John Egbert stood outside his house, straightening his tie and watching the cars drive by. Fidgeting slightly, he checked his watch once more, wondering when his ride would arrive. Able to stifle his excitement for the moment, he stepped back inside momentarily, with the intention of getting something to drink.
No sooner had he crossed the threshold, though, when he was jerked back outside by the sound of a car turning into the driveway, tires crunching on the gravel. Not knowing what to do, he stood bathed in the warm glow of the porch light, hand half raised in a wave. It was only when silence reached his ears that he realized the car didn't belong to his date at all, but to the pizza delivery man, who had been summoned by John's dad. John sincerely hoped that his father would keep some out, for when he and his date returned. Nervously, he shifted his gaze back to the street.
Meanwhile, about half a mile down the road, Karkat Vantas stared out the window in silence. He was just as nervous as John, despite the facade he would surely put up soon. The 15-year-old made no attempt to make small talk with his father, despite the chatter that he was sure to experience later that evening. As soon as he glanced at the familiar shape of John's house, however, he gave a reluctant smile.
When John saw Karkat's car pull into the driveway, he stepped off the porch in a kind of daze, then walked to the right-side backseat door of the car. The door swung open, and Karkat unbuckled his seatbelt, slid over to the far window, and said, "Well? Get in."
John awkwardly sat down and pulled the door closed. He thought back to when the events leading up to that night had been set in motion, starting at the beginning of freshman year. He had been friends with Karkat since middle school, and at the start of high school, they had begun dating. Then, a few weeks ago, the 9th grade dance had been announced. Early May is, of course, the time of year when students start getting restless, and the dance seemed like a welcome escape from the ennui.
John had known, of course, that Karkat would never ask him to what he called 'one of those weird celebrations where people dance and sing and everything is sunshine and happy rainbows,' so John asked Karkat instead. He half-expected him to say no, so when he received a grudging yes in response, John had been happily surprised.
Now Karkat's dad was driving them to the school. The atmosphere of the ride had relaxed a bit since John had gotten in.
"You wore a tie?" Karkat asked in disbelief at John's choice of attire.
"Well, I didn't know how formal the dance was supposed to be, so I came prepared! Is that such a crime?" John replied, somewhat affronted.
Karkat gave a small laugh in answer, and the rest of the ride was spent chatting about what kinds of activities would be available at the dance.
"Oh, it's not on a theme or anything," said Karkat. "It's the same stuff they'll have every year - photobooth, snack bar, you get the picture."
"I don't know," said John in response to Karkat's tone. "I think that sounds like fun!"
"Sure," answered Karkat, rolling his eyes, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.
The car pulled up to the curb at the entrance to the high school, and the boys jumped out.
"Have fun," Karkat's dad called after them, but neither boy heard him. They had just walked through the double doors when the car turned around and was gone.
Even in the empty, dimly lit hallway, John and Karkat could feel the bass coming from the gym at the far end of the school, despite not being able to hear it just yet. The trophy cases glimmered as they walked past, and their echoing footfalls in the deserted corridor gave an eerie feeling, as if everything outside of their field of vision has suddenly ceased to exist.
Before long, they had arrived at the outside of the gym. It was far more crowded there, and Karkat got into a shouting match with an older boy who had almost knocked them both over. John glanced at the boy apologetically, and pulled Karkat away.
"Can you please not fight with those guys? They're the last people we need hating our guts!"
Karkat sighed, and answered, "Forget it. Let's go in."
The two boys, hand in hand, entered the gym. They could feel the music, almost tangible, pulsing through the air. They pushed through a small group of goth kids and made their way to the food table. Standing by the punch bowl - probably someone spiked it, thought Karkat spitefully - were two familiar girls.
Terezi Pyrope and Vriska Serket, or the 'Scourge Sisters' as they called themselves, were infamous at the school for being the oddest characters in the freshman class. They were on relatively good terms with John and Karkat, though - although the four were not close friends, or even really friends to begin with, the two pairs often spoke to one another in the hallways, and occasionally at lunch.
At the moment, the two were doing what they had each gained a reputation for - Terezi was cackling, and Vriska was speaking in the overbearing, dramatic tone she used whenever she was worked up about something.
John started to approach, and Karkat reluctantly followed him. John got along better with the girls than Karkat did, most likely due to the latter boy's abrasive personality.
"Hey guys!" John called out, trying to make conversation. "Is this a great party, or what?"
"We only just got here," Karkat mumbled, but John either didn't hear him or pretended not to.
"Oh, it's a party, all right," said Vriska, rolling her eyes. "I was just telling Pyrope about how yesterday Eridan Ampora was coming on to me, even though I already told him about three times that I wasn't interested. Can you believe it? What a loser!"
"Heh, yeah," John agreed, for although he had never really talked to Eridan, he knew that arguing with Vriska could result in unnecessary drama.
"Well, we'd better be going now," he added, and Karkat practically yanked him away, toward the middle of the the gym.
"Have fun!" Terezi called gleefully.
John and Karkat waded through the crowd, stopping every so often to say hello to someone they knew. Eventually, they had reached the opposite wall, closer to the speakers than they had been before. The DJ was playing one of the songs that everyone at school knew, but that neither of the boys had ever really gotten into.
"Well, this isn't fun," Karkat griped. He hadn't been expecting much, but so far, they had hardly done anything.
Just as he spoke, the song changed to one John recognized instantly, and he abruptly pulled Karkat away from the wall. "Come on," he said. "Do you want to dance, or what?"
Karkat looked surprised for a moment, then acted as if he was about to decline. Finally, he said, "...fine. But just this song."
Happily, John pulled him in, and the two danced like high schoolers do, not really moving, just swaying and rotating on the spot. The song, of course, was "How Do I Live."
John realized that he and Karkat did not look completely awkward, since other couples were dancing together as well. He noticed Eridan dancing with Vriska, who did not look happy with the arrangement. Terezi was dancing with her boyfriend, Dave Strider, who was also a good friend of both John and Karkat.
Seeing this, John felt relaxed and content, much more so than he had earlier that evening. He enjoyed Karkat's company, and he knew that although Karkat would never admit it, he felt the same way about John.
Eventually, the song ended, and the two left the dance floor. "Well...I enjoyed that," said John.
Karkat answered, "Yeah, I guess I did too." For once, he was smiling.
They stayed at the school for a short while, but they both knew that the best of it was over. Karkat called his dad, and fifteen minutes later, he picked them both up. Ther car ride home was low-key, as the boys were too worn-out to be boisterous, but not enough so to be silent.
When they arrived back at John's house, Karkat offered to walk him to the door. The two reached the porch, and John asked, "Do you want to come in for a minute?"
Karkat nodded silently, and John escorted him inside.
In the deserted living room, the TV ran quietly, and John noted that his father was probably in the kitchen baking a cake.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," said Karkat shyly.
"Me too, man. Me too," John answered, and hugged him.
Karkat leaned down, and softly kissed John on the mouth, taking him by surprise. It was the first time they had ever kissed, and both boys enjoyed it immensely.
When it was over, Karkat hugged him back, and turned to leave. He said, "I'll see you on Monday, John."
John, who was smiling, answered, "Yeah, see you then."
After Karkat left, John realized that the future was sure to bring many more kisses exactly like that one, and his grin widened. Thinking of what was to come, he pushed through the kitchen doors for a piece of cold pizza.