Chapter Text
"Wait, really? 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮?"
Ralph's face lights up in pure excitement and he drums his fingers against the kitchen table. Studying has now completely left his mind, instead he focuses on what Nicky just told him.
"Yeah, prom. In about three months I think. How don't you know about this? Everyone's supposed to have started buying tickets by now."
"Tickets!? I never saw that on the app thingy."
Ralph pulls out his phone and sure enough, prom tickets are up for sale. He doesn't even pay attention to the date or timing before grinning like a fool.
"Ah wicked! Do you think everyone else is going?"
"Well Sam already told me his and Eric's tickets are booked. He's not got a date yet though, Eric's taking that nice girl we met the other day. I'm not sure about the others and I don't think I'll come."
Ralph looks mildly disappointed but he knows that parties aren't really Nicky's thing. He decides to give convincing him a try, as to not be a bad friend.
"Well why not? You can come with me and Jack?"
Nicky scoffs as if he had said something ridiculous. The blonde boy raises an eyebrow at this.
"What? What's wrong with coming with me and Jack?" he asks, tilting his head. His blonde fringe flopped over his forehead sideways. Nicky simply shook his head and continued writing.
"Really? With you and Jack? No. I doubt Jack would even want to go anyways."
The last comment felt like a dagger to Ralph's chest. What did he mean by that? That Jack wouldn't go to prom even with his own boyfriend? Ralph knew that Jack was scared of being a couple in public and preferred to keep their relationship on the more private side but surely he would go to prom. He stopped his finger-tapping and clasped his hands together. Nicky said things like this about Jack all the time and vice versa but he didn't expect this comment or that it would sting him so much.
Instead of saying anything, Ralph went back to studying. They didn't talk after that, not until Ralph's mum came home and Nicky went on his way back to his house. Ralph didn't bother to check if he got home safely, he only crawled in to his bed with his earbuds in. His shirt felt too hot in the summer evening heat so he pulled it off, messing up his hair in the process. He wanted to shower but felt weighed down from all the negative thoughts floating around his head. So he tried to drown them out with music, but they were all-consuming. The worry started eating away at his chest and he pulled the sheet further over his head and writhed around in the bed. He was uncomfortably warm and even stripping down to his boxers didn't help.
Eventually as the night went by he felt a little calmer. He thought about how he would see Jack tomorrow for lunch with his parents, he could ask him about prom then. He fell asleep at midnight with one earbud still in and half his body dangling off the bed.