None the Worse ✓

28) 'Testosterone That Won't Stop Awakening' And Other Problems That Aren't...

28) 'Testosterone That Won't Stop Awakening' And Other Problems That Aren't Actually Problems Unless Your Mom Blocked Incognito Mode

This was the beginning of a new era. It was the time of courage and initiation. It was the time of change. Benjamin was determined to fix everything that wasn't going how he wanted it to go. He'd make sure of it. At least, he'd try to.

It was okay if he failed.

Which wasn't all that unlikely, when he thought about it...

He clenched his fists and whispered to himself, "No, I have to."

"If you have to go to the bathroom, go," Thijmen said. "I'm not sitting in your piss."

Sometimes mass media didn't lie. Laying your head on someone's shoulder while said someone curled his arm around your own shoulders did feel nice. Needless to say, Benjamin didn't budge. He wasn't even paying attention to the movie. Not to say he'd ever do this when in company of other people, though. "I don't mean that," he said.

"Good."

"I mean..."

"You mean...?"

He shook his head. Later would do. As for now, he didn't want to ruin the moment. It'd be better if Thijmen stopped munching on his parents' secret candy stash, though, but it was okay. It made him feel lightheaded, giddy. Drunk. Drunk on Thijmen? That sounded bad. "I'm going to try and fix this before Thanksgiving," Benjamin said, anyway.

"Fix what?"

"Uh." Truth be told, it was kind of embarrassing to say. Fix what? Friend group? Squad? Circle of acquaintances forced together out of desperation but which had reluctantly grown to accept each other through hardships? Benjamin crawled a bit closer, and then a bit more. When Thijmen didn't seem to mind (to put it lightly, based on the smug expression) he said, "My friends."

"Oh, you're gonna try to get them back together? How are you gonna do that?"

"I have no idea."

"Good luck."

Benjamin nodded. He was definitely going to need it.

"Maybe you should just... talk to them."

He should, and he would, but the question was whether they would talk back. They were all unbelievably petty when it came to stuff like this. They'd already given each other the silent treatment, and the cursing treatment, and the glaring-like-they-got-something-in-their-eye treatment, and it only made Ben feel more like poop than he already did.

Thijmen's arms went a little tighter around Benjamin. "I believe in you."

He did? Why?

"If anyone can do it, it's you."

Ben frowned. "Really?"

"Yes, really. You're determined. And you needed some encouraging words, so there you go."

"Thanks."

And they went back to watching the movie. In Benjamin's case, that meant staring at the screen and wondering if he'd ever be as good of an actor as Johnny Depp. Maybe if he pretended to be a pirate or Willy Wonka or the Mad Hatter, his friends would listen to him better. Or maybe they'd just think he was crazy.

"Thijmen?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I have what it takes to be Johnny Depp?"

"No."

"Rude."

Thijmen sighed. "You're terrible at lying Benjamin. Like, really, really terrible. I don't think your acting is going to be any better."