Page 67 of Dungeons and Drama

We meet up with Anthony and his date, Kenzie, at one of the only nonchain restaurants in town. Nathan’s parents must have lectured him about manners because he pulls out my chair for me. I pause when I see all the place settings.

“I’m surprised they sat us at such a big table.” We’re at a table big enough for eight, but there are only six of us and I know for sure that other larger groups are still waiting for seating.

Lucas, Anthony, and Nathan exchange an excited look. Which makes Hoshiko and I exchange a scared one. What are they planning?

That becomes only too apparent about twenty minutes into dinner. We’ve just gotten our bread and side salads when a commotion sounds behind us. I turn and gasp. John is striding toward us, looking like he just walked out of a Lord of the Rings movie. He has on a navy blue tunic and black pants, with a heavy black cloak billowing behind him. He’s hung multiple glass bottles and a leather satchel on a leather belt. And he’s not alone. Next to him is a tall Blackboy dressed as a knight, complete with armor that clanks and a superlong sword in a scabbard.

“Yes, you made it!” Anthony cries. The entire restaurant has paused midbite to stare.

I yelp and start clapping. “Oh my God!”

John rolls his shoulders back. You’d think he’d be self-conscious being dressed as a wizard in the middle of a fancy(ish) restaurant, but he looks more confident than I’ve ever seen him. The boys sit down in the remaining seats, though they have to mess with their cloaks and swords to fit comfortably.

“Hey.” The other boy waves to the table. He looks a bit more nervous. “I’m Jordan. The boyfriend.”

My grin gets even wider. I don’t care what else happens, I love tonight. “Hi! I’m Riley.”

Hoshiko introduces herself, and it turns out the guys convinced John and Jordan to come to dinner before LARPing since they flatly refused to skip it for the dance.

“Are you sure we can’t convince you to come?” Hoshiko asks. “I really need to see a picture of you both in those costumes doing a classic homecoming pose.”

Jordan pushes his sleeves up and butters a roll. “I said the same thing, but John isveryserious about LARPing.” He gives John the kind of loving but exasperated look that couples give when they’ve been together a long time.

John returns it. He was born to wear this costume because his personality is raised to the power of ten in it. “It’s impossible to dance in these robes anyway. I’d much rather kill some monsters.”

“Where did you buy those?” I ask. My mind is already returning to the possible musical. We probably won’t have thebudget to buy fancy costumes, and I doubt we need anything like what they’re wearing, but maybe the costume company has something we could afford for the leads.

“Oh, we’re too broke to buy this stuff. It’s crazy expensive, and my mom insists it’s a waste of money. Luckily, there are a ton of tutorials out there.”

I drop my knife and it clatters on the plate. “Youmadethose costumes?”

Jordan grins and does a tiny bow. “Hours and hours of work. Our friend Marjorie is a whiz with a sewing machine, so that helps.”

Nathan chuckles and I turn with narrowed eyes. “What?”

“I should have told John to askyouto join the LARPing group instead of me. One look at the costumes and you would’ve been a goner.”

“I do love a good costume.” I sigh lustfully at the faux fur lining of John’s cloak.

Nathan leans toward me and I’m reminded that, as cool as a silver chest plate is, nothing looks as good as he does in a suit. I have a sudden desire to grab his tie and pull him even closer.

“I can always drive us back to the Holiday House after the dance,” he whispers. “Maybe we can sneak a few costumes off the mannequins before we get caught.”

“It’s a date.”

He winks and tingles run down my legs. It’s really hard to only be friends when he looks like that.

My nerves ramp up when Nathan pulls into the high school parking lot after dinner. All around, couples are walking toward the front doors, holding hands and laughing. To our left, Paul gets out of his uncle’s BMW and takes Lainey’s hand. He’s got on a baby-blue suit—he always did have my dramatic flair—and she’s wearing a long silver dress that might as well have been poured over her. Paul spots me and nods. Lainey’s eyes widen when she notices what I’m wearing.

“Hey, Riley. Nathan.” Paul gives me a once-over. “Quite the dress.”

Great, the dress discourse is starting already. I’m not going to let him get to me, though. I do a little shimmy so all the feathers flutter. “Perfect for dancing.”

Nathan glowers at Paul and takes my hand. “See you inside,” he says gruffly. We stride toward the entrance, Nathan muttering to himself.

“What?”

“I just hate that guy.”

---