Hearts and Prom Invitations

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It’s impossible to keep the halls of A.L. High from gossiping about you, especially when you get a very public invitation to prom and say “I’ll think about it.”

What Collin hated more than anything was public displays of... well anything. Helso really didn’t like it when people talked about him, and after this morning’s very public prom invitation everyone was. People were staring at him in the halls, and not like they used to. Now everyone casted confused glances his way, like they were trying to figure him out.

All because this morning he had arrived to his locker to find Amado with paper hearts taped all over himself, holding a big sign that said “Will you go to prom with me, amor?”.

Collin stopped a few steps away from Amado, trying to think of a way to get away from this scene without being noticed. But it was too late, people were staring and Amado was grinning in his direction. Collin managed a small smile. Amado shook the sign lightly, a questioning smile on his face.

Then Collin was past the whole people staring thing enough to realise what was happening. Amado was asking him to prom. Obviously Collin had seen this coming, he had just been hoping he would have more time to think. Or that it would just miraculously never happen, and that maybe Amado didn’t even want to go to prom. But of course he did, he lived for this stuff.

The first thing on Collin’s mind was Harriette, her probable reaction when he told her he’d be going to prom with Amado. Before her. Without her.

Harriette used to love to to talk about when they would go to prom, she would talk about how they would wear blue to complement their eyes and how they’d win prom queen and king. She hadn’t brought it up in a while though, but it still felt kind of wrong to go with someone else. Like betraying her.

Obviously it was crazy but it’s what he thought.

And now the people were staring and Amado was looking confused and Collin just said quickly “I’ll think about it” before turning around quickly and breaking through the crowd before he could see Amado’s reaction.

Yeah, he wasn’t sure why he said it either.

--

It was obvious that the news had traveled fast as Collin entered homeroom and the entire room went silent and just stared at him. He just looked down and took his usual seat next to Harriette, who was also staring at him.

“Hey,” he said.

“You got invited to prom?” Harriette said slowly.

“Uh, yeah,” Collin said, “You know, Amado’s a senior... so yeah.”

“You didn’t say yes?” Harriette said, smiling a little bit, “why?”

“I don’t... know,” Collin said, “I guess because, I didn’t want to go... without you.”

Harriette bit her lip, trying to stop herself from grinning.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.

Collin was silent, he didn’t exactly do anything. He just said “I’ll think about it”. It wasn’t no.

“You should go, I mean he’s your boyfriend,” Harriette said, “I thought you would.”

Collin nodded, “He’s probably  really upset now, I can’t believe he did that.”

“Really, you didn’t see something like that happening?” Harriette laughed quietly, “This is Amado we’re speaking of.”

Collin sighed, “yeah, I guess.”

“Alright class, listen up,” the teacher called out.

Collin hardly listening at the Teacher filled the class in on everything happening in school that day, the Prom theme had been revealed, “A night under the Stars”, and tickets could be purchased in cafeteria during lunch. Collin was wondering if he really want to go to prom, if he didn’t Amado would be horribly upset, he just knew it. And he didn’t want to make Amado upset, but he didn’t want to make Harriette upset either. But she might be upset if he didn’t go too. Was there anyway where everyone would be happy?

Probably not.

And what did Collin really want anyway?

---

It’s safe to say that that was not what Amado expected to happen, at all. He had expected that Collin would arrive see Amado’s ridiculous get up, maybe laugh a little, and say yes. He expected that Collin would then joke about how stupid Amado looked and help him get all of these stupid hearts off of him.

But that did not happen, not even close. Collin looked horrified instead of amused and he said “I’ll think about it” instead of yes. Not to forgot that he just turned and ran instead of helping Amado with the stupid hearts, he didn’t even wait for some sort of reply or reaction. He just took off, leaving a distraught Amado behind to rid himself of the stupid hearts...

Amado was one half upset and one half angry. As the crowd dispersed whispering to each other Amado stood there with the two feelings battling over him, on one side he really wanted to cry and on the other he wanted to chase down Collin and yell at him for embarrassing him.

Collin was the nicest person he knew, he couldn’t believe that he would do something to insensitive, like saying no to a public prom invitation. Didn't he think for a second how Amado would look?

And why didn’t he say yes? They were dating, this whole asking to prom thing was really just a formality. Amado had just assumed that Collin had already just assumed they would go together.

So what just happened here?

---

Collin knew he had to apologise to Amado, he also knew that if he apologised that meant him saying yes to his prom invitation and he figured he might as well. Harriette was right, Amado was his boyfriend so of course he should go to prom with him. Amado had probably assumed Collin would just say yes, but why did he have to go and surprise him in an embarrassing public invitation?

After the last class of the day Collin waited by Amado’s locker, but when Amado arrive dher promptly ignored him and silently got his stuff out of his locker.

“Uhm, hey,” Collin said, he hadn’t exactly expected Amado to be mad at him. He had never seen Amado mad at anyone but his parents and sometimes his aunt. And especially not Collin himself.

“Hi,” Amado said, not looking at Collin.

Collin tried not to be annoyed, since Amado had a reason to be mad at him.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Collin continued, “you kind of surprised me, I guess I kind of freaked out.”

Amado looked at him then, smiling a bit as if giving up, “Collin, I don’t think I could mad at you if I tried.”

Collin sighed, relieved.

“But you are going to prom with me?” Amado asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Collin said.

“You do not sound exciting,” Amado said, ”Excited, I mean.”

“I am,” Collin shrugged, “You know I don’t like dances.”

“No? I do not,” Amado said slowly, then smiled, “you are the best boyfriend ever, amor!”

Suddenly Amado hugged Collin, catching him off guard.

“Uh, thanks?”

“No, I am thanks!” Amado said,”No, wait. Thank you!”

Collin tried not to laugh and Amado’s poor english, three years in America and he still has trouble with the language.

Amado pulled away from the hug and kissed Collin quickly, ”I have to be somewhere, but you can call me. Tonight, okay?”

Collin nodded.

“Good!” Amado grinned, “Te amo, amor!”

And with one last kiss Amado skipped away down the halls, looking back at Collin once before disappearing around the corner.

Collin smiled to himself, blushing slightly. Amado was definitely mildly insane, but also incredibly cute.