Page 34 of Septembers

Hailey was Jacinda’s old roommate and wasn’t particularly fond of Dae for some bonkers reason. Who the fuck wouldn’t love Dae?

He seemed on the verge of agreeing, but it was like there was a force field in front of his face, preventing his head from completing the nod. Hailey didn’t give him any grace, always peppering him with questions and getting annoyed when he couldn’t answer fast enough.

“I’m going to do the audition,” Theo said, before he could stop himself. He just couldn’t stand seeing Dae so torn and panicked.

“Great!” Jacinda gave him a high-five, her phone forgotten.

“If it’s cool with you, can I steal Dae so he can help?”

Her slight frown was quick, but not unnoticeable. “Help how?”

“Oh, you know. Lines, costume, moral support…”

“Right. Okay.” The song playing abruptly cut out and cheers erupted around the café. “Good luck, Theo. Turn up the charm. They won’t be able to resist.”

“No one has yet.”

She gave him a double thumbs-up and kissed Dae before leaving. To an outside observer, that would’ve seemed perfectly normal, but Theo knew Jacinda’s cheer level rose when something bothered her.

“Sorry,” he said as soon as she was out the door. “Was that the right thing to do?”

Dae nodded, letting out a long breath and picking at his half-eaten sandwich. “Hailey’s a lot. She thinks I don’t like Jacinda enough.”

Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask… “Do you?”

“Yes.” He steeled his expression as if making a statement in a court of law. “I like Jacinda.”

Theo hated the stinging mixture of disappointment and relief swirling through his chest. “Okay then.”

Dae’s stare went cold. “What are you planning?”

“Nothing.”

“Theo.”

“Dae.”

“Don’t do anything.”

“I won’t.”

Dae picked up his drink and pointed the straw at him like a menacing dagger. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not.” He was. Obviously. “Come on. I have an audition to bomb, and you have a lie to sell.”

༻𓆪 𓆩༺

Theo decided to aim for Edna Turnblad, the main character’s mom in Hairspray, because she was supposed to sing badly. Dae went to the thrift shop to find him a costume while Theo shimmied along to the movie version in their living room. By the time he returned, Theo had worked up what he assumed to be a very attractive, very manly glow.

Dae winced. “Why do you look like you’re about to pass out?”

“I…” he stammered, holding his chest as he caught his breath, “don’t know…what you’re talking about. I’m dewy, that’s all.”

“I’ve never seen anyone so red.” His eyebrows pinched in insultingly legitimate concern.

“I said I’m just dewy!” He took a few deep gulps of water while Dae fished in his shopping bag, trying to hide his smirk. The flowered dress he pulled out had no shape, just two arm holes amidst what seemed like actual miles of fabric. “What in the sweet hell is that?”

Dae lost the battle with his smirk and his dimple toyed with the idea of appearing. “It’s called a muumuu, and it’s the best I could do.”