Benny
‘No.’ I almost looked around to see who said it before I realised it was me.
Jack blinked at me, but didn’t say anything.
I swallowed nervously. ‘You can’t drop the case,’ I clarified, as if I could have been talking about anything else.
Jack gestured vaguely at his phone. ‘You heard him,’ he said helplessly. ‘I can’t just ruin his life Benny. I don’t want that on my conscience.’
‘Jack,’ I said seriously, slightly desperately, sitting cross-legged on the sofa and facing him, ignoring the fact that Matt and Freddie were still in the room. ‘I had the shit kicked out of me every day for four years because I’m gay.’
Jack looked confused. ‘I know. And if I ever see that Austin prick I’ll give him one for you, but I don’t see what this has to do with…’
I shook my head, causing him to trail off. ‘If I had the evidence that you have, the… The courage that you have… I wish I could take Austin to court and make him apologise for what he did to me. But I can’t do that. And I know Aaron didn’t beat you up because you’re gay and I know it only happened once but… But you have to show him that just because he’s bigger than you and more powerful than you doesn’t mean he can get away with hurting you and manipulating you and making everybody think that you’re the bad guy, that there’s something wrong with you.’ I paused to let this sink in, wondering where exactly it was coming from. Jack seemed to be considering it, so I added quietly, ‘Plus, do you think he’d hesitate for a second to ruin your life? I mean, do you really think any law firm worth the paper it’s registered on is gonna hire you if everybody thinks you beat up Aaron Samuels, superstar?’
Jack’s face was scrunching up slightly as he mulled this over and I could sense Freddie and Matt holding their breaths in expectation behind me.
‘Let me think about it,’ he muttered eventually, and left the room. We heard his bedroom door swing shut seconds later, and he didn’t re-emerge for the rest of the day.
Matt
‘Isn’t Benny sort of wonderful?’ I suggested to Freddie later as we got ready for bed. Without discussing it or even mentioning it, it had sort of just been understood that I’d more or less move into his room. All my stuff was still next door in my room, but it seemed like this was where I was going to be sleeping more often than not from now on.
‘How so?’ Freddie was organising his notes in an effort to quell the guilt he was feeling at not having bothered to go to college in the few days since the news about Aaron had broken.
‘He’s so wise. He’s like Grandmother Willow. He always has the best advice and knows the right thing to say.’
‘Hm. I suppose you’re right.’
‘I’m always right,’ I informed him, sneaking up behind him and slipping my arms around his shoulders. ‘Which is how you’ll know I’m telling the truth when I say that making a neat pile out of your notes isn’t going to make you a doctor and you should just come to bed instead.’
Freddie sighed in resignation and dropped his notes. ‘If only it were that easy to become a doctor,’ he lamented, and allowed me to guide him towards the bed. ‘Do you really think nobody will hire Jack if he decides to drop the case?’
I shrugged. ‘Benny made a good argument for it. I’m pretty sure lawyers aren’t really allowed to be convicted criminals themselves.’
‘Hmm. Poor Jack. Do you think I should go and talk to him?’
I shrugged again, unsure. They had been getting on a lot better lately, but who knew if that was because Jack was in the midst of a psychotic break? ‘At the risk of over-simplifying,’ I said finally, ‘you look a lot like Aaron. Maybe let Benny handle this one.’
‘They are best friends,’ Freddie said simply, stressing nothing.
I nodded.
‘Perhaps they’ll hook up again.’
‘I doubt that’s what’s on either of their minds at the moment,’ I said sceptically.
This seemed to perk Freddie up a bit. ‘You’re right. It is, however, on my mind…’ He smirked at me and pushed my shoulder suddenly so I fell back onto the bed, and leaned over me, pressing his lips to mine.
Jack
‘This blows,’ I muttered, pacing back and forth across my room. Benny was sitting on my bed, regarding me warily.
‘It’s a difficult decision,’ he admitted tentatively. I couldn’t really blame him; I was more than poised to lose my temper at any minute, but so far I was keeping it together.
‘I mean I know I’ve had more than enough practice at being a complete shit, but I’m not in the business of ruining people’s entire lives.’
‘Of course not.’
‘Even if he did try to kill me and then tell eleven million people that I was an abusive boyfriend.’
‘He did do that.’
I paced for a few more seconds, then flopped down on the bed beside Benny. ‘Do you think if I ate a lot of cheese and went to sleep I’d have a trippy dream and wake up with the answer?’
He shrugged. ‘Anything’s possible.’
‘You want me to go ahead with the case.’
‘I do.’
‘What if I’m still in love with him?’
‘That depends. Are you?’
I scrunched up my face for a second, then let it relax. ‘No.’
‘It’s entirely your decision, Jack. But if you want my honest opinion, I’ll be disappointed if you choose to drop it.’
It’s very difficult to argue with your unlikely new best friend when he says something like that.
Matt
When I woke up the next morning something felt intrinsically wrong. Freddie and I were laying side by side but I was pushed up against him slightly, and I glanced over to see him still snoring lightly.
Feeling suddenly very uncomfortable, I looked around the room, wondering if there was some way I could leave without waking him up.
I didn’t have to worry though; he woke up by himself a couple of seconds later.
‘Hmm,’ he mumbled sleepily, before his eyes slowly opened and his gaze slid over to me. ‘Oh no.’
‘Please tell me you feel this too,’ I muttered, my voice flat.
‘Uh huh,’ Freddie confirmed, his eyes wide.
We lay there for a few minutes, gazing up at the ceiling, revelling as comfort descended on us again as we realised this was a mutual thing.
‘What the hell came over us?’ Freddie asked eventually.
I shook my head in bewilderment. ‘Got me,’ I admitted. Then, after a pause, ‘Goof thing we never told Asha. She’d have bitch-slapped us so hard.’
Freddie snorted and sat up; I followed suit.
‘So just so we’re on the same page,’ I said tentatively, ‘this never happened?’
Freddie shook his head, smiling slightly. ‘No, it happened. But it will never happen again.’
‘Can we still be best friends?’
Freddie stood up and pulled me with him, tugging on my arm so I fell against him and wrapped his arms around me tightly. ‘Always,’ he confirmed.
We stepped away from each other a little sheepishly, suddenly realising we were both in our boxers and basically naked. Now that whatever magic spell had been cast over us had lifted and we were back with a swift suddenness to platonic friendship, being practically naked in front of one another was abruptly awkward again.
‘Going to see Jack?’ I asked with a smirk as soon as we were both dressed and Freddie looked anxious to be somewhere. I was a little surprised to find I wasn’t even mildly jealous or upset – but for the most part it wasn’t exactly unexpected. I guess friends often go through random phases of being attracted to one another and if the friendship is strong enough, it survives more or less unscathed.
Freddie
‘Maybe,’ I muttered, not looking at him.
As soon as the shock of the force with which the completely unromantic, platonic feelings I had for Matt had hit me wore off, I was aware of a tingly feeling in the pit of my tummy which, I knew, had entirely to do with the tall moody asshole in the other room.
‘Going to see Benny?’ I countered.
Matt shrugged. ‘I guess. Jack’s room is right across from the sitting room; I don’t want to have to turn the TV the whole way up just to drown you two out. Whether it be moaning or yelling,’ he added, smirking.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. He’d figure it out eventually.
I took a deep breath in preparation, knowing that if I didn’t do it now I might never do it, and walked towards the door.
‘Hey Freddie?’ Matt said suddenly, walking up behind me. I turned around and he laid his forehead against mine, slipping one hand behind my neck. ‘I’m glad you were my first,’ he whispered.
I felt a smile spreading across my face. ‘Me too,’ I whispered back.
Benny
I’m a pretty light sleeper, so it wasn’t exactly surprising to me that the light tapping on my door woke me. This fact didn’t, however, stop me from being in an uncharacteristically bad mood about it. I had been up half the night with Jack and, upon glancing at my alarm clock to see it was only half seven, realised I’d had about three and a half hours sleep.
‘What?’ I snapped, opening the door.
A surprised looking Matt was standing there, blinking down at me. ‘Uh, sorry,’ he muttered. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you.’
‘Then why did you knock in the first place?’ I muttered under my breath, walking back into my room and collapsing back onto the bed. Matt stood in the doorway, looking uncertain.
‘I could come back later…’
‘No, it’s fine. I’m awake.’
‘Yeah, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,’ Matt said flatly, raising an eyebrow but closing the door behind him and coming to sit on my bed.
I know I’m sort of habitually sweet and attentive and caring, but that’s because I usually operate on a full night’s sleep. When I’m tired I can transform into a Grade A dick and, I’m sorry to say, that’s what happened now.
‘Was there something you wanted?’ I demanded. My bitching was pointless; I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep anyway, but I couldn’t help it.
Matt stood up, scowling. ‘Yeah, there was. But I don’t think I’ll bother anymore, if it’s all the same to you,’ he snapped, walking towards the door.
I stood up too, suddenly furious. I knew he had never meant to, but all the sadness and hopelessness I’d felt at being accidentally messed about by him had suddenly transformed into anger and I was I fuming, spilling over with pique.
‘Just fucking tell me!’ I demanded, which caused him to turn around, frowning.
‘What’s your problem?’ he demanded in kind, folding his arms.
‘I’m not the one with the problem!’
‘Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve had a problem for weeks! And I’m sorry if I’m being self-serving here but it obviously has something to do with me so why don’t you quit bitching me out and just tell me?’
I stood there glowering at him, too wound up to say anything. Anyway, what could I say? He was right.
‘Come on, Benny Bear,’ he said softly, but his voice was dangerous. ‘Out with it. What have I done to offend you so greatly? What have I-’
He couldn’t finish his sentence though. Because his lips were otherwise occupied being crushed by mine.