Chapter Thirty-One
Finn
Finn followed Maurice down the hallway the next morning, the hotel buzzing with early parade energy.
From the open windows near the elevators, he caught the smell of the bay drifting in salt, seaweed, and the faint sweetness of pastries from the café across the street.
Outside, the city hummed with noise: cable car bells, distant cheering, and the low thump of music from someone’s portable speaker.
They knocked on David and Theo’s door, and Theo swung it open with a grin. “Perfect timing. Bathroom’s ours.”
Finn laughed as Theo grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside. The bathroom counter looked like a glitter bomb had gone off, with makeup palettes, brushes, and two wigs waiting like small, colorful animals.
Theo held up their matching outfits. “Okay. Rainbow shorts and midriff tops. We’re going full chaos today.”
Finn pulled on the shorts—bright, loud, impossible to ignore—and the matching top. The fabric shimmered under the bathroom lights. “We look like walking confetti.”
“Exactly,” Theo said, already dusting glitter across his cheekbones. “Pride is not the time for subtlety.”
Finn opened his bag and handed Theo half of his bracelets. “Here. We should match.”
Theo slid them onto his wrist with a dramatic gasp. “Friendship bracelets but make it gay.”
Finn snorted and tugged on the pastel-blue wig. It settled over his hair surprisingly well. Theo adjusted the bangs for him. “Cute. Very cute. You look like a pop star who got lost on the way to rehearsal.”
Theo pulled on his own pink wig—bright, fluffy, and somehow perfect for him. They leaned close to the mirror, adding glitter, eyeliner, and a few tiny star stickers near their temples.
When they stepped out of the bathroom, they struck a pose in the doorway.
David burst out laughing. “Oh my god. Look at you two.”
Maurice clapped once, grinning wide. “You’re gonna steal the whole parade.” Maurice snapped pictures of them with his phone.
Finn spun once, bracelets jingling. “Too much?”
“Not enough,” Maurice said, still smiling. “You look incredible.”
Theo did a little shimmy. “We’re ready for our close-up.”
David shook his head, amused. “I love it. You two look like Pride mascots.”
Finn felt a warm rush of excitement as they left the hotel. Outside, the parade crowd was already gathering, rainbow flags waving in the breeze. The sunlight hit the street just right, making the glitter on his arms sparkle.
Maurice stepped closer, adjusting a crooked bracelet on Finn’s wrist. “Have fun out there. We’ll be right on the sidewalk when you pass.”
Finn nodded, heart thumping with anticipation. “You better cheer loud.”
Maurice smirked. “We will.”
Theo struck a pose beside him. “Louder than the cable cars.”
Maurice pulled Finn into a careful hug with arms wrapped around him but not too tight, chin resting lightly on Finn’s shoulder. “Can’t mess up the makeup,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to look at him.
Then he blew a dramatic kiss to Finn, complete with a little flourish of his hand. “For luck.”
Finn laughed, cheeks warming under the glitter. “You’re ridiculous, and I love you.”
“And you’re adorable,” Maurice said, stepping back with a grin.
David scooped Theo into a hug, lifting him half an inch off the ground. “You look like a cupcake,” he said. “A very cute one.”
Theo beamed. “That’s the goal.”
David set him down and blew him a kiss too, matching Maurice’s dramatic flair. “Go and cause chaos.”
Theo winked. “Always.”
Finn glanced at Maurice one more time. Maurice gave him a small nod—steady, warm, proud—the kind of look that made Finn feel like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. The parade waited. The city waited.
As they moved away from the hotel, they stepped into a morning already filled with colorfully dressed people.
The air carried the smell of street food warming on grills, sunscreen, and the salty breeze drifting up from the bay.
Various Pride flags hung from balconies, fluttering in the light wind, and the sidewalks overflowed with people in glitter, feathers, and outfits that looked like they’d been assembled by pure joy.
Theo adjusted his pink wig. “Okay, we need to find the start of the parade before I melt.”
Finn laughed. “You’re not even wearing anything heavy.”
“I’m wearing commitment,” Theo said, flicking a strand of pink hair dramatically.
They walked down Market Street, their identical shorts catching the sunlight. People waved at them, complimented their wigs, and asked for photos. Finn felt like he was glowing from the inside out.
A group of drag queens in towering heels strutted past them.
One queen pointed at Finn. “Blue wig! You better work, baby!”
Finn bowed. “I’m doing my best!”
Theo whispered, “We’re never taking these wigs off.”
They reached the staging area where the parade floats lined up—everything from giant inflatable unicorns to a marching band wearing colorful capes. Music thumped from every direction, blending into a chaotic, perfect soundtrack.
“Finn! Theo!” someone shouted.
They turned to see the Pride Express Train group waving them over. Even Mr. Santos was there, wearing a flamboyant feather boa, sparkly sunglasses, and a T-shirt that said Conductor of Chaos.
Finn burst out laughing. “Mr. Santos, you look amazing.”
Mr. Santos struck a pose. “Boys, I didn’t ride a Pride Train across the country to show up in a business suit.”
Theo clapped. “You’re officially my new hero.”
The group hugged, took selfies, and caught up while waiting for the parade to start. The surrounding energy built like a wave—whistles blowing, drums pounding, people cheering as the first floats rolled forward.
As they marched, Finn felt the city come alive around him. Confetti drifted through the air like colorful snow. The sun broke through the fog, lighting up the Victorian buildings in soft gold. Cable cars clanged in the distance, their bells echoing through the streets.
Theo nudged him. “Look—we’re almost at the hotel.”
Finn scanned the crowd and spotted Maurice and David on the sidewalk, both wearing rainbow bead necklaces. Maurice held a bag of confetti and threw a handful into the air the second he saw Finn.
“There they are!” David shouted.
Maurice cupped his hands around his mouth. “Finn! Theo! Looking good!”
Finn laughed so hard he nearly tripped. Maurice blew him a kiss—careful not to shout too loud, as if he didn’t want to break the moment. David tossed more confetti, some of it sticking to Theo’s wig.
Theo yelled back, “We love you too!”