Closed Pretend

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie had honestly considered not coming here tonight. But really, he knew he needed to. He couldn't pout in the dorms and just hide from Nate forever. Jordie didn't even look around the room for Nate. He hurried over to the drinks table, grabbing a punch and leaning against the wall to sip his drink and watch the crowd, hoping to see one of his friends.

 

[Weston Stirling]

Weston had forgotten to pack a Halloween costume this year (along with a number of other important items), so he'd had to create one himself. He had drawn the Superman shield, cut it out, and pasted it on a blue t-shirt. On top of that went a white button-down. He had also borrowed a pair of glasses, but they made him dizzy, so he'd pushed them on top of his head. Weston was calling the whole thing a Clark Kent costume, but the result left a lot to be desired.

Right away, he could tell that coming to the feast had been a mistake. He normally loved spooky things, but he drew the line at spiders. And there were a lot of spiders this year. Jumping when yet another acromantula descended, Weston decided to stick close to the walls, where there seemed to be fewer of the creatures. He was inching his way along to one of the snack tables when he spotted Jordie. Grinning, he quickly made his way over. "Hey! Why aren't you dressed all scary this year?" Jordie's costumes were usually terrifying, and it was strange to see his best friend wearing something almost ordinary.

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie brightened a bit when Weston appeared, automatically stepping closer to his friend. "Wes, hey," Jordie looked up. "Are you doing okay? They're pretty spider heavy," He fretted, offering a hand out to his friend. When Wes asked about the costume, Jordie hesitated and just shrugged. "I didn't... actually remember to pack a costume," he admitted gently, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

He knew he'd been a bit of a mess since the break up. He was trying, but he worried he wasn't doing well. It was then that he noticed Nate- with his date. Jordie froze up a moment and quickly looked away, tears filling his eyes. "Of course," he whispered, wrapping an arm around his torso and putting his other hand to his lips. "Of course he has a date." Jordie let out a shaky sigh, looking up to Weston. "I hate this- Wes- Weston, I can't- can we leave? Can we please go?" Jordie pleaded, reaching out for his hand.

 

[Weston Stirling]

"I'm trying not to look up, Weston admitted. "Or down. Or at the tables. Or anywhere, really," he added a bit sheepishly. He could spot something descending out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his gaze firmly on Jordie, who was at least safe to look at. He was a bit surprised at how upset Jordie seemed to be about forgetting to pack a costume. "Hey, it's okay. I forgot to pack one too," he said, trying to reassure his friend. "At least your glasses are cooler than mine."

Weston gave the other boy a quizzical look when he suddenly whispered to himself. Reluctantly, Weston turned his head, trying to figure out what Jordie was looking at. It took him a second, but his gaze eventually fell on Elizabella, who was talking to someone who looked like Nate. It was kind of hard to tell with all the makeup, but judging by Jordie's reaction, it had to be him. "Maybe they're just friends...?" His voice trailed off as he spotted Nate kissing Elizabella on the cheek. Weston glanced back at Jordie. "Yeah, let's go," he agreed, taking Jordie's hand. The whole Nate situation aside, there were way too many spiders here. "We could go to the arts room?" he suggested. It wasn't too far away.

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie grabbed onto Westons' hand like it was a lifeline, sweeping an armful of regular non-spider cupcakes up and stepping in close. "Yeah, sure, of course, that sounds great," He agreed quickly, resisting the urge to bury his face in Westons shoulder. "This party sucks anyway," He tried to joke, but it fell flat even on his own year.