Seth had gone to Andrew’s to get ready since his dad was working from home that day. Seth stood in the former bedroom of Andrew’s older sister Karen, now the guest bedroom, his clothes laid out and freshly pressed on the bed. He stared at his phone, lips pressed into a thin line.

Just so you know, I have a date.

Emma. Seth tossed the phone onto the bed and walked into the bathroom to shower. He shouldn’t care, right? He’d been the one to say he didn’t want Emma to be his girlfriend. So why would that put even the smallest twinge in his chest? There was no reason for it, right? Seth sighed and stepped into the ice-cold water, scrubbing himself clean from the workout he and Andrew had done an hour ago to get the effects of his second session with the school psych out of his head. That text shouldn’t affect him.

He pressed it out of his mind as he stepped out and toweled off before applying his cologne. His focus should be on Claire and their apparent chemistry together. He thought back to the last hours of the night he’d gone to fight at the lake-house, the last few hours being ones he and Claire spent alone together in the bed his clothes were now laid out on. He felt something stir and he shook his head as he got dressed. Chemistry for sure.

Seth looked in the full-length mirror across from the bed as he did his belt. Black-on-black had always been his thing for dressing up, but Jessica had vetoed that and demanded he wear a bright red shirt. The argument had resulted in crimson, and Seth admitted it was a good look. Same with the classic black leather loafers. He’d hated them on the rack, but she had an eye for this. He looked very put-together.

Seth walked out onto the landing and down the stairs, where Andrew sat on the couch in his homecoming outfit. Both of them had the same penchant for an extra button undone rather than wearing a tie. Andrew paused his game and set down the controller. “Nice, dude. Glad you let Jessica make you not look like a funeral director.”

“Hey.”

Andrew held his arms up. “I didn’t say it was a bad look, just not a homecoming look. And you’re enough of an edgelord as it is.”

“I’m not an edgelord,” said Seth, leaning over the banister.

Andrew made a face that said ‘you really are, though’.

“I’m not!”

“All black is pretty edgy, dude.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “I pulled it off.”

This time Andrew’s face said ‘did you, though’.

He shook his head and finished walking down the stairs before sitting down next to Andrew. He took the controller and unpaused the game. “Still can’t believe you don’t have a date, though,” said Seth.

“I’m not breaking a three-year tradition,” replied Andrew. “I go stag to every dance. You know this, and you make fun of me every year.”

“No, I only make fun of you the years you go home alone.”

“I’ve never- Okay, yes. But that’s the fun. You and I don’t fight cause we know we’ll win.”

Seth blew air out his nose.

“It’s way fun to go in with no plan and see what happens. High school dances are boring otherwise.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but you wound up matching with Jessica and I’m sure that’s not a coincidence.”

Andrew stopped cold and looked down at his electric blue shirt and thought for a long, long minute. “Oh, shit, you’re right.”

Seth nodded with widened eyes. “Stag, my ass.”

Andrew shrugged. “She’s not my date, so not my problem.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you ten bucks you don’t dance with a single other person.”

“And what makes you so confident?”

“Because,” said Seth, pausing the game. “I’ve known you. And I’ve know Jess. I’ve known both of you for about the same amount of time, and I’ve known this was coming for just about as long.”

“Huh. Guess I’ll just have to avoid her, then. She’ll understand the importance of tradition.”

“Good luck, dude.” Seth laughed. “You don’t stand a chance. I think of her as my sister, and it really pains me to say this, but she, uh, knows what makes guys tick. Ten bucks.” Seth held out a hand.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “Alright, then.” They shook. “Ten bucks. I’m making a beeline for the freshmen and you’re losing.”

“That’s more than a little creepy.”

“Says the guy about to lose ten bucks. I’m not going for them, I’m just gonna dance with one of them so you can pay me.”

“The money involved somehow makes it worse.”

Andrew threw his hands up. “Whaddya want me to do here? You’re questioning my masculinity, Seth!”

Seth chuckled at his friend’s mock outburst. “Yeah, just don’t blame me when none of the senior girls go anywhere near you after you dance with the freshmen.”

“I- Fuck.” Andrew sat back into the couch. “I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“You’re going home with Jessica. Twenty bucks.”

“I’m not taking that bet.”

“Yeah, because you want to go home with her.”

“No, I want to bring her back here and make you go to the hall closet for the earplugs.”

“Stop talking about my friend like that.”

“You-” Andrew shook his head. “Fine. Twenty bucks I don’t go home with her.”

“You sure? You’re good, but Jess is way, way, way better at what she does.”

“Now I’m actually insulted. Thirty.” Andrew stuck his hand out. “I know you have it.”

“Fifty. You don’t dance with anyone but Jess and she takes you home.”

“Does it count if I take her home instead?”

“If you go home with Jessica, it’s not your doing,” laughed Seth.

“You’re really messing with my vibe, here.”

“Yeah, and it’s entertaining.” Seth grinned.

“Fine, fifty.” They shook hands.

“So when’s your girl getting here?”

Seth looked at his phone. 6:43. “Fifteen minutes. Gives us just enough time to get there after everything’s already going.”

“And suspiciously makes it more difficult for me to break into groups and dance with someone aside from Jessica.”

“You want to arrive early?”

“No,” said Andrew. He looked the tiniest bit upset at the slight tip in the odds against him. Seth was fully prepared to lose the bet, but messing with Andrew about his dance tradition was entertaining—it had been for the last three years, and it would continue to be so through the rest of senior year. “You’re just insider trading is all.”

Seth shrugged and unpaused the game. “That’s your problem. No SEC to stop me.”

“Want a drink?” Andrew stood up and moved towards the kitchen.

“Dude, season is in two weeks.”

“Yeah, and literally everyone on the wrestling team is getting trashed elsewhere.”

“So why aren’t you there?”

“Because you’re my best friend, and I’d rather be ostracized by the team than not hang with you,” he said as he rounded the corner. “Besides, it’s not like I’m tiny anymore and have to hang with them to avoid getting jumped by the people I kept pissing off.” Seth heard him laugh and grab glasses out of the cupboards.

Andrew came back with two glasses, both filled with a shot of clear alcohol. “I can handle myself now.”

Seth took his glass from Andrew. They clinked them together and downed the shots. “Skyy?”

“It’s the last of that bottle we never cleared out.”

“Yeah, for good reason.” Seth made a face and handed the glass back to Andrew. “Pawn that off on someone who’s not me. God.”

The doorbell rang and Seth moved to get it, still making a face from the sub-par drink. He opened the door to see Claire standing there, wearing a crimson off-the-shoulder evening gown. She spun, showing the back that definitely skirted any guidelines Northwest High had. She beamed. “Hey, there.”

“Hey.”

Claire stepped up and kissed him. “You ready for the dance?”

“Yeah. Come on in.”

Seth held the door open for her. As she moved past, he paused, looking around the street, empty aside from the cars he knew belonged there. The hairs were standing up on the back of his neck again. Seth swallowed and shut the door on whatever lurked out there in the gathering darkness of the night.