Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 18:20:29 -0500 From: Kit Darling Subject: A Rose Among Thorns Part 18 *DISCLAIMER* This story contains depictions of male on male, graphic sexual interactions. The characters are high school aged and sometimes have unsafe sex. ALWAYS USE A CONDOM! This is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. Enjoy the story and any feedback is welcome. Do not post this story to any other website unless you have explicit permission from the author. All rights reserved. Remember that Nifty needs your generous donations to continue on, Dears. So make sure to toss a few dollars their way so they can keep tossing great stories your way. Love ya! CHAPTER 18 The week before prom is one of the most important weeks in the universe. It is your last chance to make sure that your tux fits perfectly. Your last chance to make sure you and your date look great together. The last chance to book a table at a restaurant, to get a limousine, to book appointments for haircuts and colors and to make sure your flowers are still perfect. "Okay so Logan do you know what kind of flowers to get?" I asked over the phone. I was currently picking up our prom tickets. "Yes, African Daisies, your favorites," he said nonchalantly. "NO! White alstroemeria and pink roses! Good lord, do I need to come with you. Hold on, I'm on my way to the floral shop now," I was becoming exasperated with him. How could he not remember such a simple request? "I was just pulling your chain, Igan! I got exactly what you wanted and then some. You're gonna love your corsage, I promise. Now quit freaking out, everything is going to be just fine." "Did you get the reservation? Blake, Shayla, Sam and Nolan are depending on you for that." "What reservation?" "Logan!" "I'm only kidding!" he said before I could go on a rant, "table for six at Moon River. I got this, Babe. Why can't you just trust me?" "Because you are a boy, and boys mess things up," I responded. Logan was silent for a second. "Oh, you know what I meant. Just meet me at my house in twenty minutes, I'm gonna go pick up your tux." He said goodbye and I hung up then got into my car. The passenger side door opened and Blake climbed in. "Oh, hey, Blake," I said turning to look at him. "Hey, whatcha doin?" he smiled at me, that dimple in his cheek making me melt a little as usual. "I need to go pick up Logan's tux," I said starting the car. "Oh, I need to get my tux too, mind if I join?" Blake asked, "I need someone's opinion on if it needs any altering." "Sure," I backed out of my spot and we were off. "So why didn't you want to go to the bowling alley last Thursday?" he asked as I drove. "Do you want the truth or a lie?" I glanced at him. "The truth?" "I can't stand Shayla. She is fake and it's exhausting to pretend I like her. I no longer possess the energy to forge kindness to that wicked little snake," I shrugged and kept my eyes on the road. "Fair enough," Blake said as he looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry, Blake, I know you wanted us all to be friends, but I just have no desire to be acquainted with Shayla," I confessed. "I just want to be able to hang out with you. I'm worried, however, that if we hang out alone I'll start feeling...stuff for you again," Blake looked out the window. I looked at him and sighed. "Blake, we can be friends. Maybe you're right though, we probably shouldn't be alone. If Shayla didn't suck my will to live..." I trailed off and pulled into a parking spot at the tux place. "I think I'm gonna dump her," he said it so casually I almost didn't understand what it was that he had said. "What?" "I'm tired of her dictating my life. I think I'm gonna break up with her at that after prom party that Connor Mattheson is throwing," he shrugged. "Well good riddance. You'll find some other boy or girl to be with. A catch like you isn't likely to stay single for long," I winked and he grinned. We got out of my car and went into the building. At the front desk we asked for the tuxes. "I'm gonna go try mine on," Blake stated before walking off to a dressing room. I sat down in an overstuffed armchair. A few minutes later he stepped out of the fitting room and my jaw dropped. He looked like James Bond. Incredibly gorgeous. The pants fit him perfectly. I felt a tingle in my crotch. "You like?" he smiled and ran a hand through his hair. He literally looked like he was a model for the tux company. "You look good," I understated. He half smiled and went back to put his own clothes back on. I sat and waited for him to return. Soon we were walking out of the store and I was driving him back to his car. "Do you wanna hang out tomorrow? Play video games?" he asked as he grabbed the door handle. "Sure, sounds good," I put my hands in my lap and waited for him to get out. The next night I was parked in Blake's driveway, trying to decide if it was a good idea for me to be here. I hadn't told Logan where I was going to be tonight. Was I betraying my boyfriend? I mean, nothing was going to happen, but still. I was just about to back out and leave when Blake came up to my car and knocked on the window. He was shirtless and sweaty. I got out. "Hey, Cori, why were you just sitting in the car?" "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" "I just went for a run. I guess I didn't expect you to be here for another half hour. I just need to shower, but you can sit in my room and start playing video games," he said as he walked up the front steps and into his house. I followed him inside. We went up to his bedroom and I sat down on his bed. He shucked his clothes immediately. "Uhhh," I said quietly. "It's not like you've never seen it before," Blake chuckled and then left to take a shower. I turned on his Wii and fired up Super Smash Bros. I noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under his bed and I grabbed it out and looked it over. It was a song. "There's something about you I can't put my finger on, I lose my mind when you're gone. Something about you is tragic, That same something is also magic. I can't eat, I won't sleep, Till your heart is mine to keep. I'm blessed to have had you, Messed up when I lost you. Be the other half to my heart." I stared at the paper and took a deep breath. It was amazing. "Do you like it?" Blake's voice surprised me. "It's really good, did you write it?" I asked. "Yes, I did. I owe the inspiration to Hozier. His song, `From Eden' really spoke to me and it reminded me of- well it helped me write the song." I nodded and handed him the paper. He took it and put it on his desk. He grabbed some clothes from his dresser, gym shorts and a Spider-man bro tank. When he was dressed, he sat down next to me. "Ready to get whooped?" he asked as he elbowed me in the side. "Ha! I'd love to see you try!" I grabbed my controller and chose Princess Peach as usual. As the night progressed, we ended up pulling out our i-Pods and playing songs for each other. We flipped through magazines and listened to music. I ended up asking for a pencil and paper and started doodling. Blake grabbed his guitar and started strumming along with the Best Coast song I was playing for him. "How do you decide what you want to draw?" Blake asked as he watched me sketch out a mermaid. "I don't know...I guess I just get inspired by a piece of art, or a song I hear, or a person and I decide to draw what's on my mind. Probably the same process you go through when you write a song," I shrugged and drew a starfish into the mermaid's hair. "I have a muse. And I'm inspired by them," he went back to strumming but I looked up at him. "Blake-" "Calm down, I'm not trying to get a rise out of you or anything," he cut me off, "I was just explaining my process." "Maybe I should go," I stood up and grabbed my sweater. "What? Why?" he got up too. "Blake, this friend thing isn't going to work, is it?" "Yes it can," Blake said with a smile as he grabbed my hand. "No, it won't," I spun around and left quickly. I got home at about a quarter to eleven and laid down on my bed. For the first time in months I had no doubts about the choice I'd made. I knew it was best to stay away from Blake. I loved Logan and that's all there was to it. The night of prom, Logan pulled up to my house in a sleek, black Cadillac that he'd borrowed from his uncle. He climbed out of the car and I watched him from my bedroom window. His tux was flawless. He looked so dreamy. I went to the mirror and straightened my blazer. My slim-fit dress pants made my butt look amazing. My hair was styled so pretty. I was ready. I came down the stairs and Logan's eyes widened when he saw me. "You look...absolutely beautiful, Corrigan Rose," he said as I reached the foot of the steps. "You clean up really well yourself," I raised myself up and kissed him gently. His breath was minty and his lips tasted like strawberries. The hot pink piping on his lapels and tie matched the pink on my shirt. I had on a tie made of pearls. He held out a little plastic box and inside was a corsage that would make anyone faint. Two pink roses were surrounded in white alstroemeria and pink cording. Little strands of pearls wrapped around the cords flawlessly. A tiny horse and carriage charm was in the middle. "I couldn't get you a fairy-tale ride to prom but I could get you a fairy-tale corsage," he said as he put it around my wrist. "I love it, Logan. It's perfect." "Picture time!" Mom came rushing in with her camera and snapped a few pictures of us before we were even posing. "Ugh, Mom, I probably look horrifying in those!" "Nonsense! You look gorgeous," she snapped some more. She forced Logan and I into thirty different poses and finally Dad made her stop so we could get to dinner. We met up at Moon River with Sam and Nolan, and Blake and Shayla. Shayla's dress was classic Hollywood. Deep red and low-cut on her breasts. The pair looked like Mr. And Mrs. Smith. Sam's dress was tea length. It flowed around her magically. It had an illusion neckline that was made by tulle and lace that complemented her skin tone and figure so well. She had her curly red hair up and styled like Grace Kelly. She accessorized with little white gloves that had bows on the wrists and shiny white pumps. "Sammy! You are a vision!" I said as I hugged her. "I knew you'd like my dress. I designed it with inspiration from Grace's dress in Rear Window," she said with a smile. "You did a superb job," I congratulated. "Did you hand sew each of these sequins?" "It's the only way to do it," I said remembering how many hours I'd spent sewing all seven hundred forty-two sequins onto my blazer. The boys went and got our table for us. We walked up and they all pulled out our chairs. Logan pushed me in gently and sat down next to me. "Get whatever you want tonight, I want this to be special," he whispered. I glanced at the menu. The food here was so expensive. I didn't want Logan to go bankrupt so I settled on the cheapest steak with mashed potatoes, seared asparagus and a side salad. "So what do you think of my dress?" Shayla asked, interrupting the conversation Sam and I were having. "It's nice," I said giving her a once over. "Just nice? This is Gucci." "Did you want a cookie? Or a sticker that says good job?" Sam sneered. "Sammy, why do you always have to-" "Don't call me Sammy, Shayla." "Sam, what's your problem?" Shayla looked shocked. "You interrupted us because our conversation didn't concern or revolve around you. It was rude," Sam spit back. The boys and I just sat and watched the step-sisters quarrel. "Sam," Nolan reached out and grabbed her hand. She took a deep breath and turned back to me, "Anyways, Cori, where were we?" After the guys paid, we drove to the high school and got ready for the grand march. We sat in alphabetical order based on the person who signed up for the march. So thankfully, Logan and I were at the beginning. We got up on stage and heard cheers from the football team and all of our friends. And of course all the girls who loved that there was a gay couple on the grand march. We posed in three different spots and finally we were back in our seats. After the march was over, we hit the dance floor. Sam and I were killing it. "It's almost time for the football dance," Sam said to me with a grimace. Ugh, the football dance. There were two traditional dances that happened at the Moon Valley High Junior Senior Prom. The first one was the senior dance. Pretty self-explanatory. All the seniors circled up, intertwined their hands and arms, then swayed back and forth to that ridiculous graduation song from the nineties. The second was the football dance. All of the football players circled up while their dates got in front of them. Then each boy would dance with each girl until the song was over. Not to mention it was a slow song and it was like some medieval dance where we kind of all waltzed around and spun into our next partner in turn. It was something that everyone just was expected to know. "Do I have to?" I whined. "You ARE dating Logan. That makes you a date. So all the boys have to dance with you. Good thing you befriended all of them," she shrugged. "I hate." "What do you hate?" "I haaaaaate," I hissed. The current song ended and the deejay came over the speakers. "All right Moon Valley Wolves time to wrangle up your dates and get ready for the football dance," he said excitedly. Logan walked up to me and grabbed my hand. "The boys are not gonna wanna dance with me," I whispered. "They have no choice. I'll whoop anyone who denies you," he said loud enough for the other players to hear. "No worries, Logan," Gabriel said, "We all love Cori. We aren't going to be rude." The others nodded and the song began. Logan held me tight and we swayed for a few minutes and then it was time for the first twirl. I spun into Gabriel's arms and he joked that he was a clumsy dancer. Then I was dancing with Carl, then Connor, then Dawson, and twelve other football players until I was in Blake's arms. "Cori," he said coolly. "Blake." That moment was excruciating. I wanted to run. But I also wanted to get closer and hold him. The warmth of his hands on me sent shivers down my spine. Soon I was able to spin away and four guys later, Nolan was spinning me around. I laughed and he laughed and my mood lightened. The rest of the dance played out well and at one in the morning everyone was on their way to the after prom party at Connor's. THAT was the place that would make this a night to remember. *AUTHOR'S NOTE* Alright kids, the time has come. Only one chapter left and I'm so happy to have the readers I've accumulated. Every word of kindness and thanks, every e-mail I recieved- I'm so grateful. I truly never expected my story to be as successful as it has been. I love each of you and I hope you will all enjoy the final chapter to be posted sometime next week. I'm not sure when I will be posting the first chapter of the spin off story or IF I will be posting it haha. I stil have yet to actually figure out where I'm going with it. I've also begun working on part two of Corrigan's story and I hope to get that published sometime this year. Kisses and Love to all of you! =^.^= -Kit