“I can’t believe you went on a date with Tide Serrano,” Cindy announced, her eyes wide and shocked as she stared over at Forest across the lunch table.

“It wasn’t a date,” Forest hissed, looking around anxiously to check that no one had heard her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, how would you explain dinner and the arcade then?” Cindy snorted, shoving a handful of soggy looking fries into her mouth after dousing them with an alarming quantity of ketchup.

“Did you know there’s a theory the word ketchup comes from the Chinese Hokkien word kê-chiap, meaning a type of sauce? I mean there’s also the Malay word –“

“Forest,” Cindy growled, “stop trying to change the subject from your date.”

“It wasn’t a date!” Forest insisted frantically. He couldn’t bear the idea of there being a chance that it could have been a date. He just couldn’t afford to get his hopes up like that, it wasn’t realistic. In fact it was probably laughable, the idea of him next to someone like Tide.

“I think,” Forest chewed his lip awkwardly in thought, “I honestly think that Tide is just a genuinely really nice person and he knew I’d been having a hard time at school with bullies.”

“You’re not a charity case Forest,” Cindy narrowed her eyes, looking annoyed.

“I don’t think he sees me that way,” Forest shook his head, “at first yeah, I thought he might just feel sorry for me. But I think he’s just…kind,” Forest finished lamely.

“Uh huh,” Cindy looked unconvinced. “How’s your final piece going for the art competition?”

“Not great,” Forest mumbled, “I haven’t really got anything, just some figure sketches.”

“Of Tide?” Cindy waggled her eyebrows.

“Yes, of Tide,” Forest rolled his eyes, “he’s been our only model so far.”

At that moment, a group of incredibly rowdy seniors entered into the cafeteria with streamers and balloons. A number of the girls were in cheerleader outfits and they were carrying a large painted banner with ‘GO STAGS!’ emblazoned across it. Most of the boys were wearing antlers whilst the girls had face paint on to make them look like fawns.

“It’s a super original team name,” Cindy huffed sarcastically, “Given that we’re Deerview High. It gives those oafs a chance to call all their nights out ‘stag parties’.”

“Mm,” Forest murmured, not paying attention. He had just noticed Tide in the fray, wearing the same hoodie that Forest had returned to him. There were a pair of dark brown antlers attached to his head and his tanned faced was tipped back in a hearty laugh as one of the cheerleaders leaned in to whisper something to him.

“That’s an interesting shade of ‘Forest Green’,” Cindy smiled wickedly as Forest flicked his eyes distractedly back at her.

“Huh? What?”

“Nothing,” Cindy laughed, shaking her head. “So are we going to watch the game tonight or not?”

“I don’t know,” Forest replied. He figured that if Tide had wanted him there then the other boy would have asked him on Wednesday, but he hadn’t.

“Look, it’ll be an experience,” Cindy shrugged. “Like our first house party was!”

Forest squirmed, his first house party had turned out to be a distinctly humiliating experience. He recognised two of the cheerleaders in the cafeteria as the ones who had teased him back at Tide’s house. He wasn’t really sure if he wanted a repeat of that, especially not with the whole school watching this time.

“Wait, shit is he coming over?” Cindy exclaimed.

“What?” Forest snapped his head up, his eyes widening as Tide approached their table with an infectious smile, showing perfect, white teeth.

“Hi guys,” Tide said, stopping by the edge of the table and nodding at Cindy. Ryan had also peeled off from the main group and came sauntering up to join them.

“Forest isn’t going to the game tonight,” Cindy blurted out suddenly. Forest gaped in horror at her before glancing back up awkwardly at Tide. To Forest’s surprise Tide’s smile had slipped off his face and had been replaced with an expression that almost looked hurt.

“Oh,” Tide swallowed uncomfortably, “that’s okay – I mean if you’re busy it can’t be helped.”

“W-would you want me there?” Forest stammered. Several people were staring over at them, eyes naturally seemed to gravitate towards Tide wherever he went.

“Of course he wanted you there!” Ryan announced, clapping Tide on the back before the other boy could answer. “He already booked seats for you at the front. Players are allowed to do that for their families but Tide’s parents are away still.”

“You did?” Forest’s mouth dropped open in confusion as he looked at Tide.

“Thanks buddy,” Tide muttered angrily under his breath as he shrugged Ryan’s arm off of him. “Um, yeah, look it’s no big deal. I always have seats reserved – perk of being the captain.”

“Oh,” Forest tried to clamp down on the disappointment in his chest. For a moment he had imagined Tide specifically saving him a seat, but of course that was nonsense.

“But you wrote Forest’s name on th-mmmph!” Ryan garbled as a large hand slapped over his face.

“If you’re not too busy, feel free to come watch,” Tide shrugged, still struggling to keep his fingers clamped across his friend’s lips. “It’s seats 11 and 12 down by the bench, but I know you’re not really into sports.”

Tide looked so wholly miserable for a moment that Forest smiled and said quietly, “Hey - I’m practically a pro now remember? I scored against the arcade machine.”

“Oh my god did you just lick me?” Tide muttered in horror, jerking his hand away from Ryan, whose face had done a weird sort of flip.

“Tide took you to the arcade?” Ryan asked excitedly.

Forest nodded, feeling slightly hot under the collar as Ryan’s eyes scrutinised him.

“Does he take a lot of people there then?” Cindy frowned as Forest blanched and kicked her under the table.

“Nope!” Ryan replied, popping the ‘p’ with a slightly maniacal look on his elated face.

Forest flinched as he suddenly felt something being placed on his head, rough fingers sweeping his bangs back from his face and tucking them behind his ear.

“W-what?” Forest stammered, looking up at Tide. Tide himself looked slightly stunned at what he had just done. Forest reached up to feel the velvet brown antlers that Tide had removed from his own head and placed on Forest's.