Chapter Thirty
Dane adjusted his jacket again. He was wearing a green bow tie. It matched Bas’s eyes. Bas would wear one that matched Dane’s. He felt good. He didn’t recognize the man in the mirror at all, a handsome redhead with a startling smile wearing a white suit with tails and beige accents. He was going to prom. For real. He would get to dance in public with Bas, and he didn’t care if the world saw him.
“You look edible,” Bas told him as he came in the room with an orange/red/white rosebud in hand. The stem had a tiny button of a rainbow-colored unicorn attached. He reached out to pin it to the pocket of Dane’s jacket.
“Not really a corsage, but we’re not the traditional couple, are we?”
Dane ran his fingers over the flower, loving the silky feel of it. “It’s beautiful. But I didn’t know. You should have one too. Are there any stores open? Can we get one now?”
Bas put his finger to Dane’s lips. “Shh. Mine is downstairs. You can help me put it on. Mrs. C brought them for all of us. Corsages for Paige and Marissa, boutonnieres for the rest of us. You and I have the unicorns.” Bas tugged on Dane’s tie a little, then grabbed his hand, free hand lingering on the unicorn another moment. “You ready?”
Dane nodded and followed him downstairs. Adam and Ru were dressed to the nines in black, their flowers a matching blue/purple/white mix. Paige wore a sparkly flapper dress, and her hair was up in traditional twenties style, with pins encasing her fiery hair like a crown. Marissa sat on the couch in a gorgeous floor-length sapphire blue dress. Her hair was styled in brunette ringlets, covered in jewels. They both had a mix of white roses and baby’s breath on their wrists. Marissa was pale but smiling, eyes bright.
She and Bas had attended the first meeting of a domestic violence survivors support group just yesterday. They’d be going again soon. Dane hoped it helped, because sometimes they both got a haunted look in their eyes. He’d do just about anything to make them smile. He had, in fact, made a batch of gelato that would be waiting for them when they got home after prom.
Mrs. C held out a flower and a pin to Dane. It was another orange/red/white mix with the unicorn button.
“Do you need help pinning it on Bas?” she asked him.
His hands shook as he took the flower, but he could do it. He carefully placed the bloom on the pocket and threaded the pin through, then pressed his hand lightly to it.
“My heart to yours.”
Bas grinned and kissed him. Cameras flashed. Everyone had their phone out snapping pictures.
“Hey, hey. Don’t blind the gay boy. I need to be able to dance a few rounds yet,” Bas said.
“Everyone line up together. We want a group shot,” Mr. C said as he waved toward the counter. “Someone help Marissa to a chair. Right, just like that. On three say, ‘Rainbow Poop cookies.’ One, two, three….”
“Rainbow Poop cookies,” everyone shouted, and Mr. and Mrs. C cycled through all of their phones snapping pictures.
“Limo’s here. Everyone ready?” Mrs. C shuffled them out the door, Mr. C carrying Marissa to the car. She had a wheelchair she’d be using stuffed in the trunk. Everyone got in and took their seats for the short ride. Dance first, a late dinner, then back to Bas’s for the weekend.
“What’s with the media circus?” Ru asked as they approached the school. News trucks and reporters were everywhere. The students of Northern were getting out of their limos waving and posing like celebrities. A few got pulled aside as some reporter asked them questions. It wasn’t until they got to the door that Dane saw the reason.
Tommy made his way through the crowd, dressed like a debonair gentleman, to open the door to their limo. One of the guards got Marissa’s wheelchair out, and Bas helped her into it. None of them knew what to say as they all stared at each other. Tommy leaned down to kiss Marissa on the cheek and moved behind her to push her chair. He offered an arm to Paige.
“Ready, ladies?”
They both nodded as he escorted them to the door.
Cameras flashed as Ru and Adam got out and again as Dane gripped Bas’s arm. Just inside the doors, while everyone lined up for their official prom pictures, a group of men stood beside a very irritated Principal O’Brien. Adam crossed the room to greet one of them.
“Ryan, good to see you again.”
“You and Ru are looking very gallant tonight. You remember my partner, and I’m sure you know Principal O’Brien well.” They shook hands. So this was the infamous Ryan Hart that Adam always talked about. “Sebastian and Dane, so good to see you.” He offered his hand and a warm smile. “I wanted to touch base with you both tonight. I need to congratulate Dane on his graduation and inquire if you, Sebastian, are ready to give your speech for graduation?”
Bas frowned. “But the valedictorian gives the speech.”
O’Brien looked nervous. “You are our valedictorian, Sebastian. I’m sure you’ve got something grand prepared already.”
Ryan gave O’Brien a sideways look. “I would be honored to help you with your speech. We can talk about it next week. Amazing work doing this fund-raiser for teen domestic violence. I heard there are some sizable donations and quite the raffle war over who will get to have Ru perform at their graduation party.” Ryan leaned in close and whispered, “O’Brien pushes the issue, and he will lose his job. The board likes good media, and I’m giving you lots. You get what you worked so hard to earn.” Ryan stepped away to hug Adam and Ru, and waved good-bye. “Have an amazing prom. You deserve it.”
Bas was so stunned he didn’t move, even when Dane tugged him back toward the line. There were tears in his eyes. “I get to keep the title?” he whispered after a moment.
“It was always yours,” Dane told him. “Right up there with badass unicorn.”
Bas collapsed in his arms. “This gay boy is so happy it’s almost over.”
“That all you’re happy for?” Dane asked.
“Ha. No. I’m happy for a certain redhead who has promised to wear a kilt for me.”
Dane blushed. They were up for pictures soon. There were so many people. And everyone was watching them. “Don’t let me go tonight. I just want to dance with you and hold you and be with you.”
“I have no intention of ever letting you go, Dane.” Bas hugged him tight. “No matter what happens. Come cookies or poop.”
