The Tuxedo Man (boyxboy)[Wattys 2016]

Chapter 15 - Hanging On

[Picture: Eric Bradley Chancellor. Video: Here's To Us - Ellie Goulding]

What were we expecting? Of course the food was still absolute shit.

I don't know why they keep rolling out dishes that taste like they've been out in the sun for two days. Hell, I think the cafeteria lunch is better than this.

I was trying to ignore the Great Bang for the duration of this ball, but I'm finding it really hard to do since they're using three fucking tables for themselves, that's how many they are and how fucking ignorant and selfish they are. I'm glad I have a small group, it's easier to organize and there are probably less disputes among us than they have among themselves. All of us sit together around one table, a couple of tables away from where Eric is with his buddies, sometimes taking the time to just look at me like I'm something he's proud of, and it makes me blush every time.

When they were serving food, I noticed that they served chicken once more, immediately digging my phone from my pocket to text Eric Don't eat the chicken this time, okay? To which he responded with Roger that.

The Master of Ceremonies, which was one of our teachers, heads up onto the stage and takes the microphone, clearing her throat to gather the attention of the juniors.

"Alright, now we have come to the part of the program you have all been looking forward to." She glances at the DJ booth, to which Dustin, the guy who'm we all know as the one aspiring to be the next Zedd or Calvin Harris, flashes the teacher a thumbs up. She nods and happily announces the next part of the program. "Get up off your seats and dance!"

The music starts blaring out of the speakers that are placed all around the room, everyone cheers as they get up, some even were still holding drinks in their hands as their bodies pulsed to the rhythm of the song. I looked at the group with a determined look, yelling "Let's go have fun!". They looked at each other at first, hesitant because none of us really dance, but after a shrug which kind of said "Fuck it.", we all got up and made our way to the middle of the ballroom, where juniors were hanging out with their respective groups and cliques, enjoying the time they have while it lasts. We all aren't acknowledging the fact that in a year, we're going to graduate and move on with our lives. It's unlikely we'll still see each other again, which is a good thing regarding the whole GB situation, but I would be missing everyone else.

The basketball varsity team has made a circle, with each one of them having to break a move in the middle as a crowd gathers, I look at them as they enjoy and cheer on every single one, refusing to join the crowd so that I could let Eric to his team.

"I'm tired." Astrid says as she half-asses her dance, barely moving from side to side.

"What the fuck have you been doing?" Ruth asks. "We're literally an hour into the program, and we've been sitting down in that hour."

"I was binging on The Flash last night!" She argues as if it's totally valid reason.

I roll my eyes. "Who the fuck told you to binge on it last night? Couldn't you do it some other night?"

"The fuck, of course not!"

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because Grant Gustin is bae."

There was a collective facepalm in the group.

The night progresses, and there was probably an hour or so of the music just going on and on, transitioning seamlessly from pop song to pop song, melodies that belong to the Billboard top ten. We were now just talking as we unknowingly sway from side to side. Some of the people have returned to their tables, taking a break from the dancing as maybe the girls' heels have been killing them. Ellie Goulding's "Outside" comes on, and I perk up just so that the girls could sigh at me. Mason cheers on and yells "Dance, Braydon!".