Page 45

“How’s that fair for me?” she replied, as Bren went back to practicing his sissonne, Dustin joining in now.

“Don’t worry, Bren, you can always ride with me,” Dustin said, and Bren stopped prancing to take a swing.

A.J. gave a wave of thanks and headed for the drink counter, smiling despite his burning cheeks. If nothing else came from this night, it was good to know Bren would always have Dustin to fall back on if things didn’t work out between them—provided Morgan didn’t frown him to death first.

21

Bren relaxed as the blinding flash faded with the burst of giggles from somewhere to his right. Yu was on the stage upstairs, taking candids as people got ready for their first in-costume rehearsal. He’d been adamant that the pictures he took for yearbook wouldn’t end up online, but he wasn’t the only one with a camera. All it would take was one photo with him in the background to reach Ireland and he’d never hear the end of it.

He looked away as a couple of girls trotted past the half-open door to the lad’s changing room. It was mad that the girls’ changing room was down the hall from them. Nothing was stopping anyone from wandering over to the other side except common decency. Canadian teachers were way too trusting—especially considering what everyone was wearing.

Then again, maybe they were counting on the costumes to keep everyone in line.

He shifted his legs to get the Lycra singlet to stop riding up his arse, but it was no good. It would be easier to wear this red and black monstrosity if he could get a little bit of solidarity, but his boyfriend was still hiding in the curtained-off cubicle.

“We’re gonna be the last ones up if you don’t hurry, like.”

The boy who was playing Rum Tum Tugger walked past and Bren tried to stifle a laugh. Maybe they’d look better once the art class added the air brushing, but a human face above spandex and a billowing mane of fur was a lot to take in.

“I look so stupid!”

“We all do, Robolad.” He waited for Arlo’s reply, but it didn’t come. “Don’t you wanna see how dumb your man looks?”

“You won’t laugh?”

Bren moved out of the way so an underclassman with tuxedo markings could sidle past.

“Christ, Arlo, that’s a big ask.”

There was a thud from the other side of the door and Bren thought he could see the red spot on Arlo’s forehead through the curtain.

“I’ll at least wait till you laugh first. Deal?”

It didn’t take as long as Bren had thought for the curtain to slide open. Once it did, suppressed laughter wasn’t his problem. He had a hard time controlling a cartoon heart thumping out of his chest.

Arlo’s gaze was locked on the tops of his feet, hand resting in the crook of his elbow as he picked at the spandex. His burning cheeks stood out more than ever above the black and white stripes that covered him from the neck down.

“OK, now I don’t wanna go to rehearsal.” A flush spread across the bridge of Arlo’s nose. “Oh, hey, we match!” Bren said, snapping one of the red streaks running along his arm.

Arlo finally looked up, and despite being the one to start the whole no-laughing pact, he snorted so hard Bren wouldn’t have been surprised if he pulled something.

“Fuck. Tell me how you really feel.”

Arlo looked like he was coming in for a hug, but he froze when he looked down at his spandex-clad form.

“No! I mean, you look really good.”

Bren raised an eyebrow and Arlo shook his head.

“You really do! It’s just—” He looked around the room like he was making sure they were the only ones there. “Brendan O’Shea is standing in the dressing room at Peacock. On his way to go dance around on stage to literally the gayest musical to come out of the eighties. The eighties, Bren!”

Bren sighed.

“Well. this isn’t how Brendan O’Shea thought he’d be spending sixth year either, but it’s not that bad.” He gave Arlo a once over, pushing his grin past what was natural. “All things considered.”

Arlo turned on his heel like he was going back behind the curtain, leaving himself wide open. The smack echoed through the deserted room, and Arlo spun around before the whistle had ended.

His face was scrunched into something that might have fooled a stranger, but Bren knew better.