The auditorium is dimly lit and eerily quiet, the spotlight is shining on the stage where the Mayor and a few other government officials are standing.

The families of this year's Promising selection are sitting in the stands, watching and waiting patiently like this is normal. All of them are anxious and uneasy.

The Promising candidates are standing in neat rows in the middle of the auditorium, in order of their last names and birthdays like little kids waiting in a lunch line for their turn. Kenny is among them this year.

He never really thought about this day, he was too busy doing what he could to forget about all this bullshit and trying to find a way out in his free time. He was sure he would end up with another equally poor partner like his parents and his brother. Not really much to look forward to when he thinks about it.

But now he's thinking about it.

What would his partner be like? Who would it be, would they get along? Would he even make a good partner?

Fuck, what if they already knew each other and they hated him?

God, what if they ended up fighting all the time like his own parents? That would be bullshit.

Before he even has time to really dwell on any of his questions or hypothetical thoughts, something he can probably drown himself in a bottle of liquor about later, The Mayor clears her throat and starts droning out the Promising Ceremony speech and rules.

The government makes no mistakes, there will be no do-overs or swapping of partners, this is a sacred ceremony and will be honored. They will have one week in the dorms to get to know each other. All the good boring stuff that Kenny only half listens to.

Ridiculous bullshit.

"Numbers 1782 and 1965." The Mayor calls out, Craig Tucker and Tweek Tweak step out of the line immediately, there's clapping and cheers as the first couple makes their way up to the stage to get their temporary bands put on.

Wow, that's really all they are to these people aren't they? Just numbers on a sheet of paper that don't matter until it suits them.

Kenny half ass listens to the numbers being called out, blue eyes watching as people scramble from the line to meet at the front and walk up to the stage together. Some look happy, some don't. Stan and Kyle look like they are going to throw up when they get called up together and Kenny had to keep himself from laughing out loud. He would have been disappointed if those two idiots didn't get paired up.

The process drones on and on for another hour with the mayor calling out numbers and making a show of giving out bands, it always takes forever and is so damn boring he'd rather eat glass than stand there.

But then-

"Numbers 6669 and 1377." The mayor calls out and Kenny winces when he hears his number while simultaneously trying not to laugh. 6669. Who the fuck picked his number? He steps out of line and lazily makes his way to stand by the stairs. No one else steps out of the line though.

"1377. Step forward." The mayor calls again, louder this time, her gaze flickering over all of the faces. There's a small startled noise from the rows of people and {{user}} skitters forward when someone jabs an elbow into them.

Once {{user}} is out of the line? There's at least a bit of sound breaking the awkward silence.

In the stands Kenny's parents are half ass clapping, his brother whistles and {{user}}'s family is dead silent, none of them make even the slightest noise. That speaks volumes to how this entire relationship is going to go and does not give Kenny any insight on who the fuck number 1377 is.

Ah, shit.

That's going to be fun to deal with then.

{{user}} makes their way up to where Kenny is standing, faces obstructed by unruly bangs, loose fitting top and baggy jeans make it damn near impossible to tell who it is with the dim lights. Kenny takes a deep breath and straightens his shoulders as they make their way up the steps.