Chapter Text
The lunch food smelled horrendous on the plastic tray, as Sally made his way through the crowded noisy cafeteria. Taking note to start bringing his own lunches from home. Only edible things the school had to offer were the roles and milks, if they weren't stale or expired. How was school still running?
“Hey watch it!” a voice of an irritated girl yelped as she stood on top of a ladder. Spacing out, with half his vision and on top of it being restricted, wasn't the best idea in a crowded lunchroom. Sally accidentally bumped into the ladder that was halfway in the walking path between tables.
“Oh I'm sorry.” Sally softly spoke, looking up to focus on the girl on the ladder. She was putting up a hand crafted banner, pink glitter lettering painted on washed out blue paper. Senior Prom. Oh shit, it was prom season already. The banner had the date, times, and the theme, which he only made a small mental note about.
Sally only went to a few school dances the school had to offer. Often ones that served food, or were attached to other events. Mostly, on dance nights Larry and himself stayed home to watch cheesy horror movies. Camping out on Lisa’s couch, over stuffing on garbage food until they felt sick.
But prom was different. It was their Senior prom, last year and last chance to go. Sally had mixed feelings over the entire thing. Didn't help his father was bugging him about it. Going on and on about how its a “once in a lifetime experience”, “it's gonna be fun”,and “me and your mom went together for our senior year”. Sally knew very well his dad was just trying to give him a sense of normal, a chance at a normal high school experience, encouraging him to have some normal in his life.
His life was far from normal, but he appropriated, and understood where his dad was coming from. But another issue stood in the way of having a normal prom.
“Hey Sally Face,” Larry greeted, scooting over to let his friend sit down beside him. “Larry Face,” Sally returned with a smile hidden under his mask. Ash sitting on the other side of Sally with a welcoming warm smile.
His arrival got them out of their small talk that they shortly forgot. Chug leaned over the table towards Sally’s tray. “You gonna eat that?”
Sally grabbed the roll and the chocolate milk carton from his tray before sliding it over to Chug. “Help yourself.” he said in mild disgust towards the food. He didn't understand why or even how Chug could stand the food here.
Sally undid the bottom straps of his mask, gently pushing it up as he shoved small chunks of ripped off bread roll underneath it. The group seemed to go back into their small talk about classes and projects coming up.
“Shit, it's already prom season?” Larry caught a glance at another girl putting up another hand made poster board on the wall across from them. The cafeteria also covered in posters for the event. “This year has gone by fast.” Larry commented, turning back to his food, pushing it with an uninterested fork.
“You actually gonna go to prom this year, Larry?” Ash asked, leaning over the table a bit to give him a firm questioning look, a smirk teasing at the corner of her lips. Sally blushed at her leaning, causing her to get closer to him so he leaned out of her way.
Larry scoffed out a laugh. “Fuck no. The music is horrible, and I'm not at all gonna dress up in a suit for something like that.”
Ash rolled her eyes at Larry, smirk growing into a playful smile. “Oh come on! You don't want to at least go to make fun of everyone? Teenage boys popping awkward boners with their dates, trying to slow dance but to scared to make any physical contact?”
Larry actually seemed to let his mind go to that, he smiled and laughed at that image of this stupid hormonal romance bullshit for teens. “Okay that would be really fucking funny. But nah, Sal and I are gonna do our movie night instead.”
Ash turned her gaze back over to Sal who still was keeping himself quiet over the topic of prom with chunks of bread being shoveled under his mask. He swallowed hard, almost choked when Ash looked at him. “Sal, do you want to go to prom?”
This was the problem. This was the problem and choice he had to face. Honestly, part of him wanted to ask Ash out to prom, but that would leave Larry home alone doing movie night and he couldn't fathom leaving Larry out on anything. He couldn't pick one over the other. It felt unfair, and complicated.
He shrugged his shoulders quietly as an answer. Trying to find anything to change the subject. He looked over to Todd, seeing he had hardly touched his food. He always brought food from home, and never did he not eat. “Yo Todd ya okay?” Sally asked. He was never this quiet.
Todd gave a half shoulder shrug, looking back to the group. “I actually was planning on going to prom with Neil, but when I went to get the tickets for it they told me we can't because we’re gay.”
The lightness of the conversation quickly zapped out of everyone as they fell silent, then quickly outraged by this news. “What? Are you kidding me?” Larry snapped in surprised. “That's bullshit!”
Todd and Neil were open and known throughout the school for dating, Sally could just picture the staff already planning to single them out right when he walked into the office. It crushed his heart.
Todd sighed, reaching into his backpack as he pulled out a piece of paper that had thick black ink printed on a horrible bright green. He tossed it to the group as Sally grabbed it. “These are all the rules and guidelines of the dance.” Todd said, distant and unimpressed.
The paper had a list of guidelines. Dates must purchase one ticket each before the night of prom, girls must not wear dresses no shorter than an inch above their knees and if dress has thin straps must be covered with a shall, boys must wear clean suits no t-shirts or jeans. Dates must be boys and girls.
Bullshit. All of it was bullshit. Sally threw the paper down, his own anger showing through. “Todd this is your senior prom with Neil! We have to do something!” those lines all too famous for Sally to come from his mouth. Todd sighed, he could basically hear the gears turning in Sally’s mind for a plan.
“What, sneak into prom?” Todd scoffed. He knew Sally was good at sneaking around, breaking into places. Larry wasn't a good influence on that as he knew how to pick locks. The two would try and explore every unknown corner of any place they entered if given the chance.
“Yes.” Sally said with complete confidence. At first, Sally wasn't going to act on anything towards prom. He didn't have the confidence to ask Ash out, nor did he want to complicate their friendship if she said no. Even if she said yes, that would leave Larry alone in a since. Todd and Neil, Chug and Maple, theatrically Ash and Sal. Larry not having someone like that, didn't sit right for Sally at all.
That stress aside, he had a better reason to go to prom. Get Neil and Todd in. Everyone at the table looked more than on board with this, Todd looked skeptical. “Well how the hell are you gonna sneak us in? Pick lock the gym doors?”
Todd’s idea was most logical, but least fun. Sally looked at the list one more time. “I'm not sneaking you in like some bootleg alcohol in the roaring 2's.” Larry piped up, slamming a fist down on the table.
“You are going to buy a ticket, and walk your happy gay ass into that prom. We are not hiding you. You having nothing to hide Todd. We are protesting this prom.” Larry added passionately and everyone stared at him with wide eyes for his sudden burst of passion.
“What's your plan Larry? Spray painting anarchy symbols on the front doors, screaming with signs out front?” Todd scoffed, shaking his head. “Thanks guys, but me and Neil are going to just have a night in.”
The table erupted into a series of protests on Todd’s statement. Todd groaned, he knew he should have kept his mouth shut. All of his friends would stop at nothing to give him the prom he wanted with Neil. He appreciated his friends, but at the same time, they always came up with crazy ideas to boot.
“What's your plan then?” Todd sounded defeated, looking to Sal knowing he probably already had a plan ticking away in his skull.
“Break the other rules. Says girls can't wear short dresses, but nothing about guys.” Sally mentioned with a shrug. Todd Held back the urge to roll his eyes. Of course Sally would want everyone to cross dress.
Todd wasn't against the cross dressing, he admired Sally for always pushing the gender norm, never caring if people saw him as a girl or a boy, it never mattered to him. However, “I'm not wearing a dress.”
“I'm so wearing a dress!” Larry piped up excitedly, a toothy grin on his face at this idea. Ash laughed at his enthusiasm. “Then I’ll wear a suit.”
“I'm in.” Maple said with a shrug, she gently pinched at Chug’s side. “Chug you’d be adorable in a dress.” a warm blush crossed his cheeks but he didn't back down from the idea. “Why not.”
Five out if one were all for it. Todd nodded slowly in defeat. “Fine, a cross-dressing prom it is.” he stood up from the table as lunch was nearly over. Looked like every was going to prom together. That solved Sally’s problem, and hopefully will solve Todd’s.