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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 7:06:01 GMT -5
Benny sat in the car his father had given him for his birthday. A brand new Toyota Camry with all the bells and whistles. But right now, bells and whistles were the last things he cared about. He was currently pushing the buttons for the radio angrily, trying to find some station to listen to, while at the same he couldn't stop himself from loooking out the window every few seconds to see if Tommy was coming.
He's not gonna come, Benny told himself. You've really done it this time. Slamming his fist into the power button, he turned the radio off completely. When he was in a mood like this, music only upset him even more. The silence was welcome.
Benny knew that Tommy would have to change, and was probably still talking to Angel, but he was so anxious and upset and... pissed at himself that time seemed to have stopped. It had been about 10 minutes. He was going to give Tommy 10 more before he went back into the school looking for him.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 10:35:43 GMT -5
Tommy slowly walked to the parking lot. This was not what he wanted. He didn't want to confront Benny after all of the good things that just happned in the gym. But he knew that Angel was right. He had to give Benny a chance to make up for his shitty mistake. Maybe then things would be back to normal. At least until he told one of his other friends.
He spotted Benny's Camry and headed towards it. It must have been nice, for a parent to just hand you a car. Tommy's parents still made him walk, not that he minded. It gave him an oppertunity to enjoy one of his favorite dirty habits. Tommy went into his pocket and pulled out a joint. He lit it up without even looking around to see if an adult was there. Right now, getting busted for weed was the least of his worries.
He knocked on the car door and leaded on the hood of Benny's car. "You wanted to talk? Talk."
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 10:41:22 GMT -5
Benny jumped, startled, when Tommy knocked on his door - he had been lost in thought about what he would say to Tommy if he came. Now that Tommy was standing there, he found his planned conversation flew right out the window. Swallowing thickly, Benny opened the car door and went to stand beside Tommy at the front of the car.
"Thanks for coming," he began, "I didn't think you would. Not after how I acted." He paused for a moment, wiping his now-sweaty palms on his jeans, trying to remember all the wonderful things he had been planning to say.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 10:46:16 GMT -5
"Yeah, well...I really don't wanna be here," Tommy admitted with no problem saying such a thing. "But...I know I gotta give you another chance." He took a long drag from his joint and shook his head. "So grovel...or whatever...I just hope you don't expect an apology from me. Cause I had the guts to tell you...to tell you that I was gay. Which...is no where near easy when you know that the world, the government, and soceity is just ready to beat the shit out of you. So this is a one man show."
He balled up his fist and then released it. This was Benny. Sure he could be stupid sometimes...but it was Benny. He passed him the joint and waited for him to take it.
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 11:04:13 GMT -5
Benny took in everything Tommy had to say. His anger flared, but he tried to supress it. He wasn't used to hearing Tommy speak to him like this, and if had been anyone else, he wouldn't have taken it. But it wasn't anyone else. And it was his fault that Tommy was so angry in the first place.
Slightly taken aback when Tommy offered him the joint, he hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking it from him. Taking a long drag, he handed it back to his friend. "Thanks," he said. He stayed quiet for a moment, letting the drug relax him before beginning to speak again. "Tommy, you know you're my best friend. You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I've been thinking about this, and I feel like crap that you trusted me enough to tell me before anyone else and I let you down. I want you to know that it's not gonna happen again." He paused again. The weed always did have a tendency to make the words tumble out...
"Tommy, I don't want you to apologize to me. Why would I want that? You didn't do anything wrong!" He waited for a reaction and when he got none, he continued. "You being... gay... it doesn't make any difference to me. I was just... surprised. I just... I mean... I want... Man, what can I do to make you believe me?" He sighed, frustrated, and ran his hands through his short hair to try to calm himself.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 12:09:04 GMT -5
"Welcome," Tommy mumbled taking the joint back to smoke himself. He listened to Benny's words carefully, not saying a thing. Only listening and not allowing himself to react until Benny's very last word.
Tommy frowned and shook his head. "No...no I think what you said was enough for me to believe you. Angel was right...if you were following me around then you...you gotta be sincere. I know you are. It's all right Benny. I just...you just gotta tell me, once and for all that you won't freak out about this. One day...hopefully, I'll be out completlely. I need to know that you have my back."
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 12:15:39 GMT -5
Benny let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, relieved at Tommy's words. "I swear to you," he said, with complete conviction, "You have my complete support. And you know I got your back. I won't let anyone mess with you." His eyes narrowed as he thought about what he would do to anyone who tried to bother Tommy.
Benny let a huge grin spread across his face, thrilled that he and his friend could now get back to normal. He was so happy, he did something completely uncharacteristic of himself - he reached over and grabbed Tommy into a big bear hug."
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 12:25:16 GMT -5
"Thanks, man. I don't think...I'll need 24 hour protection or anything...just in case," Tommy replied. In fact, he had no idea what it was going to be like when he was 100 percent out of the closet. Their school was progressive in some ways. They had a GSA that just happened to be run by Tommy's favorite teacher. That was good. But then again, one little club wasn't enough to battle all of Scarsdale's uppidty society.
When Benny pulled Tommy into a hug he let out a laugh. "That's it. No more weed for you, Benny boy." He patted his back and hugged him. Despite his teasing, Tommy didn't mind.
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 12:29:03 GMT -5
"Well, if you do ever need 24-hour protection, I'm your man. And I charge reasonable rates, too!" He said, laughing. Pulling back from Tommy, he tried to put a shocked look on his face. "Cut off? You can't!" But Benny couldn't keep up the joke and burst into laughter again.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 12:45:25 GMT -5
Tommy laughed and pushed him gently. "I would think that my shining friendship would be enough of a payment for you. But fine...I'll give you a penny a week. That's my final offer. You won't get a better deal around. I'm tellin you. You won't," He said putting on his best "infomercial voice." It was nice. To fool around again, not worry about what would be said or done. Just acting goofy.
"Yes I will cut you off it you go hugging me. I'm a homosexual not a teddy bear," Tommy teased. "Really though...I'll be fine. I know half of the stupid jocks from elementary school and all so...it shouldn't be a big deal. At least I hope not. And you can hug me all you want. And borrow my weed too. Though you one day will be a big boy and buy your own."
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 12:53:17 GMT -5
Benny pretended to ponder Tommy's offer of a penny a week, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "A penny it is, then," he said, holding out his hand so they could shake on it. "Maybe after I've worked fo you for a while, then I'll be able to buy my own weed. Only take about a hundred years..." He laughed, happy to have their relationship back to normal.
Grabbing the joint from Tommy, Benny inhaled deeply once again. "You know, Tommy, you really scared me there," he began softly, "I really thought that you weren't ever gonna talk to me again." He stopped here and looked at Tommy meaningfully, before reaching out and smacking him on the side of his head. "So don't do it again! Okay?" He said, smiling.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 13:05:53 GMT -5
Tommy smirked and shook his head. "You know...if you do a good job, maybe after a few years your salary could go up. Maybe a nickle. You can keep crossing you fingers and see what happens. In the mean time, you better save up for the weed. I don't think that price is going down any time soon." He chuckled to himself.
"I didn't know if I would talk to you either," Tommy admitted. "I'm not gonna lie...I was hurt. But then someone convinced me that you were my friend. I was glad I listened. And got over it...." He took the joint back from Benny and took another drag.
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 13:52:45 GMT -5
Benny's eyes widened in mock astonishment. "A nickel!" he exclaimed, "Wow! For a nickel I'd do all kinds of things for you!" He smirked. "Until then, though, I'm just gonna have to keep bumming joints from you."
"I'm glad you listened, too." He said quietly. "So, you and Angel? You like him?" Benny felt weird asking his best friend if he liked another guy, but he figured if he was going to get used to it, he might as well just jump in and do it.
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Post by Tommy Collins on Feb 1, 2007 17:52:17 GMT -5
Tommy patted him on Benny's back in a fatherly manor. "Now only if you're a good little guardian. So you better behave yourself," He said shaking his finger at Benny. "And yes you can bum joints from me...but only if you do a little dance first. Simple payment."
Him and Angel. "I umm...I don't....well...I don't even know if he's interested you know? I don't have an internal meter. Which I think is unfair considering, but hey. I like him as a person a lot. So...I don't know. If he does though...which he kinda gave me no signs of yay or nay...but if he does," He allowed himself to smile. "Then yeah. I do like him. Man, that's werid to say outloud. Feels nice though. Why? Do you know if he is?"
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Post by tmac on Feb 1, 2007 18:01:04 GMT -5
"I have to behave myself and dance? I don't know if that's worth it. I might just let the guys pound ya." He mused, winking at Tommy to let him know he was joking.
"You do! You so do!" He shouted as Tommy mused over Angel. Then came the question. Of course, he remembered Mimi saying something about it, but should he tell Tommy? Of course you should, dummy, look at him! He's head over heels! "I think Mimi told me once that Angel was gay, but I might just be making that up. You want me to ask her?" He thought for a moment. "Hey! If he is, we could double-date!" The thought struck Benny as extremely funny, and he ended up doubled-over laughing. Ah, the things a couple puffs could do to him...
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