by Ann Craven
“The guys at this school are boring.” She grabbed his arm. “Save me. Please. We can spend our time mocking our classmates’ penchant for spending too much money on an outfit for a dance they won’t even care about a few weeks later.”
He liked the sound of that. Hanging with Wylder was fun, and that wasn’t something he’d ever thought before.
“Okay, it’s a date.”
She clapped her hands together. “Perfect.” Leaning around him, she lifted her voice. “Killian, you’re coming with us. You are not sitting in your room during this dance.”
The look on his face told them that was exactly what he’d planned.
“What about me?” Will pouted.
Wylder barely looked at him as she stood. “No.”
She walked away, leaving the table rolling in laughter.
Kenny couldn’t remember the last time he just sat with his team and joked and had a good time. He’d been so stuck in his own problems he’d forgotten how much he needed them. After a while, once his stomach hurt from all the food, Kenny wandered back to his dorm alone.
Practice wasn’t for a few hours so he planned to sleep off the food baby and try to forget about his dad and his feelings for Asher.
That didn’t work so well when the boy in question messaged him.
Asher: Heard you’re going to the formal with Wylder.
Kenny:... news travels fast?
He could imagine what Asher was thinking. There goes Kenny, trying to be straight again, only choosing one side of his sexuality. The truth was, yes, Kenny liked girls. They were nice smelling and soft. But he wasn’t nearly as drawn to them as he was to boys like Nicky or Asher.
Sure, he could pass as straight. He’d been doing it long enough. But he didn’t want to.
Asher: She’s Nicky’s best friend. You know they talk more than any two sane people ever do, right?
Kenny: Doesn’t explain how you know.
Asher: I hope you have a good time with her.
Kenny: I’m not into Wylder.
Asher: Didn’t think you were.
Kenny: Okay…
Asher: I just wanted to tell you to have fun.
The dance wasn’t for another week. Kenny unlocked his dorm and walked into his room, throwing his keys on the desk but keeping his eyes on the phone. Was he hoping for another message? One that explained whatever Asher was trying to say. Have fun? What did that even mean?
Kenny: Ash…
Before he could send the last message, a new one from Asher popped up.
Asher: Don’t overthink everything.
He still knew him too well. He knew Kenny would sit staring at his phone long after the conversation was over.
But he didn’t know how much Kenny wanted to prolong it, how talking to Asher felt right. Listening to Ash, he stopped thinking altogether and pressed his thumb down on Asher’s name. Immediately, it started ringing, and he wanted to hang up.
His nerve slipped, but before he could end the call, Asher answered.
“Kenny.” There was laughter in his voice, but Kenny didn’t know why.
“Hey.” His brain short-circuited. “What do you need?”
Asher laughed. “You called me.”
“Right. Yeah.”
“Is Kenny Montgomery flustered? That’s normally my job.”
A call beeped in, but as soon as Kenny saw Kyle’s name, he ignored it. “My mom still hasn’t called. Kyle won’t stop. You saw my dad come by. But nothing from her. No apologies or explanations. She blew everything up, and it’s like she doesn’t care.”
“I’m sorry.” He was quiet for a moment. “Are you…okay?”
“Yeah.” He realized he was. “My parents’ problems have never been mine. I came out to my team today.”
“Ken, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”
Kenny’s face glowed with the praise.
“How did it go?”
“Better than I ever expected. None of them seemed to even really care. They didn’t make it a big deal.”
Asher hummed his approval. “No one should care. Being gay or bi or trans or anything you are isn’t brave, Ken. It’s who we are. Saying it’s brave is like claiming we have a choice to be anything else. Coming out shouldn’t be any bigger of a moment than a straight dude saying he has a girlfriend. I’m sorry it was for you.”
“You should be an inspirational speaker.”
“Ha.” He could practically hear Asher’s grin through the phone. “I’m way too awkward for people to listen to me.”
“You’re not awkward, you’re adorable.” His cheeks flamed. Had he really just said that? “I mean—”
“No take backs. You said it, and now it’s forever stuck in my brain.”
“Okay, I’m going to hang up now before I make an even bigger fool of myself.” He ended the call and sank onto the corner of his bed.
You’re adorable?
How much more of a weirdo could he be?
18
Asher
Leaving Kenny with his father was harder than Asher expected. The part of him that had always been Kenny’s friend wanted to stay to make sure he was okay. The part of him that was crushing on the senator’s son just wanted to know what that kiss meant.
“You’ve been quiet the whole trip home.” Danny’s voice trailed off as they walked across the south lawn to the Residence. “Are we doing the presidential walk of shame here?”
“Ew, no.” Asher shoved him, laughing when his efforts yielded him nothing. It was like shoving a boulder. “We just fell asleep watching a hockey game. What’s your excuse, Mr. Diligent? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“That kid’s dorm room bed was the most comfortable thing that has ever touched my backside. I was just going to stretch out for a minute, and then I was a goner.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve never fallen asleep on the job like that, but you two were on the most boring date ever.”
“I don’t think it was a date.” Asher looked up at the entrance to the White House. “The whole setup you guys planned was a waste of time.”
“What setup?” Danny frowned. “I don’t know anything about a setup.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“Listen, kid. You two were having a good time until the shit hit the fan with his family life. Give him time to deal with that mess, and he’ll come around. It was just bad timing last night. But you did a nice thing for your friend, not leaving him alone at that stuffy boarding school.”
“A nice thing, huh? Maybe next time you won’t give me such a hard time when I’m trying to be there for my friends?”
“Not likely. But I respect the gesture of kindness.”
“You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“That just means I’m doing my job.”
Danny’s face went blank like it did when one of his minions spoke to him through his ever-present headset. “Come on, your mom wants to see you.” He steered Asher toward the West Wing.
“Of course, she does.” Asher rolled his eyes. “What, was she in on the setup?”
“I know nothing.”
Asher followed him into the building, brushing a careful hand over last night’s clothes, trying to smooth the wrinkles from his shirt.
It was the weekend, but his mother was always working. It came with the job, but she still managed to make time for her kids. Something he was beginning to realize he’d taken for granted.
“Asher, did you have a good time at the concert?” the Chief of Staff asked as she stepped out of the Oval Office.
He was used to everyone knowing his business, but he loved his mother’s Chief of Staff. She’d served as his father’s Chief of Staff as well, so he’d known Lillian since he first came to the White House.
“Yeah, it was a blast.”
She glanced at her watch. “Nora’s in a meeting, but she’ll be back in about ten minutes. Your dad will meet you both here, and then IT will set up the video conference.”
Lillian was already halfway down the hall before Asher could ask her what videoconference she was talking about.
“You know anything about that?” Asher turned to Danny.
“No idea.” He held the door open to his mom’s office, taking his usual stance at the door to await the President’s arrival.
“You don’t have to wait with me, you’ve gotta be tired.”
“I’m good,” Danny insisted. “I’ll take a break after you’re settled back in the residence. Just promise me no overnight trips again anytime soon.”
“Can’t guarantee it.” Asher gave him a smirk. Danny was rarely away from Asher’s side when he wasn’t in his own rooms, and Asher suspected the guy never slept.
“Hey, Ash.” His dad walked in with his nose buried in some protocol binder. “Have fun on your date?”
“It wasn’t a date.” Asher sighed, feeling like more of a loser knowing his parents played a part in last night’s set up. That had to be a new level of pathetic, even for him. “But we all had a good time.”
“Good, good.”
“What’s this I hear about a video conference?”
“Let’s wait for your mother. She’ll kill me if I tell you before she gets here.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It’s not ominous, Asher.” His mother stepped into the room from her private study. “You always suspect the worst.”
“Hey, Mom.” Asher yawned. He still didn’t know how he felt about spending the night on the sofa with Kenny, but he was exhausted from his trip. “What’s up?” All he wanted was a shower and a nap.
“First, how was your date?”
“It wasn’t a date,” Asher and his father announced together.
“Well, did you at least have fun?”
“Yes, Mother, I had a great time.” He was a hundred percent certain she’d received a full report on his activity, including the night spent on the couch, but she had the decency to pretend she knew nothing. “Now, what’s this about a video conference?”
“A prestigious, cutting-edge art school has been trying to get in touch with us since your art show, but the recruiter obviously had a hard time reaching out.”
“I talked to the woman briefly yesterday,” Asher’s father said. “It sounds like an amazing opportunity, so we made arrangements to speak with her today.”
Asher ran a hand over his tired eyes, stifling another yawn. “Not the best timing.” He wasn’t remotely interested in hearing some college recruiter kiss their asses for the next hour.
“She only wanted a moment of your time, son.” Asher’s dad stepped aside to let the IT guys set up the call. “I really think you’ll like her.”
“What’s the school?”
“Manhattan College of New Arts.”
Asher frowned. “I’ve never even heard of it.”
“It’s new and really kind of exciting,” his mom said. “But we’ll let Roxie tell you all about it.”
“Roxie?” Asher’s eyebrows shot up. “The recruiter’s name is Roxie?”
“You’ll love her. She’s from Australia and she’s so cool.”
“Great. I can’t wait.” Asher would be more excited to talk about foreign policy at this point than any talk of his future.
Ten minutes into the conference call, and Asher could see why Roxie was their best recruiter. She got extra points for not falling to pieces when greeting his parents.
“So what makes Manhattan College of New Arts a better choice than NYU or The Rhode Island School of Design?” Asher leaned toward the screen.
“The short answer to that question is we aren’t living in the past with our heads stuck in the sand, oblivious to how the world has changed in the last century.”
“So this is not a classic program of fine art?”
“Far from it, Asher.”
He liked the way she said his name with her Aussie accent. He could listen to her talk all day.
“How many times have you heard someone say an education in the arts is a waste of time and money because you can’t make a living as an artist?”
“Everyone says that, and it’s a scary thought.”
“Right? To put yourself through so many years of school, losing sleep, living on ramen noodles and caffeine just to graduate and never find a job in the creative arts. It’s heartbreaking. But at MCNA we have a perfect record, placing all of our students in jobs they’ve been trained to do. We have that high level of success because we will never just teach our fine art students how to paint a beautiful piece of art without also teaching them how to sell it and market their brand as an artist. But, you’re into the digital arts. Photography, film, graphic arts. Those are all skills that are in high demand. Think about a world where art doesn’t exist. There would be no entertainment. No music, no film, no beautifully designed buildings and interiors. No art of any kind.”
“That’s a bleak image,” Asher said.
“Exactly. We can’t even fathom it because the best things about our world revolve around art. So why do we have so many starving artists, vying for the same few jobs? Because the art education system is flawed and no one is doing anything about it.”
“That still doesn’t really answer my original question.” Asher fidgeted on the edge of his seat. He liked everything she’d said so far, but it still felt like a sales pitch.
“Our classrooms are different, and our curriculum is always changing. We listen to our students and their intuition because it’s that raw creativity that leads to the next new thing. Take photography, for instance. In a traditional program, you would take intro to photography as a freshman, and you’d learn all the fundamentals. All the does and don’ts that have been taught for decades. At MCNA, your intro photography class will include the fundamentals, but you’ll also learn to develop your own brand and your social media presence through Instagram and other online outlets. You’ll learn how to implement a variety of mediums into your photography class based on the interests of the student. And your work shown at the Long View Gallery is a prime example of the kind of multi-medium work that can come from a photography class or even a printmaking class. We will always push our students to explore their boundaries, their limitations and listen to their instincts.”
“How did you find me? I mean, other than the obvious I’m the president’s son.”
“Listen, I don’t give a rat’s arse who your parents are—no offense, ma’am, sir. Our acceptance rate is seven percent. We don’t have the time, resources, or the inclination to kiss booties or make room for a flashy celebrity student. We care about the art and the talent. And you, my friend, have the talent. I stumbled onto your work through Caitlin Moore on Instagram. She’s a talented student I’ve had my eye on for a while. But my eye went right to your silkscreen work. It has so much heart and you have a lot to say through your work. I didn’t care who you were, I just knew from the one piece I saw that I wanted to meet you.”
“What would be our next steps, Roxie?” Asher’s mom asked.
“We’d love to invite you all to come for a visit to tour the campus and meet with some of our teachers. Asher can come alone or with a family friend if that’s easier, ma’am. I know you’re busy.”
“We will make the time to come for a visit.”
“I think I’d like that, but I’d need to think about it and talk to my parents about it before committing to anything.”
“Of course. In the meantime, I’ll send you some information on the school along with our current curriculum and job placement programs.”
“Sounds wonderful, thank you, Roxie.” Asher’s father smiled and ended the call.
“Well.” His mom beamed with excitement. “What do you think?”
“It sounds like a great place. If I decide to do the art thing, it would probably be my first choice. I’m just not sure yet.”
“Take some time, son. Think about it over the holidays, and after the first of the year, we can take a trip to New York and check it out. It would be
so nice to have you just a train ride away. Unless, of course, you decide to go to school here in Washington, and then you can just stay at home with your mom.”
“You know that part is never going to happen, Mom.”
The president sighed. “I know, but a momma can wish.”
“On that note, I’m going to take a shower and a nap. See you at dinner.” Asher made his way across the gardens to the residence with a lot on his mind.
Talk of college was a good distraction. He was more interested in MCNA than he’d let on, but he just wasn’t ready to make that decision.
No, Asher’s thoughts were still with Kenny, wondering how he was doing. Scrolling through the news articles he’d found on the scandal, Asher read all about how Kenny’s mother and his advisor had carried on an affair for over a year, using her son’s hockey events and potential career in the NHL as an excuse to meet in private. It seemed she’d spent a great deal of time in Twin Rivers on the pretense of seeing her son to meet with her lover instead.
Asher’s heart broke for Kenny. He remembered Kenny’s mother from when they were kids. She’d never been the kind of warm, motherly type his own mother was. Victoria Montgomery treated motherhood as a chore, pawning her duties off on nannies and her husband.
Asher stared at his phone, trying to find the words to say to help his friend through such a tough time. No matter what the kiss meant or didn’t mean, he felt like they were finding their friendship again, and he refused to leave Kenny to suffer through this alone.
Asher: Thanks for a wonderful night at the concert. I had a blast and it was great reconnecting after all this time. I just hate that our night ended so badly for you. I’m here for you if you need to talk … or if you just want to talk about hockey or the weather, or whatever. I’m here.
