll see him in the crowd tonight!" The all-too-perky presenter grinned and released information about a concert that Scott had never even known was happening. He did the first thing that came to mind and picked up his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts and tapping away until he heard the dial tone.
"Scotty? What's up?" The sound of Kirstie's voice smoothed some of his edges and he sat back on the couch a little more calmly. They'd stayed friends after high school and still talked from time to time but she was a little busy with her job in the past month or two, as was he with his divorce... Which he hadn't told her about.
"The weirdest thing just happened. Do you remember Mitch Grassi from high school?"
"Oh my god yeah I do! Esther and I have tickets for his show tonight!"
"No kidding..." He rolled his eyes. Did everyone know but him?
"Yeah! We actually have a spare ticket if you want to come along?"
"I'd love to! It'll be like old times. I mean it'll be the opposite of old times but it'll still be good." He chuckled and she joined in as he laughed properly for the first time in all too long.
"Wow, we were horrible back then." She sighed after their giggling stopped and the line was silent for a few moments.
"Yeah. I've wanted a chance to apologise for years now. Did you know he asked me out? I think saying no was one of my biggest regrets of high school. Well, second biggest. After that time at prom that we thought it'd be fun to drink all of the spiked punch and you let me tell Mr Bueller that he had a magnificent ass." They were laughing again, the blond had put his phone down on the couch on loud speaker and had his legs tucked into his chest.
"Well, you can't regret it that much! I mean, you have a wonderful life now. Todd is a wonderful husband and you have gorgeous little Katie."
"Oh yeah, um... Todd and I are getting a divorce text me the details about tonight I love you!" He didn't take a single breath and hung up immediately so she couldn't respond. You know, like a man.
He spent the next hour trying to find a babysitter for Millie before his alarm went off and he went about getting ready to pick her up from school. Nice shirt, tight but not-too-tight jeans, and a nice coat and he was ready to go. No one cared if he wore sweatpants for the rest of the day, as long as he pretended that everything was fine in front of the moms. Of course, he managed to hold it together and smiled away as they all offered their fake support and soon he was driving Millie home.
"Hey baby girl, is it okay with you if you go to stay with Amelia tonight? Something important has just come up and I know that you're a big girl so I can trust you until I pick you up in the morning."
"Yeah that's fine. Papa always leaves me with babysitters anyway. Amelia is way nicer than Mrs Grunsk." They made eye contact in the mirror and Scott nodded, smiling widely.
"Well you don't have to go over there for another hour and a half, so is there anything you want to do with me before that?"
"Can we get ice cream? And can you braid my hair?"
"Anything for my princess." He smiled at the green-eyed girl and they turned to head toward the ice cream parlour a few blocks down.
Scott dropped her off a few houses down the street before going back home and getting ready for the concert, his favourite leather jacket and black skinny jeans clinging to his pale and still-muscular body. He covered up any spots and fixed his hair twelve times before his phone buzzed to let him know that Kirstie and Esther were outside to pick him up.
"I'm only driving you so that we can get you drunk and get the full story about Todd after the show, just remember that." Kirstie smirked and waited for the blue-eyed boy to strap himself into the car before they drove off. They caught up on all of the 'Mitch Grassi classics' that they had never really heard before on the way, and Scott found himself recognising more tunes than he thought he would.
The concert was over before they knew it, the three of them had managed to get to the barrier and they belted their lungs out for the entire night. The fact that they were looking up at someone they used to look down on was lost on none of them, especially when Scott met Mitch's eyes at one point and the performer seemed to lose his place in the song. The sweaty encore finished and they joined hands to sing along, stumbling out of the crowd as it cleared out and heading straight to the club down the street.
"That was... INCREDIBLE!!!" Scott screamed, throwing his head back and holding out his arms as they walked down the street in the crisp night air. The three of them quickly stopped past Kirstie's car so they could dump their jackets and freshen up before they headed to the club.
"I know! He was so good up there, and really hot too! Scott, why didn't you grab that while you had the chance?" Esther raised an eyebrow at him, walking backwards in her heels so that she could keep eye contact with the blond.
"Because you told me not to." Scott rolled his eyes. "I fucked up because I let you guys and my own teenage brain tell me that I couldn't date anyone I wanted to. He was a skater and we were some perfect ballerinas who never touched any illicit substances... Until we got to college."
"Oh, the missed opportunities!" Esther turned around and wrapped her arms around Scott and Kirstie's shoulders. They were taking up the entire sidewalk but managed to not piss anyone off, getting up to the front of the line at the club. Two pairs of tits and a pretty face later and they were inside.
"Two vodka and cokes and a gin and tonic." Scott grinned at the bartender, making polite conversation with the young girl until their drinks were made and he started a tab for the three of them. They downed their drinks quickly and left the small stools to murder the dancefloor.
"Do I really have to talk about Todd tonight?! There are so many hot boys here and I don't want to think about my good-for-nothing ex!" Scott leaned down and drunkenly yelled in Kirsties ear after about four drinks, holding onto her shoulder as some guy grinded into his back and he toppled forward slightly.
"Fine! You're young, you're crazy, go live your best life!" She leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Besides, I'm sure I can find some hot guy to hook up with and Esther is... Preoccupied." Kirstie nodded to their friend who was dancing in the corner with a boy she'd met about an hour ago.
"Alright, I'll see you later. Text me in the morning and let me know you're safe, okay?" They both nodded and Scott made his way to the bar to get another drink. Of course, he decided he wasn't desperate for any more alcohol when he saw a familiar brunette sitting at the other end of the bar. He sent a drink to him and smirked as he watched it be recieved, enjoying the look of confusion that disappated when they made eye contact.
"It's been a long time." Mitch moved to sit beside him, taking a sip of his drink and letting his eyes scan over the face he hadn't seen in years.
"Too long. I'm sorry for everything."
"It's okay. You were busy being a highschooler."
"No, I was busy being a douchebag who only cared about my social standing."
"That too." Mitch laughed and Scott found himself joining in quickly after, both of them standing at the bar and letting go of past tension.
"Hey, do you maybe want to come back to my place? Not like, for that reason but... Just to catch up? I need all of the juicy details of your singing career and personal life." He teased and the brunette complied, the pair of them sharing an uber back to Scott's apartment. He followed all of the gentlemanly gestures of opening doors and getting drinks, and they were quickly settled happily on his couch.
"So... I'm assuming the dolls aren't yours?" Mitch raised an eyebrow and gestured to the pink and blue toys that were neatly packed around the room.
"No, they're... They're my daughter's. My, uh... Ex-husband and I adopted her a few years ago. She's an angel. Do you have kids? Or an ex-husband?" He slipped off his shoes and crossed his legs on the couch, moving so that he was comfortable enough to listen to Mitch properly.
"No, no husbands or children. I do have a boyfriend though! I invited him around later, I hope that's okay."
"Oh yeah, that's fine! Perfect."
Mitch burst out laughing, covering his mouth with his hands just enough to still show his dimples. "Sorry, I was kidding. Completely single, but it was worth the lie for the look on your face."
"Well, a man can hope can't he?"
"He can also use his words."
"Fine. Mitch Grassi, would you like to go on a date with me?"
".......Wait, seriously?"
"That's not what you were suggesting? Shit, just ignore that then."
"No it was I just... I never expected you to actually be asking."
"Well I am, so is that a yes?"
"It's a fuck yes."
The two men giggled and shared stories from their lives until their eyes could no longer stay open, and at that point Scott offered Mitch their spare bed. At least until their date.
"Thanks for all of this, you're so much hotter than you were in high school."
"Right back at you. Can't believe you were almost the one that got away. Good night, Mitch." Scott leaned over and kissed the top of the brunette's hair before ducking back into his bedroom and going to sleep before he could think about the consequences of his actions.
AN: Is it edited? Nope! Is it finished? Not really! Am I terrible at writing fluff? Yes!
Don't forget to vote, comment, and leave songs that you'd like me to give a shot!
Also, do you have any tween punk memories about this song? I'm not sure why, but every time I think about it I picture myself in the loungeroom at a childhood friend's house. I don't even have a story or reason as to why. I'm just there.