I basically sleep through Sunday, intermittent with what little homework I manage to get done and bingeing on Supernatural. Dad's gone for most of the day which leaves me with a lot of time alone. I spend most of the day wondering if I want him at home with me only to lock myself away in my room the second his car pulls into the driveway.

Monday is exhausting. I hit snooze on my alarm three times and end up having to run out the door to avoid missing class. I get to Biology late and Ms. Anderson pounces, ready to read me the riot act for being late again. But she must see the exhaustion on my face because she doesn't say more than a simple warning. And I slink off to my seat for an hour of torture on a subject I couldn't give less of a shit about.

I pretend like I'm taking notes while I'm listening to the lesson but I'm mainly just doodling cars in the corner of my notebook. When the bell rings, and everyone starts gathering their stuff, Ms. Anderson calls my name and I pretend I'm deaf before merging with the crowd headed for the door.

Most of the day passes like that. I'm barely paying attention in class and before long, the bell for lunch rings. Jeff catches up to me in the hall and he's practically bouncing as he walks next to me, grinning from ear to ear.

He's rambling on about getting reservations to a restaurant downtown that Star has been wanting to go to and I tease him just a little. He's so excited though, my teasing does little to faze him. It still elicits an eye-roll and him flipping his middle finger up at me so I guess that's good enough.

Most of our teammates along with Paulina and Star are already at our table but Danny isn't yet. I tell Jeff I'll wait in the hallway for him but he quickly convinces me to just wait at the table for him. So I fall in line behind Jeff while he starts talking again about how excited he is to take Star to this restaurant.

I think he can tell I'm barely listening because I'm scanning the cafeteria, trying to pick Danny out from the crowd. And Jeff scoffs when I look up at him. I start to apologize but he won't hear it.

"Just send him a text, man," Jeff shoves my shoulder, giving me a look when I hesitate. "Dude, seriously."

I slide my phone from my pocket and quickly find Danny's conversation, tapping out a text just to see if I've missed him. Not that he has to sit with me at lunch but he's become a regular at our table. And in the past, my teammates and I wouldn't let just anybody sit with us. So… it's only right that he shows up. It lets everybody else know that it's his table now too.

To: Danny

Hey, I'm in the cafeteria and I don't see you. Coming to eat with us or did you get a better offer haha

I nervously chew on my fingernails while I wait in line behind Jeff and all the way to the table, wondering if Danny's disappeared for the day or if I missed him or something. I hope he's not gone for the rest of the day… it's not like I need him here. It's just that… I need help on my algebra homework. That's what it is. My homework.

From: Danny

Haha, no better offer! Just went out for a little bit. History ended earlier than it usually does for me so I'm not in school right now. About to head back though! Still want me during our spare?

Do I still want him? Of course I fucking want him. But I know that what I'm thinking and what he's thinking are two entirely different things. And it's not fair of me to even hint at that with him. He's not interested in dating until college. I have no right to tell him what I feel for him.

I wonder where he went to instead of hanging around for lunch. Maybe he went down to that hotdog place he showed me just outside of Amity Park. Or maybe he just went for a drive. I don't want to push him so I don't ask. And I pretend that I'm just gonna be around my friends for lunch and not think about him. Even though that's all I'll ever do.

To: Danny

Yeah, I do. See you when you get here


I go to the library even before the bell rings to let us know that lunch is over. I don't know why I'm nervous but I am. It's flaring up inside my chest like this is the first time I'll be seeing him. I haven't known him that long but the thought of seeing him makes me nervous.

The librarian behind the counter gives me a look as I come inside but I do my best to ignore her. I'm usually walking in here with Danny so I guess she's assuming I'm not here to actually study but whatever.

I spread my math books and some paper to work the problems on across the table and I settle down at one chair, immediately pulling out my phone to browse the internet until Danny gets here. I'd like to at least get started on my homework and have something to show for it but I'm pretty much a lost cause without Danny here so what's the point?

The bell rings in the hall and I barely look up from my phone, chewing on my bottom lip as I tick boxes on some lame quiz Kwan sent me on Facebook forever ago. It's not until the library doors open ahead of me that I look up.

Danny's walking inside, his backpack on and his phone in his hand. He looks up and sees me, grinning widely before he puts his phone away. I suddenly feel unprepared for him and I try to straighten the books and papers on the table, attempting to make an effort for him.

"Hey," he breathes, collapsing into the chair across from me and putting his backpack in the chair next to him. He unzips the bag and pulls out his own algebra notebook along with some pencils and passes one over to me.

I take it from him and swap it between my hands before I set it down on the table and draw in a deep breath. I don't know if it's okay to ask him. I don't know if it's right to ask him. But I'm curious and if I don't make an ass of myself on the simple question, I don't think he'll care that I ask.

"Did you… um… I was just wondering where you went," I say softly, kicking myself for the hesitation between words. I don't want him to think that I'm hesitating because I don't care and I'm just trying to make awkward small talk. I do care. That's why there's a hesitation between my words. I care so damn much and I don't want to say the wrong thing.

Danny slowly zips his backpack and drags his stare away from it to look up at me. His teeth sink into his bottom lip for a second before he's letting out a low breath.

"I just… had an appointment. W-With my therapist," he says the last part in one breath, like he's ready for the words to just get out of him at this point. He drops his gaze almost as soon as he says it and I don't know how to react.

He clears his throat softly and looks up at me, a forced smile on his face. "So. Still having trouble with this bracketed stuff, huh?" he asks, his gaze dropping to my math book where he taps the eraser on his pencil against a problem. "You're usually okay with the rest of the problem but this part always trips you up."

"Yeah," I mumble, scratching the back of my head as he drags my textbook over to him to get a better look. A line of concentration creases between his brows and he chews on his bottom lip as he studies the problem.

Danny leans back in his chair, nodding once to himself before he reaches over for the blank paper lying on the table. "Okay. We'll start with problem three because it's the easiest one to explain. After that, I'll walk you through the more difficult ones and eventually you should get it," he says, already writing out the problem for me to work on the blank paper.

I could easily let this just become another study session between us but I feel like I know him too well. I feel like we've become too close for me to let things fall back into that uncomfortable silence I keep around other people.

"Hey, listen… I don't… care that you're in therapy," I say softly, and watch Danny's pencil come to a stop in the middle of the problem.

He slowly breathes out, looking up at me. He holds my gaze for a few seconds and I worry that I pushed it. But he nods and drops his gaze again and I guess that it's. If this felt anywhere close to normal, I'd assume that is it and just let the conversation drop there. But I think I know Danny better than that.

"Should I not have brought it up?" I ask, wondering if he wanted it to just be a quiet mention of the appointment and never be addressed.

Danny sighs, dropping his pencil on the table before he looks up at me again. "I don't know. Did you want to bring it up?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at my stunned silence. "What?"

I manage to swallow past my tongue that's suddenly too large for my mouth and I scramble for words – anything to make this better. "I uhh… I just wanted to make sure that you're okay," I respond, my voice quiet but not out of respect for the librarians or anyone else in here.

"Okay, well… I'm fine," he says, hesitating just a second before he nods and drops his gaze to the paper again. He doesn't pick the pencil up and I watch him in silence for a few seconds before he looks up at me again. "I don't like making a big deal out of it. I don't know if you've ever been to see a therapist but it's not like it's shown in movies and stuff. I don't lie on a couch or listen to calming ocean waves or anything. It's way more normal than that."

I don't know what to say in response and I don't know if he's expecting something from me or not so I just nod. He seems to take that as a good enough answer and relaxes just a little under my gaze. He lets out a breath and darts his gaze away from me.

"Anyway… my appointments are usually after school but this week, I had to see her early cause of schedule stuff," he says, rolling his eyes before he shifts his gaze back to me. "Yeah. That's just… yeah."

I still don't know what to say but immediately diving into my math homework doesn't feel like the right thing to suggest. So I clear my throat and I try to muster up something from somewhere inside myself – the part that sometimes knows what to say.

"That makes sense. Being after school and all," I say, dragging in a breath and hoping for a shot of courage to course through my veins as I continue to talk. "I didn't mean that I don't care. I just meant that… it doesn't matter to me. It doesn't change anything to me. Therapy is… it sounds cool."

Danny smiles and it reaches his eyes, crinkling them up until they're half-moons and I almost lose myself somewhere between that starry smile and his quiet laughter.

"I don't know if I'd describe it as 'cool' but… it definitely helps," he says, smiling wider when I awkwardly laugh. "Thanks though. I appreciate that."

I bob my head in response and he shakes his before looking back down at the books spread across the table. "Okay… so, problem three?" he suggests, picking up his pencil again before he glances up at me.

He explains how to work the problem and I listen to everything he says, working the problem with him step by step until I've got it. He sets me up on problem one again and even though it takes me longer, I still manage to figure out the right answer with only a little guidance from him.

I'm halfway through problem four when the library doors open ahead of us and I glance up at the sound. Dale comes into the library and holds the door open for Mitch who quickly follows him inside.

Mitch starts for the back of the library but when he looks up and sees me, he almost stops. Dale comes up behind him and puts a hand on Mitch's shoulder, saying something in his ear that Mitch quickly nods at before they separate.

I drop my gaze back to my algebra book as Mitch passes by our table but Danny looks up. His brow furrows as he tries to place who that was but as soon as the recognition clicks on his face he glances over his shoulder.

Dale hesitates in place for a few seconds so I raise my hand in a small wave and he starts for our table. I gather up a couple of the books Danny and I aren't using and I stack them out of the way, clearing a space for Dale if he wants to sit with us for a while.

"I didn't know you and Mitch had this period free," I say, already knowing they don't. If Dale had any free periods this semester, he'd brag to all of us about it.

Dale smirks, shaking his head as he comes to a stop at the end of the table. "Nah, we don't. Just playing hooky for a while," he says, shoving his hands into the pockets on his jeans. His stare quickly shifts away from me and he looks to where Mitch disappeared.

For a few seconds, none of us make a move or say a word. But Danny breaks the silence when he pushes his chair back. He looks up when Dale lifts his head and Danny nods toward the back of the library. "I'm gonna see if Mitch wants me to take notes for him in history class."

Dale nods and pulls out the chair across from me, collapsing into it like the world's on his shoulders. I know that feeling. I live that feeling so many times. I glance over my shoulder to watch Danny go and Dale sighs heavily. He's got his head in his hands when I look back at him and he groans softly.

"I fucked up, Dash," he practically whispers, scrubbing his hands down his face with another groan. "Not like when we took the bus for a joyride and not like when my parents caught me smoking weed last summer. I really fucked up this time."

He drops his hands from his face to look up at me and swallows hard. "Mitch is… he's having a really hard time with all of this because of me," he says, dropping his gaze from mine as he shakes his head, turning his stare out into the library.

Words are lost on me. I don't know what he needs to hear and I don't know what I should be saying. I keep thinking of Danny. How Paulina fucking outed him in front of everyone during a pep rally. Danny's going after Mitch to tell him he's not alone in this.

I don't remember when it happened to Danny but I wonder if Mitch does. If Dale remembers. I wonder how they felt hearing something like that. I wish there was something I could say. I wish there were words buried deep in my soul that I'd find for this moment but there's nothing. I can't think of a damn thing to say.

"Sorry, man," is what tumbles from my mouth and as soon as Dale looks at me, I know it's wrong. It's too callous or distant coming from me. I'm supposed to be one of his friends. We've been on the same fucking team for four years. I should know him better than a simple 'sorry.'

Dale sighs again and shakes his head. "It's not… there's nothing to apologize for. It's my fault, Dash. I'm the one who fucked up but Mitch is the one paying the price," he says, glancing past me where Mitch disappears.

He shifts his gaze back to me and leans forward, lowering his voice as he speaks. "Today's been fucking awful for him. We left class cause some asshole made a slur and Mitch couldn't concentrate anymore," he hisses out, muttering swears under his breath before he continues. "I fucked everything up for him. And there's nothing I can do to fix it."

This deserves more than a sorry. This deserves the kind of words that heal – the kind that I don't have in me. If I had anything worth saying right now, I'd deliver it carefully. I'd take my time in telling him that everything would work out but the truth is, it probably won't. We live in a small-town. Guys like Mitch and Dale just don't survive here. Guys like me don't survive here.

"People are fucking assholes," I respond, continuing when he stays silent even though I have no clue what I'm supposed to say to make this better. "They don't have anything better to do with their time and… I'm sorry, man. I don't know what to tell you."

Dale looks up at my honesty and he nods before looking away again with a shrug. "There's nothing to say. I just… I wish I could take this weekend back. I wish I'd never gotten drunk or fuck – maybe I even wish we'd never won the fucking game. Maybe then I wouldn't have done what I did."

"At least you'll be out of here soon," I say, shrugging when he glances back at me. "Graduation's in a couple months. You think you guys can hang on till then?"

That drags a smile from Dale and he even snorts a little. "I don't know man. He's been all over the place since the party," his expression falls and he lets out a heavy sigh. "He called me six times over the weekend cause he was panicking about how bad today would be. And I kept telling him that everything would be fine but he was right. This is horrible and I'm fucking responsible for all of this."

"You're not the one making slurs and being an asshole. It's not your fault, Dale."

He sighs, shaking his head but holding my gaze. "Look, you don't get it. And it's not cause you're straight but cause you never had to deal with everyone suddenly knowing a secret part of yourself like this. When the guys and I heard about your dad, it came right from you. You got to choose to let us in but Mitch… he never got that choice. I took that choice from him."

Everything in me is on fire at Dale's words and my pinky finger is starting to tremble. I can't stop myself from talking even though I know this isn't about me. But I can't keep this in and it spills from me before I have a chance to hold any of it back.

"You think you guys are the only people in my life that have had to hear it, Dale? No, okay? There are plenty of people that I didn't get a choice in telling the truth to. Kwan fucking saw my dad punch me in the face after I lost a little league game. And Danny found out when I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago," I feel like I'm spitting the words at Dale from the look on his face and I know I should stop but I can't. It's all bubbling to the surface and I can't hold it back anymore. "And you know the garage I work at, Alex's? He figured it out after my dad left for a couple of weeks and wouldn't pay the power bill. And earlier this year some of the officers my dad works with were over at the house when he threw a fucking beer bottle at my face. They all saw it. And I have to look at them every time I'm at the station and we both pretend that none of them know the truth. So I get it, Dale. I really fucking get it."

Dale swallows hard and nods a couple of times, averting his gaze from me to avoid making eye-contact. I should stop there. I've said enough and he knows that he's not alone in this. There's no fucking reason for me to bring up the rest. But I do because I don't want him thinking that I only understand what he's going through because of my dad.

"And by the way, I'm bi."

It's the first time I've said it. A shortened version of it anyway. I couldn't say it with Alex and I couldn't even talk about it with Paulina and Kwan. But I've said it now. And even though Dale snaps his gaze to mine in an instant, looking at me like I've grown a second head, I said it. Despite my tongue being tied and my knees knocking together beneath the table.

"Damn, Baxter," Dale says, leaning across the table to punch me on the arm. "Holy shit, dude. I never would have pegged you for that. I've always seen you sucking face with Paulina or some other cheerleaders at parties and stuff."

I shrug, my stomach bouncing up and down like it's on a fucking trampoline. "I mean… I still like girls, Dale. I just… like guys too."

"Since when?" he asks, rolling his eyes when I shrug. "Oh fine, keep all the juicy details from me. Hey, if you're looking for someone, I could set you up with my cousin."

I'm not sure that I do much more than blink but he laughs anyway, slouching back in his chair. "He always mentions how cute you are whenever he comes to watch the Ravens play. I promised I'd set you up with him if your gate ever swung his way."

"Uhh… th-thanks, Dale but I'm really not… looking for anything right now," I mumble and I make the mistake of looking over my shoulder. It's not like I expect Danny and Mitch to be standing there but I still breathe a sigh of relief when they're still hidden away somewhere in the stacks.

Dale's fucking grinning when I turn around to look at him and I scoff. "What?"

"You know what, Baxter. Someone's got himself a little crush, huh?" Dale asks, cackling when I splutter. "Oh my god, you actually do. Shit, dude, I didn't expect you to go for Fenton but I could see it."

He could see it? As in, we'd make sense together? He thinks we'd make a good match? Our personalities click? What can he see and could he point it out to me? Cause all I can see is Danny trying to get over his ex and me coming on too strong.

"Y-Yeah?" I ask, my voice several octaves higher than it usually is. Dale smirks and I lean across the table to punch him on the arm. "Shut the fuck up, like you have any room to talk. You're practically like a fucking puppy around Mitch."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, man."

I drop my gaze back to my textbook and pretend that I'm working out the next math problem. Even though the problem on my mind is Danny. And how the fuck I can get him to be with me without coming off like a total asshole.

"You want my advice?"

I push out a sigh and look up at him. I can feel the heat on my face and Dale's fucking grin isn't helping anything. I don't know why I expected Dale to be cool about this, he's a fucking child with secrets.

"No, I don't," I respond, immediately looking down at my book again. He keeps snickering every few seconds so I punch his arm again and he shuts up. My face is still red when I hear Danny's laughter coming from further in the library and I turn to the sound.

Dale makes kissy noises and I flip him off when I turn back to him. "Look, they're coming back soon and you'd better fucking behave," I hiss and he raises his hands in surrender. "I mean it, Dale. You pull something and I'll kick your ass."

"Like you could take me," Dale responds with a wicked grin. "Relax, though. I wouldn't do that to you. I'm pretty sure accidentally outing someone is something I can only do once. Your secret's safe with me."

I'm not sure if I trust Dale enough to keep his mouth shut from Mitch but at least for now, he'll keep it from Danny. Cause I'll come across the table and fucking strangle him if he doesn't.


Tuesday morning dawns and I'm awake before my alarm even goes off. I'm lying in my bed as the sun is slowly rising outside, thumbing through Facebook and snapchat when the notifications start. It's slow at first, just a text or two from Kwan and some of my teammates but within ten minutes or so, my phone won't stop vibrating with text messages and snapchat messages and notifications from Facebook.

From: Kwan

Happy Birthday!

From: Jeff

Yoooooooo man! You need someone to get drunk with tonight? Happy Birthday, dude!

From: Anastasia

Happy Birthday, Dash! You're finally eighteen, huh? Practically over the hill.

Don't think this means I'm gonna stop calling you squirt though ;)

I groan and switch my volume off, dropping my phone onto my face. I don't usually mind my birthday but in the past, mom's always been here to do something with me. We had a tradition of starting the day off with a slice of cake from Evan's bakery downtown. We'd get up early and drive downtown to get it before the sun even rose. We'd split it in the parking lot before mom had to drop me off at school and she'd keep me laughing so hard, I'd forget it was even my birthday at all. Even if that's all that happened on the day, at least she was here to share that moment with.

Time ticks by slowly around me and I'm too aware of the cold waiting for me outside my bed. It's the middle of November and the countdown to Thanksgiving has started. I've seen my teammates talking all over social media about their families flying or driving down to spend the holiday with them and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. I wish mom was still here to celebrate the holiday with.

With a groan, I force myself up out of my bed and reluctantly shed my warm sweatpants and t-shirt for a semi-warm shower. I towel dry my hair and pad my way back into my room. It's stupid to pick out something special to wear just cause of what today is so I pretend I'm dressing to impress Danny. Which gives the butterflies way too much hope.

I settle on a pair of jeans I actually like, with a small hole torn just above the knee from a rather hands-on flag football game a couple months back, and a long-sleeved blue shirt that mom always liked. She used to say that it brought out my eyes. I don't know how true that is but I put it on anyway, with the hope that Danny will like it.

After I give myself a final glance over in the bathroom mirror, I don my letterman jacket and toe on my shoes. My backpack is the last addition to the ensemble before I head downstairs.

Dad's already left for the day and it's not like I expected any kind of acknowledgement from him. Still, I try not to let it sting when I take a glance around downstairs and see nothing left for me on my way out the door. It'd be nice if one of my parents let me know that they're thinking about me today.

I leave my house and lock up behind me. As soon as I'm in my car, I turn the heat on and flip through a couple of radio stations before I check the latest wave of text messages.

From: Alex

Happy Birthday, Dash :)

From: Keith

Happy Birthday!

From: Star

Happy Birthday!

From: Valerie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

From: Paulina

Hey Dash, hope you have a great birthday! If you're not busy today, I'd love to get a slice of cake with you :)

I wonder if she's mentioning that cause she knows it was my tradition with mom. This is the first year that she won't be here to fulfill it and I think that's what makes me respond to Paulina instead of any of the others.

To: Paulina

Think I'll skip the cake but thanks for the offer anyway

I could actually go for a slice of the godsend that is Evan's cake. But if mom's not here to eat it with me, it just wouldn't feel right. I'm probably supposed to give the thought of mom the mental finger and get myself a slice of goddamn cake but… I don't think I'd be able to stomach eating it alone.


On the way to school, I stop for coffee and order one for Danny too. At the last minute, I decide on starting the day off with a chocolate pastry that the barista convinces me to try. When she rings me up, she adds a little smiley face on the side of my cup.

I'm basically through with the pastry by the time I pull into the school parking lot but I've nursed my coffee. Even though I can see my teammates hanging around and talking with each other, I'm not ready to face the mass of birthday wishes I'll get the second they see me.

I stay in my car, slouched down in the seat as I lazily sip from my coffee and scroll through the text messages and snapchats from my friends.

Both Keith and Kwan have sent me some kind of ecard on snapchat, wishing me a happy birthday. There's another snapchat from Jeff, showing a photo of his grinning face, one middle finger stuck up with the caption, "Happy Birthday, u fucker!" His photo makes me snort and I close out of snapchat as soon as it disappears.

My breath hitches a little when I check my texts and see Danny's name in bold. I don't know why the fuck I hesitate on tapping open his message but it doesn't take me longer than a few seconds.

From: Danny

Happy birthday, Dash :) Is it okay if I have something special planned for you today?

Fuck, Fenton. Why wouldn't it be okay? He's planned something for me and wants to know if that's okay? It's more than okay. It's fucking perfect. Cause he thought of me early enough to plan something out. I don't know who the hell told him what day my birthday is but thank fuck for whoever did. Cause it's nice to know that Danny thought of me.

I slink down further in my seat when I see his car pull into the parking lot. From my position, he can't see me but I can watch him. Which I do. Pretty fucking intensely. He gets out of his car and glances around the parking lot. He calls out to my teammates and when he wanders over to them, I get out of my car, sliding my backpack onto my shoulders before I grab the two coffees.

Danny looks up when I slam my car door closed. He immediately starts away from my teammates, a smile lighting up his face as he nears me.

"You did not buy me a coffee on your birthday," he says when I hold the cup out toward him. I respond with a grin and he rolls his eyes, taking the coffee anyway. After a second of hesitation, he lightly punches me on the shoulder with a scoff. "You're too much, I swear."

I don't miss the flash of pink that crosses his face when he sips from the cup and I busy my mouth with my own cup to keep myself from grinning. God, if what he has planned for me means I get to spend time with him, my birthday's gonna be fucking great.


The day passes by pretty smoothly even with all the birthday wishes when I first show up to my teammates, and it isn't until lunch time that it's brought up again. Valerie makes an appearance in the cafeteria, and though she's almost two hours early for her class, she breezes into the room like she's in here every day.

We make space for her at our table and she ends up sitting on one side of me so I'm in between her and Danny. It reminds me of when we were in the back of Tatiana's car on the way to the restaurant and thinking of that only makes me think of when Danny kissed my knuckles and I know that makes my face flush.

Valerie gives me a sly look, probably knowing exactly where the fuck my mind is going, but she apparently decides to be nice to me cause she doesn't comment on it. She reaches into a brown paper bag she's brought with her and extracts out a plastic container.

"Ta-da! Your favorite," she says with a grin, plonking down the familiar container in front of me.

It doesn't take me longer than a second to recognize the logo for Evan's bakery and I swallow hard. I drag in a quiet breath before I look up at Valerie again. I hate that I have to force the smile onto my face cause of mom. Cause this is a thing that we do together. Did.

"Th-Thanks, Val," I mumble, taking the plastic fork she holds out to me. I don't know if she expects me to eat it now or not but I don't know if I can. Even though my teammates are groaning cause they know how great cake from that bakery is. I want to make them all jealous and teasingly eat it all and refuse to give them any but… I don't think the lump that's growing in my throat will allow me to swallow down a single bite.

Danny's the one that breaks me out of my trance. God, it's always Danny. He leans his shoulder against mine and I watch his gaze drop from my face to the container.

"What kind of cake is it?" he asks, his lip disappearing between his teeth as he darts his gaze up to meet mine. Forget whatever he has planned for me today, just give me him and I'll be happy.

I let my stare drop down to the container and I fiddle with the plastic around the fork, not entirely sure if I'm gonna have any of it now. If Valerie knew that this was a mom thing, I know she never would have brought it in. I don't want to be an ass and refuse it but I don't know if I can do this.

"It's… vanilla with cream cheese frosting, a-and strawberries," I mumble, tracing the rim of the container with my index finger.

Danny hums softly, returning to his food. He eats a bite of whatever he got from the caf and shrugs. "Is it any good?" he asks, raising an eyebrow when I glance at him.

"You've never had it?" I ask, immediately tearing the plastic off the fork when he shakes his head. I tell myself that he has to try it cause it's the cake that made Evan'sfamous in Amity Park. Not at all cause I want him to eat so I don't have to think about mom anymore. I wrestle the container open and carefully get a bite of every part of the cake – making sure to get a strawberry – before I turn back to Danny.

He glances down at the fork and I give him a smile. "Come on, you gotta try it."

I move my hand to pass the fork over to him but I guess he doesn't realize that's what I'm doing. Cause he opens his fucking mouth and blinks up at me, leaning forward when I do. Ohmyfuckinggod. I'm actually feeding a bite to Danny. Watching the way his lips drag over the tines of the fork as he pulls back. The way his tongue darts out to lick one corner of his mouth where a bit of frosting has smeared. Universe, please fucking end me, this is torture.

Danny swallows down the bite and his lips pull into a smile. "Wow, that's amazing," he says, his gaze dropping to the piece I've been given. Fuck, Danny, it's yours. Have it, all of it. Just let me feed you again.

Even though my fingers tremble, I pass the fork over to Danny and pick up my cafeteria one instead. He gives me a funny look but I nudge the container between us and that's apparently all the permission he needs.

I wonder how weird it'd be to just watch him eat it all instead of having any myself. Because I fucking love the way he licks at the frosting on the back of the fork and the way he savors every strawberry. Fuck, I don't think it's just his actions I love. I think I love-

"How come Danny gets to have some of it with you and I don't?" Jeff asks, looking like he's ready to launch across the table to steal it for himself.

All it takes is a look from me to get him to give up on that idea. I know my face is flushed but I muster out the words anyway as Danny looks between the two of us.

"C-Cause he's never had any. And you have cake all the fucking time, Jeff," I mumble, leaning forward to get a bite for myself. I hesitate for a split second before I force myself to stop thinking about mom. Stop remembering the way we'd share this in the parking lot every year and that no matter how shit my day was afterward, at least I had a single fucking moment to make me happy.

I practically fucking devour the cake with Danny, teasing Jeff by slowly licking what's left of the frosting in the container. Valerie and the others at the table make fun of him but I'm not focused on any of them. Cause Danny's smiling and his face is stained my favorite color and I'm trying my fucking hardest to give a mental 'fuck you' to mom and forget her and everything she ever did. Cause today's not about her, it's my day. And I'm gonna spend as much of it as I can with the boy I've come to know as my own personal star.


As soon as we're let out of Lancer's class, Danny tells me to meet him at Alex's before he continues down the hall without an explanation. I follow after him and try to get as much information from him as I can but he won't budge. He cuts me off once we're out of the building and standing a few feet from his car.

"Sorry, I'm not answering anything you ask me. Follow me over to Alex's and then we'll go," Danny says, a hint of teasing to his tone. I catch sight of a blush dotted along his skin but I don't get to see it for long before he gets into his car and I'm left to go to mine.

The drive out to Alex's garage is never long but the anticipation brewing in the pit of my stomach makes it feel like it takes me three years to get there. Especially when I get caught up in afternoon traffic. But finally, I pull my car in next to Danny's in the parking lot of Alex's garage.

I turn my engine off and aim the rearview mirror toward me to check my reflection. I don't know why, it's not like I haven't already seen Danny today. But I guess I'll always want to make sure I look okay cause it's him.

Danny's inside the garage, sitting on a stool next to Alex, when I get out of my car and start for the garage. They're both grinning as they carry on a quiet conversation, Danny nodding every time Alex says something. I don't catch what's being said but they both look at me with a smile so I assume they're having a good time.

I shuffle to a stop, plunging my hands into my pockets as I do my best to return the expression they're both wearing. "Hey," I mumble, more to Alex than Danny but my gaze still strays toward the latter anyway.

Alex steps away from the car he's working on and envelopes me in a hug, the scent of grease and oil strong on his skin. He holds me tightly, a laugh rumbling through him as he pulls away.

"Happy birthday, kiddo," he says, his smile widening as my face flushes. He squeezes my shoulder before looking back at Danny. "Just give me a call later and we'll talk about it."

Danny's smile widens and he quickly nods in response. "Thanks, Alex." He's also pulled into a hug and I fucking love the way everyone important to me likes Danny. Cause I sure as hell do.

"So, what'd you call me here for?" I question when they separate. Danny gives me a sly look and I raise an eyebrow. "What?"

He shakes his head, stepping away from Alex and grabbing me by the wrist. "I wanted to talk to Alex. I kinda just had you follow me over so I wouldn't have to drive back to school," he says with an apology in his tone.

I shrug and he tugs me forward a few paces. "Come on." He gives me a wicked grin and I don't know if I ever had a hope of resisting him. It might be my birthday but I'll do whatever the fuck he wants me to. Cause he's so beautiful when he smiles.

"A-Alright, I'm coming," I say, laughter tumbling from me. I half-turn back to where I know Alex is and give him a small wave. "See you later."

Alex waves a wrench at the both of us and then I'm letting Danny lead me across the parking lot to his car – taking me wherever he wants me to go cause he has that kind of power over me. I've known him for less than three months and in that time, he's managed to crawl inside my heart and take hold of me like this. Make yourself at home, Danny. You're welcome to stay forever.


Usually I hate being the passenger but it allows me to watch Danny as he drives and I could get used to that. I study the way he taps his hands on the steering wheel just before he makes a turn, the way he absentmindedly plays with his keys when we're sitting at a red light. I try to memorize everything about him that I can cause there's no telling when I'll get this chance again.

He whistles softly as he pulls his car up to some kind of toll booth and rolls his window down. The guy behind the booth asks for our tickets and Danny wordlessly hands them off. There's a few seconds of silence while the guy checks them before he passes them back and tells us to enjoy the show.

I give Danny a curious look and he responds with only a grin.

He doesn't offer up any information as he parks the car in a gravel lot not far from the toll booth. I wordlessly follow him out of his car and Danny turns to look at me as I fall in step beside him. "I kinda had this idea for a while but I mentioned it to Alex a couple weeks ago and he said it was a great idea s-so… if you hate it, blame him," he says, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head.

"I'm sure I'll like it… wh-whatever it is," I mumble, feeling another piece of my heart give way when he beams at me. Forget staying in my heart, just fucking take it.

We walk through an archway and as soon as we turn a corner, I realize what the fuck he's planned for my birthday. Sleek tires and fucking amazing paintjobs stare back at me and a surprised breath leaves me as I stare around at the auto show he's brought me to.

"S-Surprise," Danny mumbles, smiling when I have the sense to look his way. He gives me a small shrug. "I-I remember… when you told me that cars were your life… I thought you were kidding at first but I've seen how much you like them s-so…" he trails off but he doesn't need to explain anymore. This is perfect.

"I love it," I respond, unable to stop the grin from stretching across my face. I really do. I fucking love car shows. I haven't been to one since I was like thirteen. It was the last time Kwan and I went with our dads – and though Kwan promised that he'd still go with me, we've never been to another. God, that show feels like forever ago.

Danny's smile widens and we walk shoulder-to-shoulder further in to see the cars, stopping to admire every single one. There's a green Corvette I fall in fucking love with, and the owner is nice, too. He talks about the car and maintenance for the beauty and even though I can keep up with the conversation and add my own thoughts, I'm sensing that it goes right over Danny's head.

After we move on from the Corvette, Danny points out a Shelby Mustang and I follow after him to see it. He asks a lot of questions and I'm so grateful that I'm familiar with the brand. I explain a little about the engine and the reason it's set apart from the competition. He asks about the cars parked next to it and I'm able to tell him about the key features of those brands too.

We wander further into the lot and I see the decade collection not too far from us. I hurriedly tug on Danny's sleeve and we cross over to it. God, all the way from the early 1930's on up, a line of cars are stretched out in front of us.

I stop at a Buick Sedan first and I spend more time than necessary oohing and ahhing over it. I don't know as much about these cars but they're so fucking beautiful. And the fact that most of them are still running could put my Mitsubishi to shame. I still fucking love my car but my god, these ones are amazing.

Danny asks me a few questions at first but I can't really answer them until we get into the 80's cars. I tell him in great detail about the Alpha Romeo Spiderand he nods along, his grin widening at my enthusiasm. I tell him about the different engines in the two models on display and explain about the difference in the tires and the design structure and-

I love talking about cars. I really fucking love talking about cars. I meant what I said to Danny so many months ago. Cars really are my life and I love that I get to share this with Danny. Cause I know he can hear how happy I sound right now. And I am. I'm so fucking happy that I get to admire some amazing cars with a boy so beautiful, he could put all of them to shame.


There's a couple of food trucks and vendors across the street from one section of the show so after the tenth time he comments on my stomach growling, we go across the street to get some food.

We eat by the food trucks but we walk around the show, splitting a shake – which doesn't fucking mean anything – and I keep up a steady conversation about cars. Danny checks his phone a few times and every time he does, he grins. I want to ask who he's talking to. Cause I'm a little selfish and I want to be the only one who's got his attention today. But he always smiles wider when he looks up at me so I convince my inner prick to shut up and enjoy the rest of the show.

When the sun is setting and security starts kicking people out, I reluctantly follow Danny back to his Equus and climb into the passenger seat. I almost don't want to leave and I think he recognizes that reluctance in me.

"I heard there's another show in Dryden, sometime in mid-January," Danny says, smiling when he looks at me. "I'm up for a road-trip to go see it with you if you're interested."

Spending a few days with Danny, seeing some amazing cars, and spending time away from Amity Park? Sign me the fuck up. Only downside is the location…

Danny notices the subtle change in me and tension settles comfortably between us. I look away from him, staring out the window and chewing on my lower lip. I almost work up the nerve to turn back to him and force a smile, but he puts a hand on my arm before I get the chance to.

"Everything… okay?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at the look on my face.

I want to say I'm okay and tell him that I'm just disappointed that the day's coming to an end but I don't want to lie. It's more than that. I'm not gonna let her ruin what time I have left with Danny but the crushing need to say something is scratching at my bones and I have to tell him.

"My… mom kinda… lives in Dryden now," I mumble, offering up a shrug when his expression takes on a concerned look to it. "It's fine, it's not like… yeah."

Danny reaches further across the space between us and threads his fingers in between mine. He doesn't say anything for a few seconds and I feel a flush creeping over my face as he squeezes my hand gently.

He swallows and I fucking hate myself for the way my attention is quickly drawn to his neck. My gaze lingers on his throat and I push out a breath in the silence. Cause if I don't make some kind of noise, a fucking whine will leave me and that's not something he needs to hear.

"Don't let your mom ruin today for you, okay?" Danny asks, running his thumb over the back of my hand. He doesn't offer a smile this time and I think we both know that the situation doesn't call for one. Even if my heart feels like fucking singing when I realize just how concerned he is about me.

I gulp down everything I want to say in this moment and I force myself to nod instead. Cause he's right. I shouldn't let mom ruin the day for me. I don't know how much more time I have with Danny tonight and I don't want to spend it thinking about her. I want to spend it thinking about the only boy that gets my heart racing.

"Okay."


We're only on the road for about ten minutes when we get stuck in traffic. A long line of cars stretches out in front of us and almost every single one has their turn signal on. Danny rolls his window and sticks his head out to see what's going on.

"Oh, I think it's the fair traffic," Danny says, rolling his window up again. I try to see over the cars in front of us but I can just barely make out the outline of the Ferris wheel in the distance.

I relax into the seat again, letting out a breath as Danny inches the car forward. The radio's playing softly, something Danny recognizes and he nods along to it, looking so content that I almost don't want to interrupt wherever his mind's at. But… it is my birthday… maybe it's okay to be a little selfish.

"You… wanna go?" I ask, nodding toward the fairgrounds when he looks at me with a puzzled expression. It's probably more than a little selfish to want to keep him for myself. "We don't have to stay long, just… maybe ride a couple rides, play some games…?"

Danny smiles, the expression stretching across his face like he was just waiting to have another reason to smile. "Sure, I'd love to."

We both turn our attention back to the traffic and the car slowly inches forward until we're finally pulling onto the fairgrounds. Parking's a bitch but Danny finds a space that isn't too far from the entrance and easily takes it, despite a Honda Civic practically riding on top of his bumper the entire time.

I flip the other driver off and Danny snorts, rolling his eyes as he turns off the engine. "Nice, Dash. Really classy."

He laughs when I mumble something about the driver being an asshole. We unbuckle our seatbelts and leave the warmth of his car. I forgot how cold it is and I zip my jacket up closer to my chin, wishing I'd brought something a little warmer.

Danny gives me a look, the tips of his ears and his jawline tinged pink. "C-Cold?" he stammers, looking away from me when I shrug. He huddles down in his own jacket and pushes out a breath that hangs in the air.

I'm banned from paying for the tickets, even though I know that Danny's already spent too much on me today. He bats my hand away when I try to extend some cash to the ticket worker, who just laughs at the whole display.

"You're not paying for anything on your birthday, Dash," Danny insists, shoving my hand away again as he slides cash across the booth to the woman working behind it. She gives us both a smile and swaps the cash out for two tickets.

"Enjoy the fair, you two," she says, grinning as Danny grabs me by the sleeve and tugs me through the gates.

I let myself be pulled along behind him and I'm quickly distracted by the rides. The scent of popcorn and cotton candy drifts through the air and Dany insists we stop for some of the latter. He's grinning like a little kid as he watches the employee behind the counter easily swipes up a cone of cotton candy for us to split.

Danny thanks him before we're on our way, each tearing off chunks of the cotton candy. I'm in love with the smells around us, and the conversations happening outside of ours – where Danny's regaling me with the past few times he's been here with his sister. I love the taste of the cotton candy exploding across my tongue like the grin that explodes across his face as he gestures wildly to make a point. I love the way the lights from the rides are cast on his face and I love the way my heart is so fucking happy, it feels like it might burst. I can't remember a birthday better than this one.

We make conversation as we browse the fair, stopping to look at everything. Danny buys a keychain for his sister and a coffee mug for his dad. I don't ask why he doesn't get anything for his mom, kinda going on the assumption that they're still ticked off at each other. For the most part, we just walk around and talk. Until I see the typical fair game where you're supposed to knock the cups over using a ball to win a prize. It wouldn't have even caught my attention except that one of the prizes is a plush cartoon depiction of a ghost. It's too fucking perfect and I can't leave it. Which is how I find myself standing in front of the display, rolling a ball between my fingers in preparation.

Danny's leaning up against the side of the booth, a dopey smile on his face as he shakes his head. I know he thinks this is ridiculous and I can't stop the grin on my face as I throw the first ball. I manage to knock down half the stack but it's a game at a fair so of course it's rigged. My next two throws miss and I quickly pass off a couple more bucks to play again.

It takes me six fucking tries but I walk away from that booth victorious, clutching a ghost plush in my arms. Danny makes fun of me for it but I don't fucking care. I can't think of a birthday where I've had this much fun, especially considering that last year, I was probably sulking and hiding up in my room as soon as dad came home.

Shortly after I finish with the game, we decide to call it a night and head home. I'm only a little disappointed but the waves of excitement continue to wash over me. God, today was so fucking good.

"Thanks for today, you really… made it special," I mumble, knowing that my face is flushed when Danny looks at me. We're walking back to his car, the sounds of the fair still drifting from behind us, and I awkwardly scratch the back of my head. "I was just… gonna go home and probably order a pizza instead of hanging out with anyone. S-So… thanks."

Danny grins at me and knocks my shoulder with his. He doesn't respond but I don't think I need him to. Cause this day has been perfect and my heart's filled to the brim. Words don't mean as much as his arm brushing against mine with every step we take toward his car.


The drive back to Alex's garage feels so fucking short cause I'm having such a great time with Danny. The radio keeps playing songs I know and I rock the air guitar along with all of them, making him laugh harder with every song.

Eventually the radio comes to a commercial break but it's just before the turn for Alex's so I lean forward and shut off the radio, effectively cutting off the DJ from continuing on with whatever show he has.

"That… plush is for you by the way," I mumble, shooting Danny a grin when he glances my way.

He arches an eyebrow, a laugh leaving him. "Are you serious?" he asks, directing his attention back to the road. He rolls his eyes when he sees me grinning. "Have you forgotten that my parents study these things? That might cause some questions."

I shrug. "They can ask all they want, it's still yours."

Danny chews on his bottom lip but he's fighting back a smile. He manages to better than I can and I turn my gaze out the window, not letting myself look at him. Cause I know that his cheeks are just slightly flushed and the second I see that color on him, I'll lose my goddamn mind.

"I'm glad you had a good birthday, Dash," Danny says, turning to me with a smile when he parks his car in the lot outside of Alex's garage.

I manage to look at him without spontaneously combusting and I offer him as much of a smile as I can. Cause if I smile any wider, I'm sure my face would explode in a blush that would rival the one hinting at his face.

Reluctantly, I leave the warmth of his car. It isn't until we're standing outside, talking about how cool the car show was that I realize he didn't park next to my car. I dig my keys from my pocket, glancing around the lot to find it. What the fuck?

"So… the car show wasn't the only surprise I had for you," Danny mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck when I look at him. He jerks a thumb toward the garage. "Your car's inside."

Wordlessly, I follow after him into the garage. Alex is settled in a bay, the radio playing softly next to him, as he works on part of the engine of his 1970's Ford Mustang. He glances up when he hears us and grins, rising from his crouched position.

Alex stretches his arms over his head and cracks his back with a sigh. He glances at me with a smile as he drops his hands back to his sides.

"Hey, kiddo. Had a good time?" he asks, grinning broadly.

I can't help the smile that instantly pulls at my mouth and I look away from him with a shrug. "Yeah, I-I did," I mumble, stealing a glance at Danny. He returns my smile but I don't get to subtly admire him for long.

"Come here," Alex says and I reluctantly turn from Danny to follow after Alex. In the next bay over, I recognize the wheels of my car sticking out from under a tarp. Alex grins in response to the look I give him. "First, why didn't you tell me your brakes needed to be fixed?" He arches an eyebrow at my lack of response but decides it isn't important after a few seconds. "Well, they're fixed now. And I gave it a wash and a wax too."

Alex peels the tarp back and holy fuck. It's still my car but it looks so good. A hell of a lot better than what it looked like when Danny and I left here earlier. So that's why he wanted to meet me at Alex's. He's too devious for my own good.

I glance side-long at Danny and he grins, despite his flush. "Thank you," I say, glancing from Danny to Alex. "Both of you. This is… I love it."

Alex gives me a grin, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. "Thank Danny, it was his idea." He steps away from us and gestures to his car. "I'm gonna finish up what I'm working on and close up the shop. You're welcome to hang around until I'm done if you want to."

He crosses over to his Mustang again and I delicately run a hand along the hood of my car. My god, my Mitsubishi hasn't looked this beautiful since the day I got it. Alex did a fucking great job, it practically looks brand new.

I trace my finger against the edges of the windshield, only glancing up when Danny pulls the tarp off the back end of my car. He shoots me a grin when he sees me looking his way and drops the black tarp on the ground before he crosses over to me.

"You like it?" Danny asks, smiling when I nod. He slides his phone from his pocket and frowns at the time. "I should probably head home soon, make sure that my mom's not gonna freak out again."

I lean against my car, folding my arms over my chest. "Yeah… what um… what was that about?"

Danny pushes out a breath, looking away from me. "She didn't want me to go to the game and I ignored her. Didn't even tell her I was going, I just left. Dad knew I was going so it was fine but…" he trails off with a shrug.

"Why didn't she want you to go?"

He chews on his lower lip, shaking his head as he looks back at me. "She's just… protective. Didn't want me to be alone for the entire weekend," he mumbles. The quiet only settles over the two of us for a second before I reach out and put my hand on his arm. He takes it as the comfort I intended it to be and smiles, relaxing into the touch.

I offer up a smile and start to say that he wasn't alone this weekend, but I lose my train of thought when I hear the faint static of Alex's radio climbing higher. I glance over as the opening bars to a song I know really fucking well start playing louder. And Alex is fucking grinning as REO Speedwagon starts blaring from his tiny radio.

It's my fucking birthday, Alex, be nice.

After a few intense seconds of glaring at Alex, I slowly lift my gaze to Danny's again. And I almost die when I see that his face is flushed too. God, we're just fucking mirroring each other right now as we pull away and make space between us that doesn't need to be there.

"Anyway… I sh-should probably get home," Danny mumbles, jerking a thumb toward the parking lot. He shuffles backward a step and gives me a hesitant smile. It's that small lift at the corners of his mouth that snaps me back into the moment.

"R-Right!" I stammer, practically tripping over my feet to follow him out to the parking lot. I can still faintly hear the radio playing softly behind us as we walk across the lot and Alex probably knows exactly what it's doing to me.

Danny strolls to a stop beside his car and glances into the back seat before he looks back at me with a hesitant smile. "Are you really making me take the plush home?"

I easily return his smile with a grin, nodding. "Yup."

He rolls his eyes but slyly bites his bottom lip and oh… if he only knew how crazy that drove me. How I love seeing the white of his teeth against the pink of his lip and how I fucking ache to run my tongue along the marks his teeth have made.

"Okay, then. Guess I'll have to find a place for it," Danny responds, a smile lighting up his features. "Just so you know though, if either of my parents ask me where I got it, I'm blaming everything on you."

I laugh and the sound feels so fucking free, floating out in the open air. Everything about today was perfect. From the second I shared the cake with him, my day went up and I don't want to come down from this high at all. But it's getting late and he needs to go.

It's awkward at first but one of us reaches for the other and we end up in a hug that feels so right, I don't want to let him go. Danny wishes me a happy birthday again and I brazenly mumble that I'm glad I got to spend it with him. Even if saying those words out loud makes me blush like a fucking idiot.

We separate from one another and I give him a smile before he gets into his car. I step back a few paces and wave to him while he pulls out of the lot. I watch the road even after his car disappears down it. I only start back into the garage when the faint sound of the radio reaches me again.

As soon as I step inside, I cross over to Alex and fucking slam my hand down on the radio's volume button to silence Kevin Cronin as he belts out the chorus of 'Can't Fight This Feeling.'

Alex doesn't say anything at first, his shit-eating grin clear on his face as he continues tinkering with part of the engine. "Not a fan of REO Speedwagon, Dash?" he asks, innocence clear in his tone.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you."


Dad's car isn't in the driveway when I get home but I refuse to let the loneliness set in. As soon I've taken a shower and crawled into bed, I read over the birthday texts I got again, letting it serve as a reminder that I'm not alone just cause I am right now.

Kwan's conversation is lit up with a new text, sent only a few hours ago, and I quickly tap on it, rubbing my eye with my fist as it loads on my screen.

From: Kwan

I saw you talking to Danny in the parking lot before you left… does this mean your birthday's going well? ;) ;)

I should be ashamed of the grin that stretches across my face but I'm not. I can't be. Cause I'm in the safety of my bedroom and no one can see me fucking blushing cause I spent most of the day with the boy I've completely fallen for.

To: Kwan

It was fucking amazing

I close out of his conversation only cause a notification has appeared on snapchat and my needy, stupid heart is fucking hoping that it's from Danny. Cause it'd be perfect to end my night with a photo of his adorable face.

I'm only slightly disappointed.

The snapchat is from Danny but it's not his face. It's a photo of his bed, the covers turned down like he's about to get in bed. The ghost plush is settled against his pillows and his caption reads, "Guess who has a home? :)"

I can't stop the fucking grin on my face as I stare at his message. Cause I can picture him in a pair of pajamas, a rocket ship or star print cause he's a fucking nerd, crawling under his covers and tucking them under his chin. A yawn spilling from him as he responds to whatever texts he gets late at night.

I'm too fucking happy to think of an acceptable teasing remark to make so I send back an emoji that's overzealously winking. I force myself to close out of snapchat after ten minutes of no response and I open my texts instead.

Kwan has responded with a string of hearts and smiley faces and I roll over onto my back, scrolling through them all before I send back one message. It sums up everything I feel about the day and Danny and I didn't think I'd ever fucking say it but I push send before I can talk myself out of it.

To: Kwan

I think I fucking love him


A/N:

Yoooooo! Long time no see, huh? I realized the other day it was starting to creep up close to a month between uploads again and I didn't want that to happen so here I am!

Not a ton of plot development here, but at least there's plenty of fluff instead? Dash deserved a good birthday so I gave it to him

What do you think of the scene with Mitch and Dale in the library? That was a scene I didn't have in the original version of this chapter but I felt the need to add it in as it does provide foreshadowing for future events but also because they live in a small town. No way is everyone in Amity Park okay with gay kids. Especially cause they're football players and… anyway. I'd love to know what you think of that scene and Dale and Mitch's relationship in general

Soooo… Dash getting that ghost plush for Danny, huh? I've been waiting so long for you guys to read that cause in my opinion, it's so fucking adorable. Also PLEASE tell me what you think of Alex teasing Dash by playing REO Speedwagon in the garage, I've had that part in my head since before I even wrote this chapter

And speaking of REO, that's where the title of this chapter comes from. I'm sure a lot of you have heard Can't Fight This Feeling before cause I think most of our parents grew up listening to it so in turn, we did (at least that's been my experience and what I've heard from friends) But if you haven't heard it, you definitely should. Also, it's so Dash with Danny, just saying

Thanks so much for reading this chapter! I really appreciate you coming back update after update to see what's going on in our favorite quarterback's life. There's a lot of stuff coming up really quickly in terms of plot development and I hope you're all ready for it

Next chapter, you can expect a phone call in the middle of the night, driving on little to no sleep, pain and heartbreak – and a warning at the beginning of next chapter. No, it's not what you're expecting. Yes, it's gonna tear your heart out

Thanks again and I hope to see your thoughts next update!