“Almost,” Sebastian replied, his shoulders losing their tension a little. “They need a couple of shots in the gym.”
Vlad glanced into the classroom. The photographer and the stylist were arguing about something, deeply engrossed in their conversation.
He looked back at Sebastian.
Their gazes locked.
Vlad’s mouth dried up. He was suddenly acutely aware that this was the first time since last night they had truly looked at each other without any other distractions.
“About last night,” Sebastian said.
Vlad wanted to leave. He wanted to be anywhere but there.
He didn’t. He wouldn’t give Sebastian the satisfaction of knowing that he could fluster him so easily.
“What about it?” he said, looking Sebastian in the eye. He decided he didn’t like the eyeliner. The guy’s eyes were startlingly big as it was; with the eyeliner they looked ridiculous. How had Fletcher described him? Yes, all eyes and lips.
“Let’s just forget about last night, okay?” Sebastian said, shoving his hand into the pocket of his jeans. His lips twisted into a grimace. “It was the worst mistake in my life, which says something, considering…” He gestured in the direction Fletcher had gone.
Vlad stared at him, thrown off balance. He had expected Sebastian to taunt him, mock him, or maybe even try to seduce him again. He had thought he would be the one who would need to insist that last night had been a mistake. He certainly hadn’t expected that Sebastian would want to forget it ever happened.
Vlad should have probably felt relieved to be let off the hook so easily. Instead, he felt annoyed. How could he be worse than that pathetic, petty asshole?
“I’m the worst mistake?” he said before he could stop himself. Sure, he and Sebastian had had their share of differences, but at least he hadn’t emailed the picture of Sebastian giving someone head to everyone in school, hadn’t driven Sebastian’s boyfriend to commit suicide, and didn’t trash-talk Sebastian to total strangers.
Sebastian’s mouth fell open. He blinked. “Are you actually offended?”
Vlad’s lips thinned into a line.
A slow grin spread across Sebastian’s face. “Aw, you’re offended. Cute.” He patted Vlad on the cheek.
Vlad wanted to turn his head and bite his fingers.
Fuck.
What the hell?
Oblivious to his freak out, Sebastian stopped smiling, his expression becoming serious. “Don’t take it personally. Mike is a bigger asshole than you, but I was young and stupid. I don’t have that excuse anymore and should have known better.”
“Love, you can go ahead and change into the outfit I chose for you,” the stylist called out before Vlad could say anything. “It’s in the gym’s changing room. We’ll catch up to you after I convince this dumbass that we need—”
“Don’t teach me how to do my job,” Matt bit off, glaring at her. “I’m right, dammit!”
Their argument resumed.
Rolling his eyes, Sebastian headed off, presumably toward the gym. Vlad followed.
Since it was Sunday, the school was completely empty, their footsteps echoing in the long corridor. Vlad bored his eyes into Sebastian’s nape, still annoyed as fuck. His gaze dropped to Sebastian’s plump ass hugged by a pair of worn jeans. In broad daylight, it seemed surreal that he had been inside that ass just last night.
Faggot, a derisive voice said in his head, and Vlad tore his gaze away as if burned.
Fucking hell, what was wrong with him? What was he doing, ogling a man’s ass? Last night’s insanity was more than enough. He wasn’t a goddamn faggot like Sebastian. Although…Vlad had to admit it took some serious balls to dress stereotypically flamboyant after being outed to everyone in your school and after your partner had been bullied into committing suicide. That took a lot of courage and Vlad respected courage, even if Sebastian’s courage was stupidly idealistic.
“You know that guy is jealous of you, right?” Vlad said, breaking the charged silence. He could see Sebastian’s shoulders tense up, his steps faltering a little.
“Jealous of me?” Sebastian said in a strained voice.
Thinking of the ugliness in Fletcher’s voice, Vlad shrugged. “It eats at him that the gay loser that he considered far beneath him could have become famous, beautiful, and rich, while he’s stuck in this town, with no prospects, a wife he doesn’t want, and a brood of kids he has to provide for.”
Sebastian stopped and turned around slowly, an incredulous expression on his face. “Did you just call me beautiful?”
Vlad felt heat travel to his face. “No,” he bit out. “But Fletcher thinks you are.”
Sebastian cocked his head with a tiny smirk. “Did he tell you that?”
“No,” Vlad said, wishing he’d never brought it up. “I have two eyes and a functional brain. He was all but drooling looking at you. It was fucking disgusting.”
Sebastian stepped closer, eyeing him curiously. “People look at me all the time, Vlad. I’ve been told I’m pretty pleasant to look at. That’s my job. Why did it bother you? I thought you two would get along smashingly.”