Trapped at the Reunion

Disclaimer: All characters depicted are 18 years of age or older.

.

.

.

Chapter 4: Last Dance

.

.

.

"Andre, please don't do this," Joel said. They were sitting in Andre's car, parked outside Joel's house. The sunset loomed on the horizon.

"I...I'm sorry..." Andre said, quietly, staring down at his lap.

"If there's a time for you to come out, it's now. People are already talking. I've been saying, you won't be bullied like me. No one will dare to mess with a teacher's kid. You're less flamboyant than me, anyway," Joel reached over to grab Andre's hand, "and we can actually be boyfriends. In public. Don't you want that? To be able to walk around school with each other?"

Andre squeezed Joel's fingers. "It's not like that, Joel...I'm just not...My parents are gonna flip and who knows what they'll do," Andre said. "I just can't take that risk."

Joel felt the tears collecting beneath his eyes. He put a hand on Andre's cheek. "Andre, look at me. Look at me."

With a sigh, Andre turned his face towards him, and as soon as Joel saw how much pain there was in those beautiful dark brown eyes of Andre's, the tears took shape. Drops after drops began to roll down Joel's cheeks.

"I love you," Joel sniffled. "I don't want us to end."

Andre bit his lips. "I don't want that, either."

"Then just come out and stay with me. Who cares what other people think? We'll be so happy and--"

"Joel..."

"--we'll go to prom together and we'll dance--"

"Joel, I can't..."

"--and we can kiss in front of the whole school--"

"God fucking damnit Joel, listen!" Andre roared and pushed Joel's hand away. "How many times have we talked about this? Not everyone has parents who are okay with their son being gay like you, okay? Not everyone can be brave like you and show off how fucking gay they are to everyone. I just...I have a life ahead of me, okay? I need my parents to pay for college and...and...I need things to be on track."

Joel blinked. Andre pulled his gaze back down to his lap.

"That's interesting," Joel said, his voice hoarse. "Because if you really cared about your life being on track, whatever the fuck that means, then you shouldn't have gone out with me in the first place. You kissed me, remember? I told you I liked you and you kissed me. You could have pushed me away but you didn't. And you could have broken up with me at any point in the last three months, but you didn't. Because I know you love me, Andre. I love you and you love me, too, right?"

Andre was silent for what felt like an eternity, before he turned to look at Joel with an edge in his eyes that made Joel's body grow cold.

"Maybe I don't love you enough."

Joel felt his heart tighten, like a balloon being squeezed with such force that it threatened to pop, its delicate skin on the brink of giving in to the aching, pressing air. He took a deep breath.

"I can't believe I fell in love with a coward like you," Joel said. He could see a twitch in Andre's face, but he didn't care. He opened the door and got out, before shutting with a slam.

.

.

.

Joel stood in front of the metal door. He could hear himself breathing.

"Hey," Andre said. "You okay?"

Joel threw a sideways glance at Andre, making sure not to look directly into his eyes. Yet, he could still feel the warmth in Andre's tone. "No," Joel said. "I'm not. But we're gonna do what we have to."

"Maybe we should talk things out before we head inside?"

"I'm good. We talked plenty when Kenji and Chuck were in their room, so," Joel said, even though he knew this was bullshit. All they had talked about was what they did after graduation -- Joel went to college for music education and Andre for computer science, what they were doing now -- Joel taught at an elementary school in Houston while Andre wrote codes for a tech startup in Silicon Valley, and a million other topics of small talk that did not involve hashing out their relationship.

"We didn't really get to talk about--" Andre said, but Joel went ahead and promptly pushed the door in, slithering into the darkness as soon as he could. He heard a sigh, then footsteps followed behind him.

The lights came on, and both of them gasped. Joel's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open. Even when the door closed with a loud slam, Joel wasn't spooked, too awestruck by the vast space and the glittering decorations in front of him.

"How the fuck--" Joel muttered, taking in the spectacle in front of them. They were standing in their school's gymnasium, with its full-size basketball court and the blue and white bleachers on opposing sides, but not the gymnasium on an ordinary day. This was prom, and Joel knew this because the space looked pretty much exactly like he remembered. Swaths of fabric in eggshell white and baby blue hung across the ceiling and draped down onto the floor. Balloons tied together with shiny streamers lined the railings of the bleachers. Strips of LED lights that ran parallel to the drapes cast their soft orange glow on the gleaming floor, while rotating stage lights scattered around the gymnasium flashed their bright, bluish circles around the room. Across the room from where they were standing, a stage had been put up with giant speakers on each side, a DJ table, and a microphone in the center. Still, there was no actual DJ, no music, no crowd of students laughing and dancing.

"What kind of...how is there so much space? How did they even build this?" Andre said, slowly inching forward.

"Don't ask me," Joel said, his eyes scanning the room. He realized that right next to him was a white backdrop with silver balloons that spelled out "Fairview High Class of 2012," similar to the one that seniors used to take pictures. Joel remembered posing in front of it with his friends from theatre. Then he remembered how he'd hoped to get a shot of him kissing Andre in front of it.

"This is senior year prom," Andre said, snapping Joel back from his thoughts.

"Yeah. Wait...you didn't go, right?" Joel asked. "I don't remember seeing you there."

Andre paused. "I only went for like 10 minutes. And then I left. You weren't there yet so you didn't see me."

"Oh. Why didn't you stay?"

A longer pause. Andre opened his mouth, but no words came. Still, the look in Andre's eyes and the hands shuffling in his pockets were enough for Joel to understand.

"You didn't want to see me."

Andre sucked in a breath and looked down at the floor. "Not really."

"I don't blame you." Joel exhaled. "I didn't wanna see you either. We'd only been broken up for like, what, two months by then?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Silence followed. Memories flowed through Joel's mind like a rapid current, sweeping him back into the past. The first time they talked was when Andre offered him a wet tissue to wipe off the grime on his backpack, which Chuck and his friends had thrown into the dumpster, and Joel first noticed how handsome Andre was, how his eyes shone. Not long after, they were paired up for a Biology project and Andre came to Joel's place, where they discovered that they were both fans of Britney, eventually singing and dancing to her hits in Joel's room, which made Joel suspect that Andre was also gay. Then the first time they kissed: after Andre gave Joel his birthday present -- a vintage-style Britney shirt that Andre had thrifted -- and Joel confessed his feelings. The first time they had sex. The first time they fought over Andre not coming out. The last time they fought over Andre not coming out.

Andre inhaled, sharply. "Anyways, we should start searching for clues. There's always something we need to do before we, um, fuck, so..."

"Right." Joel nodded. He looked around the gymnasium, trying to pinpoint something of interest, while Andre started walking the perimeter. There was nothing out of place, Joel thought. He moved to the center of the dance floor, squinting at the drapes and the LED lights, surveying the balloons and the stage, to see if there was something peculiar, but nothing stood out. His eyes found Andre, who was now walking up and down the bleachers and examining the seats. A circle of blue light passed through Andre's torso, then another one ran across his face, and Joel felt his heart flutter. Andre was beautiful. Everything from his tall, slim build, to his short black curls and light stubble, to his bright, curious eyes. The way his legs gracefully glided on the floor. The way his brows furrowed, deep in thought. Andre was different, but at the same time, he was still the same boy Joel had fallen in love with 10 years ago.

"See anything interesting?" Andre asked, moving towards Joel on the dance floor.

"Nope, you?"

Andre shook his head. "There's no sign of drugged up water either."

"Does that mean we just have to..."

Andre was right in front of him now, in the middle of the floor. Their eyes locked onto each other. "I guess so."

Joel swallowed. He wondered if he could have sex with Andre completely sober. If he could bear to even kiss him.

Andre spoke softly. "Joel, before we do this, I just wanna--"

"STUDENTS OF FAIRVIEW HIGH!" a voice suddenly boomed from the speakers, making Joel jump. "HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING PROM TONIGHT?"

"What the fuck?" Joel said. He looked at Andre, who looked just as confused as he was.

"This next song is for the couples," the voice, male and chirpy, continued, drawing out that last word. "So if there's someone special you want to have a romantic moment with tonight, or if there's someone you want to confess your feelings to, this is the moment. Gentlemen, ladies, take each other's hands and let's dance..."

The LED string lights switched off, the dance floor went dim. The stage lights continued to swivel and cast their spots of blue and white around the room, but their pace slowed. Joel took in the change in lighting, before he turned back to Andre.

"Well, I guess we have to dance," he said.

"Yup, looks like it," Andre replied. They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, before Andre asked. "Is it okay if I put my hands around your..."

"Yeah. Here," Joel inched forward and wrapped his hands around Andre's waist, feeling the soft fabric of Andre's suit jacket on his skin. "And you can put yours around my neck."

"Cool." Andre brought his arms up and put them atop Joel's shoulders, before slowly interlacing his fingers behind Joel's neck. When Andre's fingers grazed against his skin, Joel almost shivered.

"Is this okay?" Andre asked. The gentleness of his voice reminded Joel of when they used to have sex and Andre would be the most tender, considerate boyfriend. The thought made Joel choke. All he could do was nod.

The music started. From the first note, those luxurious strings, Joel recognized the song immediately. "At Last" by Etta James. Soon, her voice, rich and expansive, filled the room. Joel began to sway his hips side to side ever so slightly, and Andre moved with him.

Joel wanted to look away from Andre's eyes, but he also didn't. This was everything he'd ever wanted. Their bodies laced up together, their faces inches apart, their eyes staring into each other as they moved to the slow, loving rhythm of the music. The lights would trail across Andre's face from time to time, and Joel would feel like his breath was taken away.

"Joel?" Andre said.

"Y-yeah?"

"I'm, uh...I'm sorry."

Joel blinked. "For what?"

"For not making this happen back then." Andre's eyes drooped down. "I wasn't brave enough."

"What? No." Joel shook his head. "It was all my fault. I kept being a bitch and pushing you to come out when you weren't ready. I should be the one apologizing."

Andre pressed his lips together. "You were right, though. I was a coward."

"No, you weren't. You were just being careful. I shouldn't have..." Joel sighed. "I shouldn't have forced you to choose me over your own safety. I was selfish. I was desperate for that dream relationship where we can be out in the open but...I know I was being unfair to you. So I'm sorry. Truly sorry."

For a moment, all there was was the music. Andre blinked, and blinked, until Joel noticed the wetness in his eyes. Andre looked away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Joel asked. He put a hand on Andre's cheek, warm and quivering.

"I..." Andre sniffled. "I was planning to come out at prom. So I could dance with you."

"What?"

Andre turned to look at Joel, his eyes red and brimming with regret. "Cuz...cuz I came out to my dad, and my mom, and they were fine with it. This was, like, I don't know, a week after we broke up. So I was planning to have this grand moment at prom where I'd say I love you and kiss you in front of everyone. I mean, it was the end of the school year anyway. It's not like the stakes were even that high. But I chickened out at the last minute when I actually saw you and I just went home."

"Andre, I--" Joel choked on his words. In the light, the wet streaks on Andre's cheeks look like melted silver, and the droplets of tears like tiny gems collecting at the end of his eyelashes and rolling down onto Joel's fingertips.

"And it's not like that was my only chance," Andre said. "I had up to graduation, but I was still too scared to do anything or even talk to you. So yeah, I was a fucking coward, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Joel lightly caressed Andre's cheek, blinking back his own tears. "You weren't ready. It's not your fault."

"But--"

"I mean it. You did nothing wrong." Joel gave him a small smile. "I'm the one in the wrong. I could've talked to you, too, right? I should have. All that time before we graduated. I should've apologized for ruining our relationship--"

"You didn't--"

"I did." Joel shook his head. "I messed up. Big time. It's one of the biggest regrets of my life. And yes, we are kidnapped here in this stupid dungeon but," Joel laughed, "I'm glad I have the chance to say sorry to you. For all the stupid things I've done. So, do you forgive me?"

Andre stared at him, the tears had stopped. Joel felt Andre's hands behind his neck loosen. Then, on top of the hand that he'd placed on Andre's cheek, Andre put his onto Joel's. The softness of Andre's palm made Joel melt. Their fingers, as if by nature, slid against one another and laced themselves up.

"Yeah," Andre said, his thumb gently stroking Joel's, tracing from the joint up to the nail and down again. "I do."

"Thank you."

Joel gazed into Andre's eyes. The song was coming to an end, and he was overcome with the urge to lean in and kiss Andre. Yet, just as he was about to, Andre spoke.

"Joel." The way Andre said his name made his breath stop in his lungs. "Can I kiss you?"

Joel gulped, nodded. "Please do."

And so Andre did. Their lips met just as the song echoed its final notes, and Joel was transported back in time. The way their mouths fit into each other. The taste of Andre's tongue. The heat emanating from their faces. All felt like the kisses they shared a decade ago, in Joel's room and Andre's car, after school and on weekends. Joel kept his eyes closed, his right hand still firmly under Andre's on top of his cheek. His left one travelled to Andre's neck, his thumb grazing against Andre's jaw and feeling it move as Andre kissed him, again and again and again. Andre wrapped an arm around Joel's hips and pulled him close, their bodies tightly pressed against each other. After a moment, their lips parted, their eyelids fluttered open.

Andre licked his lips, which then curved into a shy smile. Joel grinned.

"Takes you back, huh?"

"You have no idea," Andre said. In a flash, their lips were on top of each other again. The space was silent save for their constant smooches, their quickening breaths, and the rustle of fabric rubbing against fabric. Andre moved his hands to the back of Joel's head, fingers snaking through his hair, palms lightly pressing Joel's face into his. Joel tugged on Andre's bottom lip, which, just as he remembered, made Andre let out soft groans that only drove Joel crazier. Joel snaked his tongue into Andre's mouth and was met with just as eager a tongue as Andre flicked and swirled against him.

Joel pulled away. He looked into Andre's eyes and saw the desire burning up in the black irises. "Do you want to..."

"Yes." Andre nodded emphatically. "Of course I do."

"Alright, um, let's see..." Joel scanned the room. The only place that looked feasible was the bleachers.

"I guess we don't have a choice," Joel said, nodding at the bleachers behind Andre.

Andre turned, following Joel's gaze. "There, huh?"

"Yup, unless you wanna do it right here on the floor."

"Bleachers it is," Andre said. "Come on." Flashing a smile, Andre grabbed Joel's hand and dragged him towards the spot. The click-clack of their shoes echoed across the gymnasium, before Andre settled down on the bottom bench and Joel straddled his lap.

"You're so hot," Andre said. He placed a hand on Joel's cheek.

"You're absolutely right." Joel nodded. "I am so fucking hot."

Andre wheezed. "Shut the fuck up."

"What? I am." Joel lowered his face. "But you wanna know something?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm only the second sexiest man in this room right now," Joel said. Andre froze for a second, then exhaled as his eyes closed and a small smile formed on his lips. The classic bashful-Andre look.

"You're still so goddamn cute," Joel said. He put his lips onto Andre's, hands cradling the sides of Andre's head. Andre reciprocated the kiss with zeal, and soon their lips and tongues were grabbing at one another, their bodies pressed firmly together again. Joel felt Andre's hands settle on his thighs and begin to caress them through the fabric, a finger or two moving dangerously close to Joel's crotch. He could feel a hardness in Andre's pants, too, which pushed against Joel's taint as it grew.

Andre drew his lips away, but before Joel could protest, they found their way to his neck, and Joel moaned. He grabbed onto Andre's back as Andre licked and kissed and sucked on the sensitive skin. He would sprinkle in a playful bite, which made Joel gasp, his body writhing against Andre, his crotch stirring against Andre's bulge.

"Fuck...don't stop, Andre, fuck..." Joel moaned. Andre dragged his tongue across Joel's neck and began working the other side. Joel saw Andre shuck off his suit jacket and did the same. Then came off the ties. Then shirt buttons began to part, all the while Andre's lips never leaving Joel's neck and making him whimper. When their shirts finally came off, Andre wrapped his arms around Joel's back and shifted their bodies to the side, then lowered them onto the bleacher bench. When Joel's bare back pressed against the cool plastic, Andre let go.

"Fuck," Andre muttered, and Joel saw his eyes roam from his face down to his torso then back to his face.

"Like what you see?"

"Fuck yes," Andre laughed. He placed a hand on the center of Joel's chest, where his chest hair was the thickest. "This is new," he said as his fingers dug into the fur.

"I grew it myself," Joel said with a grin. He had a bit of chest hair in high school, but it really thickened during college. Andre chuckled just as a circle of light crossed his face, making his eyes sparkle. Joel couldn't help but stare.

"Wait, are you cold?" Andre suddenly asked.

"Huh? Oh, kinda but it's--"

"Here, let me..." Andre grabbed his suit jacket. He placed a hand on the side of Joel's rib and coaxed his torso up, sliding the jacket underneath. When Joel reclined his back, the fabric felt soft against his skin.

"Oh, and while we're at it..." Andre said and pulled Joel's suit jacket up from the ground. He folded it into a neat square and put it under Joel's head, every movement as light as a feather.

"That better?" Andre asked, a warm smile on his face. A tender feeling bloomed inside Joel's chest.