cheerleader // phan

eight

earlier that night...

ian paced the apartment, his heart racing with anxiety. karlie and connie were both asleep, karlie on the couch and connie in her room. kenny stood at the kitchen counter, watching ian.

"what is wrong now?" kenny asked in a half-sarcastic tone.

"it's ten and dan isn't home yet. he's normally home by like nine or nine-thirty."

"you always worry about him." kenny sighed.

"i know, but just-" ian started, but he was cut off by kenny walking around the counter and wrapping his arm around ian. ian squinted at him in confusion.

but then it clicked.

ian smelled booze on the boy's lips, but ian didn't mind. when kenny was drunk, he was compassionate, loving.

and a little gay.

but who isn't?

"wanna talk about it in your bedroom?" kenny slurred. ian didn't see the point, but they went in there anyway.

•••

it didn't take long before kenny's lips were placed onto ian's.

ian knew this was wrong, he knew he liked dan, he knew kenny was straight, but in the moment it just felt so right.

"hey, dan just got home, he's on the- AHH!" karlie screeched when she entered the bedroom. she looked at the boys in confusion and awe.

"holyshitholyshitholysHIT" karlie mumbled and ran out the room, her heart pounding with fear and confusion.

ian shot out of bed, his common sense rushing back to him. kenny looked at him with sad and drunken eyes. ian just shook his head and walked out of the room, wanting to hide.

karlie stood by the couch where dan lay. the clock read 12:00am. both of them stared at the other for a moment. karlie raised her hands as if to say.

'aren't you gonna say something?'

ian looked at dan sleeping on the couch, questions filling his mind.

"seeya," was all he could muster before he was out the door.

karlie was left to her own confusion.

•••

the awkward tension in the apartment was raging when ian finally got home and dan woke up in the morning. ian not kenny spoke a word to each other, and karlie didn't talk to either of them. dan could sense something was wrong, and so could connie.

normally, connie and dan weren't the best of friends, but they knew something was up.

"doesn't it feel weird in here?" connie whispered to dan as they both stood in the kitchen, everyone else elsewhere.

"yeah," dan nodded.

"something happened while we were asleep, i can tell." connie concluded, and dan agreed.

"c'mon, let's go ask karlie," connie said, dragging dan out the room.

"i don't think that's a very good idea, co-" dan was interrupted by connie speaking to karlie.

"okay spill the beans, hon. what happened last night." connie said, placing a hand on her hip.

"i-i dunno if i can tell you, con, uhh- maybe you should ask kenny or ian." karlie stuttered.

soon, connie stood in kenny's doorway, dan behind her.

"okay what the hell happened?" connie asked, and kenny had no choice but to tell her.

both connie and dan's jaw dropped.

"you're kidding," they said in unison. kenny just shook his head in shame.

connie's poor heart broke, and dan's was just confused.

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