Pride Day: Part Four
A/N: The song used in this chapter is called 'Can I Be Him' by James Arthur.
***
Michelle stood at the edge of the dance floor, her eyes moving from one corner to the other. The place had been turned into a raunch, with the girls and gays grinding on other straights and gays. She had no dance partner and therefore didn't see the need of going to the dance floor alone. A sudden feeling of loneliness crept back to her. Back then, she didn't have to worry about a dance partner. She always had Sheila. They had both vowed not to let boys come between their friendship and thus would always accompany each other to such dances. However, she had noticed that Sheila had been pushing her away in her last days. It wasn't too noticeable, but a person who had few friends and a best friend whom she had spent most of her time with would be able to notice.
Michelle turned and was about to leave the auditorium when a hand grabbed her and pulled her back. It was Marcus. He flashed her a smile and she gave him one in return. Marcus was not one of those you'd hot as hell. He was fairly handsome, with his pink lips and brown eyes adding a great percentage to his looks. His black hair was a frequent visitor to his mother's shampoo and glimmered under the sunlight. He was of normal height for a fourteen-year-old, and his curiosity in things that did not affect him got him into trouble more than once.
"Why are you taking me back there? I don't want to dance, " Michelle complained as Marcus dragged her back to the dance floor.
"But I do. Come on! Show me what you got, " Marcus told her and began jumping up and down to the electronic music booming from the speakers. Michelle just stood there, looking at him with her eyebrows raised. Marcus took notice of her and took her hands and forcefully threw them into the air. Michelle allowed him to do so but resisted a bit to show him that she did not give in to his wants.
"Did Jeff find Luis?" Michelle yelled over the loud music.
"Yes!" Marcus was shouting too, but still dancing. "But he was with Aiden the Asshole, so he's kinda bummed right now."
"They like each other, don't they?"
"Have you seen the way Jeff looks at him?! They are just two lovebirds afraid to tell each other their feelings."
"Do you have someone you like too?"
Marcus stopped dancing. "Me? No way! I don't have one. I mean, I haven't found the right one yet."
Michelle smirked at him. "You look like you wouldn't know even if they were standing right in front of you, " she told him and began dancing. Marcus joined her and soon the conversation was forgotten.
Little did they know of the truth about Michelle's statement.
***
Jeff had decided that he had taken enough booze to give him the energy he needed. Another student had come back and sneaked alcohol into the punch bowl going unnoticed. Jeff had figured out that he needed the drink to give him the guts he needed for what he was about to do. Well, if it went wrong, he could always blame it on the alcohol. He stopped drinking once he felt a little lightheaded and waited for the right time.
"Yoh peeps, I'll be taking song requests from y'all. So if you have a banger that is worthy of dancing to head up here and I'll play it for you."
Jeff realised that it was his cue and staggered to the deck. He noticed he was being too obvious with his drunkenness and straightened up a little. He approached the DJ and patted him.
"Hey there DJ. Lemme just cut straight to the point. I like someone, as in like like. And I don't know how the heck I'm going to tell him. So I need you to play a song for me."
"Anything for love. Tell me, what do you want me to play for you and your loved one?" The DJ replied.
"Actually, it's me who's going to sing it. Can you find for me the karaoke of the song I want to sing?" He moved closer to the DJ and whispered something into his ear. The DJ nodded and handed the microphone to Jeff, who picked it up and held it loosely.
The students threw jabs at the DJ when he abruptly stopped the music. There were grumbles of disappointment with some threatening to throw him off the decks and play the music themselves.
"Alright alright! Calm down, peeps. I know you want to continue, but I gotta fulfil this special request here. This young dude really likes someone, as in like like, and he wants to tell him or her how he feels. So let's hear what he has to say, " the DJ spoke.
Jeff felt all the alcohol draining from his body when he moved to the front of the deck. The whole school was quiet and cast him glares; glares that demanded to know why their music had been stopped. Marcus and Michelle clapped for him, but they soon stopped when they realised no one was clapping with them and that they were receiving the same piercing glances from the surrounding students.
Jeff held the microphone closer to his mouth, his hand shaking. It was now or never.
"So this is a song I want to sing to someone I really like," he began. "To that person, you'll know it's for you, " he finished. Luis then noticed that Jeff was eyeing him and moved closer, wondering who it was. Jeff nodded to the DJ and he began the music.
"🎵You walked into the room and now my heart has been stolen
You took me back in time to when I was unbroken
Now you're all I want
And I knew it from the very first moment
'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again🎵"
His voice was shaking, but he didn't care. The die was already cast.
"🎵I swear that every word you sing, you wrote them for me
Like it was a private show, I know you never saw me
When the lights come on and I'm on my own
Will you be there to sing it again?
Could I be the one you talk about in all your stories
Can I be him?🎵"
As he went on, he noticed that most of the students had loosened up. Some were even swaying to the beats. A new wave of confidence suddenly rushing through him, he held the mic more firmly and began the next verse, his voice more powerful than before.
"🎵I heard there was someone but I know he don't deserve you
If you were mine I'd never let anyone hurt you, no, no
I wanna dry those tears, kiss those lips
It's all that I've been thinking about
'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again🎵"
Jeff caught a glimpse of some girls wiping tears from there faces. Still energised, he next stunned everyone with his vocals.
"🎵I swear that every word you sing, you wrote them for me
Like it was a private show, but I know you never saw me
When the lights come on and I'm on my own
Will you be there to sing it again?
Could I be the one you talk about in all your stories?
Can I be the one
Can I be the one
Can I be the one
Oh, can I, can I be him?🎵"
Jeff looked at Luis. His could see his eyes looking at him with compassion. He moved to the side of the stage near to him and kept his gaze on him as he sang the next lyrics.
"🎵Won't you sing it again?
Oh, when you sing it again
Can I be him?
Oh, sing it again, yeah
Oh, when you sing it again
Can I be him?
I swear that every word you sang, you wrote 'em for me
Like it was a private show, but I know you never saw me
When the lights come on and I'm on my own
Will you be there, will you be there?
Can I be the one you talk about in all your stories
Can I be him?
Can I be him?
Can I be him?
Can I be him?🎵"
A loud applause followed the end of the song. Jeff eyed the crowd with gratitude, his face wearing a big smile. He then reverted his eyes back to Luis and was surprised to see Luis approach the decks. He climbed over and came to stand in front of him, his blue eyes gazing into his.
What happened next made everyone drop their mouths, amazed. Jeff grabbed Luis and pressed his lips into his, and his heart literally skipped a beat. He felt certain feeling surge through his body; something he had never felt before. Luis on the other hand didn't let go. He held Jeff tighter and continued kissing him, wishing he would never stop. It was something different for the both of them, something so sweet and lovely that words could not be explained. Jeff put his hands over Luis' shoulder and Luis put his around Jeff's waist. The whole school broke into a cheer as they witnessed the breath-taking scene unfold before them.
In other words, it was beautiful.