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The Austin heat was apparent in the packed gymnasium, though whether the heat was caused by the weather or by the slightly inappropriate dancing going on between the high schoolers he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was hot, bored, and miserable. And a bit lonely. Michael, his best friend, had ditched him to dance with his girlfriend, Lindsay, about an hour before, and Gavin hadn't seen hide or hair of them sense. They probably snuck in the locker room for a make out session; he wouldn't put it past them. So, he was left sitting on the outskirts, desperately wishing someone had managed to spike the punch so he could have a bit of fun. He could see people he knew, friends and acquaintances alike, all having a good time. Then there was him.
"This seat taken?" his thoughts were interrupted by a deep, soothing voice, and, for a moment, he almost thought it was Jack, one of his friends that had graduated the year before. Instead he found himself locked on the blue eyes and warm, confident smile of one Ryan Haywood, the school's slightly nerdy heartthrob, and the object of Gavin's current affections. Crushes sucked. Especially when you begin blushing and stuttering the moment said crush even makes eye contact, let alone speaks to you. And there's the blush. That meant...
"N-no," damnit. Smooth, Free, real smooth. Ryan didn't seem to mind as he claimed the chair as his own, sitting backwards in it so he could rest his arms on the backrest, quietly nursing his own glass of unspiked punch. His eyes scanned the crowd of students, though it didn't seem like he was looking for anyone particular; he actually looked quite content sitting there. And bloody hot; that suit looked amazing on him. It was then that Gavin realized he was staring and quite awkwardly averted his gaze. The silence stretched between them, though it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Are you here with anyone, Gavin?" He shook his head, not trusting his voice to keep him from sounding like a total mong; Ryan hummed in response, "Hmmm, someone like you going stag tonight? That's not what I expected. My date seemed to have found someone she preferred more than I; though that's quite alright with me."
Before he had a chance to ask what kind of idiot would ditch someone like Ryan, the DJ decided to call the last dance, much to the disappointment of the crowd it seemed. He wasn't expecting, however, for a hand to be offered to him from the man to his right. His gaze was quizzical until Ryan spoke once more, "May I have this dance, Mr. Free?"
He only hesitated for a second before allowing the elder teen to take his hand, abandoning his punch on the white tabletop in favor of following Ryan to the dance floor, a slow, slightly romantic song just starting to play through the speakers at the front of the gym. Shyly, Gavin slipped his arms around his crush's neck as Ryan slipped his arms around Gavin's thin waist. The dance was everything Gavin could have hoped for, and more. Years later, as he rested against Ryan's chest and looked at the picture that Lindsay had managed to snap of their dance, he had to think to himself that maybe, just maybe, prom hadn't sucked as much as he thought it had.