“If my rep is as great as you say, then they’ll be open to us. We live in Idaho Falls, Coop. Being gay and a couple is never gonna be easy.”
“How come you’re so cool with this?” he asked. “I should be the one waving flags, not you.”
“You’re not the parade type and you know it,” I teased. “It’s just a bunch of kids.”
He paused and looked at me in a strange way which made me think he was questioning my word choice or delivery.“Yeah . . .just like us,” he stated.
“That’s what I meant,” I corrected. “Just two kids going to the prom that happen to be gay. Hell, I bet we aren’t even the only gay couple here.”
“Shelly and Kim don’t count,” he said. “They’ve been together and out as lesbians since eighth grade.”
I kissed his nose. “And we’ll be two more of theoutkids in exactly two minutes if you go in there with me.”
Coop chewed on his lower lip, looking from me to the door that was now wide open and filled with prom attendees. “Everyone’s coming outside,” he whispered, motioning to the forming crowd.
“See? We’re already out.”
Coop tilted his head toward our classmates. “Well, okay then. You leadthe way. I’ll watch our backsides,” he joked.
I leaned closer to him so I could whisper in his ear. “And remember, in a few months, none of these people will matter. This is just high school.”
“You’re acting weird again,” he accused.
“But you love me, right?”
“Shut up and lead the way.”
We both inhaled deeply and turned to face the music, literally.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Cooper
The crowd blocking the doors parted when Mikey walked into the gym with me in tow. I was gripping his hand tightly and staying as close to him as I could.
Sophomore and back-up quarterback, Mark Hanson, stood with his mouth wide open. I imagined he thought his hero, Mike Hill, was pulling the best prank ever. He shoved the guy next to him to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing.
We walked straight in and waited for the students on the dance floor to catch up with the developing news. It took less than a minute. It was like watching a group of deer after the first one sees the wolf at the edge of the herd. One notices and then all heads turn, row after row after row.
Even Todd Sidwell, a senior classmate who was the night’s DJ, forgot to queue the next song so the one playing ended while everyone stared at us which replaced the music with a low buzz that vibrated through the huge room like a swarm of bees.
And out of that swarm came the queen bee herself with Hastings in tow. The crowd parted for her royal highness like it did anytime she moved through a space. Her influence was incredible to witness from this side. My new side, the banished, the voted off the island, the excommunicated.
“Fuck,” I said, grabbing Mikey’s hand with my other hand.
“Well looky here, Michael,” she said, referring to Hastings with a name she vowed was reserved for Mikey. “I should have known he was gay. I mean, what normal guy would break up with me?”
“Play fair, Jen,” Mikey said. “We can all have a nice time here tonight.”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” she stated, stepping to her left and zeroing in on me. “Why are you hiding, Cooper? Mike forced you to come?”
“Leave him alone,” Mikey said. “It’s not Coop’s fault.”
“Then who’s is it?” she demanded. “You’re replacing me with him. Of course it’s his fault.”
Hastings stepped forward and grabbed for Jennifer’s hand which she yanked away from him. “Calm the fuck down,” he said.
“Do not speak to me like that,” she hissed, pushing his shoulder and glaring at him. Jennifer turned to refocus her anger on us. “You two were probably sneaking around behind my back the entire time, weren’t you?
“I wouldn’t do that to you, Jen, and you know it,” Mikey defended. “I’m gay and that’s all there is to it.” The crowd gasped at the announcement, pushing closer while they watched fireworks.
