[Benji]

SEVEN:: when you befriend the outcasts.

Algebra had to have been my worst subject as I was barely passing with a C. Maybe it was the way that letters were in math nowadays and that didn't sit right with me so when Mrs. Radcliffe announced that we were to work in pairs, I was all for it.

All for it until I realized I had no friends.

I watched as everyone moved into pairs with their best friends and the assignment was passed out by a guy from the debate team that Calum was also apart of, him skipping me altogether as if I didn't exist. He gave me a look of distaste as he moved on.

Apparently, Calum being a big part of this school put a giant target on my back considering that he hated me. The parts of the student body that were friends and even associated with him had turned on me as well.

I watched as he placed it down in front of a guy looking for a partner and that was when Mrs. Radcliffe spoke up, seeing the loner that sat two rows ahead of me, "Ben, why don't you work with Julian?"

The guy shrugged, grabbing his binder and stood, walking towards me. He plopped down beside me, "Hey."

I watched as he flipped through the ten or so page packet, his hoodie displaying Michigan Youth Soccer, a place that wasn't that well known but was also where I learned that I was in love with the game. I blinked, trying not to screw up my introduction to the guy, his stature wasn't all that welcoming.

'Ben' was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and reading. How he looked intimidating, I didn't know, maybe it was do to the fact that he hadn't shunned me yet hadn't welcomed me.

I cleared my throat when he looked over at me, "...hi."

That must've amused him because he laughed, breaking he ice as he looked over at me, raising an eyebrow and jerking his chin in greeting, "I'm Benji."

I nodded, "Julian."

His eyes widened as he sat up a little straighter, he looked a little confused as he spoke, "Wait are you that guy that-"

For some reason, I felt like it'd hurt less if I dissed myself before he had the chance. Rolling my eyes, I cut him off, blowing out through my nose, "Is gay and everyone's been talking about, yeah."

He shook his head, "Nah bro, that guy who wins every soccer game, dude you're a legend."

"... definitely would've lost last season without you."

For some reason, I felt embarrassed and I also felt the need to apologize at assuming the worst. But I didn't, it wasn't the male thing to get caught in your feeling nor was it the male thing to stay on the topic of apologies. Plus, Benji didn't even seem offended, "Uh, thanks. You new here?"

He let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a scoff as he smiled as if he were remembering something golden, "No, just got transferred to this class though. Mr. Freedman called me the devil reincarnate and said he couldn't teach me..."

And instantly, I knew I'd like this guy, "sit back here tomorrow? The guy who sits here kinda shuns me."

"Yeah sure, I need some friends."

Benji, finally looking at his paper, staring blankly at the first question. His black eyebrows were furrowed as he tried to dissect the problem, "man, you get this?" He gave up, looking over at me before realizing I didn't have a paper.

Shaking his head like a disappointed father, he asked, "where's your paper?"

I shrugged, "I didn't get one."

He shrugged, "He must've missed you."

"Yeah, no."

"Hey yo, Miss!" Benji was raising his hand as he tried to grab the teacher's attention as she moved around the classroom. His eyes were lingering -just like half of the class- on her skirt tight enough to show her curves but still loose enough to be ethical, "damn, she has a fat ass..."

And I laughed at that, already feeling a friendship in the making.

: : :

"God, I want to leeeeeeaaaavvveeee," I groaned after the bell indicating that fifth period was over and last lunch had started, Benji was casually walking next to me, his hands in his pockets when he directed me to his table.

Throughout the walk, I found my eyes drifting over to my old table to see Mitch, the air-headed guy from track, sitting in my seat. Or what used to be my seat. Mitch was settled the second from the last, next to Calum as I watched them laugh over something the guy who skipped me during paper passing had said. Apparently, dissing the gay kid made you cool enough to sit at the table reserved for jocks.

My eyes grazed over my two soccer buddies who were staring down at their food solemnly as if they weren't really there. And when my eyes landed on Calum, laughing and smiling with his ex-girlfriend hanging off his arm, I almost walked out the cafeteria.

The only thing that stopped me was Benji's voice as he introduced me to a girl with dark hair framing her face, her eyes brown as was her skin. She smiled at me showing perfectly straight white teeth which contrasted the black of her Nike shirt.

Benji pat my shoulder, gesturing to the girl as she flipped her straight hair over her shoulder. I smiled on instinct when hers didn't fade as I fell forward slightly, pain shooting up my spine, "Hey bro, this is my sister, Will."

My face must've contorted into confusion as he introduced her with a generically male name. I'd never met a girl named Will. She groaned, rolling her eyes, "Willa, got a problem?"

I shook my head, Will wasn't a normal name for a girl but it did suit her, she looked like a Willa if that sounded right. I couldn't imagine her with a different name, "Nope, I think it's cute."

It must've been an instinct, hitting on girls. There was no secret that Willa was exceptionally pretty with her and I would've dated her if I had any further interest. But I wasn't into anyone else except Calum in that way and that thought made me want to reevaluate my life.

I was still into someone who treated me like shit.

Willa tried to fight the smile creeping up her face as she spat out a remark, "aren't you gay?"

"Gayer than a rainbow," Benji commented while taking a seat as if he owned the place, eyes casted on the third of their group. He seemed exhausted all of a sudden, "Bro, c'mon. Go get laid tonight, you'll forget all about what's her face-"

The guy's eyes traveled from Benji to Will to me -who stood there awkwardly- before averting back to the table. I had to stop myself from stepping back when I realized who he was and who he was talking about. Jade's ex shook his head, "I'm not up for it."

But Benji was persistent, "You're not up for sex? Huh, that's funny."

I heard a sigh of impatience and pent up frustration, "I really liked her, man."

For some reason, I felt the need to mitigate, "Hey, uh, Chris?"

He didn't even seem angry, just exhausted, "Caspar."

"Yeah, uh, sorry."

He shrugged, the same bland and bored expression on his face as he stared down at his hands. He looked tired from his disheveled hair to his bloodshot eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened with Jade, ya know?"

And that sparked a hope in him that I felt guilty for crushing, "Did she say anything?"

I shook my head.

"Figures..." his eyes flickered form mine to the table, him mumbling more to himself, "that's what I get for being fucking considerate?" He hadn't reacted as violently as I'd thought he would.

I was confused, "What?"

"Well, Jade or whatever wanted to go all the way with my man here but he acted like a chick and said he wanted to make it special for her. Who knew she was such a hoe?"

My teeth gritted and my jaw clenched, Caspar following my actions with his knuckles turning an ashen color as he balled his fists. He looked like he wanted to hop over the table, "That's my fucking sister."

Willa smacked her brother upside the head, after rolling her eyes, "You're a fucking idiot."

Willa looked sincere as she turned back to us, her brown eyes soft and un-glossed lips stretched into a small smile, "Sorry, he doesn't have a filter."

And for a little while, I sat there as the awkwardness of lunch surpassed and they fell into an easy routine. I was almost oblivious to reality when I heard a cough and then someone mutter, "queer," as they brushed past the table, friends around them laughing.

No one at the table had noticed and my smile faded as I bit my bottom lip and tried to join in on a conversation that Will was having with Caspar.

But regardless of the people at this table, I was still alone.

: : :

Benji had to stay after school with Will who was apparently on track and although he offered a ride if I stayed, I declined. I needed time alone. That must've been why I was driving to the mall again, it being the closest place to the school.

Jade had decided she didn't want to sit in a car with me and got a ride with one of her little friends, no doubt they were going to some secluded place to get drunk and do drugs and throw their lives away.

But I couldn't care less.

I hadn't realized that I'd been walking around the mall for hours or that I had gained some company by the time I got to the sporting goods store but with the flick of fingers and the shove of my shoulder, I'd realized who it was.

I heard a chuckle as I looked over at a group of three, Rilee, Brandon, and Landon standing next to me.

Landon was the first to speak as he threw an arm around my shoulder as if we'd been best friends for years, his other arm draped around Rilee. His smile was infectious and scarily full of life, "Hot guy?"

My eyes were wide as we made our way out of the store, "Shit. How long have you guys been here?"

"Whoa, chill Freckles, we just got here."

"My bad, ginger..." it slipped but when she fell into a comfortable response, I'd realized that she was okay with it.

The redhead tilted her head at me, curly hair tied up into a bun. She smacked her teeth, eyes narrowing, "s'that supposed to be offensive?"

Landon snorted at that, my eyes rolling as Brandon stared elsewhere, a small smile on his face.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Mall hopping... Looking for new video ideas, pranks, challenges- the usual." Rilee shrugged, reaching over into my bag of fries that I'd got as a sample from one of the fast food joints in the food court.

I nodded, not knowing what to say. I'd never actually talked to anyone who made YouTube videos... Well, not that I know of. And that was all I knew about them, that they had a channel of their own and they lived with this really hot guy who gave me free hugs.

It was all pretty bizarre if you think about it, Paul was barely an acquaintance, more of a stranger yet I'd been to his apartment and met his friends.

And his brother.

I felt the arm around my shoulder move up as the tall guy shrugged, Landon was smiling, his lighter brown hair ruffled a little by the stress he never seemed to go through and his muscle shirt and sport shorts contrasting his brother who stood in a nice fitting black t-shirt and jeans, "We could always-"

Brandon cut him off, his tone strict, "We are not skydiving."

"You don't let me have any fun, Brandon."

"Lanny..." He warned, eyes set in a glare, deteriorating his brother's argument and slowly pushing him into waving the white flag.

"Ugh, fine."

"So, what brings you to the mall this fine afternoon?" Rilee asked, spinning around in front of me in her bandeau and high waisted jeans. She stood her nicely shaped figure facing towards me as she walked backwards, guys that passed letting their eyes linger a little too long.

It was like, everywhere they went, they had eyes on them.

And that was when I realized how insanely good looking they all were.

Landon looked beside him to his brother who'd recently taken the spot of the redhead, "He's probs avoiding home again, right?"

And that was when Brandon jabbed his elbow into his twin's side as if telling him to shut it. His eyes flickered dangerously reminding me of Will and the way she glared at Benji.

Which reminded me of Jade and Caspar.

Calum...

My jaw clenched.

Brandon groaned, "Dammit, Landon, you made him mad."

Landon gasped, voice going up an octave as he stared incredulously at his twin brother, "I did not!"

"Shut up, both of you. Hey, Julian, why don't you come with me to Victoria Secret, I need a guys perspective... Ya know, a guy that'll give an honest opinion."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you pick up the skimpiest things. You're kidding yourself if you think I not gonna make a joke. Lan, you want a corndog?"

He didn't have a chance to listen to his brother's answer as Landon nodded rapidly, already making his way to the food court, his brother in tow. I heard Brandon yelling about getting lost in the mall again before their noise became just another noise in the loud center of the mall.

Rilee was giving me puppy dog eyes and jutted out her bottom lip as she looked up at me, my height surpassing her own, "Pretty please?"

Was she implying that I could shop because I was gay?

"Hey, I might be into guys but I'm not into shopping."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"How will it be-"

And then I was surrounded by pink, "alright, I have a hot date and I need to get laid." Rilee smiled, walking further into the floor, leaving me to follow after her. And then I heard an extra dramatic gasp as she stopped mid walk, me crashing into her back as she made it to a rack,

Spinning around to face me, the mischievous look on her face didn't fade as she dangled a pair of leopard print boxer shorts in front of me. She smirked, holding them up so I could read the suggestive words written on the back, "I'm sure Paul would love to see you in these babies..."

"Bottoms up? I'm sure these are for girls!" My eyes were wide as I snatched the pair from her, putting it back on the rack where it belonged, contaminated by the pink.

"Don't be so gender stereotypical, homo-boy..." She mocked, spinning on her heel and digging through the rack again but I could tell she hadn't meant it as an insult. Rilee was one of the most optimistic and non-judgmental people I'd ever met. She wasn't like the others.

And I couldn't help but smile.

She was treating me like a friend.

A/N:

This is loooooong.
No Jules, I apologize.

How ya been? FINDING CARTER IS BACK ON TONIGHT

Updated: Tuesday, Mar. 31st