The Donut Shop ✔️

'T' Stands for 'Think it into Reality'

The school looked just as it would any other day, and if Ethan didn't know any better, he would think that it was just a regular night, but a sign, embellished by ribbons and puffy paint, on the side of the road directed them to the gym for the dance.

Tweed parked in the teacher's parking lot, and when one of the chaperones, a freshman English teacher, standing outside the building spotted him parking there, Tweed merely flashed his headlights on full-beam until the teachers outside squinted and begrudgingly moved inside.

"That was the most unnecessary thing ever," Mara observed, and Tweed just turned to her with a smirk.

"But you loved it," he teased her, and she narrowed her eyes, getting out of the car and smoothing her skirt. As Ethan got out, he peered through one of the windows of the gym door and spotted some of the metallic streamers that he and Oliver had hung. His mind flashed back to the night of the talent show. Was Oliver going to be here?

"It looks better on the inside," Mara said to him, and he gave a grim smile as they all began to file inside.

The music pumped through Ethan's chest as he was lead by Tweed and Mara to the dance floor. As he looked around at the decorations, he was impressed at all of the work that the student council accomplished while he was gone.

The dance was completely decked out for the jellyfish theme—the streamers were attached to white, feather-covered lanterns, which added a nice ambiance to the dimly lit gym. The fairy lights decorated the walls to emulate fish swimming, casting rich blue lights on the floor. The school even rented a set of projecting lights that cast a cool ocean theme across the laminated wood floor.

In the corner of the room, a banquet table contained a bowl of pink, yet very questionable punch, and a set of pastries.

Ethan did not join Mara and Tweed on the dance floor, especially when a slow song came on. He retreated to a set of chairs lined up against the wall, reserved for chaperones. They all glared at him as he sat on one of them.

Why did I agree to come, he asked himself as he gazed at Mara and Tweed swaying back and forth in time together. He was glad they finally embraced each other. It felt like waiting for the last book of a series, but never know when, or even if, it was coming. Maybe this is why Hana and his mother liked those dramas so much. At least those had an ending. 

"Hey."

He glanced up at the voice greeting him and gave Oliver a tight-lipped smile. Ethan gestured for him to sit. They sat wordlessly for a few fleeting moments, watching everyone dancing slowly. Ethan watched as one couple began shoving each other's tongues down their throats and, disgusted, he turned away. 

Oliver laughed. "I thought I was the only one that wanted to hit them upside the head," he said, causing Ethan to chuckle as well, folding his ankles over each other as he pulled out his phone.

"You're wearing it," Oliver pointed out, gesturing to Ethan's steering wheel ring.

"Yeah, I am. I came out to my parents last week, actually," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Heat spread throughout Ethan's face and neck, trickling to his ears as well. 

"That's really cool, I'm glad you were able to tell them who you are."

"Yeah," Ethan said as he swiped uselessly at his phone, anything to try and avoid this conversation, but deep down, he knew he needed to talk with Oliver. Just not at this moment, though.

He cleared his throat, and Oliver turned to him, his dark chestnut hair gleaming underneath the ocean lights.

"Would you like to dance?" Ethan asked abruptly.