Chaz is heating up. “I’m done letting that fool define my senior year. We don’t all have to go together anyway. It’s not like it’s a date.” He underscores the word with a sharpness that can’t be missed. “This stag party thing was all Leeza’s idea, and it seemed harmless enough. But if I’m too gay for you, I’m sure there’s room at Gordo’s table.”

“You’re not listening to me!” Ernie’s head is nearly plum. Is this what an aneurysm looks like? Oh my god. I don’t even know CPR. “You’re not safe like that!”

“What’s he going to do—attack me in the middle of prom? Get himself kicked out with less than a month of school left? Color me wrong for thinking I’d have my friends to keep me safe.”

“You still have me.” I squeeze his arm, but his blazing eyes are on Ernie.

Ernie sits on his bed, looking defeated. “I want to go with you. I just … this was supposed to be my night, too. Being on Prom Council made me feel—more part of things, ya know? And I thought we were going to have fun.” He’s wiping his eyes, head in hand.

Chaz opens the door to leave. “Do what you need. I’m going to prom.”

I feel bad leaving Ernie there, but Chaz is striding away on fleet feet, and I’ve come all the way to the ’80s to see him through this night. I have to follow, right?

And as we step onto the lawn, the sun leaning late in the sky, two gay boys in fabulous attire, it hits me: we’re alone. I’ve gotten my date after all.

Glowing

Glowing

A white van, emblazoned with the words “Land of Smiles Flowers,” is pulling out of the dorm parking lot as we head for the cafeteria, and the side door opens. Malee is in on the passenger side and, when she sees me, she makes her dad stop. She pops out and slides open the side door, where her mom glares at me from the dark. A quiet debate ensues, which Malee wins, and she produces a clear plastic box with a corsage and a boutonniere.

“We did have extras!”

She’s so proud of herself that I feel bad, especially when Chaz, also thinking it’s for him, demurs. “I don’t think that’s going to work with these cuffs.”

She is looking at the scene before her, Prince, and a fashion revolution. Her eyes flick from me to him and him to me and ohhh. But as soon as the light is on, she extinguishes it with a kind of denial that requires a lot of self-talk.