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Okay, so I may have left one person out when I was listing who knows about my sexuality. When I said that only Nathan and my parents know, I meant that they're the only people who know that count.

                I was reminded of this as I felt rather than heard somebody come up beside me as I organised my locker the next day.

                'Hey TinTin,' a syrupy voice said sickly in my ear, and I shuddered.

                'Hey Parker,' I muttered, wishing he'd graduate already.

                Parker Count is a senior, but he's been a senior three times already. He's nearly twenty-one and I don't think he's actually an idiot, I think he just likes being in High School.

                Though, that in itself probably does classify him as an idiot.

                Anyway, since the beginning of school this year he's developed a weird fascination with me, and follows me around between classes trying to talk to me. I make it my business to keep three paces ahead of him at all times and to never respond if there's anybody even vaguely cool around, but this doesn't deter him; if anything, it makes him more determined. And I can't even report him for stalking or harassment because, lucky me, he knows I'm gay and if I did that he could tell everyone.

                'We should go out this weekend,' Parker said now, as I closed my locker and scanned the hallways for an escape route.

                'Don't you have your Senior Prom this weekend?' I muttered between clenched teeth. I wasn't really asking; of course because all of my friends are seniors I know when the Prom is, but also because the school has been covered in posters for it for months now. The Committee decided on Masquerade for a theme and everyone has to dress flamboyantly and cover their faces. I thought this would be a problem for the traditional Prom photo op, but Nathan said that it will be an improvement on most of the kids in our school.

                And he's right.

                'I have that every year,' Parker said nonchalantly, as I mentally dismissed the idea of hiding in the bathroom across the hall. He'd follow me in and wait for me. 'But we could go together if you like.'

                'I'd rather shit twice and die,' I muttered, before launching myself into the middle of a passing throng of Juniors and away, away, away from him.

Rowan

'Dude,' my cousin Ben snapped, and smacked me, hard, across the back of the head. I jolted forwards in surprise, then turned to glare at him.

                'The fuck?!' I demanded, rubbing the back of my head. Our friend Mitchell sniggered quietly into his hand, one eye on the teacher.

                'You were staring out the window like some dreamy-eyed chick. What's up with you?'

                'Nothing,' I muttered, averting my gaze. Truth was, I was acting like some dreamy-eyed chick. I'd been thinking about Rosaline and how I was going to get her to come to Prom with me if she wouldn't even accept my friend request on Facebook, but I'd tried nothing and I was all out of ideas. I've never had to try this hard with a girl before. I'm not saying girls throw themselves at me because they don't, but usually a bit of flirting, just being nice and taking care of them, was all it took to get a girl to go to dinner with me. Rosaline hadn't even wanted to shake my hand!

                'Are you thinking about those Capu-retards again?' Ben demanded, and I paused before nodding. I guess I was. Technically, Rosaline was a Capu-retard. I don't think she counted though, because she was a transfer, and also because the only Capulet students we really referred to with that intelligent nickname were the football players.

                'Don't worry about them,' Ben said breezily, leaning back in his chair. 'They're still suspended aren't they?' he added, and nudged Mitchell, who was sitting in front of him, in the back. I was sitting across from them, and grinned. Mitch's dad is a pretty big-time lawyer, and he totally got our suspensions revoked. It was pretty awesome. I'm pretty sure if we'd asked he'd have been able to get the Capulet kids suspended for long enough to miss their Prom, but we decided not to bother. It would only rile that Tyson douchebag up further and we preferred to get our revenge on the field.

                Suddenly overcome with a sense of extreme fraternity as I thought about the team, I leaned across, closer to Mitch and Ben, and whispered, 'Hey guys. If I tell you something, will you try not to kick the crap out of me?'

                Mitch looked sceptical – he's never kicked the crap out of anyone, not even a Capu-retard – and Ben raised an eyebrow. As cousins, we act more like brothers, and are constantly getting into some scuffle or another. My dad gets angry and says we're too old at seventeen to be acting like jackasses, but that's hypocritical because he still acts that way with his brother – Ben's dad.

                'Go on,' Ben said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. 'This should be good.'

                'It's a about Prom.'

                'You'll look so adorable in your crown,' Mitch said mockingly, and Ben snorted.

                'Shut up. Have you guys got dates yet?'

                'Yeah, I'm taking your mom,' Mitch joked, and Ben high-fived him.

                'I'm serious,' I muttered. 'Could you guys be helpful for two minutes please?'

                'Fine,' Mitch huffed. 'Yes. I'm taking Claire Pines.'

                'I asked Hayley Tate,' Ben said. 'She fainted,' he added smugly. Hayley Tate has been in love with Ben since Freshman year, and since she grew into her looks (and her chest) over the summer he's been paying her a lot more attention. I guess Ben is kind of a dick.

                'Have you found somebody good enough to be your Queen yet?' Mitch asked, smirking.

                This was a good question. If I brought a Capulet girl to Prom and got Prom King I would be tarred and feathered by a jury of my peers. 'Yeah. I mean, I don't know her very well, but she's pretty and she seems nice.'

                'So?' Ben shrugged. 'What's stopping you?'

                'There's just this one little problem,' I said, making a face. 'Just a little one. Tiny, really. No big deal. It's just, she kind of... Goes to Capulet.'

                I glanced from Ben to Mitch and back again as they stared at me, slack-jawed, like fish out of water.

                'Say something,' I ordered.

                'Are you out of your tiny fucking mind?' Ben hissed.

                'That's one way to ensure you don't have to wear the crown,' Mitch muttered, shaking his head.

                'I'm not,' I said to Ben, ignoring Mitch. 'I don't know what it is about her. I barely know her and I can't stop thinking about her. She won't get the hell out of my head, it's like I need to see her. I checked her Facebook after I met her, and that's how I found out she goes to Capulet, she's a Senior there, she just transferred. She's beautiful.'

                'She would want to be a working swimwear model for this to be okay,' Mitch interjected under his breath, but Ben was squinting at me suspiciously.

                'You've always been a bit more inclined towards romance than lust,' he pointed out.

                'Yeah.'

                'Which makes you a "good guy".'

                'That's not the only thing that makes me a good guy.'

                'And you said she's a Senior?'

                'Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?'

                'Because I, dearest cousin, have got a plan.'

Justin

'You still haven't asked anybody to Prom?' my mom looked incredulously at Nathan over the dinner table.

                'No,' Nathan said shamelessly. 'I told you guys, I'm going alone, if I go at all.'

                'You have to go,' my dad interjected. 'I'll be damned if you don't get at least one more wear out of that tux.'

                When my grandmother died last year our parents bought us both tuxes to wear to the funeral, and we haven't had another opportunity to wear them since. We've both almost outgrown them, but since they were so expensive our parents want Nathan to wear his one last time. Luckily, as I will have far outgrown mine by the time my Prom rolls around, I am off the hook for now.

                Nathan muttered something non-committal and my mom returned to the main point; his lack of a date.

                'You have to ask somebody,' she pointed out. 'Who will stand next to you in the photos?'

                'Justin can,' Nathan joked. 'We'll put him in a dress, he'll be lovely.'

                'Shut. Up,' I told him, flicking a pea at him. 'You're just jealous that you can't get a date to your own Prom, even I was asked to your Prom.'

                'Who asked you?' Rosaline asked curiously from the bottom of the table. She rarely speaks at dinner so it's always a surprise when she does.

                'Who do you think?' I asked, rolling my eyes. 'Parker, of course.'

                'He's weird...' she mused, and that seemed to be the extent of her input.

                'Yes,' I agreed. 'Yes he is.'

                'Would he ever graduate already?' Nathan muttered. 'It's getting creepy.'

                'I think they're gonna expel at the end of the year if he doesn't this time.'

                'Well at least you won't have to deal with him next year then.'

                'Only in school,' I argued. 'You know that even if he does graduate he's still not going to move away. He says he wants to marry me.'

                'You're too young to get married,' my dad pointed out.

                'I know that. Try telling him.'

                'I might have a word with the school,' my dad mused.

                'Don't,' I groaned, 'you'll only make it worse.'

                'I thought you wanted to go to this dance?' my mom enquired.

                I shrugged. 'Everybody does. Doesn't mean I'm willing to get drugged, raped, and married in order to do it.'

                'I keep offering him my spare ticket,' Nathan informed them, 'but he won't take it.'

                'That's because that ticket is for your date,' my mom and I said simultaneously, then high-fived.

                'You can have my ticket, Justin,' Rosaline said quietly, and we all looked at her. 'I only bought one and I really don't feel up to going anyway.' She smiled, and there wasn't really any arguing with her, because she looked so sad.

                'Okay,' I said simply. 'Thanks Rosaline.'

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A/N: THIS was kind of a filler, next chapter will be more exciting, promise ^.^

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