“We’ll see you there tonight,” Kaiden declared.
Rus and Dylan remained silent, though their tense expressions said so much.
“Fantastic,” Daysha replied before a barista called her order. “I’ve got to get to classes, but I’ll be seeing you all there. Can’t wait. Bring your money.”
Rus scoffed.
“It’s a fundraiser!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Rus huffed.
“I hope it goes well.” Dylan sipped his drink, keeping his eyes fixed on Rus. “So, what movie is on the agenda tonight?"
“No movie,” Kaiden interjected, then raised his hands to silence both of them. “Did you not hear me? We’re going to the fundraiser. We’re watching drag, we’re celebrating, and we’re having a good time.”
“I’m not really that into clubbing late into the night,” Rus said. “Not on a weekday.”
“Your first class tomorrow isn’t until eleven,” Kaiden replied. “We’re going.”
“I don’t know.” Dylan shrugged. “It’s sort of last-minute.”
He quickly returned to his drink and averted his gaze from Kaiden.
“I’m not doing this. I’m not letting what happened there control what I do.” Kaiden’s body trembled as he spoke. He was grateful Dylan and Rus took his feelings into consideration. He admired them for it, for caring in a way so few did about him, but he wouldn’t let this become his story. “I’m not letting one incident control my life, my future. My fucking fun! We’re going. We’re going, and we’re going to have so much fun tonight, we completely forget what happened last time. It’ll be all, gay bashers who?”
Dylan and Rus made a face, each of their eyes wide with shock and perhaps concern.
“Shut up,” Kaiden blurted. “I heard it. I was trying something out, it didn’t work, pretend it never happened. I’ll have a better catch phrase tonight.”
He wouldn’t, but he would have fun tonight. That much was determined.
They headed downtown around nine, finding the special drag show performance for the Pride Club fundraiser was already underway as they arrived. Much earlier than Himbos usually performed, but since it was for an event that sort of made sense. Kaiden skirted by the Pride fundraiser tables, dropping a donation into one of their offerings, but leaving before someone could chat him up.
Festive decorations lined the walls from cobwebs in every corner to dangling skeletons with obnoxious twinkling lights in their ribcages.
“Leave it to the gays to start celebrating the day October hits,” Kaiden said with a small smile.
“If they were really festive, they’d have started decorating back in July for Summerween,” Rus shouted.
“For what?” Kaiden shook his head in protest, but Halloween did seem like the one thing Rus put real effort into.
For starters, he had a slew of horror films at his place that he always tried to trick Kaiden and Dylan into checking out. Secondly, he’d already pulled out his slasher hoodies and seemed to have quite the collection of horror apparel in his closet.
Himbos was much more crowded than usual, especially for a Wednesday. Kaiden tried to enjoy the performance from a distance, mind recalling the frenzy the drag queens went into the night of his assault. It filled Kaiden’s throat with a lump, his nerves getting the better of him, the more people walked by him. Every time someone paused and stared, he wondered if they knew what happened. How many people knew? Did anyone know? Did anyone even care? Kaiden believed he was being dramatic for no reason. No one cared. No one even remembered. It was a million years ago. Well, a month and some change, so he didn’t understand why he was hanging onto it so much. Especially right now.
“You good?” Rus placed a hand on the small of Kaiden’s back, guiding him through the crowd and toward some free seats at the bar.
“Yep.”
“What’cha want?” Dylan asked, flashing some crinkled bills like a big spender with his singles and fives. “I’m buying.”
“Um, nothing right now,” Kaiden replied.
“I’m good.”
“You’re not going to drink either?” Dylan asked Rus.
“No, not feeling it.”
