On your knees // Bandom

34. Dance, Dance

An// six build up chapters and the dance is finally here.

It was the night of the long anticipated winter dance.

Jamia, Kitty, Jimmy, and Ray were 'double-dating' so that they could have the photos and the car and everything magical, but their parents still assumed their children were heterosexual. Ray and Jamia were a clearly gorgeous couple, as were Kitty and Jimmy.

They were sat in the back of a car Kitty's dad's chauffeur friend was driving, and they were getting high on inside jokes and excitement.

"Gotta say my girlfriend looks beautiful," Jimmy announced to the car.
Kitty hit his arm. "So does Ray's."
"So does Ray." Ray said.
"So does Ray," Jimmy echoed under his breath.
"My boyfriend." Jamia claimed.
"Can we just agree that all of our multiple dates are killing it?" Kitty asked.
"No. Its clearly a competition." Jimmy replied.
Jamia rolled her eyes.

In the relative dark of the backseat, Jimmy rested his head on Rays shoulder. Rays hair brushed against his cheek, the streetlights flashing through it.

"I know you don't like me," Jimmy said, quietly, venerably. "But I'm still happy im going to a dance with the guy I have a crush on."

Ray put an arm around him.
"He doesn't deserve you." He told Jimmy, separating himself from the situation.
"Maybe not." Jimmy replied.
Then he smiled this slow smile, and for the first time, Ray didn't feel weird about the idea of kissing him.

The car pulled up outside the school and Ray and Jimmy hopped out, then opened the doors for their respective dates.

Jamia was wearing a black dress, and somehow making the lace and floral skirt look punk. Kitty was in white, and a tie. They clasped hands to walk in. As friends.

Ray and Jimmy tried to dance, awkward hands upon awkward hands and frosty lights dancing through the strands of hair. Jimmy's up in gelled spikes and Rays, as always, uncontrolled. Ray watched his date slip slightly on the floor and laugh.

"Can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Ray asked suddenly.

Jimmy's eyes widened and he nodded. Ray left the building out of a fire escape and Jimmy followed.

"I want to apologise," Ray told him.
"For what?"
"Messing with you. I know I said I wouldn't freak out about liking a guy, but I think I did. I used you to figure out what the fuck was going on with my sexuality, and my head. I used you to experiment, or whatever, and I'm sorry."
"Did you come to any conclusions?"
"Only that I'm even more confused. But I think I might wanna kiss you."
"Would that help?"
"I don't know. That's what happens in the movie's, right? They kiss and figure out their life."
"That is super unhelpful to me, y' know that? It's terrifying."
"Yeah, that's what the apologies for."
"Okay, whatever, I've kissed people before. I can do this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."

Jimmy nodded, pushed up onto his tiptoes, and kissed him. It was like the movie's, the sounds of dancing and chatter floated out. Jimmy dropped back down again, and laughed slightly, an incredulous laugh. Then his face folded in on itself.

"Sorted out your life yet, Raymond? Finished your games?"
"I think so," Ray was smiling unfairly.
"And? Fucked with my head long enough?"
"I am so sorry. But I liked kissing you, I'd like to do it again. Maybe more than once."
"Can we talk about this tomorrow?"
"Okay, shit- I am so sorry."
"Stop apologising. I'm glad I could help, I just..."
"Tomorrow. To be continued,"
"Meet me at Applebee's?"

Ray nodded, and left Jimmy out there in the December cold, feeling like he'd ruined the only person to like him for him.

~