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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Have you read Those Magic Changes (13 Reasons Why)?
Yes, I am/was in the fandom
Yes, but Iâm not in the fandom
No, but Iâm in the fandom
No, Iâm not in the fandom
Voting ended onDec 30, 2024
Summary: Bryce is magically transported back in time from the pier to his sophomore year and attempts to set things right, save Hannah and fix everything he did.
The movie Grease was released this day in 1978 in the UK. I've still never watched the whole movie but I can remember this being huge at the time. If you have a Ultra High Definition 10K Blu-Ray of the movie and a cinema-sized TV screen you may be able to spot Johnny Casino & The Gamblers (below) performing in the background of the dance hall scene if you pause it in exactly the right spot. They were played by covers band Sha Na Na who, I'd say, can take a lot of credit for the resurgence of interest in 50's music in the 70's. You can hear them performing several songs in the movie but there are very few clear shots of them. The rumour was the Director wasn't a fan.
Grease debuted as a stage musical in 1971 and Those Magic Changes was a new song written for it in 1972 by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. This 'live' version of the song in the clip above is taken from the Sha Na Na TV show with Johnny Contardo, as in the movie, crystal clear on lead vocals.
The other big connection the band had to Grease was that their pianist, Screamin' Scott Simon, wrote the lyrics to Sandy. This song was written for the movie but is now often included in productions of the musical. The clip below is another 'live' clip from the Sha Na Na TV show with Scott on lead vocals (the show didn't go out live but they usually sang the song live to a backing track as the show was recording).
GUYS HELP I'M CRYING THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING I'VE EVER WITNESSEDđđđđđ
ARIANA MF GRANDE is as enchanted by Jordan's voice as the rest of us!!!! And you can tell he wasn't expecting all that praise and he gets a bit flustered đĽşđĽşđĽş idk how I've never seen this before????
I am 97k into the third story in the There All the Honour Lies Puckurt series in which Puck is an actor, entitled A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. 19 chapters are done. I think there are six more, but I might be wrong about that. My goal is to have it done by July. Iâm really pleased with the way itâs coming out.Â
I am 25k into the Hawaii 5-0 story Iâm writing for the H50 Big Bang. This is a new fandom for me, but a) I have had notes about a McDanno story for literally ten years, and b) Iâm making it a Donutverse crossover, so I can develop the kleptocratic oligarchy we developed last spring. I must say it feels kind of awful to be writing cop fanfiction at this point in US history, although itâs mostly a McDanno love story and an opportunity to write yet another awesome trans original character, so here I am, finishing it anyway. That will be posted this fall, but I anticipate finishing it by August.
Then I have to decide if Iâm going to finish Until It Hits You In the Teeth, the Teen Wolf Stanny pack heat story I wrote as a sequel to Only Held By Gravity. Itâs close to being done, and I think I have enough notes to be able to write it quickly, so it is possible I might try to knock that out before September.Â
The timing is bad to continue work on the Donutverse at that point, but I might attempt to do it anyway. I figure if Iâve been thinking about anything nearly every day for 9 years, and Iâve already written two million words of it, I should probably attempt to finish it. Also, it will be nearly the only WIP left by then. Hard to believe!
Iâm still doing my Glee rewatch (we are now up to the end of season 2) but I stopped writing the summary posts. Iâll have to get back to that at some point.Â
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Well not just Ford. Ford, combined with his inability to say no to people especially when it comes to fixing things.
It started at the end of sophomore year when Ford was shadowing Lardo to learn the ins and outs of managing the Samwell Menâs Hockey team. She was with the team in the cafeteria one morning when her phone goes off. No one paid it any attention until she was slamming her head on the table.
âPlease donât tell me we broke her alreadyâŚâ Nursey murmured to Chowder as they watched the petite woman look like she was about to break the table with her forehead.
Bitty slid closer to her and patted her back tentatively before she sat up and found everyone staring at her.
âSorry, sorry, itâs just that weâre two weeks from opening and it feels like everything is going wrong. We had one main drop due to what he says in laryngitis, but is probably an STI, the first proof of the playbill had the name of the play misspelled, and now I just saw in our chat that a piece of the set broke...again!â
âWhat broke?â Dex asked out of sheer habit.
âOne of the dual sceneries. It has a bunch of rotating pieces so depending on the scene we can just turn something and itâll be something different.â
âOh. Well thatâs easy enough to fix. Iâm sure you have someone who can take care of that no problem,â he shrugs and goes back to eating, not expecting Ford to bound over the table and grab him by his collar.
âSeriously? Our prop manager is the one who got the main sick so no one is talking to him right now. Could you fix it? Please, Iâll owe you,â she smiled, and Dex knew he was stuck.
This is how Dex became the emergency fix-it guy for the Samwell theatre department, because somehow having to be handy on a budget caused him to exceed the skills of the theatre kids. That spring, between practices and class, he was constantly called to the auditorium to handle anything from a loose washer to erecting scaffolding. He should have found it annoying, but honestly it was nice to be fixing something that wasnât the same house problem for the millionth time. Plus, he enjoyed the confidence boost he got from being ogled at by a bunch of actors and actresses, since hockey equaled hockey butt.
***
It wasnât until the following year that Dex dug his own grave. He wanted to hate Ford, but, like Bitty, Dex couldnât be angry at someone who barely hit his shoulder.
Pre-season training wasnât the only reason Dex had come to Samwell almost two weeks early. Midway through the summer he had gotten a text from one of the stagehands with a picture of a junker theyâd found in Boston and had asked Dex if there was a way to make it work for this semesterâs play.
The production for the upcoming season was Grease, with, according to the director, a lot of the problematic bits written away. Of course, in doing Grease one needs a car. Â He knew he was being too friendly when he agreed, but Dex couldnât help it. He liked Ford, and a lot of the stagehands who heâd gotten to know. Plus, if he beat Nursey to Samwell he could do more with the room they had to share. His decision didnât have anything to do with the fact that maybe his mother had played the movie Grease more times than he could count during his childhood and he had a soft spot for it.
Having actually beat Nursey to the Haus by two days, Dex was able to get their room set up and get the car up on cinderblocks in the Hausâ backyard.
Nursey knew none of this. He knew Dex had been helping Ford out last spring, but he had no clue that the help was extending to this year. Thus, he was more than a little surprised when he saw that his roommate and defense partner was shirtlessly removing the engine from a beater in their backyard on the day he came back to school. Clearly the lobster catching had kept Dexâs strength up over the summer.
He was still staring when Bitty came out to the porch with a batch of sweet tea and handed Nursey a glass. âYou look thirsty,â he teased as he walked to Dex to hand him his own glass.
Sipping what could only be called diabetes in a cup, he had to agree as he looked at the ginger Adonis before him. Dex eventually saw him standing there and sent a wave his way.
Nursey flushed a bit as he waved back
***
It was while he was installing the car on its makeshift dolly on stage that Dex got to watch one of the initial rehearsals. During a break, Sam, the guy cast as Doody, was playing around with the guitar he had to use during one of the scenes. As he messed around, he overheard the director lamenting that Sam had to at least figure out how to look genuine as he pretended to play as it was obvious that he didnât know how. Dexâs need to please perked up, and he offered to help Sam learn. After all he could play the guitar and the song was simple enough.
That night Dex got the sheet music from his bag and began to play, humming along to the tune as he went. The part Sam had wasnât a big one, even if he was one of the main T-birds, but this song was a showstopper if done right. He was just about to start singing it out loud when Nursey opened the door to their room and Dex slammed his hands on the strings to make the music stop.
Hearing the odd twang, Nurseyâs eyes were directed to the noise and just took in the scene.
âI didnât know you played,â he blinked, as he put his bag down on his chair.
âOh, I had to pick an instrument in junior high,â he explained, a bit embarrassed at being caught.
âWere you playing something?â
âNah, just tuning it for a friend,â he lied, and fiddled with the tuning pegs.
âWhat do you know how to play?â Nursey asked, as he walked closer to his roommate.
âJust the dad rock you hate,â he chirped, glad that that, luckily, Nurse let his line of inquiry die.
***
When Dex found time to meet with Sam, he began to show him the basic holds and even showed him how the song looked being played. Singing along to it, Dex imagined standing on the stage, singing about asking someone to come back to him. He imagined the target of his affection to be someone that looked a lot like Nursey. It was always easier for Dex to picture who he should be singing to when he was learning a new song. Dex didnât look up until he was done, and found both Sam, and the director, Sasha, staring at him from where she was working on the book.
âThat was really good, Dex. I didnât know you could sing!â
âI canât really, Sasha, trust me,â he blushed, both from the praise and the image he had conjured in his mind.
âWell I just heard you do something. Maybe you ought to consider being Samâs understudy,â she offered, exchanging excited glances with the actor next to her.
âI canât. Iâve got school, plus, hockey, and Iâm already helping you guys with the set when I can,â he explained, knowing that this wasnât his thing. He was just doing this for fun and to help out his friends.
âWell you wouldnât have to attend all the rehearsals. I asked Ford for your schedule so no one asked you to come in when you couldnât. You donât have any games on the three nights weâre performing. You just proved that you have a good voice, and if you can move on the ice Iâm sure you can move on stage. Itâs a small part, and Sam doesnât have a backup. Just think about it,â she reiterated, and went back to making notes on the script.
***
At the Haus that night, Dex approached Bitty in the kitchen and asked him what he thought.
âOh, that sounds like such fun! I mean if you can still make practices and classes, I donât see why not. I mean school comes first, but college is for trying new things after all!â he rambled, as he fed Dex some pie.
âI donât know. I mean I feel bad since I didnât audition and, well, Iâm not sure itâs something Iâd be good at.â
âHoney, I donât think she would have asked you if she didnât think you could do it, now would she?â Bitty pointed out.
âI guess. I mean itâs just the understudy, so why not. Just, um, donât tell the guys. I donât know what would be worse, being chirped, or having them all show up to watch me,â he laughed.
âWatch you what?â Nursey asked, as he walked into the kitchen following the smell of pie.
âWatch me kick your ass at pong next kegster,â he supplied quickly, frantically changing the subject.
âWell Iâll take that challenge Poindexter,â he chuckled, extending his hand at the bet.
Bitty just shook his head at the two of them. But he planned to keep his promise to Dex about not telling the team so he didnât say anything.
Well, until Halloween that is.
***
The Haus Halloween Epikegster was a notorious affair on campus for a number of reasons. For Dex, the notoriety came from the mandatory costume policy. Before college, he could get away with being a hockey player or a fisherman, but from his first year on SMH, Ransom and Holster informed him that he had to try harder and he had to attend. This had always left Dex frustrated, but this year that was about to change.
This year he actually had a plan, and it involved begging Beckett, their costume designer, for their help by bribing them with one of Bittyâs pies and a dance at the Epikegster. In the end, Dex was had a T-Birds outfit for the night on the condition that no one vomited on it and that Texas, who was in charge of makeup, could do a test run on him.
The rest of the team was at the Haus already getting the place ready. Nursey, who had taken over tub juice duties once Shitty had graduated, was on the back porch mixing it when Bitty walked out to check on him.
âGoing well?â he asked brightly in his Wonder Woman costume, already a bit tipsy from the jello shots Shitty had brought over from Harvard.
âYeah all good, but have you seen Dex? He left a few hours ago and I thought heâd be back by now.â Nursey asked, concerned for his roommate. It wasnât because he missed him, not at all.
âOh heâs just getting his costume finished!â
âWow Iâm stunned.â Nursey said, relaxing back into the porch railing. âI figured heâd make a lame one like last year. He went as a zombie, and that was only because Lardo wanted a volunteer for special effects makeup.â
âNo, this year our Dex is coming as T-Bird from Grease. Taking out his costume for a test run,â Bitty giggled, leaning next to Nursey on the railing.
âHis costume?â he asked, frowning, unsure of what Bitty meant.
âYes! Heâs the understudy in the upcoming play,â his captain explained. His giggling slowly stopped as he realized what he had said. He smacked himself on his forehead and reached out to grab Nurseyâs hand. âBut you didnât hear that from me! No, you heard that from Ford or a little birdy, but not me. Now excuse me, I have to go call my Clark Kent before we get the party really going.â
Bitty left the porch, humming to himself, unaware that he had left the underclassman there stunned. Nursey began to wonder how the hell he'd missed the fact that Dex was rehearsing for a play. He wondered if the guitar had anything to do with it, but his thoughts we interrupted by the first arrivals. Nursey decided there were more pressing matters and went back inside to show off his Black Panther costume.
And if it was to find the T-bird Bitty had talked about, no one could prove it.
***
It was about an hour into the party when Nursey finally saw Dex and his jaw dropped. His fellow D-man was leaning against the wall talking to someone, but what really stunned Derek was his outfit. Dex  was wearing tight, darkwash blue jeans, cuffed at the ankle to show off his boots, and a rather tightly fitted white cotton t-shirt under a black leather jacket. His hair was curled and gelled and he had on light make-up that made his eyes pop.
The superhero must have been staring a bit too long because soon Dex was pushing off the wall to be led to the dance floor by a guy Nursey didn't recognize. He was confused. Dex normally didn't dance, but there he was swaying his hips like a pro, and with a guy no less. He took in the sight for only a moment more before heading to the kitchen for more alcohol.
Sudden movement out of the corner of his eye made Dex look and catch Nurseyâs back as he walked into the kitchen. Sighing, he went back to dancing and when the song ended Beckett led them back to the wall.
âYou aren'tâallowed to use I canât dance as an excuse anymore, Ginger. I've seen you dance at rehearsal and now here,â Beckett teased, succeeding in making Dex blush.
âAlright, alright. It's just like I told you, the team thinks of me a certain way and it's easier to keep that up, you know?â
âI guess, but you canât be afraid if they know you're queer,â they pointed out. Dexâs eyes grew wide in fear, causing the costume designer to simply shake their head.
âYes, I know, and no I wonât say a word. Be around theatre kids long enough and you start to tell whose eyes wander to more than just one gender.â Beckett teased, patting their friend on the arm. âPlus when you danced with me right now your hands were a bit too low on my hips.â
âSorry, I didnâtâŚâ Dex began to stammer, but was cut off.
âDonât worry. It was fun, but you arenât my type.â Beckett smiled, patronizingly. They were enjoying helping the puppy in front of them. âThat isnât the point though. You, Ginger, need to relax and stop compartmentalizing yourself. Now Iâm going to go find whomever was dressed as the 10th Doctor earlier and introduce myself.â
They gave Dex a kiss on the cheek and left the hockey player alone with his thoughts. Dex didnât like him and his thoughts being alone together, so he went in search of tub juice. He walked to the deck only to find Nursey flirting with a guy on the back porch. He quickly turned back into the house, opting for a beer instead of seeing his d-man succeed at pulling for the night.
And if he didnât want to see his D-man succeed at getting a hookup for the night, well no one could prove it.
***
The morning after the kegster, Dex woke up with a splitting headache. He started to groan, but stopped himself when he remembered seeing Nursey with that guy earlier in the night. He looked down to the bottom bunk to make sure he hadnât slept through his roommate having drunk sex in his own inebriated state.
Seeing only one body in the bed below him, Dex let himself relax. He slowly made his way down the ladder to find some painkillers and water. He downed a glass in the kitchen, and thought that it was the polite thing to do to bring Nursey a remedy of his own. Walking back to the room, Dex opened the door and placed a glass and pills within reach of the other man, just as he began to stir.
âMorning. I didnât see much of you last night, but if you drank like I did, youâll need this,â he laughed, passing him the glass.
Taking it gratefully, Nursey chugged it along with the pills and sat against the wall, his eyes closed to keep out the light
âYeah, I only caught a glimpse of you last night and you were dancing.â
âOh yeah.â Dex said, moving to sit at the foot of the bed. âI promised Beckett Iâd dance with them at least once. They leant me the costume.â
âBeckett? Is he friends with Foxtrot?â
âThey. And yes, theyâre friends with Ford.â
âThatâs cool. Your costume looked good,â he mumbled, his head beating a tattoo on his temples.
âYeah, yours did too.â Dex said a bit awkwardly as he tried to compliment Nursey without letting it slip that he thought his roommate was smoking hot. âI mean I only saw a part of it while you were chatting up some soccer bro in the backyard.â
âUgh donât remind meâŚâ
âAlright. Iâll leave it at that.â
Blinking his eyes open finally, he stared at Dex. âReally? No comment that I was chatting up a dude.â
âUnless that dude was a lax bro I donât care, Nurse.â
âHuhâŚâ
âYes, congrats on realizing I donât actually care who you put your dick in.â Dex said rather forcefully. He actually did care quite a lot about who Nursey put his dick in, but not in the way Nurse thought.
âDidnât put my dick in him. Just flirted. My dick only goes in particular places,â he winked, which earned him an eye roll from the red-head.
âStop there.â Dex said, holding his hands up as he stood. âIâm going downstairs to help with breakfast. Make sure you come downstairs with clothing.â He added once he got to the door.
It was only then that Nursey realized he was nude under the sheets.
âYou know you like it!â Nursey yelled at his disappearing roommate as he smirked to himself
***
The week leading up to the show Dex was barely sleeping. Between practice, a roadie, classes, homework, and rehearsal he was exhausted.
He came home late one night and just crashed on the toxic couch. He wasn't sure the exhaustion was worth everything since he was just the replacement.
As Dex laid there contemplating his life, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and just stared at it. It was Sam. If he asked him again for another guitar lesson he was going to throw his phone.
âYeah?â he answered, his face muffled by the pillow.
âWill? Did I wake you up?â a very frantic Sam asked from the other end of the line.
âNo, but I canât get anywhere right now,â he grumbled, hedging his bets.
âNo, I donât need you right now, but I need you Sunday night. I need to drive out to Boston for a callback,â he squealed through the phone.
âWhat?â he asked, in disbelief.
âI need you to cover the Sunday night show. Sasha already approved it and youâve been great in rehearsals. Iâve got to go now, but weâll talk tomorrow!â
The line was dead.
Staring at his phone Dex began to panic. No, this was a mistake. He was the understudy. They never went on. Pacing first the living room and then the hallway, he eventually caught the attention of Bitty who came over with a worried look.
âDex, is something the matter?â he started, the panic clear on his face that he hoped it wasnât something too serious.
â...Iâm the understudy, there is no way I can go on SundayâŚâ the D-man garbled, clearly mid thought.
âOh honey, thatâs great! Youâve been working so hard!â Bitty beamed, patting his back.
âNo, no, this is not great. People are going to see me dance, and sing, and I need to find Ford before she tells the team,â Dexâs mind was in a million places as he process what was happening. He was about to run out the door when Bitty dragged him into the kitchen and sat him down, placing a pie and cocoa from out of nowhere in front of him.
âYou can text Ford,â Bitty said as he cut a slice of pie for himself. âThere is nothing wrong with the team knowing that their friend is going to be acting in a play that heâs been working hard for.â
âFirst, there are a lot of things wrong with it.â Dex said nervously, stabbing his fork into his pie for emphasis. âSecond, the lead playing Danny, Tristan, he hates you all. Seriously wanted to murder Sasha after the incident during South Pacific last year. Third, I canât sing knowing you all are in the audience.â
âAnd why not?â Bitty asked, clearly offended.
âIt has nothing to do with you. Itâs just, Iâm singing a love song of sorts and well, itâs really easy to act like Iâm wooing someone on stage when I imagine it happeningâŚâ Dex sighed, placing his head on the counter.
âWell, aside from the fact that Jack owes me fifty dollars,â Bitty smiled, putting his hand on his friendâs arm to stop him from murdering the pie slice. âI think youâll be fine. I can make sure the team, especially a particular boy, sit far back enough that you canât see him.â
Blushing brightly, Dex looked at Bitty, resigned. âAm I that obvious?â
âNo, but I happen to know what pining after a teammate looks like,â Bitty giggled.Â
âIâm not pining,â he mumbled under his breath, pushing the pie around on the plate some more.
âYouâre pining. Now eat.â
***
It was Sunday.
Dex had spent the whole weekend working on the set making sure things worked, going through dress rehearsal, and watching the way Sam did his performance.
He hadnât been told if the team was coming or not, having left the decision to Bitty.
Before going onstage, Dex got one last pep talk from Sasha before seeing Ford backstage. Walking towards him, she gave him a hug and adjusted his jacket a bit.
âYouâre going to do great,â she reassured him, patting him on the back. âBesides, Sam canât play the guitar at all. I saw you in rehearsal actually playing it and it sounded great. Break a leg.â
***
Bitty and Ford had coordinated all week over the ideal spot for the team to sit. Far enough away that Dex couldnât spot them from the stage, but close enough that they could still easily see their friend. Jack, Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster had even come down for the event, much to everyoneâs regrets. Holster was quick to gripe about the no showtunes rule from last year, and wondered why he hadnât thought about auditioning before.
Once the lights dimmed and the show started, the team was impressed. It was clear that despite being the understudy, Dex had made every effort to actually learn to act. Ford had warned everyone to not yell and scream during the show this time - fearing a repeat of the last musical they had attended - but wondered if her warning would hold for Dexâs solo.
On stage Dex was pretending to fumble through simple guitar chords, producing an awful twanging sound. The team looked a little worried, wondering if Dex was going to pull through after all, but as soon as the lights dimmed on the stage and the music picked up, his off key singing turned into something else.
***
Dex hated the scene change. He knew that the entire crowd would watch him and think that he couldnât sing. But then he stood up, and the stage went dark leaving just a spotlight on him. A mic was placed in front of him as he awkwardly waved to the girl who placed it for him, as then another came and put a scarf around his neck.
It was supposed to be a dream sequence - Doody imagining what it would be like to be a good singer as the girls from the chorus fawned around him. It wasnât a hard song, but it always made him feel something. He could picture nights like this at kegsters when the perfect song was playing and Nursey would be chatting to him in his ear above the music. He would be so close, but Dex never made a move.
âThose magic changes
my heart arranges
a melody thatâs never the same
a melody thatâs calling your name
and begs you, please
come back to me
please return to me
donât go away again
oh, make them play again
the music i wanna hear
as once again you
whisper in my ear
oh my darlinâ uh-huhâ
During the second part of the song, Dex handed his guitar to one of his âfans,â and began to move about more, gesturing along with the song and swaying his hips. It was hard to do, knowing hundreds of people were watching him, but he just had to imagine serenading Derek, and Derek alone, and he calmed down a bit. It was fun having the girls look at him adoringly, but he gripped the microphone and crooned into the crowd, pointing out to the audience.
âC C C how much I want
A A A a millions ways
F F F effortlessly love you
G G G Iâm in a hurryâ
The last note of the song was the hardest for Dex, considering how this was so not what he was trained in, but as soon as the song finished he caught his breath and was surprised by the sound of the applause.
***
Ford was right, there was no way she was controlling the team once Dex finished. She was now next to a row of hockey players all standing and cheering, whooping far too loudly for a theatre. Looking down the row, she saw that Nursey wasnât standing. Instead he looked dumbstruck and was gaping at the stage.
***
Nursey knew he should be cheering and clapping, but all he could think about was the way Dex looked so earnest caressing the mic and singing. He has clearly putting a lot of emotion into the performance, but it almost felt like he was singing to someone. Maybe Dex was just that secretly good of an actor, or maybe he was just reading too much into it. Either way, Derek knew he needed to figure out how to get a private solo in their bedroom as soon as possible.
***
After the show ended Dex was backstage packing up, hoping to escape the chaos that was the post-show. He was in the middle of leaving when he was informed that he had no choice, but to go to the cast party at the theatre house. He was in a good enough mood that he said yes without too much hesitation, but he still insisted that he needed to drop his stuff off at the Haus beforehand.
Walking out of the auditorium side door, Dex was hoping for a quick escape. This was thwarted when he was met with the sight of all of his friends, including three former captains, Shitty, and Lardo. Dumbstruck, Dex just stood there staring until Holster broke the group formation and hugged him, praising his performance and how had he known they could have totally done karaoke nights at the Haus.
âI was just the understudy guys,â Dex insisted. âNone of you had to come to this.â Holster pulled back, and was met with various statements of protest that none of them would have missed this.
âBitty told us last week and we cleared our schedules,â Lardo explained looking pleased. âAs if weâd miss our friend performing. You were stunning,â Shitty agreed, and began to discuss how proud he was that Dex was breaking the chains of masculinity that had bound him.
âThank you everyone, really. It does mean a lot that you came,â Dex blushed and made to run a hand through his hair, forgetting that it was gelled. âI actually have to run to the Haus to put stuff down before the cast party...if any of you want to come?â He offered, not expecting anything. Instead, Chowder, Tango, Whiskey, and Nursey decided to join him, while the graduates, plus Bitty, lamented having to adhere to normal schedules.
After a round or two of goodbyes, Dex walked with the frogs and tadpoles back to the Haus so he could change. Once in his room, he began to strip out of his costume, needing to return it tomorrow, when Nursey walked in.
âNot keeping it on for the party?â he asked, sounding disappointed.
âNo,â Dex frowned, confused by his roommateâs tone. âI mean I want to be comfortable and the costume is a bit tight.â
âWell yeah thatâs what makes it look good,â Nursey pointed out shrugging.
âYou think I look good?â Dex asked, surprised. He tried not to let himself get hopeful, no matter what his heart was saying.
âYeah, I mean so do a lot of people.â Nursey said, eyes all smolder. âI heard many girls cooing over you when you performed.â
Blushing, Dex tried to hide his face. âThey just like a performance, not me,â he tried to explain away.
âBut what about people who knew you before the performance? Does that mean they like you?â Nursey replied, taking a step closer to Dex.
âI guess...but no one thinks of me like that. I mean even if they did, and it was one of these girls, Iâm not interested in them...like thatâ he rambled, trying to come up with another excuse, but turned around to find himself face to face with Derek.
âI wasnât talking about the girls.â the brunet said, taking another step closer to his roommate. âI was talking about who you thought of as you sang the song.â
âOh he doesnât like me like that,â Dex breathed, watching a slow smirk spread across Nurseyâs face.
âHow do you know that?â Nursey asked, taking the final step forward into the gingerâs space. âYou never asked him. But if you did, I think youâd be pleased.â
Dex leaned forward, deciding to play Nurseyâs game. âI mean I could, or I could ask him if he wanted to kiss me with or without the jacket on.â
In reply Nursey handed Dex the jacket back and pinned him to the wall as soon as it was on.
***
Thirty minutes later the two of them were walking down the stairs, changed, but mussed, to head to the after party.