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As Joe made his way down to his home room he attempted to block out the yells and cheers of practically the whole of the senior year. Everyone was gearing up for the first game of the season which took place later that afternoon, Game days were always manic but todays game was apparently special since their football team had gained a new player, the new wide receiver. They were in need of a replacement since the boy who played in his position previously had been injured and quit the game all together. The new wide receiver, otherwise known around the school as Ben Hardy, was what you’d expect most cliche high school jocks to be, well that was at first glance but look a little deeper and you’d find a completely different person.Joe had reached his home room which luckily was quieter than the rest of the school, there he found his little group of friends- Rami, friends before they even learnt to walk, Lucy, Rami’s girlfriend of 2 years and all round lovely girl, and lastly Gwilym, although the guy was also a football player him and Joe got along pretty well. Both Lucy and Gwilym were friends with Ben, Lucy more so than Gwilym since she’d known Ben years prior to him even moving to America.“Hey guys” Joe huffed out as he took his usual seat beside Rami“Woah what’s got you in a twist?” Rami asked playfully to which Joe just rolled his eyes“Well apart from the slight hearing loss I’m doing great”“You’ll never celebrate game days will you?” Gwilym piped up from behind him, although the boys eyes were still focused on his phone screen.“I don’t see the need to celebrate prematurely”“You’re such a spoil sport” Lucy pouted. Minutes later a certain blonde boy made his way into the room, his bag hanging from his shoulder, but he also sported a small cut above his eyebrow which was also surrounded by a small cluster of purple bruises. At the sight of this Lucy jumped up from her position on Rami’s desk and stopped Ben before he managed to completely ignore them“What the hell happened?” She asked reached up to touch the damaged area, but Ben stopped her by lightly slapping her hand away“I’m fine Luce, just got into a fight with Frankie” Lucy sighed and patted Bens shoulder“Well tell that dog to back down once in a while” she smiled as did Ben who also chuckled quietly before giving Lucy a quick good morning hug and heading to his seat where he promptly whipped out his phone and fired off a few messages. One of which was sent to Gwilym who gave Ben the finger as soon as he read it, once their home room teacher Dr. May arrived everyone took their seats and shoved their phones in their pockets, ready for the day ahead. The rest of the day went smoothly for Joe, although the constant chatter about the game was driving him nuts, he was more of a baseball fan rather than a football one but unfortunately no baseball team had resided on the campus for years. As soon as school ended he was dragged off by Rami and Lucy to go to the local cafe so they could eat and relax for an hour until the game began. Somehow their conversation landed upon a particular boy once again.“He’s not that bad!” Lucy argued“Seriously Lu? The only time he’s ever really spoken to me was when he yelled at me for being in his way” Joe argued back.“You can’t just assume he’s a complete ass from one interaction, he’s actually really nice once you actually bother to get to know him”“I can’t help but feel you’re kind of obliged to say that since he’s your best friend”“Oh shush you- Rami, Ben’s not that bad is he?” The blonde turned her attention to her boyfriend who had been trying so hard to stay out of the conversation, Lucy looked expectantly at Rami who just shrugged apologetically, in response Lucy threw her arms up dramatically“Man you guys suck sometimes” she huffed as she slouched into the chair, grabbing her coffee and slurping It all whilst glaring at the other boys who shook their heads fondly as Lucy’s antics. Even though they got to the game half an hour early, the bleachers were already almost full but thankfully a few seats near the centre were vacant. Lucy quickly excused herself so she could go see Ben and wish her friend luck before the game, whereas Joe and Rami just sat and talked for he remaining time. Lucy returned before kick off and nagged Joe for some of the candy he kept stashed in his jacket, he eventually gave in and handed her the small bag of candy.Everyone cheered as soon as their team entered the field and although he’s usually opposed to the noise this time Joe welcomed it and he even joined in. By the time the game ended Joe’s throat was sore from cheering so much, but their team had won by a significant amount, mostly thanks to Ben- even though Joe was slightly annoyed to admit it. Despite being the saviour of the game, Ben had pretty much blanked everyone and made his way off the field, Joe noticed and frowned, the guy had practically won them the game and yet he sauntered off as if nothing mattered. Lucy hadn’t noticed because she was chatting to the girl next to her and Rami was already jogging down the bleachers to congratulate Gwilym and the rest of the team, so Joe- for some reason decided to investigate the mysterious case that was Ben Hardy. Luckily he didn’t have to look very far since he found the missing boy bent over the sink in the bathroom.“You know the celebration is out there right? It’s not down the sink” Joe saw Ben’s hand turn white due to him clenching his hands around the basin tightly“Piss off” Ben practically growled not lifting his gaze from the off white sink.“Jeez calm it down” Joe laughed lightly whilst approaching the other teen “just checking to see why you’d run from your own celebration” he placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder which wasn’t the best idea in hindsight. Firstly Ben flinched before whipping his arm around subsequently knocking Joe back a couple feet and onto the floor, as soon as Ben realised what he had done his anger vanished and he quickly attempted to help the other boy up, but said boy was staring at Be with wide eyes and got up himself. Joe swiftly turned towards the door and was about to take his leave but only after looking back at Ben“I don’t know why I even bothered to listen to Lucy, you’re not a nice guy, you’re just an asshole” Ben watched as Joe left the bathroom with sad eyes, he breathed in steadily but moments later he rammed his hand into the nearest stall door. — The next day at school Joe ignored Ben completely, normally he’d at least acknowledge the boy but after last nights events he was avoiding him like the plague. He knew Ben had been trying to approach him at various points throughout the day which was particularly troublesome during their music class with Mr. Taylor since the both of them were in a group together along with Gwilym and Rami, incredibly Ben had backed off and hadn’t bothered Joe throughout that class much to the latters relief, although by the end of the class Ben did try to speak to Joe but was stopped by Mr. Taylor who wanted to talk to him about something after class. Music was right before lunch so Joe headed straight to the cafeteria where he sat at his usual table with Gwil and Rami. Shortly after, Ben had entered the cafeteria and took a seat on the table near the back, a secluded spot, the last place Joe expected him to sit since his team were all sat together at the rowdiest of the tables- well all but Gwilym who was ranting about some homework he’d been set. Joe watched Ben for a few more seconds but was snapped away by Rami who slapped him on the arm as he explained the ‘crazy’ events that took place during his science lesson with Dr. May. Lucy made an appearance and looked around the cafeteria, she sent Rami and the other occupants of their table a small smile before making her way to where Ben was sat. Rami watched as his girlfriend took her seat across from Ben and began talking to him“I get that they’re friends and all but after what he did yesterday Joe, you’d think she’d maybe give him silent treatment or something”“Nah, you know those two, they’ve been mates for years. And I hate to break it to you Rami but its often bro’s before hoes” Gwilym said“Are you calling me a hoe?” Rami raised his eyebrow questioningly, Gwilym just shrugged playfully which earned him a hard kick to the shins from Rami.“Err- guys they’re coming over here. What do we do? What do I do? Do I run?” Joe began to ramble once he noticed the two teens making their way over“How about you shut up and act naturally” Gwilym said through gritted teeth “hey Lucy, Ben” Gwilym smiled kindly at the pair and he nudged Rami to do the same. Joe stayed silent and just looked at them expectantly, Lucy kicked Ben’s ankle as the boy seemed to be frozen“Oh-erm. Joe can I talk to you? Alone.” Joe watched Ben suspiciously and looked to Lucy for advice, she just nodded encouragingly so Joe gave in and sighed“Fine” Ben visibly relaxed when he got the answer and motioned towards the exit.They walked part way down the deserted corridor before stopping by a town of lockers“Look about yesterday.” Ben began gazing at Joe as if he were looking for permission to carry on, Joe nodded slowly “I’m sorry I hurt you, it certainly wasn’t my intension. Some shit happened before you found me and I was pissed and I took my anger out on you which wasn’t fair, and from what Luce tells me you were probably the least deserving of my shitting actions”“Did Lucy put you up to this?” Joe quickly asked as he registered what had just been said, Ben shook his head“No I wanted to apologise as soon as but you were making it pretty difficult and Luce was just calming me down ‘cause I was kinda loosing it” Joe nodded in understanding“Well consider your apology accepted. Besides maybe you’re not so bad, I mean there was probably some misjudgment on my side so how about we start fresh” Ben too nodded in agreement, Joe suddenly stuck his hand out “I’m Joe Mazzello, nice to meet you” Ben stared at the outstretched hand quizzically“You serious?” He asked incredulously“you wanna be friends or not?”“Oh- what the hell” Ben chuckled and grasped Joe’s hand in his “I’m Ben Hardy, nice to meet you too mate” The new-found friends quickly became good friends, they’d exchanged numbers the same day of the apology and although Joe was still a little wary of Ben, he gave the boy the benefit of the doubt. Lucy was ecstatic that they’d not only made up but had also agreed to be friends, they even agreed to meet up later that week to practice for their music project along with Gwilym and Rami. Joe and Ben texted each other regularly, and usually late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Everything was going well for them, the only thing bothering Joe now was the reoccurring bruises he saw littered over Bens body, even though Ben always brushed off the questions saying that he’d tripped or been overly rough in a practice game or that his dog and scratched him, Joe wasn’t completely convinced he was being told the truth.And unfortunately for Ben, his lies wouldn’t be able to protect him for much longer.
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Ben, Joe, Gwilym and Rami had been meeting up after school to practice for their music practical. They had to write and perform a song with instruments of their choice, Ben had opted for drums, Joe with bass, Gwilym with Guitar and Rami with the piano and lead vocals, both Gwilym and Ben also backed up Rami’s vocals but mainly focused on their instruments. Luckily for the group, Mr. Taylor or Roger as he preferred to be called considering he was the least formal teacher to ever exist, he let them stay late after school to practice because he himself stayed late. Roger often helped Ben with his drumming since he too could play the instrument.They’d managed to finish writing the song and were now in a frenzy to practice it because they were due to perform at the end of the week, their song was called ‘One Vision’ and they’d all had a great time both writing and practicing it. It was already Thursday and all the boys were feeling unrehearsed despite Lucy and Aaron’s reassurance, Ben had pretty much gotten his part down but every time he was asked he would always say it wasn’t good enough and that it needed to be perfect Rami was like Ben in this sense too since he didn’t feel all that happy with his vocals. They only had an hour left to practice that night and thud be able to have a further half hour during lunch much to their relief. Roger came in once the time was up and gave some encouraging words to the group as they left, he caught Bens arm before the blonde left“Look, you’ll do good Hardy. Just believe”“Thanks sir”“Jesus quit the formalities please, I’m only twenty seven for fucks sake not seventy” He joked“Right sorry” Ben smiled and bid his teacher farewell. “Where have you been?”“I already told you dad, after school practice for my music practical” Ben sighed placing his coat on the hanger and kicking off his boots“You should be resting for football not messing around with those people” His father spoke of his friends as if just the mention of their names would cause him physical pain“They’re my friends dad, they’re counting on me” Ben’s father scoffed as he took off his glasses and placed them down on the kitchen table, things became eerily silent and Ben was unsure as to wether he should move and leave the room or stay put, he chose the option he thought was safest- staying put.“If you’re going to have friends at least be friends with decent people”“What- what do you mean?” Ben asked carefully, not sure what his father even knew about his new friends“Well let’s see. That Rami fellow could be- well he’s foreign”“He’s first gen American actually- anyway why should that matter?” Ben questioned rather harshly but his father continued without acknowledgment of his sons protest“Then there’s that Lucy- you know i was so sure you two would be together and is saddens me you never did so. Gwilym seems like a fine lad I suppose but there’s the other one-“ His father began to motion his hands in circles trying to remember the name“His names Joe”“Right- yes, well you’ve heard the talk amongst your peers right?” He raised his eyebrow suggestively but Ben just shook his head slowly “well he’s-“ he paused, it was like he was trying to find a way to say what he wanted to without feeling disgusted with himself “he’s- he’s gay” Bens eyes widened slightly as the new information processed in his mind although he wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest since he himself was bisexual- not that his dad or anyone else except Lucy knew.“So?” Ben challenged“So?” His father repeated incredulously, “he’s not right in the head! i don’t like you hanging around with him son, he could turn you or god knows what else”“Joe is a great guy dad- why should him being gay stop us from being friends? He’s just a guy who happens to like guys, nothing ground breaking there” Ben heard his voice rising“Watch you damn tone. You will stop your silly little rendezvous with him and the others or I will make you stop” he said scarily low and calmly, Ben swallowed but stood his ground“I’m not gonna quit on my friends dad” once those words left his mouth his father stood and made his way to Ben faster than he could comprehend and before he knew it he was being shoved against the wall with his fathers fists grasped in his shirt, he felt all the air leave his lungs and felt disorientated as his father yelled at him and continued to pull him from the wall only to slam him back into it. His mind finally caught up to the current situation but only as he was being thrown to the ground, whacking his head on the kitchen counter as he went down, Ben watched as his father muttered under his breath before shuffling out of the kitchen and to the living room where he’d most likely fall asleep.Ben couldn’t move and he didn’t want to anyway, his head was aching- worse than when he’d experienced his first hangover. Ben carefully touched the side of his head where he’d hit it and when he pulled his hand back in front of his eyes he saw the drops of blood trail down his fingers.“Shit” he muttered before letting his eyes close as he welcomed the peaceful darkness. He woke up to the sound of the front door slamming shut and quickly relaxed when he realised his father had left. Ben slowly but surely pushed himself up having to balance himself on the same counter he’d smashed his head on hours prior, his free hand quickly pressed into the wound on his head hoping to relieve the pain, unfortunately his attempts were futile as the aching remained. The clock read 11:27 am, he’d already missed most of morning lessons but knew he had to make it in for the final period at least, he couldn’t let his friends down so he gritted his teeth and got up to shower and change but only after he downed a glass of water with the pain meds.Getting to school was more difficult than he would’ve liked, his father had taken his car keys so the bus was his only option but the next bus didn’t arrive till 12:50, although Lunch ended at 1:30 so he’d have enough time. hopefully. Meanwhile, Lucy and the others were starting to worry. Ben should’ve been in the music room by 12:30, it was now 1:00.“Anything?” Joe asked Lucy again as they were taking a break from practicing“No. He would’ve called or texted me by now- I mean I’ve sent him like fifty messages and he still won’t reply” Lucy was nearing hysteria at this point, she’d just assumed Ben had slept in and would be in by third period, when they both had history, but much to her dismay nobody had seen him all morning and that only made her worry more, she knew his father was aggressive but she hated to think of how bad it could be.“It’ll be fine Lu, besides if worst comes to worst we can ask Roger for an extension” Rami pulled his girlfriend into a short hug and kissed her temple, she leaned into the touch all while refreshing her messages every minute. The group practiced for the remainder of the lunch break and they were all silently hoping Ben would burst through the door at any minute, even when they were sat in their music lesson and the minutes were counting down until their assessment. Roger had been nice and agreed to let them perform last but now even he was concerned for the group after all the practical was worth a big part of their grade. Just as Joe and the others began to take their positions, Ben came rushing in almost knocking the door off its hinges, his friends visibly breathed a sigh of relief, Ben gave them all an apologetic smile and made his way to his seat behind the drum kit, he rubbed the side of his head to try and sooth the aches and momentarily succeeded. Just one damn song. He could do this. He couldn’t do it. The added noise from not only his drums but also Gwils guitar made his head pound harder, he managed about half the song before he began to lose his timing and unfortunately if he lost his timing Joe and Gwilym would be off track and in turn that would throw Rami off too so it wasn’t a great situation, but Ben had to hand it to the guys because even after his timing got screwed they still played on. Ben eventually stopped completely, he wasn’t able to concentrate and the pain had become sharp and intense so much so that only moments after his dropped his drum sticks he too fell to the floor. Joe turned just as Ben started to fall and quickly stopped played which confused both Gwil and Rami but they understood once they turned around to see Ben laying beside his drums unconscious, Roger practically threw his papers to the ground when he saw the teen go down and he rushed to Bens aid. He yelled for someone to tell the nurse to be prepared for them. Joe was already cradling Ben’s head in his lap when he felt a warm liquid drip down his hand, he lifted it to see the same red substance the unconscious boy had seen hours ago,“Guys- he’s- oh shit” Joe gasped out“C’mon and help me get him to the nurse” Rogers rough voice cut through their concerned murmurs, Gwilym gently picked Ben up bridal style and hastily made his way to the nurse with Joe, Rami and Roger behind him. The nurse was bustling around the room as they entered but he motioned to the vacant bed so they could place Ben down and he could help him. Roger ushered the boys out of the room while Freddie had a look at the damage,“Fred’ll help him out alright? Just calm yourselves down, can one of you grab that Lucy girl, she’s his mate right?” Roger looked at the three of them who were sat on the chairs outside the nurses office“I’ll get her” Gwilym said softly, he was the least erratic of the three so he’d be the best bet. Roger returned after telling the remainder of his class to just pack up and head off early, Lucy arrived minutes later with her bag half open clearly already in a bit of a state. Roger had gone into the office to see how everything was leaving the group of kids outside, Joe’s hands were shaking, the blood had dried by now but Joe made no effort to rid his hands from the red colouring“What the hell happened?” Lucy almost yelled“We don’t exactly know- I mean he came in right before we were due to perform and it started of okay but then he lost his timing and fell” Rami explained as slowly as possible“And- and he was bleeding from his head” Joe added shakily not even making eye contact“Oh my god-“ Lucy breathed out taking a seat by Rami “How is he Fred?”“Its not as bad as it could’ve been Rog I’ll give you that” Freddie said as he finished cleaning the blood from Bens head, Roger hovered behind his friend chewing his nail- a force of habit which Freddie noticed since he slapped Rogers hand away to stop the guy from chewing his nail off.“He should wake up soon but he’s got a nasty gash on his head, although a hospital won’t be necessary- rest will be. He’s clearly hit his head prior to minuted ago because I don’t suspect a fall to a smooth surface would’ve caused this” Freddie hummed whilst he continued to inspect and dress the wound. He was both the school nurse and councillor, he’d studied psychology and learnt a lot about first aid and how to treat most injuries usually caused within schools, he’d been lucky to have been employed alongside Roger, his best friend since uni. They’d been reckless- Roger more so than Freddie, but that had only brought them closer, they also made friends with Brian May the physics teacher and John Deacon the English teacher. the four of them were often seen hanging around together and when you saw one you were bound to see at least one of the others and the other faculty members knew by now that if items mysteriously went missing it was likely Rogers fault- not that they minded so much anymore, he was young and fun and just what the school needed.“How’d you think he did it?”“Im not sure darling, but Bens often coming in with bruises and cuts so I’m wondering wether or not they’re just consequences of clumsy actions or if there’s something else going on”“I wish the kid would open up a bit more, he’s rather closed off I gotta say”“With most dear, but with you he seems pretty fine talking”“Yeah that’s just because I take the time to care and listen” Roger glanced down at the boy laying in the bed “besides I’m also hip and cool so there’s that” Freddie snorted shortly which made Roger whack the mans arm fondly before announcing that he’d inform the others about Ben. “— so he should be up soon” Roger finished explaining the situation, everyone seemed to calm a little but they still sat on edge hoping that Ben would be alright. “Look I do have to ask but do any of you know wether or not he’s getting into fights or if something else is going on? Because more often than not he strolls into school with some form of injury on him” They all shrugged their shoulders but Roger noticed Lucy’s hesitation and uncertainty and made a mental note to pull her aside at some point to get to the bottom of this. Freddie soon poked his head out from behind the door and informed them that Ben was awake and talking, Lucy was the first to rush in and pull him into a hug which Ben gladly accepted“Don’t you even scare us like that again!” her cries were muffled by Bens jacket, the boy just hugged her tighter“I wont- I’m sorry” he whispered back and pulled away from Lucy “I’m sorry guys, I fucked the practical up for you”“Don’t worry about that man just worry about feeling better okay?” Gwilym spoke kindly“He’s right, and besides I’m willing to grade you on the first half of your piece since I can say it was incredible” Roger cut in“Thanks so much” Ben replied sincerely, he looked towards Joe who’d been silent the whole time everyone else was chatting away. Freddie sensed that the pair needed some time so his got everyone out and left the two boys to talk.“Are you okay?” Ben asked, Joe frowned slightly“Am I okay? Are you? You just collapsed!” Joe exclaimed “you were bleeding and I was fucking scared”“I’m sorry- I”“Stop apologising, just tell me how you hurt yourself” Joe asked more softly this time“I- I slipped on my kitchen floor last night and hit my head on the counter. I woke up late but I knew I couldn’t let you guys down so I came in as soon as I could” Ben explained, Joe just watched him with a pained expression“You should’ve stayed home to rest and just texted us, we could’ve postponed the practical or something”“Well you know me Mazzello, I don’t tend to think things through properly most of the time, and at the time you guys were more important in my mind” you were more important he added silently. Joe just sighed and sat at the foot of the bed“Im glad you’re okay, just don’t pull shit like that again”“I won’t”“Promise?”“I promise Joe”“Good”
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Ben had been suspended from playing football for a week at least so his head had time to heal up, and said boy had noticed that not only Roger but also the rest of the little gang were now being very watchful of him. It worried him slightly, what if they knew? But they couldn’t- how could they? He’d kept it on the down low and never uttered a bad word against his father to anyone except- except Lucy. She wouldn’t betray his trust and he knew that, but all the what if’s continued to buzz around in his head throughout the whole of the week. Joe had been almost glued to Bens side since the incident, he’d constantly be asking Ben wether or not he felt okay and Ben would have to say it was unbelievably sweet and it subsequently brought them closer together, close enough that Joe may have felt a strongly about his friend in a certain way, alas that’s all they were- friends.Lucy had also been keeping a watchful eye over Ben albeit more subtly than the others but Ben knew because he knows Lucy, she’ll always have his back and she knows when he doesn’t want to be crowded this was one thing he really loved about the girl- she was like a sister to him, a less irritating one though.Ben was incredibly thankful that Roger had marked them on the performance before he messed it up and to his slight amazement they got an A, with only a couple marks off the A+ grade. He’d said that they’d written an interesting piece but one that kept him entertained since all the instruments were used at a good standard, he told them that they had a knack for song writing and a natural talent for performing and those compliments coming from him- a guy who’d professionally played with touring bands in his late teens and early twenties- made the group feel proud of what they’d done.During his week away from football Ben realised just how much free time he had to relax and do what he wanted, it’d always been a burning question that laid way in the back of his mind, ‘quit football?’ or ‘football or music?’, he loved both but he didn’t see himself going very far with football after all he was pretty certain that he’d peaked in his football career in high school but music? He lived for the feeling it gave him, just the sound of the instruments coming together and the sound of the sticks hitting the drums made him feel on top of the world. He knew his father would never agree. His father was from a military background, one where music would always take the backseat to any ‘manly’ activity, and no matter how hard he tried to convince his father the man would never be pleased if Ben chose to pursue music, and Ben didn’t want to disappoint him. Ever since his parents’ rather messy divorce which made his father move to an entirely new country and made Ben choose where he wanted to live- a choice which no child ever really wants to make since its not like you can hop in the car and drive to the other parent. Ben remembered the look on his mothers face, the look of devastation and upset, and then the look on his fathers which was one of triumph and satisfaction that he’d effectively won in earning his son’s affections. The last day Ben spent with his mother was spent in the small town he’d first lived in, they’d visited cafes and shops both wanting the day to carry on for a few more hours, it was a bittersweet goodbye for Ben, one the one hand he’d be starting a new life away from the upset that was caused in his old town he could be something more, but in return or all that he’d be abandoning his mother, the woman who’d raised him. He hated to think about it and dwell in the past but whenever he and his father got into an altercation he couldn’t help but think of what life would’ve been like if he stayed back home in England. Although thinking about it now, Ben realised he wouldn’t have seen Lucy face to face nearly as much and he wouldn’t have met Rami or Gwil, or Joe. That was where his mind kept running back to, Joe god damn Mazzello. The guy was nuts, nobody could deny that not even the man himself, but he was so many other things. He was kind, compassionate, supportive and—Bens thoughts were cut off by the loud slam of a lunch tray to the wooden table, the sudden noise made him flinch and snap out of his daze.“I swear deacon has it out for me!” Rami groaned loudly and sat opposite a confused Ben,“I don’t see what your problem is, I got an A” Joe said hanging his paper marked with a red A in a circle sitting proudly in the top right corner, Rami shoved the paper from his view and put his chin on top of his palm“What did you get for the last English paper?” Rami asked Ben“I got a B minus” Rami looked to Joe with an ‘I told you so’ face“That means nothing Rami”“Wait- okay why are you mad at Deacon?” Ben stopped the other boys from squabbling like two preschoolers, Rami sighed and turned his full attention to the blonde“So I did a really good piece on the book right, I mentioned some really good shit but then I get the test back and bam- a damn C minus”“That’s not the worst grade you could’ve gotten” Ben suggested“But my answer was so good!”“You forgot to mention the scene where one of the kids dies, plus you didn’t explain your points enough” Joe pointed out“Yeah- well- yeah that’s probably it” Rami deflated slightly but started to pick at his food, Joe looked at Ben- who was trying to hold back laughter- and couldn’t help but smile too.Ben checked the time after sitting with Joe and Rami for a while and saw that he had been asked to meet with Freddie in a few minutes“Yo, I gotta run but I’ll see you guys after school?” Joe looked confused at the sudden need to depart but nodded none the less, Ben hopped up from the bench and dashed out of the cafeteria hoping to get to the councillors office which unfortunately was at the other end of the school. In the end, despite his fast pace he was still late.“Hey sorry I’m late Mr Mercury” Ben apologised after he entered the colourful office, that’s what he liked about Mercury, he was always a joy to be around and always managed to make someones day better.“Not a problem dear!” He replied happily whilst taking his feet off of his desk“Cool boots” Ben commented on the flashy high tops Freddie was sporting that day“Why thank you, and please for the love of god call me Freddie, I like Roger hate formality- please save it for boring professionals like Deaky and May” Ben chuckled shortly but still nodded and took a seat. Ben sat waiting for Freddie to say something- possibly something about why he was there, but it seemed like Freddie was waiting for Ben to start so when he realised this he fumbled around slightly before composing himself once again“Right well, I have some things I would like to discuss with you” Freddie began“Okay” Ben replied slowly“After the incident last Friday, when I was cleaning and dressing your wound I couldn’t help but notice several other bruises” Ben shifted nervously in his chair “and myself and Rog we’ve noticed you often come into school with cuts and bruises, we’re worried” Freddie said softly as he took in Bens posture and expression, it was clear he was now onto something that Ben didn’t want him too be, and so he kept pushing “look if something is going on and you’re being hurt as a consequence then that’s not okay and if you tell me I can help. Trust me when I say this, I know what its like to be afraid to tell the truth because if you do you think everything will get worse, but when I told someone I didn’t feel so alone. You can deny not being alone but even when you surround yourself with people you love you can still feel like an outsider, like you’re alone.” Freddie placed his interlocked hands onto the desk and looked Ben directly in the eye“If something is going on, if someone is hurting you, please tell me, I can’t sit here and watch you suffer, and I also wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let you leave and you end up getting hurt again and again while I sit here and do nothing” Ben tore his gaze away from Freddie’s and tried to stop the tears welling up in his eyes.“I-“ Ben cleared his throat “I’ve been hiding it for so long- that- that its just exhausting” he continued to stare at his lap as Freddie listened intently “I don’t wanna- I just-““Its okay take your time”“I thought he’d stop. I thought he was just mad and that it would be a one time thing but- but it wasn’t”“What wasn’t?” Freddie pushed“The shoving and- and the hitting and everything else” Ben stuttered, he attempted to steady his shaking hands “there are days when I just wanna fall asleep and never wake up again because I’m so scared of what might happen the next time I open my eyes” his tears fell freely now “I just want it to stop I want him to stop I-““Who? Ben who do you want to stop?” Freddie asked urgently, he was so close to getting an official answer“I- I can’t” Ben started to breathe heavily, the realisation of what he’d said hit him like a ton of bricks, so he did the one thing he was getting good at, avoiding the situation, running.“Ben wait-“ Freddie called out but it was too late as the teen was already out the office and making his way out the front entrance. Freddie waited for the quiet noise that signalled the closing of the door “shit!” He yelled kicking the edge of his desk making several papers glide all over the place “god fucking damn it” he muttered slumping into his chair. He was so close, so damn close. Ben got to his car and sent a quick text to the group chat saying he couldn’t meet up after school which in return got him several messages asking If he was okay and what happened, so he just switched his phone off and drove home only just being able to avoid crashing since his vision continued to be blurred long after he returned home. Luckily for him, his father wasn’t back until two days time so he could just collapse onto the couch, the stairs seemed too much of an effort at the time. Ben was unsure how long he cried for but he knew that if his father were to see him right now he’d most definitely yell at him and tell him to ‘man up’.Meanwhile, Joe had also excused himself from the after school hang, he was worried. So he went to the one guy who was qualified to give advice, he went to Freddie. When he knocked he heard no answer so he pushed the door open cautiously but stopped short when he saw the mess in the office.“Are- are you okay?” He quietly asked, Freddie’s head whipped up so fast it could’ve caused whiplash. Joe noticed the red tinge in his eyes but pushed that aside and went to help pick up the papers that lay strewn around the desk, once they were all placed back onto the desk in a semi neat pile Joe built up the courage to break the tense silence “sir, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have intruded” Freddie waved his hand dismissively“Its quite alright, I’m supposed to help you youngsters not be a sad sack” He sat up in his chair and saw the concern and worry in Joe’s face “what’s wrong?”“I’m worried about Ben” Joe got right to the point“Me too” Freddie sighed, Joe frowned“What? Has he spoken to you? Is he okay?”“I’m technically not allowed to talk about students to other students without permission, but all I can ask of you is to look out for him, and just be there for him”“Of course” Joe murmured “Thank you” and with that he drifted quietly out of the office and through the near empty halls, his brief talk with Freddie had only deepened his concern for Ben.
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Ben strategically and successfully managed to avoid all of his friends the following week, well nearly all of them. Lucy being the persistent person she was still somehow getting through to him- not that he minded. She’d often wait for him after classes no matter where he is, wether that be the class next to her or the one on the other side of the school, she’d be there waiting to walk with him, Lucy also favoured sitting with Ben during lunch his the others hadn’t minded since they knew that Ben needed someone even if it wasn’t themselves. Lucy had slowly but surely been picking away at Ben to try and get him to hang out with the others again but he carried on saying that he wasn’t ready or that he just couldn’t.“I just wish he’d talk to us” Joe pouted sadly“He just needs a little time… I think” Lucy answered unsurely, Joe paused“Well to hell with time! We don’t have as much as we’d like and every minute we spend away from Ben is a minute of potential fun wasted” he stated proudly, Lucy smiled softly at Joe’s persistence and nodded“If he won’t listen to me then maybe he’ll listen to you. He likes you Joe” Joe returned the nod and grabbed his belongings and began the search for his blonde friend.“I don’t know what to do Rog, its my fucking job to help them and I can’t even do that” Freddie sighed, nursing his piping hot mug of coffee. Roger finished making his own drink and sat opposite his friend,“I’m in the same boat as you mate, he’s a good kid and I don’t want to see him drown in his own worries”“So what are you gonna do?” John called out from where he stood next to Brian who was also frowning in concern“No fucking clue” Roger grumbled “It’s not fair, why should such a good kid be so- I don’t know- troubled”“You really care about him don’t you?” Brian said as more of a statement than a question“I care about all my students” Roger replied“Yeah but, I don’t know what it is, you just seem to connect with the kid” Brian continued“Maybe its because you see a bit of yourself in him Rog” Freddie added“Yeah maybe” Roger muttered as he continued to sip his coffee, his mind busy, trying to find possible solutions on how to help Ben.“Finally found you” Joe stated simply once he eventually found Ben in the music room sat behind the drum kit“I guess you did”“Everyone misses you” especially me. Ben just nodded in acknowledgment his gaze sticking to the drumsticks that sat loosely in his hands. Joe took a moment to try and form a sentence that wouldn’t cause Ben to either yell or leave, “I just want you to know that if there’s anything you wanna talk about- then you can tell me in total confidence, and I won’t tell another soul” Joe risked a glance at Ben who was now looking right back at him with tired eyes“Seriously?” Ben asked quietly“Yeah” Joe breathed out“Okay” Ben stood from his stool and made his way over to the seat that were lined up along the edge of the room, a silent invitation made Joe join him too. “Lucy knows about what going on, all of it that is, look I- I don’t know if I can tell you everything just yet, it was hard enough telling Luce and even then it’s mostly because she figured it out herself for the most part- so it’s nothing against you I just find this whole opening up thing tricky sometimes” Ben explained looking to his left at Joe who sat patiently“It’s fine” Joe practically whispered“Right- well, my parents went through a pretty traumatic divorce I guess you could say, I had to choose wether I stayed in England with my mum or left for America with my dad. I chose my dad but only because I thought I’d have more opportunities here- which is true, but my dad likes to control a large aspect of my life, that being my future. He’s set on me either going into professional football or joining the army, but I don’t want to do either if I’m honest, I just wanna play music but my dad doesn’t agree with my idea he says it’s a waste of my time and that it’ll go nowhere” Ben trailed off sadly, Joe quickly placed a reassuring hand on his friends shoulder“Hey you are an incredible musician and if your dad can’t see that then that’s his loss”“Thanks, but I doubt my dad will even listen to a word I say unless I’m agreeing with him” Joe sensed a sudden shift in the mood, no longer was it calm “whenever I don’t agree with him or if I go against him, he gets.. angry. Like really angry” Joe’s grip on Ben’s shoulder tightened the dread of wether or not his mind was travelling in the right direction “sometimes he gets- I-“ Ben struggled wringing his hands together, Joe composed himself before asking“Does- does your father, um, does he hurt you?” He asked as sensitively as he could, when Ben didn’t reply Joe thought he was about to up and leave but he didn’t, he just nodded slowly- almost unsurely. “Ben” Joe breathed out“You can’t tell anyone okay?” Ben rushed out hastily his eyes slightly wild as he turned to Joe, said boy just pulled Ben into a tight embrace. Ben took a moment before placing his arms around the smaller boy, his hands gripping onto Joe’s jacket.“I won’t tell anyone, not unless you want me to okay?” Joe whispered, he felt Ben nod his head in confirmation and continued to hold the trembling boy for what felt like hours.“Thank you” Ben muttered once he pulled away from Joe “I don’t know what I did to deserve you” He spoke sincerely,“Yeah well right back at ya” Joe replied playfully, Ben laughed the tears of sadness morphing into ones of appreciation and joy. He slung his arm over Joe’s shoulders and they began to make their way out of the music room and towards the benches outside, as soon as they left the music room they almost bumped right into Roger who was carrying a ridiculous amount of paper work“Hey boys, how you doing?” He asked cheerily despite the hefty weight of the papers weighing his arms down“Probably better than you sir” Joe chuckled at the struggling teacher before taking pity and offering to help carry some papers and Roger gladly accepted the offer, Ben too helped split the load “where they going? No offence but you don’t usually bother with this much work” Joe asked as Roger placed a small stack down on his desk“Ah well that’s because those papers” he gestured to the ones both Ben and Joe were holding “are actually Freddie’s, but he’s a lazy son of a bitch and made me pick up his shit” Roger spoke carelessly not caring about the amount of profanities coming from his mouth, Roger was more of a child than adult and the guy didn’t even care. “Right boys lets deliver these to Mr Mercury”Arriving at Freddie’s office made Ben shift uncomfortably, the memory of what transpired within that room came back full force and he hesitated before crossing the threshold of the office which appeared rather more messy than before “got your papers Fred” Roger said as he took the stack from Joe and dumped it on his friends desk, Freddie spun around in his chair and was slightly taken aback by the fact that there were three people instead of the one he had expected“You have helpers I see darling” Freddie rose an eyebrow“Wha- hey don’t judge me, I’m not the one who made Brian run back to his apartment just so he could get you your stupid sunglasses despite you already having a pair” Roger retorted“They weren’t the right pair! Unlike you I take pride in my fashion”“Oh is that so-“ Joe and Ben looked amusingly at the pair and smiled at one another enjoying the antics“You’re impossible Blondie”“Bite me”“I might take you up on that offer”“Okay woah- children are present!” Joe cut through the adults conversation,“Right yes- well you two best be off if you want any free time before final period” Freddie suggested“Sure, see you later”“Bye” Ben said happier than before, it was refreshing to have another person to confide in, Joe felt good knowing that he could somehow help lighten the load for Ben for it was the least he could do.Ben and Joe spent the remainder of their lunch break talking about useless things whilst sitting outside in the unusually warm heat, both boys enjoyed the company that one another gave each other. They had something special and they knew it, it was only a matter of time before they acted on their feelings. -Within the following weeks Ben got into a routine of meeting up with Lucy in the morning, traveling with her to school, then before school he would hang out with Lucy, Gwil, Rami and Joe, and after school he either went to practice music with the boys, train for football, or spend some time with Joe- which was probably his favoured activity. Roger had also become someone he would often speak to after class, the older man was easy to talk to about anything, he’d once asked Roger why he cared so much and he’d replied with what Freddie had said weeks prior“I guess you just remind me of me” Ben went on to ask how, “I didn’t exactly have a smooth upbringing either, got into a shit ton of trouble with Freddie, plus I was also pressured to be someone I wasn’t” that was all that was said, neither of them ever elaborated on their Homelife but it didn’t mean either of them weren’t curious, just polite.Something else that was approaching fast was the schools annual dance and football game, Ben knew who wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure if he’d be rejected.It was Monday, two days before the dance (which occurred on the Wednesday, the game however was a weekend event) when Ben finally decided to grow a pair and ask- it only took many reassuring conversations with Lucy and Gwilym before he even attempted to ask, lets just say rejection wasn't something Ben dealt greatly with. That Monday afternoon he pulled Joe aside before they parted ways to go home“Hey I gotta ask you something” Ben spoke nervously, Joe had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was about, what he hoped it was about. Ben began to fumble with his words but eventually decided to bite the bullet and get it over with “will you go to the dance with me?” Joe thought he was prepared but actually being asked was a whole new experience and so he just stood there like a deer in headlights whilst Ben was seriously regretting even opening his mouth, once Joe’s brain caught up to the present he answered the nervous boy“Y-yes absolutely yes” Ben breathed out in relief “if it goes well, does that mean we could- I don’t know possibly- you know be” Joe moved his hands in circles trying to suggest the idea of the two of them being together“Be together, like a couple?” Ben asked cautiously hoping that he didn’t get the wrong idea“Yeah”“I don’t know about you but I’d really like that”“So would I” Joe smiled sweetly back at his new dance date “so~” he dragged out “we gonna go tux shopping? We gonna match?” Joe teased,“I have an idea about what I’m wearing so we just gotta get you sorted Joseph” Ben chuckled “meet up tomorrow after school to go shopping?” Joe nodded and the two bid their goodbyes and went off home, neither could wipe the smiles of their faces.
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True to their word, Joe and Ben headed out of their study period early in order to maximise their tuxedo shopping time. Ben had his eye on the white tux with the black accents that was completed with a bowtie whereas Joe was in favour of a more traditional one
“You just have to be that little bit extra don’t you Ben” Joe teased when he saw Ben’s choice
“Shut it you” The pair of them searched the shop and made sure they’d found the perfect tux before finally deciding on them, and with a swipe of a credit card they were set. Ben checked the time and grimaced slightly unbeknownst to Joe. Ben was supposed to be home half an hour ago so he could fix up some dinner for his father but time seemed to just slip through his hands like grains of sand, although in the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care.
After they’d finished stuffing their faces with incredibly unhealthy food, the boys reluctantly said goodbye. As soon as Ben’s driveway came into view he couldn’t help but become a little anxious of what could lie ahead, so with great apprehension he opened the front door as quietly as he could and once he successfully closed the door with equal stealth he paused to try and get a sense as to where his father was. After a minute of listening for any sudden creaks of the floorboards or squeaks of the stairs Ben was satisfied that his father was either asleep or passed out drunk on the couch, which was worse- he didn’t know. Ben took advantage of his fathers lack of consciousness by actually relaxing instead of yelling or getting the shit kicked out of him, relaxing was such a simple and small thing many people did without worry but for Ben just sitting and ignoring the world around him for a while wasn’t always an option.
When he was younger just after he’d moved to America when his father was becoming more violent, Lucy had asked him if it were possible would he have wanted a different dad
“He’s just mad about the divorce- besides he’s my dad, he’s family and we do anything for family right?” Back then Ben had no idea how much damage his father would cause both mentally and physically, and yet he still covered up for his fathers aggressive actions without a second thought. He’d come to learn it wasn’t normal a short while after it had started, he noticed that even when other kids got into trouble their parents would scold them and that would be it, but for him? It was worse, he remembers when he once dropped his glass on the floor which made It shatter into pieces, his father had been furious and made Ben clean it up not even letting his son put something on his feet, Ben remembers the blood that dripped from his shins, the blood that was scattered on the souls of his feet, he remembers not caring so much about the pain of the glass pushing further into his skin but about the cruel things his father had yelled at him- things no child should hear from their parents. Ben had learnt to always tread carefully around his father or else he’d regret it.
Ben knew that not leaving his father something to eat the next morning would probably cause the guy to flip out so he prepared some food and placed it into the fridge, leaving a note on the counter about it. Ben checked in the living room and saw his father passed out on the couch with an empty bottle dangling from his fingertips, he carefully took the bottle from him and placed it on the table sighing before retreating to his room praying that he’d wake up long before his father.
The next morning Ben took the same care leaving as he did getting in the night prior, He met up with Lucy and the best friends made their way to school. Ben couldn’t help but feel more excited than usual, he was fairly sure it was down to the fact that he and Joe were now sort of a couple, he wasn’t too sure as of yet but just this once he let himself get his hopes up. Ben had told Lucy, of course he had, she’d been just as happy for Ben as he was for himself- maybe even more so. He wasn’t sure wether or not Rami and Gwil were aware of the new revelation so he kept his mouth shut for the time being knowing that Joe would tell them if he was comfortable. Speaking of Joe, the boy was stood by the school doors scanning the parking lot in search of certain someone and once that certain someone had been spotted Joe practically ran to him.
“Hey you” Joe said shyly,
“Hey you too” Ben replied attempting to suppress his smile, Lucy looked at them knowingly and left them be. Once she had disappeared into the school Joe grabbed Ben by the wrist and led him to the benches where they’d sat a couple days earlier,
“So… I was wondering” Joe hesitated looking at Ben who’s eyes were full of a childlike hope, “I was wondering wether or not we were.. you know..”
“Boyfriends?” Ben finished for him
“Yeah, I know you literally asked me to the dance like a day ago and its totally fine if you just wanna call me your dance date or whatever-“ Joe abruptly stopped his rambling when he felt Ben squeeze his hand
“I’d really like to call you my boyfriend, if thats cool with you?”
“If it cool with me? Of course it is!” Joe replied rather enthusiastically, Ben chuckled at his childish nature and smiled softly
“So boyfriends?”
“Boyfriends” Joe confirmed as Ben held his hand, his boyfriends hand.
Ben proudly kept a hold on Joe’s hand all the way to their home room, Rami began to greet them and when his eyes travelled down to see the interlocked hands he grinned almost proudly?
“Told you” Lucy nudged her boyfriends shoulder with her knee from her place upon the desk, the new couple glanced at one another before taking their seats waiting for Dr May to arrive.
News travelled fast around their school and so it was no surprise to know that almost everyone knew about the new romance between Ben and Joe, even most of the teachers knew, it wasn’t like they hid their relationship but it was still odd that so many people knew about it. That was one worry Ben had, the fact that so many people knew scared him because any one of them could out him to his dad and subsequently fuck his life up even more. For the time being Ben pushed these worries aside and just enjoyed his time with Joe. The only other news circulating around school was about the dance, mostly about who was going to spike the punch and who had asked who, Joe had never felt happier when he could answer the question of ‘who are you going to the dance with?’ By saying ‘my boyfriend’ it was new and it was exciting.
After school Ben and Joe had agreed to meet each other later when the dance began, Ben was going to help Lucy get ready and Joe was heading off with Rami, the four all bid their goodbyes and prepared for the night ahead. Ben always used to find these dances rather pointless because back in England the only dances you’d get where the end of year Proms, but now he couldn’t help but be thrilled at the idea of them since he now had someone special to enjoy them with.
Lucy has dragged Ben to the hairdressers so she could get her hair done up all nice, he’d spent the whole time chatting about useless nonsense with her, he had missed these mundane activities and so he was glad life had gifted him these moments to treasure. Once back home Lucy changed into her dress and Ben into his tuxedo, but before they even thought of leaving Lucy pretty much forced Ben to do her nails because he was surprisingly good at it. Lucy thought it was probably due to the fact that she often made him play dress up with her when they were kids, Ben had incredible precision when it came to it and it still irritated Lucy that he could paint nails better than she could.
“There you go Luce, all done” Ben screwed the cap onto the pearl coloured nail polish bottle and lifted Lucy’s hand so he could admire his work “not too bad” he mused, Lucy tugged her hand away and she too admired her well painted nails suddenly she gasped “what?” Ben asked dumbly
“I’m gonna paint your nails too!” She exclaimed
“What? No! No no no” Ben attempted to refuse but Lucy had already plucked the nail polish from his hands, Ben sighed in defeat and thrust his hands out in front of him, Lucy took them eagerly and wasted no time in layering the pearl polish on her friends nails. Ben just sat there patiently and let his mind wander.
Once Lucy had finished Ben had to admit it kind of looked good, they checked the time and saw they had around twenty minutes until the dance would get into full swing- fashionably late, as Joe had put it. Lucy sent a quick message to Rami asking where to meet and they’d agreed on meeting at his house where both Joe and Gwil were. Ben and Lucy grabbed the all they needed for the rest of the night and went on their way to Rami’s house. Ben became jittery as soon as he stepped on the doorstep and even once the door was opened by Rami who had decided to try and put some eyeliner on unfortunately for him makeup was not his forte so Lucy took a moment to giggle at her boyfriend before taking a hold of his wrist and pulling him into the living room whilst saying how she’d show him how to do it properly, Ben followed the pair and stopped abruptly when he saw Joe all dressed up in his suit.
“Woah” he breathed out, Joe spun around and broke out into a smile as soon as he saw his awestruck date
“Woah yourself Hardy” He commented as he looked over Bens pristine white and black suit
“You weren’t kidding when you said he was gonna be wearing something different” Gwilym piped up from the couch, he too admired the suit, Ben glared playfully at his friend but quickly returned his attention to Joe
“You look so good”
“And you sir aren’t so bad yourself” Joe took Bens hand and scrunched his brow in confusion “nail polish?” He suppressed a laugh
“Lucy” Ben deadpanned turning to the girl in question who just shrugged her shoulders
“It looks great Ben, and Rami you’re all done!” Lucy clapped excitedly and led Rami to the mirror, the latter grinned once he saw his reflection, he wore the eyeliner as if it were a part of him.
The five teens arrived at school at around eight thirty, Ben took Joes hand and they walked in through the front doors, the music getting louder and louder, they passed a few other classmates making out in not so secluded spaces.
“I wonder if someone already spiked the punch” Joe mumbled
“You know back in England kids would’ve just brought plain old alcohol no need for secretive spiking”
“Man that sounds wild, you ever get drunk?”
“Once got absolutely shit faced on my seventeenth birthday” Joe hummed
“Yeah I saw the videos”
“Oh boy” Ben chuckled sheepishly, they eventually reached the doors leading to the gym and noticed Roger sat slouched against the wall his shirt already wrinkled and scruffy “you all right” Ben asked amused at his state, Roger blinked slowly and tried to focus his eyes on who was stood in front of him
“Sorry ain’t got my glasses- how you two doing anyway? Newest couple of the school” Rogers speech began to slur ever so slightly and Joe noticed the half empty cup of punch that was beside the man. The doors to the gym burst open revealing a disheveled looking Freddie who sighed in relief when he saw Roger on the floor
“There you are dear! Been looking everywhere for you- you tricky bastard” Freddie helped Roger up and the blonde was practically hanging off of Freddie “oh hello boys! Go on in and have fun, I’m gonna take this mess somewhere quiet”
“I’m not a mess you pretentious prick” Roger continued to mumble various curses directed at Freddie as he was taken down the hall
“How did he even get a job as a teacher?” Joe wondered aloud
“Beats me, he’s more of a child than an adult. Suppose that’s what make him such a good teacher”
“Well it’s either that or he got Freddie to give him a glowing review”
“Yeah sounds about right” Ben then held his arm out “shall we?” Joe nodded and looped his own arm with Bens and the pair strode into the gym ready for the night ahead.
After dancing till they almost passed out, Ben and Joe went to mingle with their other classmates. Whilst Joe was joking around with Rami and Lucy, Ben spotted Paul sat alone on the bench situated around the edges of the gym.
“You alright Paul?” He asked as he sat beside the dark haired boy, Paul looked up to Ben and attempted a smile
“Jus’ waitin’ for John to turn up is all” Paul’s thick accent stayed despite all his years in America,
“Has he not turned up at all?”
“Nah said he’d meet us here, but he ain’t here” Paul spoke dejectedly, Ben continued to talk with Paul about various subjects- mostly music though. Paul along with John and two of their other mates were also in a group in Bens music class, and they were a good one at that. Their music style was more old school but they made it work.
“Hey I think your boys here” Ben nudged his friend who snapped his gaze up to meet that of his boyfriends
“Sorry I’m late Macca- so sorry- I should’ve called or somethin’ I’m sorry”
“Hey it’s all good, you're here now. That’s all that matters” Paul smiled and took Johns hand and led him to the dance floor just as a slower song made its entrance. Ben took his newfound loneliness and shoved it in the trash in favour of dragging his own boyfriend to the dance floor. He eventually found Joe leant against the wall observing the couples who’d already begun to dance
“May I have this dance” Ben offered his hand once again and Joe gladly accepted it, following Ben to the floor.
They both swayed in time to the smooth rhythm of the song, both savouring the comfortable silence they shared in that moment. Joe rested his head in Bens shoulder and smiled to himself, a sense of disbelief coursed through him, how did he get so lucky?
“Thank you Joe” Ben whispered during the second slow song, neither boy had dared move away from one another in fear of ruining the moment
“What for?”
“For everything” he answered simply, Joe bit his lip and tried to suppress a smile. He pulled back from Bens shoulder gently and the two of them locked eyes,
“Is it okay if I kiss you?” Joe breathed out, Ben nodded and leaned in. Their lips connected and the world around them just melted away, the only thing that mattered to the boys was each other, their kiss was something new, the best kind of new you could get. They pulled apart and Joe quickly took his place on Bens shoulder once again as he attempted to hide his reddened cheeks, Ben was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he looked around the dance floor. He caught Paul and John looking at him, Paul raised an eyebrow whereas John made some obscene gesture until Paul slapped away his boyfriends hands and dragged him away, Ben also spotted Lucy who was peering over Rami’s shoulder, she gave her friend a small thumbs up as she moved in time with the music and her date.
The night drifted by and time went with it. Soon enough the kids were ushered out of the gym and told to go home. Lucy offered to take Ben back to her place and he gladly accepted, they both parted from their respective boyfriends and made their way home after one of the best nights of the year.
It was the calm before the storm.
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i was thinking of writing a prequel fic that tells the story of Roger & Freddie's childhood and how they met/grew up etc.just wanted to see if anyone would read that or be interested in it. it would be written after this fic is completed since this current fic is my main focus, anyway comment what you think, thanks x (new chapter for this hopefully up today or tomorrow)
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The following weeks seemed to fly by for both Ben and Joe, after the dance they’d stayed close to one another and were in what Gwilym called ‘the honeymoon stage’. Bens father was still on his back about dropping music and focusing on football as well as pressuring him to ditch his friends, however badly Ben wanted to fight back and defend his friends he bit his tongue and got on with it- there was no point trying to change his fathers mind since it would only end up worse for Ben.
He had occasionally rocked up to school with a bruise on him but as always he didn’t fuss over it and carried on, well he didn’t fuss but Joe certainly did. Ben had told him to stop and to his defence Joe did stop fussing Verbally, but Ben saw the way Joe would glance at him every so often with a slight fear and guilt in his eyes, not fear of him but fear for him. Ben was glad to know that he had Joe in his corner.
It’d been almost three weeks since the dance and on that Friday they had a football game against one of their toughest rivals. Ben had been going to the practices but he still couldn’t help the nerves that crept up on him every so often. The only bonus to upcoming games was that his father cut down the drinking in order to be sober for the game, a small win in Ben’s eyes, when his father was drunk he was always more careless and vicious two things no father should be.
“You excited for the game Hardy?” Gwilym clapped the blonde on his back making him almost choke on his water “oops sorry” Gwil continued sheepishly taking his seat opposite Ben “where is everyone?”
“Joe is talking with Deacon, Rami and Luce are probably making out somewhere and you are right here” Ben replied as he threw a chip from his plate at Gwil who chucked it right back. The two friends talked for what felt like hours until Joe snuck up behind Ben and scared the normally composed guy,
“Please stop doing that” Ben pouted
“You know I wont” Joe smiled and pecked Ben on the lips before sitting beside him
“Man do I need someone to date” Gwil groaned
“Awh does our happiness irk you”
“Yes Joseph, yes it does”
“You’ll find love someday my friend, I mean if I can then you can too” Ben patted Gwils head which now lay upon his folded arms, the trio joked around for the remainder of lunch remaining unbothered by Rami and Lucy’s absence.
“Hope you boys are ready to win this!” Their coach yelled leading the team of rowdy boys to cheer. That was one thing Ben did enjoy about football, the team- the comradery. He pulled his number 11 jersey on and grabbed his helmet before waiting in anticipation for them to be released onto the field, he briefly acknowledged John sit beside him but he paid no mind to the boy since he was focused on doing whatever he could to win this game and hopefully make his father proud in some way, shape or form.
“Wakey wakey Benny boy time to move!” John shook Ben our of his daze,
“Sorry- lets go win this” Ben grinned.
Once the team step foot on the field the crowd went wild, Ben scanned the crowd quickly and spotted his father near the centre then cast his eyes towards Joe who was sat with Rami and Lucy on the first row of bleachers, he was so wrapped up in the crowd that he almost ran right into Gwils back. The team took their positions and awaited the whistle. Soon enough the sharp, shrill sound cut through the cool evening air and the opposing teams came crashing together and the roaring of the crowd was the only sound to resonate across the field. Ben went into autopilot, one foot in front of the other, breathe in and out, catch the ball, pass the ball. He felt incredibly aware of his fathers eyes watching his every move but he tried to forget and focus.
The whistle blew at half time and Ben couldn’t be more relieved, they were losing but only by a small way, they needed to up their game and fast. Ben waved at Joe when he was running past, Joe was grinning widely as he too waved back. The team met by the side of the pitch where their coach stood analysing the game plays, nothing was getting past the opposing team but Ben had an idea. He proposed they create a new play, one that would not only confuse their opposition but allow them to beat the opposition, it was risky but they had no other choice. Several of the team members patted Ben on the back in Thanks as they made their way onto the field once again but this time with a new plan in mind.
It could’ve gone more smoothly but it still worked. They’d won- not by much, but they’d won. Ben rushed off of the field and practically crashed into Joe who’d made his way down the bleachers to congratulate his boyfriend.
“You did so good!” Joe exclaimed once he pulled back from their hug
“Thanks, also thanks for coming- I know you had something else going on and-“
“Hey hey Ben, I’ll always come to your games to support you, besides where else will I get a such a fantastic view of you from all angles”
“Shut up” Ben dipped his head shyly, Joe took his hands and lifted the now flustered face to look at him, he smiled softly before bringing Ben in for a kiss. They only broke apart when they heard John and Paul whistling at them both wore matching cheeky expressions.
However, Ben and Joes interaction was cut short when Ben was roughly pulled away from Joe, a grip like iron was wrapped around his left bicep. Ben was startled and he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him once he saw who was had a hold on him. His father.
He was glaring at Joe who looked just as shocked as Ben did, his grip on the blondes arm didn’t lessen at all not even when he began to get practically dragged off of the field and into the school building. Ben could feel his heart pounding, Joe who was still stood by the fields side was at a loss of what to do, he eventually decided to try and find Roger and luckily for him the teacher had seen Ben get pulled away and so he was already making his way down the bleachers.
Ben couldn’t slow his breathing as he was taken to his fathers car, the realisation of what his father had just seen hit him like a ton of bricks. This could not be happening- it couldn’t be.
“Get in” his fathers deep voice echoed in his ears, he felt the hand leave his arm and he got into the car as swiftly as possible. Just as the Hardy’s we’re pulling out of the car park Ben spotted Joe running out with Roger in tow, he took one last look and closed his eyes trying to prepare himself for what was to come.
“Shit- damn it!” Joe tugged at his hair with frustration as he watched Ben get driven away by the one man that would cause him so much pain.
“C’mon kid we can’t do anything by just standing here okay?” Roger placed a reassuring hand on Joes back, both had no idea what they could do that would make the situation worse, Roger led Joe back to the bleachers where Lucy and Rami were waiting
“There you are! Where’s Ben?” Lucy let out a breathe of relief but her happy expression soon faltered when she saw Joes worried one
“Bens dad he saw- he saw us kissing and- and he pulled Ben away and I have no idea what the hell is gonna happen and I’m kinda freaking out” Joe rambled to a concerned Lucy and a confused Rami
“Oh god- right I’ll head round to his house as soon as, I’ll call you Joe” Lucy began to grab her bag which sat on the ground by her feet
“Wait- I want to come” Joe stuttered out
“Think about it Joe, if you come up to his house and his dad sees you then it’ll make it worse” Lucy placed a hand upon Joes shoulder “it’s nothing against you-“
“No- no I get it, just go” Joe have a weak smile as Lucy rushed off to her own car leaving them stood on the field which got colder by the minute
“What just happened?” Rami looked expectantly at Joe who’s face was apologetic as he replied
“I can’t tell you Rami, it’s not my story to tell” Rami nodded in understanding and suggested they sit in the cafe until Lucy called them.
Speaking of Lucy, she’d just started down the street where Bens house was and she could feel her nerves building. She had no idea what she could walk in on and the idea of the unknown terrified her. She parked her car rather badly half on and half off the curb and fumbled with the car door before finally slamming it shut, her legs carried her to the front door faster than she could even comprehend and before she knocked she pressed her ear to the door, listening for anything. Lucy jumped back from the door when she heard a crash from behind it,
“Screw knocking” she muttered opening the door with less force than she thought she’d need. Lucy looked up and locked eyes with Ben who was on the ground, an arm up blocking the next hit, which had also stopped midway due to Lucy’s unexpected arrival, said girls eyes darted around and she saw the blood dotted around the kitchen floor where shards of a broken bottle were scattered about.
Something seemed to click in the older Hardy as he brought the remainder of his beer bottle down into his sons arm before kicking him in the ribs, he began to make his way over to Lucy who stood still obviously shocked by how violent he actually was- she knew he was bad but she never imagined it would be like this. Mr. Hardy was stopped from reaching the young blonde girl by a hand grasping onto his ankle, it was a desperate attempt to stop his rampage but this only made him angrier, he pushed his foot back landing it into Bens nose causing the boy to let go but by this time Lucy had gained some awareness of the situation as she grabbed the nearest object which happened to be a green vase. She swung the vase at Bens fathers head and luckily for them it was a hard enough swing that the older man fell to the floor with a somewhat satisfying thud. Lucy was breathing heavily, she dropped the remaining vase to the floor and ran to Ben ignoring the crunching of the glass beneath her shoes
“Oh my god- Ben I’m so sorry” she whispered
“It’s fine the vase was ugly anyway” he tried a joke and Lucy smiled briefly but focused on helping him up, they made their way out of the dark house being careful to dodge the unconscious man that was now blocking most of the hallway. They drove off the street and parked around the corner, Lucy quickly began to assess her friends injuries- bloodied nose, bruising on the ribs, several cuts from glass, gash on his forehead. She handed Ben a tissue which he quickly pressed to his nose, neither said anything as Lucy cleaned the wounds to her best ability, she knew Ben would be against going to the hospital so they’d have to make do.
“I promised Joe I’d call him once I’d checked on you, wanna head to mine and tell him to meet us there?”
“No”
“Are you sure, he’s really worried-“
“No Lucy” Ben faced her, his eyes glassy.
“Okay” she nodded, placing her keys in the ignition “my house?” Ben shook his head yes mutely.
-
Ben stayed at Lucy’s and ignored all calls from everyone, the only reason his friends knew he was alive was because Lucy had told them to try not to worry but that only made them worry more. Ben had seen the messages Joe sent him but he couldn’t bring himself to reply, he couldn’t drag him into his mess, he couldn’t hurt him. Lucy had tried to get Ben to contact his boyfriend but the blonde adamantly refused.
Monday rolled around and Ben went back to his usual trick of avoiding his problems, he spoke with Gwil and Rami but as son as he saw Joe approach he got up and left without another word. No matter what the situation he would either leave or if that wasn’t an option he’d just ignore the poor guy, Ben knew it was cruel but it was the only way in his mind. Alas Joe was a persistent one and wouldn’t stop trying to talk to Ben, he’d eventually found him on Wednesday sat at a bench behind the school building.
“Please don’t up and leave” Joe startled Ben
“I can’t Joe-“
“No! Okay no. Stop avoiding me alright, I’ve had enough of your bullshit. I’m here to help you if you’d stop being a stubborn dick then maybe you’d see that!” Ben froze like a deer in the headlights, Joe was mere meters away from his and he was angry. Ben was never the best with confrontation especially with people he cared for
“Joe I can’t be seen with you anymore- okay hear me out” Ben paused making sure Joe wouldn’t interrupt “my dad said that- that if he saw or even heard about me being near you then he’d- he would”
“Hurt you?”
“No. He said he’d hurt you”
“Screw your dad! He shouldn’t control who you hang out with or date! Please Ben, okay come on- I” Ben had begun to retreat back to the building so Joe took a hold on his jacket making the blonde turn to face him “I’m not losing you. I’m not.” Ben screwed his eyes shut not wanting to look Joe in the eyes, he was all too aware of the pain he was causing “don’t let your dad control you, if you let him then that gives him power over you. You are more than just your dads little project alright? So much more” Joe placed his hands on either side of Bens face, the latter hesitantly opened his eyes “you are kind, considerate, kind of an ass sometimes, but you are the best person I know and I hate seeing you beat yourself up about this because you deserve better than that”
“So do you” Ben whispered “you deserve someone who doesn’t avoid you when shit gets tough”
“Seriously? You should know by now that I’m in it for the long game Benjamin”
“The long game?” Joe nodded and kissed Ben, it was short but sweet, reminding Ben that he had something his father didn’t, love, overbearing at times but overall a mesmerisingly feeling.
“The long game” Joe confirmed, taking Bens hand in his.
they would be okay.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ok ok, so I’ve severely neglected this fic for months so I thought I’d let y’all know I’ve been dealing with exams and revision lately so it kind of took a back seat.post June 14th I will continue finishing up chapters for you all and I can say that this fic is actually almost done, I have about 2 or 3 more chapters planned including an epilogue. Most of my works are on hold rn but I did recently post some Marvel stuff if anyone was interested :) I’ll update soon! Thanks for all the support on this fic though x