CHAPTER THIRTEEN: the turnaround

A♥l♥l♥ t♥h♥e♥ p♥e♥o♥p♥l♥e♥ s♥a♥y♥

XAVIER MACKEN THOUGHT THAT THE TURNAROUND DANCE WAS STUPID. The turnaround dance was when the girls would ask the this to the dance. He didn't find it stupid just because he was gay. But, he found it stupid because it wasn't always the guys who had asked the girls.

He grumbled about it, which had gotten him a look from Jonathan Turner, the teacher who was putting up the posters. With Mr.Feeny.

"This is so stupid," Xavier muttered.

"What's wrong, Macken?" Jonathan asked.

"How the fuck-"

"Language, Mr.Macken," Feeny warned the other.

"Sorry. But, how am I supposed to get a date? I'm gay." He told the two older men.

"We'll, you could ask a guy," Jonathan told him, as though it was easy.

"Are you as crazy as the design of the tie you are wearing?" Xavier asked the man, which had caused him to grab the the tie he was wearing, frowning at it. "If I ask out the wrong guy I'm gonna get into fights again! And I'm trying not to fight unless it's absolutely necessary."  Out of fear that Mr. Feeny decided to put him into the foster system for the rest of the year.

"So, ask Eric Matthews," Jonathan shrugged.

"Did you not hear what I said? Yeah, Eric may not punch me, but he's the only other friend I have."

Jonathan leaned to Feeny. "He's joking, right?"

"I'm afraid not," Feeny replied.

Xavier scrunched up his face, confused. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

"Oh, come on," Turner says as though he's tired.
A♥l♥l♥ t♥h♥e♥ p♥e♥o♥p♥l♥e♥ s♥a♥y♥

"Xavier! Xavier!" Eric yelled outside of Mr.Feeny's residence. He was silent for barely a second. "Xaveir!"

Mr. Feeny sighs. "Xavier, would you please-"

"Okay. Fine. Yeah. But, when he attacks me for asking him to the dance, I'm coming in here and blaming you while dealing with possible head trauma." Xavier pointed at the old man.

Xavier smiled at the other boy. "Hey, Eric."Eric smiled brightly back at him.  "So, Eric, I was wondering, if, maybe, you'd want to do me a favor and go to the dance with me? I understand if you were asked-"

"Yes!" Eric cheered. "Yes, I would love to go with you." He rushed out.

"Really?" Xavier smiled, shocked.

"Yes, just give me a minute-" Eric stumbled over his feet as he had gone to walk back into his house.
A♥l♥l♥ t♥h♥e♥ p♥e♥o♥p♥l♥e♥ s♥a♥y♥

Xavier had just grabbed a white button up shirt and matched it with black pants. The blond-haired boy shifted nervously. He knocked on the front door of the Matthew's house.

Mr.Feeny had offered to drive him to the dance.

Xavier nervously twisted at his sleeves before fixing it again. The door opened, Xavier looked up, seeing Alan Matthew. "Xavier," he says, surprised to see the boy, dressed up.

Eric came running down the stairs, stopping his rambling of the story that had only happened a few minutes ago as he saw the blond-haired boy at the door step. "Xavier."

"Um, do you still need some more time?" Xavier asked, panicked, worrying that Eric had changed his mind.

"No. No." Eric shakes his head as he approached the other, going to close the door in his father and mother before they could say anything about Eric's crush on Xavier.
A♥l♥l♥ t♥h♥e♥ p♥e♥o♥p♥l♥e♥ s♥a♥y♥
The two walked into the gymnasium,  Eric extended his hand dramatically.   Eric smiled widely at Xavier. "Want to dance?"

Xavier took a hold of Eric's hand, pulling him onto the dance floor. "Gotta warn you, I'm a terrible dancer. I'm a much better fighter than dancer." He smiled.

Eric stared down at their intwined hands, then back up at Xavier, who was smiling brightly.

"You have a nice smile," Eric blurted out, shutting his eye since he realized how loudly he had spoken.

Xavier only smiled wider. "Thanks." Xavier's smile disappeared when he had over-heard how Corey's date had ditched him.  "Hey, give me a minute."

"No, wait," Eric starts, but Xavier starts to search for the younger Matthew's brother. Eric let's out a frustrated groan, muttering about wishing how he didn't have a younger brother.

"Hey, girls," Eric called out to Corey and Shawn, annoyed, that once again, the two had gotten him away from Xavier.

"Eric, not now, okay? Anytime but now." Corey says, depressingly.

"Why? 'Cause you got dunked twice?"

"Three times," Shawn corrected.

"How does that-never mind," Xavier says.

"Wow," Eric spoke.

"I don't see you with your date," Corey shot back at Eric.

"Uh, yes you do," Eric grinned, pulling Xavier into his side.

Shawn's eyes widen, shocked by the news before he glared at Eric. "If you hurt him, I'll-" he started, thinking of a threat. Something Xavier could say.  "drown you in the punch bowl," he finished.

"Hi," a boy walked up to the group, plaid shirt, white underneath and a jacket-vest over the plaid. "want a picture to remember the dance?"

"I'm trying to boost his confidence at the moment," Xavier gestured to Corey.

The boy gave him a confused look, slowly walking away.

"No, wait, wait, come back," Corey called out. "Take a picture, a picture of the four coolest guys at the dance."

"Sitting at the losers's table," Eric commented. "And Xavier and I-"

"Listen, take the picture now and in twenty years, if anyone asks," Corey gesture to himself and Shawn. "Our dates where in the bathroom."

"Mine's really is," Shawn says as he moved over to kneel by Corey.  Eric pulled Xavier to his side.

"Everybody say cheese," Corey says.

"You gotta say dumped," Shawn told Corey.

"Cheese," Xavier says.

"Cheese," Eric smiled.

"Dumped," Corey speaks.

"Cheese," Shawn grinned.

Once the picture was snapped, Eric and pulled Xavier to the dance floor.
A♥l♥l♥ t♥h♥e♥ p♥e♥o♥p♥l♥e♥ s♥a♥y♥

{1033}