So Cold • Hardzello

Chapter 11

Ben woke up Sunday morning feeling relieved. Just being there for Joe made him feel so much better. Being friends with him would be something he'd have to keep from his friends though, just for a while.

Ben knew they were bound to ask how Friday and Saturday went, especially how they were hanging out later. He would just tell them it went alright which wasn't a lie. He'd just leave major details out.

Ben ate breakfast with his parents; it was his father's only off day so it was silent. Ben's father was too hardworking and stubborn to take more than one day off.

Ben went back up to his room after breakfast and played his Xbox for a while. He was getting closer to defeating Alduin in Skyrim and sometimes he lost track playing.

He looked down at his phone realizing more time had passed by than he thought. He hurried in changed and told his parents goodbye.

"Ben!" Lucy exclaimed as she opened the front door. They came to her house to hang out most of the time. It was almost like That '70s Show because they'd hang out in the basement except the basement was an entertainment room.

They walked down the stairs and the others were playing foosball.

"Come on!" Rami yelled, giving it his all. Ben look at the score on the whiteboard that hung on the wall, Allen being the scorekeeper.

Gwilym was winning by 4 points.

"Yes!" Gwilym cheered, knocking the ball into the goal. Rami threw his head into his hands, defeated once more.

"And with that," Allen took the dry-erase marker drawing a mark, "Gwilym wins!" Gwilym threw his arms up and rubbed it in Rami's face.

"No! Not again! I declare a rematch!" Rami had played against him three times now, losing every time.

"Sorry. It was best out of three all though I won the second time and you stated it wasn't over yet." Gwil chuckled as he went to take his place in the armchair.

"Hey, Ben." Gwilym greeted the blond as Rami sulked over to the couch.

"Hey."

"So how'd the project go?" Gwilym asked abruptly.

Ah, there it is.

"It went fine, I wanted to rest on the weekend though." Ben sat in the other armchair since Rami took up the whole couch, laying face down.

"Hope he didn't threaten you or anything." Lucy replied, picking up Rami's legs to sit down then placing them across her lap.

"No he just antagonized me some but he cooperated like last time." Ben knew that deep down they had to still care for the auburn or they wouldn't ask so many questions.

"He say anything mean about us?" Lucy asked, everyone wanting to know as well.

"No, but he has before."

"Of course he has, that dick." Lucy scoffed and it made Ben slightly sad. Whatever Joe did wasn't right, but they should have understood he was going through a tough time.

"Well, at least it wasn't to our face." Allen said as he walked by and sat on Gwilym's lap who, in return, wrapped his arms around his waist.

Wait, what??

The two plus Lucy saw the look of confusion on Ben's face. Gwilym shook his head and smiled.

"Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you. Allen and I are together now, since Friday."

They-they were gay or at least bi???

"Oh wow, congrats to both of you!" Ben smiled at them. Maybe this was a good time for him to come out.