Marked

9|Mistakes|9

"Oh, um, hey," Alois said, answering the phone.

"Hey!" I heard him intake a breath. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm just a, um, a little sick."

"You're hung over aren't you?" I'd known him for quite a while and throughout our friendship, I'd had to pick him up and nurse him back to health after quite a few parties. Also, I could almost hear the alcohol content on his breath.

"What? No! Um, okay yes."

"Why? Were you at Phil's party?"

"Will's and yeah."

"Were you stalking Claude?" He scoffed at me.

"No, I was not stalking Claude. I just followed him there after the game to go and say hi but then there was booze and I was sad and..."

"And you made some bad decisions. It's okay. But you still promised to go prom shopping today and I don't care if your head is rolling off your shoulders, you're coming. If my parents are making me go, I am most certainly not going alone."

"But Ciel, I... I'm not even home right now."

"Alois! Did you spend the night with someone at the party?!"

"No! I just... I was too drunk to drive home," he said a little too quickly.

"Well, if you give me directions to William's then I can come-"

"No, I'm fine," he interrupted, "I'm fine. I'll, um, I'll meet you at the mall, okay?"
...
After what felt like forever, I finally watch Alois, clad in baggy clothes and black sunglasses, stumble into the suit shop.

"Finally!" He shrinks away from my voice. "Sorry. Here," I hand him the outfit I had picked out for him. It was a childhood dream of our parents go pick out each other's prom outfits. They had been best friends just as we were. Yes it's cliche, but occasionally, we like to be princes. No matter how prude I am or how hungover he was.

Low rise slacks and a white shirt with a vest. A deep purple number. The style had been really popular this year and Alois's Pinterest was full of photos of outfifs just like this. I just so happened to find an exact replica of one of them. His face lit up for a moment before he shook hid head from side to side.

"No, Ciel, I can't. It's just too... tight."

"No, it isn't. This is your exact size. Besides, you like tight. You'll look great in it. Now go try it on." He sighs but walks into the dressing room. I try to follow him but he holds up a hesitant hand, stating that he'd  come out when he was ready. Since when was Alois embarrassed of me seeing him naked? Modesty was defiantly not an Alois character trait.

I wait outside for a few minutes when his phone vibrates. I take it out and look at the text.

Sebby: Hey, babe. Where'd you go this morning? I was hoping we could have had some more fun. ;)

Sebby? As in Sebastian? I squint my eyes as if that would help me read the text better.

"I don't know, C. I think it's too tight."

"No, no. Come out and let me see." There was only one way to know if what I read was true.

"No, it's fine. I'm already taking it off."

I pull the curtain open anyways. Popping brilliantly against his ivory skin, right where I had expected it would be, was a deep purple mark.

Sebastian's signature hickey.

"Ciel, I-"

"No, Alois, these lowriders looks great on you. I'm sure Sebby would love them." If his face wasn't already horrified, it sure was now.

"Ciel, I can explain. I was really drunk and he was there and... and I just-"

"Sacrificed your dignity to try and get the attention of a boy who dumped your ass?" As soon as the words fell from my mouth, I wished I could stuff them back in. Both of us gasped simultaneously and Alois's eyes began to water. "Alois, I'm sorry I didn't mean-" he pulled the curtain closed on our conversation. Despite my protests, he took off the suit and shoved in into my arms.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it work with Sebastian, but him and I have certainly come to an agreement." He turned and began to walk away. Then he stopped and without turning around said, "Oh, and by the way, Sebastian is an excellent lover."