Out of Character by Annabeth Albert

Chapter Twenty-Four

Milo

Going over to Jasper’s to get ready for the ball was a mistake. Not because I wanted to back out of my commitment to go, but because a simple kiss hello turned into us tangled up on the bed, costumes entirely forgotten, clock ticking away as I reacquainted myself with his mouth. Grinding against my thigh, he stroked my face.

“You shaved.”

I’d showered and shaved both, exactly like this was a hot date, which wasn’t that far from the truth. “Neptune has to look his iconic best for his big night. I went to the barber too. My hair was getting shaggy.”

“Ha.” Stretching, Jasper dragged his own mop of curly hair against my neck. “Maybe I should cut mine too.”

“Don’t you dare.” I chuckled wickedly, memories of what we’d done Wednesday hanging between us. “I like holding on to it.”

“I noticed. Can we do that again now?” He plucked at my shirt buttons. “I can be fast. Bet I can make you fast too.”

“You’re rather confident.” I shifted as my blood all rushed south.

Dropping a kiss on my collarbone, he skimmed a hand down my torso. “Hey, I know where my talents lie.”

“Which would not include being on time.” Reluctantly, I rolled away before his nimble fingers could reach my fly.

“Fine. Be the responsible adult,” Jasper complained even as he too sat up.

“First time for everything.” And speaking of first times, I had packed my bag as carefully as I’d showered. I couldn’t wait for later.

My nerves were dancing even before Jasper winked at me. “We’re coming back here afterward, right?”

“Better be.” I pulled out my costume and finished the job Jasper had started on my buttons.

“Why do you have to torture me?” Jasper moaned as I put the shirt and my jeans on his chair. “It’s like eating a double chocolate doughnut in front of me.”

“Don’t look at me like that,” I warned. The appreciation in his eyes was a drug I couldn’t get enough of.

“Or what? You’ll drag me back to bed?” Even though he sounded hopeful, he went ahead and started getting his own costume ready.

“Dude. You did get a bow tie.” I gestured at the fancy upgrades to his outfit.

“Kellan came through. New hose too.” He preened as he adjusted his velvet breeches. Kellan had fashioned him a matching coat with long tails and a jaunty lavender bow tie.

“It’s a mirror image of my drawing,” I marveled, circling him.

“Kellan’s good. But so are you. He loved your drawing. Expect him to ask you for one of him and Jasmine. Make him pay. No more freebies.” He wagged a finger in my face. “Both of them have loaded parents.”

“Feels weird drawing for other people, let alone taking their money.” I scratched the back of my neck.

“Customers, Milo. They’re called customers.” He tugged his costume this way and that as he examined himself in the mirror on the back side of his closet door. “How many fifty-dollar drawings do you think it would take to cover your moving fees?”

“I shouldn’t have told you that I called,” I grumbled as he left the mirror to come and hug me from behind.

“Sure you should have.”

I’d called on Thursday morning after a spectacular Wednesday evening of pizza and making out followed by returning to my cold and empty little room and having to listen to Luther and James argue over their game. I needed out of that place. So I’d called. And talked with a very nice graduate student in charge of finding a new roommate for a group house close to Professor Tuttle’s place in the historic district. They weren’t doing formal applications, but they did require an interview with the housemates and two references.

I didn’t have the first idea of how to act at an interview with a bunch of über-geniuses. But at the same time, I kept seeing that rainbow on the flyer. I could have Jasper over and no one would likely care. I could put up my drawings, and maybe my bread and peanut butter would remain unstolen. I wanted that vision so much my muscles ached, but I wasn’t sure how to get it.

“I have news on your housing quest too.”

“Oh? Tell me you didn’t meddle.” I carefully added my coat over my toga. Didn’t match the costume in the slightest, but it was too chilly outside to skip it.

“I didn’t… Okay, okay. Not much. I saw Professor Herrera on campus today and asked him if he could say you’re a cool guy who needs a chance and how you’re learning how to cook for groups.”

“That’s definitely meddling.” My heart thumped against my ribs. Jasper would take over this quest of mine if I wasn’t careful, and I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. “What did he say?”

“Maybe. Said to bring you to another game night so he can talk to you more.”

“Oh.” That wasn’t a no, but it did feel like I was on probation for a spot in Jasper’s life and for earning a new start for myself. Interviewing for a room. Begging for a reference. Trying to prove to Jasper and others that I was truly changing. I wanted to earn it, though, no question.

“Come on, Neptune. We’d better not be late, especially since you made me skip more making out.”

“I’m so cruel.” I followed him to the door. “How about I drive, Speed Demon?”

“Not too nervous?” He raised an eyebrow even as he handed over his keys.

“Less nervous about my ability to go under the speed limit,” I teased him, although my pulse still sped up at the thought of driving with passengers. “And besides, I wanted to offer because I heard Kellan say that this thing will have an open bar. If you want to drink something, I can drive back.”

“Nah, if you’re not drinking, I’ll skip too. I’m more of a soda guy anyway.”

“I know.” I clicked his door shut behind us.

“Looking good, Jasper!” The second we stepped into the hall we encountered a group in the hallway playing some sort of board game and splitting a pizza. And maybe I was an idiot, but I hadn’t been prepared for this, people seeing us leave his room together and seeing us in our costumes out of the context of the hospital or the ball.

“Thanks.” As usual, Jasper didn’t look disturbed at all. And he undoubtedly wasn’t sharing my internal freak-out about what these people might have heard through thin walls. I shuffled my feet, fighting a churning stomach and the urge to flee.

“Need to get Prince Charming to the ball before midnight?” One of the girls laughed.

“Something like that.” Jasper glanced at me and frowned. “Have fun, guys.”

Heading to the stairs, Jasper walked quickly. “Sorry. Didn’t know they were out there.”

“It’s okay.” I knew better than to share my churning thoughts, but I had the feeling he’d picked up on my discomfort anyway because he was quiet on the way to the car and slumped in the passenger seat until I parked at the upscale hotel that was hosting the ball.

“My car makes the others look like they’re slumming it tonight.” Jasper laughed, but he was right—his beaten-up, dusty car was in between a BMW and a Lexus.

“Yeah,” I said weakly. Maybe Jasper was slumming it too. I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but it fit. Jasper went to a near-Ivy, had rich friends like Kellan and others, and had a stadium-lights bright future waiting for him. He wouldn’t drive a crap car forever. He didn’t belong with a guy with limited prospects like me. Now I was the quiet one as we made our way to the grand ballroom and checked our coats at the coat-check room.

“Wow.” Jasper inhaled sharply at the entrance to the ball. The place looked like a very upscale prom—lots of silver and gold decorations, multiple areas for taking pictures, tables for the silent auction items, a dance floor, sitting areas, and a fleet of waiters circulating with appetizers. Even the guests’ costumes were classy—lots of flappers and 1930s-era suits and elaborate celebrity look-alikes. More women than men were in costume, with a lot of older men in classic suits and tuxes hanging out in clumps. They exuded a wealthy vibe, as if they were too important for costumes.

We’d been told by Ned’s assistant that we’d be mainly working the photo areas, hanging out if people wanted pictures, encouraging people to check out the silent auction items. A couple of other charitable cosplay groups were also working the event. A number of Star Wars characters and popular superheroes were already hanging out near where people were snapping pictures. We met up with Kellan and the rest of the group, and I relaxed a little, feeling less like all eyeballs were on me.

The group was a little smaller than usual, a few people having had other obligations and April having not come because she’d had a low-grade fever Thursday and Jasper’s mom was worried about potential germs at a gathering this size. I felt bad that she’d had to miss this as she probably would have appreciated all the fancy stuff more than I could.

“Oh, honey, come here. I want a picture with Toga Guy.” A slightly tipsy woman a little younger than my mom in a silver dress dragged a guy in an elegant black tux over to where we stood. It took me a second to realize that I was Toga Guy. Jasper made a go-ahead motion, and I went to stand next to them by some columns and a gold backdrop.

“Of course you do,” the guy groused. “Couldn’t catch me dead wearing nothing but a sheet.”

I opened my mouth, but no sound escaped my throat. I wanted to defend Kellan’s handiwork because this costume was so much more than a sheet and I had not straightened all my various gold accessories for nothing. I wanted to make some quip like Jasper would about how I’d never owned sheets with a thread count this high or whatever. But I did what I always did when I felt uncomfortable or embarrassed: nothing.

I did, however, smile for Jasmine who took the picture with the woman’s phone, an almost reflex on my part. Smile. Don’t let the discomfort show. Hope it would be over soon. Which it was, and after they had wandered away, I returned to Jasper’s side.

“You okay?” he asked.

I shrugged, knowing he’d see through a ready lie. “Guess not everyone likes costumes.”

“Nope. But as long as they open their wallets for the cause, who cares?”

Me, apparently, but I wasn’t admitting that. “But you like it. I still haven’t exactly figured out what you like about dressing up so much.”

My tone must have been a bit sharp because he frowned. “Haven’t you ever wanted to be someone different?”

“Yeah.” I bit my lip. Every damn day, honestly, although that burning, awful need to get out of my own skin was getting somewhat better the more time I spent with Jasper.

“Me too. And it’s fun. An escape. A chance to be silly.”

“I get it. I just wish others saw it that way and not as…embarrassing.”

“Screw that.” Jasper’s frown deepened and his voice hardened. “Are you seriously going to live your life in fear that someone might laugh?”

“Uh…” I knew the right answer, but I also knew myself. It was hard. And I wasn’t entirely sure we were still talking costumes.

“If you’re continually afraid of being embarrassed, you’re going to miss out on a lot of fun.” Jasper shook his head as if he was already tired of me being such a drag. And before I could apologize, he added, “I’m thirsty. How about I get us some sodas?”

“Sure.” I might be a disappointment to him, but at least I could be an agreeable disappointment. However, as he walked away, I couldn’t help feeling like I’d screwed up. I wished there were a way to show Jasper that I might be slow but that I was trying to get better.

While Jasper waited in a long line at the bar, a few other people wanted pictures. However, in between photo taking, I took in the gathering, people-watching. At first I was looking for more people like the rude guy, people looking for a chance to laugh at us, but everyone seemed occupied with their own friend groups, too busy and happy to make fun of some college kids in wacky costumes. Shoulders unknotting, I started picking out costume ideas for my drawings. I liked the idea of doing more superhero drawings for kids at the hospital.

My gaze landed on the dance floor where a tall Superman was swaying along with a shorter Batman. They were only one of several couples dancing to a classic ballad, but they captivated me. Both men were probably in their late thirties or early forties, and the easy familiarity with which they danced spoke to a long relationship. And there they were, wearing tights and fake muscles and capes and laughing and moving together without a seeming care for what anyone else thought.

I want to be that brave.The thought slammed into me. And more than that, I wanted a love like that. Someone who knew how I danced and what I liked and what made me laugh. I glanced back at Jasper who was almost to the front of the drinks line. Maybe that wish wasn’t as far out of reach as I thought. And maybe there was a way to show Jasper that I was working on the brave part. Maybe.