Out of Character (True Colors 2)

“Hey.” He nodded at the group of us, coming to stand near Kellan and me.

I wasn’t entirely sure how to greet him. Everything had changed on Saturday, and not simply because of the kiss. We’d been through something together, and that deep conversation had lingered in my head all week. Milo was gay. And maybe not as big a jerk as I’d assumed. But I also wasn’t sure that we were friends, and I sure as heck wasn’t asking him his thoughts, even though we’d been texting the past few days. I’d spammed him with various drawings I found of both fan art of Neptune and the Tom of Finland–style drawings that I’d teased him about. He still hadn’t shown me his stuff, but we’d had several funny conversations about what I’d found. I wouldn’t call our conversations flirty, but I also wouldn’t call them not. Thus, I stood there, uncharacteristically short on words.

Kellan didn’t share my internal dithering and stuck out a hand for Milo. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad.” A muscle worked in Milo’s jaw, and he glanced around the waiting area. He’d never been the best at small talk, but right when I was about to save him, he turned to Kellan. “So…uh…is there a spring show at the college?”

I half groaned and half laughed. “Now you’ve done it. We’ll be here all afternoon.”

“Funny you should ask.” Kellan grinned broadly and ignored my crack. “I’ve been busy all week on the costumes for our musical revue coming up.”

“Cool.” Milo’s mouth quirked like he wasn’t entirely sure what that was but didn’t want to ask.

“It’s a bunch of music numbers from various Broadway plays. Kind of like a mash-up or remix,” I explained for him, having already heard all the details from Kellan multiple times.

“It’s super fun,” Kellan added, stroking his beard. “You should come.”

My eyes went wide. Hold up. I wasn’t so sure about my worlds colliding like that. And sure, I’d been the one to tell Milo that Kellan wouldn’t make a bad friend, but that was a little different than my current bestie inviting my former friend to a non-cosplay event. It wasn’t a terrible idea, but my neck prickled regardless.

“Maybe.” Glancing at the elevators, Milo looked more ready to escape than to agree to see the show. “How bad are ticket prices?”

“Do you have a student ID?” Kellan asked.

Milo shook his head, face shuttering.

“No problem.” Oblivious to the minefield he’d wandered into, Kellan continued on, cheerful as ever. “I get a certain number of comps, and this is the rare performance that my folks aren’t coming up for.”

“Um. Thanks,” Milo said right as the elevator dinged again.

“I’m here.” April rushed ahead of my mom, voice muffled by her mask. “Sorry we’re late. Mom had a call.”

“You’re right on time.” Kellan gave her a smile.

“Good. And Neptune made it again. Nice job.” April nodded at Milo, who shrugged.

“I’m here. Still a little chilly though.”

“You’ll adapt.” She was nothing if not pragmatic. She’d make a good leader someday, and there wasn’t much I wouldn’t give to see that she got the chance.

“Okay, are we ready?” Kellan asked, and the group murmured agreement. We all headed to the same lounge as the week before. The same medical assistant was on duty, and there was a mix of new and old faces to greet us.

“That was nice of you,” I said to Milo in a low voice as we entered the room. “About Kellan, I mean.”

“You said to make friends. Was that okay?” Milo offered me a crooked smile, but his eyes were worried. Vulnerable even. “I mean, I don’t have to take the tickets.”

“Take them.” Strangely his uncertainty made me surer.

“Okay. Maybe.”

“I’ll be going to at least one show. Maybe we can sit together,” I offered before it hit me that I was being awfully chummy with a guy I was supposed to still have a grudge against. And being nice and making sure he didn’t have to sit alone was a far cry from an actual date, but that didn’t stop my pulse from revving.

“That might be cool.” Milo shifted his weight from foot to foot, almost like he was doing fast internal math about how likely any of his buddies would be to see him at a show consisting of musical numbers from hit Broadway plays. “I’ll check my work schedule.”

“You do that.” I put the odds of us actually going at subzero.

“Prince Neptune came!” Chase had a weak smile for Milo as his dad pushed him over.

“Hey, Chase! How’s it going, buddy?” Milo crouched next to the wheelchair, and some soft place inside me pinged.

“Okay.” Chase’s voice was lethargic, and I exchanged a worried look with my mom. “I had a new infusion today. Sleepy.”

“Are you up for a game?” Milo asked, voice as gentle as I’d ever heard it.