I was lost in his arms and dazed by the music, which had switched into a more somber piece halfway through our dance. At this point, we weren't even swaying anymore; we just stood there, holding each other.

I had long since closed my eyes and buried my head in his chest. If I listened hard enough, I could just make out the soft beating of his heart-- or was that mine? I couldn't be sure. I couldn't be sure of that, or anything else for that matter.

What did all of this mean for us? Was there any chance to pass this off as some sort of joke? Could we move forward and think of tonight only as that night when we took our pretend roles a bit too seriously? Did I even want that? Did Cole?

I couldn't tell what he wanted. This wasn't as out of the ordinary for him as it was for me. He wasn't the one wearing the skirt. And it wasn't like it was entirely out of character for him to be weird with me either.

He would always hold my hand or pull my hair without a second thought. He was very secure like that. Holding on to my waist was beyond anything he'd ever done sure, but not inconceivable.

Wrapping my arm around his shoulder and listening to his heartbeat like I was doing would have been totally inconceivable just a day ago.

Like a jolt of electricity passing through my body, the lights coming on as the music faded to nothing shocked me back to reality.

I quickly retreated from my compromising position and stepped away from him. I couldn't even bring myself to look up at him. I looked down at my shoes to hide from the look on his face, whatever it was.

"Is everyone having fun?" A booming voice came through the speakers drawing our attention to the stage for the first time that night. Its owner was a man dressed as Frankenstein-- or I guess, Igor if you were a stickler for accuracy.

"I can't hear you" He called out again excitedly, "Are we having fun?"

"Yes!" the crowd let out a lingering roar followed by whoops and cheers.

"Alright, alright, that's better" Igor continued, "As some of you may know, keeping in good ol' Imperial Hotel fashion, we have prizes for those of you that have put together the best costumes. We have prizes for the best male costume, best female, the best couple--"

Some of the crowd erupted in cheers.

"I see you lovebirds are particularly excited for that one" he commented, "But we have some other categories this year so be on the lookout. We have 'best pop culture reference and meme' costumes and a lot more so you have plenty of chances to win something. Don't blame me if you go home empty-handed, just go home, do better, and better luck next year".

He had all of our attention at that point which was for the best. I still hadn't worked up the courage to look at Cole and was still ignoring him.

"Alright party people," he continued, "Without further ado, let's get to it so we can all get back to dancing"

"While you were busy socializing, we were putting in the work to scout all your costumes" he explained, "And I must say we found some absolute bangers. Unfortunately, there can be only one winner in each category so I will now announce the contestants for best male costume"

"Dylan dressed as the Silver Surfer, where are you?" he called out.

"Whoo!" A loud sound cut through the noise.

"There he is! Get up here, let's get a good look at you" Igor's voice once again came through the speakers.

My heart sank as the realization suddenly hit me. Would I have to go up on stage to be paraded in front of everyone? What if someone recognized me? I had been so close to voicing my complaints to Cole when I froze once again. I still wasn't ready.

I watched Dylan get on stage and stared in disbelief when it turned out, he had actually painted every inch of his body silver and wore nothing else except the tiniest briefs, also painted silver.

That was it. That was the one thing that overcame my reservations about speaking to Cole.

"Oh really, my outfit is inappropriate but his isn't?" I turned angrily to Cole.

"You do make a good point" Cole smiled at me as though nothing had even happened, "Do you think we got scammed?"

"Honestly, maybe"

"I'm getting my 20 back" he announced.

"I'll back you up" I nodded, "We'll beat his ass if we have to"

"Okay calm down, Ali" I watched his smile closely and could tell it was genuine. I wanted to always be able to see it just like that "Although, that sounds like something Harley would say"

"Yeah, just getting into character since apparently, we'll be going up on stage," I told him, "Thanks for that by the way" My words were accompanied by a disapproving but playful look.

"Good idea. Check this out" Cole stepped back and gave me a menacing stare. In his Joker voice, he said, "I can't wait to show you my toys"

"My turn, my turn" I took a deep breath and then covered my face with my hands to center myself, then when I was ready I gave my best Harley impression, "We're bad guys. It's what we do".

"Oh that was really good," he told me.

"I know, right?"

=^..^=

That interaction convinced me that I needed to take a step back. My longlasting friendship with Cole was one of the most precious things to me and I didn't know what exactly everything I was feeling tonight was, but I knew it was a complication. I knew I couldn't let it fester and ruin things between me and Cole.

I would focus my attention on getting him the win, then we'd go home and everything would return back to normal. There was to be no more going with the flow. That was the plan and so I turned my mind to the contest.

In the end, the best male costumes came down to two guys dressed as The Mandalorian and Kratos. I really liked the Kratos costume being a fan of the games but I couldn't have complained when the Mandalorian guy was crowned the winner.

His costume really was exquisite and you could tell he'd put a ton of work into it.

The best female costumes came down to a younger girl dressed as Maleficient and get this, Katie dressed as Daenerys. As it would turn out, Jason's depiction of Drogo wasn't impressive enough to get them on the couples ballot but Katie's had been more than good enough to win Best Female costume although the prize pool wasn't as hefty as that of the couples.

As much as you'd want the little Maleficient girl to win, she just couldn't compete with Katie's depiction of the Mother of Dragons.

A girl that had to have been around our age dressed as the Hit or Miss girl took the prize for Best Reference from a couple dressed as Barbie and Oppenheimer. I thought it was quite clever for a couple's costume but apparently, the showrunners didn't think so. Some guy was dressed in a freaking Kermit suit, he didn't win but that was fun to see.

Those of us who felt bad for the little Maleficient girl were very pleased to see her come back on stage and take the Best Villain costume. I thought either Cole or I could have had a chance in the Villain category but we knew we were destined elsewhere.

With each contest that wrapped up, I grew more and more tense. I was nervous about being called on stage in front of all those people but also, I was nervous because I really wanted to help Cole win this thing.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've saved the best for last" Igor stepped up again and my heart began beating in anticipation, "It's time for Imperial Hotel's best couple's costume. There are three, but there can only be one"

"Give a warm welcome to Bucky and Gina, dressed as Mario and Princess Peach!" Igor exclaimed, "Get up here, you guys"

I watched the couple climb the stairs that led up to the stage and immediately realized this wasn't going to be easy. I couldn't help but admit that they did look pretty cute together.

"Give an Imperial Hotel welcome to Bucky and Gina!"

My heart was beating quicker and quicker. This was what all of this effort was leading up to. Hell, I was wearing a skirt and makeup for this, I couldn't have it all be for nothing.

It had taken a whole second to place the feeling of Cole's hand wrapped around mine. It felt warm. I turned my attention from the stage over to him. My apprehension must have been written on my face.

"Relax, we got this," he told me as he squeezed my fingers gently. It felt nice. I hated that it felt nice.

"Next, we have Ben and Sarah as Han Solo and Leia Organa" Igor's booming voice came through once again turning my attention to the front of the room, "Give them a round of applause, shall we?"

This couple turned out to be much older which I thought was really sweet. They would have actually grown up with Star Wars and were still dressing up at their age. The more I thought about it, the more the excited looks on their faces as they took to the stage made my heart melt.

I found myself hoping Cole and I could still dress up when we were their age.

"And last but certainly not least, give it up for Cole and Cassandra coming on as Joker and Harley Quinn!"

Oh my God, it was happening. My poor little heart was threatening to beat out of my chest. I couldn't do this. All those people looking at me, it would have been hard enough even if I wasn't dressed as a girl and pretending to be Cole's girlfriend.

Cole squeezed my hand, "Casey, you've got this okay?"

I couldn't move.

"Cole and Cassandra? Are you there?" Igor called out again.

"Case, look at me" Igor stepped up and took my other hand in his, "Just focus on me, okay? I've got you"

I nodded.

"Just follow my lead" he smiled at me.

I took a deep breath and began walking. I took one step after another until we neared the steps that led up to the stage.

"There they are!" Igor laughed, "What took you so long?"

"Stage fright" I heard Cole yell.

"What's that?" Igor asked.

"Stage fright" he repeated as we made our way up the stairs and I tried not to trip. Walking up a set of stairs in a mini-skirt was not as easy as you'd think.

"Stage fright?" Igor asked, his voice booming throughout the room.

"Yeah," Cole answered as we made our way onto solid ground.

Igor laughed, "You?"

"No, her" Cole called out.

"Her?" Igor laughed again, "Girl, I think you chose the wrong costume"

The crowd laughed, everyone except me.

My eyes were glued to the floor, I didn't dare look out over the crowd.

"What made you sign for this then?" Igor asked.

"She did it for me"

"Awww" A wave of heartfelt noises washed over the crowd.

"Are you always pushing her to do things she doesn't want to do?" Igor asked lightheartedly. I could hear the joy in his voice. He was having a good time with Cole-- like everyone always did.

"Not always" Cole laughed.

"Not always?" Igor repeated it for the crowd and everyone laughed with him.

The words left my lips before I could stop them, "Always" I said.

"What's that?" Igor stepped up to me and put the mic to my lips. What had I done? With the spotlight on me and everyone watching, I was forced to look up. It was terrifying. Almost as terrifying as how perfect my painted fingers looked intertwined in his.

"I was just--" I started and froze, "He's always making me do things I don't want to do"

"Oh does he?" Igor laughed along with the crowd, "Cole, you're evil"

"She's setting me up, I promise" he replied after Igor brought the microphone up to his lips.

"Are you setting him?" Igor turned his attention to me.

"No" I shook my head with a small smile, "But he does a lot of things for me too so it evens out"

"Awww" Another wave passed over the crowd.

"Aren't these two precious?" Igor stepped away and back to center stage, "Cole and Cassandra everybody!"

The crowd cheered for us and for the first time I had the courage to look at them. It was so surreal.

"I wish we had time for more but we have to get back on track" Igor managed after the noise had died down, "As usual, we'll give our judges a moment to inspect our contestants' costumes and give us a winner"

The room went silent as the moment of truth came. I don't think I breathed for the duration, I could only count the seconds until the clipboard girl from earlier walked up and passed Igor a piece of paper.

43 seconds in total.

"Alright everybody, I have in my hand the winner of Imperial Hotel's best couples costume of 2024. Our judges have done their due diligence and the moment of truth has arrived"

Silence.

Igor snuck a look at the piece of paper and a small smile crossed his lips after. I couldn't breathe. I hoped I didn't pass out on stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for--"

Unbearable silence.

"Cole and Cassandra!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. I lost control of my body for a moment and jumped in Cole's arms squealing frantically. We'd done it.

I hugged him tightly, fueled by all the excitement, and didn't even notice when my feet left the floor.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The sound was coming from somewhere in the crowd.

What?

What?!

Cole let me down slowly, I looked up at him with pure horror.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Igor joined in amplifying their voices and before long every last person in the audience was chanting.

I looked up at Cole and could tell that he didn't mind giving the people what they wanted. It was clear if either of us was going to disappoint our fans, it would have to be me.

"Go with the flow" he whispered to me.

Fuck. I closed my eyes. The plan was to get back to normal. This wasn't just going against the plan, this was shoving the plan into a tiny rocket and shooting it into space.

Cole's lips met mine and for a brief moment, my mind was totally blank except for the feeling of our bodies pressed together.

It was a small kiss but I would never forget what it was like to kiss him that first time.

=^..^=

As soon as we got off the stage and walked back into the crowd, I didn't stop. I just kept walking even as Cole called out behind me.

I pushed the hall doors open, went past all the partygoers standing outside, and just kept walking.

Eventually, I found myself back in the Hotel lobby and sitting on one of the empty sofas. I needed to get away for a bit, away from everyone, especially Cole.

I buried my head deep in my hands and just breathed in and out in a drastic effort to calm down.

"Casey?" I heard a voice in front of me that immediately threw me right back into panic mode. I threw my head up to face her. "I figured out where I know you from," Katie said to me.

I had no response. What could I have said in that situation? Deny it? No, she knew. I could tell. And I had all but confirmed it by acknowledging her.

"Couldn't you have picked a name a bit more distinct? May I?" she asked, gesturing to a spot next to me on the sofa. Despite my lack of affirmation, she sat down anyway.

"You know, I always knew something was off about you"

What now? Was she going to tell everyone? Humiliate me? We never got along so this was the perfect opportunity for her to ruin my life.

"I always said no guy is that close with his friends--" she continued, "Well friend because you know, Cole wasn't like that with any other of his friends. Just you"

"God, I always knew something was going on between you two," she said to me.

"Nothing was going on between us" I finally said something back.

"The way he was always touching you, talking about you literally all the fucking time." she frowned as though recalling an unpleasant memory, "Ugh I couldn't stand it"

I only listened because what could I say to that?

"I guess it makes perfect sense now"

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen," I told her. It was the truth. I hadn't even noticed any of it was happening.

"Of course you didn't. It's not your fault you always came first. Doesn't matter now."

I really didn't know. From my side of the table, she just rolled her eyes whenever I walked into the room. It's not like she ever said anything.

"If you had said something, I would have given you guys some space" I tried to explain.

"And be the jealous bitch that doesn't let her boyfriend have friends? No" she shook her head slightly, "Besides, I could have never kept him away from you, and he could have never loved me. Not with you in the picture"

I understood what she was saying but I couldn't let myself believe it. Because if I did, it would mean that I had been blind all along.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter anymore," she said as she rose to her feet, "I'm with Jason now so it's whatever"

Was that it? No torture? No laughing in my face? Wasn't she going to humiliate me for dressing like a girl and for kissing my best friend? I remained quiet until she started to make her exit.

"Are you going to tell everyone?" I asked her, "About me-- and him"

"I'm not a monster"

=^..^=

I sat on that chair for God knows how long. I was too afraid to go inside, too afraid to see him again.

Like some kind of cruel joke that the universe was playing on me, I looked up and found him across the room, near the door that led back to the party.

He was just watching me. How long had he been standing there?

I composed myself and waved to him and only after that did he approach.

"You looked like you needed some space," he told me when he was close enough.

"Can we go?" I asked him. I was over all of it.

"Sure" he didn't argue. Not even an attempt at being funny.

"Did you get your winnings?" I asked him after struggling to my feet.

"Our winnings" he corrected, "I'll come back for it tomorrow. It's not going anywhere"

=^..^=

We were quiet on the drive home. It was the polar opposite of the drive to the hotel. There was just so much going through my head.

The dance, the contest, the kiss, and my conversation with Katie. It had been a night.

I'd wanted to keep things between us from getting complicated but it was safe to say that I'd failed miserably.

I watched the houses that we passed, I studied the night sky, I basked in the chilly October breeze, anything to keep from speaking to him for fear that my mouth would betray my thoughts.

But Cole wouldn't just leave well enough alone.

"Are you okay?" he'd asked.

"I'm fine" I'd replied simply.

"Come on, I know that's girl code for 'I'm not fine'"

He should have just let things be. Maybe after a good night's rest, I might have had my thoughts properly sorted.

"Is it the kiss?" he asked, "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable"

At first, I wasn't going to say anything but that's not how it turned out.

"I talked to Katie" I informed him.

"Oh?" that piqued his interest, "As Casey or Cassandra"

"She seems to think you might have feelings for me" I turned to face him for the first time since getting into the car with him, "For Casey"

I didn't know what to think when what looked to me like a whole lot of guilt crossed his face.

"How long?" I asked.

"A while" he answered.

I sat back in the passenger seat, still reeling from his admission. He had feelings for me?

"Casey, I don't want you to feel weird or anything," he turned to me briefly before turning his attention back to the road, "but I didn't want to lie to you"

My mind raced back and forth, scrutinizing every moment we'd shared in recent memory. I found something I hadn't expected. I loved how carefree life was when I was with him. I never had to pretend with him.

"I'm so sorry if I went too far today, I just--" he'd continued talking but I'd quickly cut him off.

"You didn't"

I studied his features illuminated by the moonlight. It was almost like I was seeing him for the first time.

"I think maybe--" I began to say something but my thoughts were all jumbled in my head, "Fuck, I don't know what I'm feeling"

"That's okay" he glanced again in my direction, "We don't have to talk about this now, or ever. Nothing has to change"

"I think maybe I have feelings for you too" I blurted out.

You should have heard the silence that followed. I thought it was quite cruel of him to leave me to my thoughts after I'd just opened my heart to him, but neither of us said a word after that.

I could have really used one of his funny quips but it seemed the stores were running low.

=^..^=

The car slowed to a halt in front of his house. The darkness within told us the house was empty and that it would just be the two of us.

That normally wouldn't have been a problem but nothing about this situation was normal.

"I--" I'd turned to say something but only found him watching me with a warm expression on his face.

He leaned in.

"I--" This time, the sound that left my lips was no more than the faintest of whispers.

I closed my eyes. It was terrifying but oh so very exciting.

=^..^=

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Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.