“I don’t know.”
“That sounded like a no. Let’s go together. I’ve been to them before, and they’re a lot of fun.”
Preston Waters just asked me to go to a party with him. I’m going to a party with Preston Waters.The sentences scrolled through his mind.
“Sure.” Ethan tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, pulling his lips together to avoid the ginormous smile dying to burst across his face and trying to hide the fact that a bleacher full of screaming fans were cheering at the tops of their lungs inside him. He may not have any flirting skills or experience with dating, but he knew now was a time to play it cool.
CHAPTER seven
He had narrowed it down to three shirts. They were laid out on his bed, and Ethan examined them as if they were precious works of art. He already had a pair of jeans lined up: his dark, skinny leg jeans that could pass as costing twice as much as they actually did. They would make him appear tall and slender from the waist down. Now he had to find the right shirt to accomplish that for the top half of him.
Did he want to be the relaxed guy in a gingham-patterned button down? Fun and flirty in a T-shirt? Or fratty and reserved in a polo?
A knock at the door broke his concentration. Jessica peeked her head inside, her very long hair making an entrance before her.
“We’re going to the student union to see the three-dollar movie tonight. Want to come?”
For a second, Ethan wondered what she would’ve said if he suggested alternate plans. But this time, he had a different answer. “Actually, I’m going out.”
“Oh? Where?”
“Preston and I are going to this house party,” he said. “It’s being thrown by the LGBT group.” He made sure to add that last part so she wouldn’t feel left out.
Jessica’s lips twitched together, and she nodded slowly. “I didn’t know you guys were going.”
“Preston just asked me yesterday.”
She stepped fully into his room. “Like a date?”
Ethan blushed. He didn’t have an answer. His gut was telling him no, that Preston was too suave to bring him to a house party as a date. But his heart made him reach for the stars and convinced him that the party was merely part one of their evening together.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you like Preston? Like-like him?”
Ethan told himself to keep this private. Preston was a mutual friend, and Jessica was one of those girls who loved to play matchmaker, yet had a poor track record.
“We’re just going as friends, I think. If we get drunk, then who knows?” He laughed at that last point. Jessica did not.
“I think it’s great you’re going to this party, but don’t be one of those idiots who gets wasted just because everyone else is.” Her voice had a touch of worry in it.
“I’ll be fine.” Ethan waved off her comment. “Maybe I’ll have a drink or two, but I won’t get alcohol poisoning or anything like that.” The embarrassment of being taken out of a party via ambulance was enough to stop him from drinking that much. “That only happens to like one kid a year. I’m just going to have fun.”
Jessica didn’t leave. She crossed her arms tight across her chest. “Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Ethan sat down at his desk chair. “Are you okay?” She had never been this serious with him.
“Yeah,” she said.
Ethan gave her an awkward smile. He’d thought she would be happy that he was getting out, having fun, meeting other gays, potentially hooking up with Preston. He knew she wasn’t into frat parties, but she’d never seemed against all parties.
“You should wear the T-shirt. You look good in it,” she said and opened the door. “Have fun tonight.”
Φ
Is this a date or just a friend thing?
The realist within Ethan said the latter, but the optimist said the former. No matter how small his chances, Ethan chose to lean toward hope.
