Glitch (boyxboy/android)

Chapter 31: Love yourself

"Now you see yourself as I see you."

☆

It's as if time is slowing down, his senses become dulled as Leo stands up and looks down at a quivering Cameron.

He turns to see the steps, leading up to the stage and makes his way to the first incline. The sound of his feet, almost echoing in his ears as he takes the one, two, three steps up towards the waiting microphone. "Don't...don't you dare." Anna says as she glares at him through her glittery makeup. Leo just walks right past her.

He now stands in front of the microphone, looking out at the crowd, all in wonder of what he was going to say next. Leo places a hand around the microphone stand and clears his throat.

"Ok...so...my...my name is Leonardo Alessi and... " He tails off, a sense of panic now rushing through him.

Enzo now rushes towards the stage and hurriedly mounts the steps, he walks towards Leo and smiles at him, taking the mic from its stand and begins to address the crowd. "You probably don't know me, but I'm Lorenzo, Leo's brother." There is a silence and the microphone feeds back slightly. "Ok...so yeah, I have told my best friend that I have feelings for him." He beams a smile, finding Jojo in the centre of the room, who is now making his way to the stage.

He jumps up, not even using the steps and takes Enzo by the hand, whilst taking the microphone from him. "I'm Jojo Porter and I faced the truth that I actually find this guy really hot." He once again catches Enzo's gaze and plants a kiss on his cheek, generating a few "aahhs" and the odd clap.

Before Leo can get his head around what he is witnessing, Harley is bounding on the stage. "I'm Harley Jones and I love romantic dramas, Hope is hot and I put on face cream twice a day." This causes a mixture of chuckles amongst the teens looking on.

Now Yan is approaching the mic. "Yeah! Yan Mitchell here and I love you Ralph Morgan." Yan suddenly points to an unsuspecting guy innocently standing by the punch bowl at the back of the room, eating chips. Everyone turns and stares, making the said guy, flush completely red with surprise.

They all now look at Leo, willing him, urging him to step forward and be brave. He takes the mic Yan is offering to him and once again holds it up to speak.

"I'm Leonardo Alessi and I want to be an actor on stage. That is my dream." He takes a deep breath, before looking down at his tutor, who was slowly stilling, the life in his eyes slowly fading, Leo needed to hurry. He gets himself down from the stage, sitting on the edge and sliding down to kneel next to Cameron. With the mic in his hand, he continues.

"I came to this prom today, because I was being blackmailed." A sudden array of gasps fills the room, with some attention now being drawn to Anna. "I was told that if I didn't ask Anna to the prom, then she would spread rumours about me and my tutor." Leo then laughs. "But the funny thing is, she was right. I'm in love with you Cameron and I don't see you as a droid or a robot or whatever people may call you, when I look deep into your eyes, I swear I can see your soul, your beautiful soul. This is me...Cameron do you hear me...? I'm a bee!"

Leo drops the microphone, causing it to squeal, only highlighted by the room's silence as everyone seems to look on with baited breath. He pulls Cameron's upper body onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him. "Cameron, please."

Leo leans forward and closes his eyes, his lips pressing against Cameron's as his tears fall onto Cameron's cheeks.

"Leo...Leo, what's that?" Enzo suddenly says as Leo opens his eyes a little. Coming from Cameron's chest is a very faint red glow, small at first, the size of a cherry, but growing bigger and bigger, until Leo feels that he has to sit back. The red glow swells and increases, glowing bright, lifting Cameron off the floor, the light taking him higher and higher, until his body is moving upwards, the light guiding Cameron to his feet, with his arms stretched out either side. As he slowly opens his eyes, the red glow dies down, leaving a fully awake and calm Cameron standing before a wide eyed Leo, who was still looking up at Cameron from the floor.

He holds out a hand for Leo to take and Leo raises his own hand to meet his, almost starstruck by what is happening as he is pulled to standing.

They now stood inches apart from each other, face to face. Cameron takes Leo's other hand in his vacant one. "Now you see me as I see you." He says smiling, leaning in for a kiss. Leo's eyes flutter closed as Cameron closes the gap as they share this special moment.

They can hear all around them the cheers and claps, but it doesn't matter either way what they think. All that matters is how they feel about each other.

They finally break the kiss and wrap their arms around each other, their connection now made, never to be broken.

It's then the moment is interrupted. "Um guys..." Enzo says, tapping Leo on the shoulder. "Don't you have an audition to go to?"