All of Me' by John Legend was playing on the loudspeakers. Couples pressed together while slowly moving, but all of them seemed to be staring at the two boys slow-dancing.
They were watching them like hawks. Gazes penetrating their backs, watching every step and every little touch the two boys shared. They could hear the whispers, could see the pointed and crooked fingers as kids sneered.
Teejay and Frank kept dancing in their little corner. Even as the song faded to a quickly broken silence, they kept their eyes locked with delicate smiles. At least Teejay kept looking at his dancing partner. Frank, on the other hand, couldn't resist looking at everyone else.
He could feel his own mind darkening just looking at the other students.
"Don't look at them, look at me, dear."
Frank's eyes snapped up, but he still couldn't focus, especially not on Teejay. He could feel the air leaving his lungs, could feel a thick itch under his skin from prying eyes. Whispers of all kinds, right in his ears, flooding straight into his mind and shadowing every logical option he could think about.
His hands tightened around the fabric of Teejay's suit, looking down as he willed himself to step back from his partner. Frank's hands were shaking, one twitching at his side as he turned to the gym doors. He nearly sprinted out of the room, Teejay grabbing his hand but Frank ripped it away on instinct.
He could hear snickers and footsteps behind him. Laughs and sneers. Frank couldn't handle it. He ran to the bathrooms, turned around corners and passed kissing couples.
Why could straight couples make out in the hallways when two guys couldn't slow dance together? It was so stupid and infuriating. It's not like he asked to be like this; love is love so why do students have to be so incriminating?
Frank clenched his hair, shutting the stall door behind him and sliding down to the grimy floor with his back against the cold metal. He refused to cry, especially not here in the school restroom of all places.
Emotions surged like a torrential flood, overwhelming him completely. It felt as though he was at the bottom of a steep hill, thoughts of resentment and shame crashing over him like waves, repeatedly slamming him against spikes of self-loathing.
"Frank! open the door!"
The banging on the stall door echoed in his throbbing head. Teejay's voice was urgent, but it was muffled, distant. Frank pressed his palms against his ears, tapping his foot nervously as a coping mechanism.
"Frank, please talk to me. Let me know you're okay," Teejay's voice softened, his knees visible under the door as he leaned against it gently. Frank sensed his presence, but couldn't bring himself to move from the floor.
He tried to speak, but only panicked breaths escaped, followed by tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I... I'm sorry, Teejay. I'm so sorry," he murmured, pulling his knees tightly to his chest and burying his head as he struggled to regain control of his breathing.
In for four seconds... hold for six... out for seven... repeat.
Teejay's soothing words washed over him, pushing back against the overwhelming emotions. Some of the darkness receded, but sharp spikes of pain still pricked at him. Teejay's presence helped to contain the turmoil, easing the pressure in his chest.
Frank's breathing steadied, the heaviness in his chest gradually easing, though he still couldn't find his voice. It felt as though his emotions were choking him, suffocating him in a storm of his own making.
"Frank, listen to me. Breathe, baby, breathe."
Teejay's hand slipped under the stall door, and Frank grasped it tightly. Teejay's fingertips traced lightly over Frank's knuckles, a comforting gesture that grounded him.
"I'm here for you, Frank. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here," Teejay reassured him softly.
Frank nodded faintly, turning to face the stall door. He pressed their knees together, seeking comfort in their physical connection. Teejay responded by placing his palm firmly on Frank's thigh, a stabilizing force amidst the turmoil of Frank's mind.
