A Prom to Remember(21)

There was nothing worse than the feeling of guilt that had settled on Paisley’s shoulders even though she knew it wasn’t entirely her fault.

She’d find a way to help him out.

It was what she did.





Chapter 10

Otis

Otis’s leg jiggled nervously under his desk in history class. The girl sitting in front of him turned around to give him a dirty look, and he had to put his hand on his leg to stop it from bouncing.

It had been like this ever since Luke mentioned getting a hotel room after prom. Otis was in a near-constant spiral of panic. He liked Luke, a lot. He wasn’t sure he loved Luke.

He also wasn’t sure why hotel room had to be synonymous with S-E-X. But it totally was. He needed to talk to someone about this and fast before he vibrated out of his skin overthinking it.

He should talk to Luke about it. He knew that. But every time he imagined approaching him about this topic, panic ensued. He chickened out over and over again, all day long, like an ongoing stress dream.

After baseball practice was over, Otis and Tag headed for Tag’s car.

Tag’s car had a distinct odor. A combination of old gym socks and wet dog or possibly old dog and wet gym socks, it was hard to parse. What was most perplexing was that Tag didn’t have a dog.

“What’s with the face?” Tag asked as Otis closed the door.

“Have you ever considered cleaning your car and locating the source of that smell? I swear every time I get in here it gets stuck in my nose.”

Tag sniffed a few times. “I don’t smell anything.”

“You’ve gone nose blind, my friend. I’ve heard about this ailment. It’s a big source of conflict on those Febreze commercials.”

Tag rolled his eyes and started the car.

“You’re still making that face even though you’ve lodged your complaint.”

Otis rolled down the window. “It still smells like ass in here and Luke got us a hotel room for after the prom.”

“Those two subjects are unrelated, right?”

“Yes. But like. A hotel room.”

“Make sure you use protection? I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

“See, it is totally synonymous with sex, right? Like getting a hotel room means that.” Otis paused and dropped his voice low. “Luke wants to have sex with me, right?”

“I guess?” Tag gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“I’m just, like, really nervous,” Otis confessed.

“Are you searching for … advice?”

“Maybe? I don’t even know what I need!”

“I don’t know why you would listen to me about anything. Have you smelled my car? That’s pretty damning evidence that I have no idea what’s going on with my life.”

“So you do smell it!” Otis said, pointing a finger at Tag.

“I do. But I have to pretend I don’t.”

“There’s gotta be a way to figure this out.”

“Well, like you said, cleaning up and finding the source. I have a feeling it’s a banana peel.”

“Well, yeah, that would help, but I was back to the topic of Luke.” Otis sighed.

“I’m not really prepared to have the sex talk with you, dude. Maybe Madison would be better for this.”

“I listen to you about your ‘women problems,’” Otis said, putting air quotes around Tag’s favorite phrase.

“You do.”

“So it’s only fair that you listen to me.”

Tag took a deep breath. “You’re right, bring it on.”

“So Luke—”

“But I don’t know how to help you!” Tag said, his voice almost a shriek as he interrupted. “This is too much for a Tuesday.”

That made Otis laugh at least. “Ask me something you’d ask a straight guy about sex; it doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

“I don’t think I’ve had a conversation like this with a straight guy.” Now Tag’s knuckles were completely white on his steering wheel.

“Why are you panicking?”

“Why are you panicking?” Tag shot back at him.

“Let’s try something else.”

“Or we could be quiet.”

“You’re a terrible friend.”

“Fine, let’s try something else,” Tag said.

“Have you ever had sex, Tag?”

“I have indeed. Have you ever had sex, Otis?”

“Like hand stuff or whatever,” Otis said, looking out the window.

“And how does that make you feel?” Tag’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline in shock at his own question.

“I guess good,” Otis said. “You’re right. This is too weird.”

“Hell no, we’re in it now.”

“So what do I do?”

Tag chewed his lip for a second. “Maybe you need to mention this to Luke? Like tell him you’re nervous? And you guys could still do, um.” Tag cleared his throat. “Hand stuff in the hotel room.”

Otis mulled that around. “Yeah, like, I know you’re right. I don’t want to throw a wrench in Luke’s big plan.”

“God, I hope my mom doesn’t have a listening device in my car.”