None the Worse ✓

47) 'Acting Like The Most Stereotypical Protagonist In Every Romantic Comedy...

They hugged the rest of the way to the airport.

Benjamin was well-aware many people out there did this thing where they engaged in conversation with other people on the internet. This, along with the popularization of modded games, was the beauty of the twenty-first century. He knew. This wasn't the death sentence it could've been half a century ago, or a century ago, or three million eight thousand thirty three years ago, but it felt like it anyway.

Unless Thijmen's plane had fallen into a vortex of destruction, it was likely that it had been hours since he'd arrived at his destination. Neither of them had made any effort to contact each other.

The Emsworth residence was quiet without Thijmen. Not that Thijmen had made much noise, but it was still quiet. Even when Benjamin II blasted the Game of Thrones theme over the speakers because he was getting impatient for the next season. Benjamin III glared at him for it. How dare his father whine about a TV show when Thijmen was on the other side of the world? If anything, Benjamin should be the one whining.

School wasn't any better. French, especially, was an absolute nightmare.

The squad noticed him sulking again and this time they didn't say, "He'll be back, grow up." They just patted his shoulder and then took their phone out of their pocket to send him a virtual hug, because the little stickfigure in that gif was really cute and required no physical contact. Not even the announcement that the rainbow dick was still out on the field and seemingly impossible to get off and had to be painted over by misbehaving students instead of getting detention could cheer him up. It only reminded him of how much they failed.

Then again, Thijmen would have left anyway. It just happened early.

Benjamin sighed.

Martin put his hand on Benjamin's shoulder again and muttered, "There, there."

"Go away, Martin. Your boyfriend isn't in Europe."

"You should go to Europe," said Heston.

"I can't just go to Europe. I don't even know where my parents keep the passports."

"Check under their mattress."

Pi groaned. "Heston, would you cut it out? For once? This kind of thing is really painful and you talking shit as usual isn't helping."

They were all drawing #freethenipple posters for Messiah's latest campaign. The posters would be taken down quickly and Messiah would probably get a detention, but it was late enough that the teachers no longer cared about anything. Besides, it was an all-boys school after all. Benjamin missed Thijmen's nipples. "I'm not talking shit," Heston snapped back, "You're talking shit. When have my plans ever failed?"

"Please don't color over the lines," Messiah reminded.

Heston stood up. "When!? When the squad got separated, who was it that got us together again, huh? And the di—the street art? This group wouldn't function without me. You're all ungrateful."

Theo came by to say hi to Martin, heard this, saw the posters, and fled. Benjamin missed Thijmen doing the same.

"Okay, but—"

"Tell me, circle bitch. When have my plans ever failed?"

Pi rubbed the skin between his eyes in frustration. He didn't reply, though. None of them could. Heston got them into problems so often overlooking the times he'd been of use was easy. Admittedly, the cons far outweighed the pros, but they were too much of a hivemind at this point to rethink their relationships anymore. Achieving independence had ended up with each other harassing each other back into the group in one way or another.