Rage With Benefits

Extras #6: Something in Common

There's nothing like listening to songs about unrequited love when your crush who's infatuated with your best friend is sitting right next to you, with Boom Clap blasting through the car radio, leaving no room to hear the lyrics to Creep and Can I Be Him, let alone indulge into a supposedly angst-ridden car ride.

Emery sighed. Apparently, this is what his life has come to now.

"Does the heart even 'clap'?" questioned Blake from the driver's seat as the song ended. Receiving no answer from the three in return, he huffed, just as the car turned to the Norris's house's street.

They were on their way to Ian's after receiving an invitation from his mother to sleep over. It was abrupt and out-of-the-blue, considering Blake had just made the groupchat yesterday, though nobody seemed to mind. They all thought they could use a little unwinding before the competition, Emery more than most. Be that as it may, no one trumped Blake's excitement at the idea of another whole night out.

"Bryce and Ian aren't reading any of our messages," Blake muttered upon checking his phone. He caught Emery's eyes on the rearview mirror, giving him a look that said 'I'm-about-to-make-an-inside-joke-in which-the-knowledge-of-reference-is-limited-to our -shared-confidence'. "How I wonder what they're doing..."

"Hey, can you hold my pretzel?" Asher asked, ignoring the boy as usual, not peeling his eyes off his laptop's screen.

Blake turned to him, squinting. "Can I bite?"

"No."

"Hmm," he hummed in wonder. "Then no." 

Asher threw him a glare in response before deciding not to waste time and just use his mouth to hold his snack. Satisfied, he returned his focus on his paper, his fingertips finding their way back on the surface of the keyboard.

Blake looked at the boy briefly and rolled his eyes. "You look ridiculous," he said, snatching the pretzel off Asher's mouth and ended up holding it anyway, without of course missing to steal a bite off of it.

"Hey!" Asher fumed before cringing. "...and ew?"

Blake stuck his tongue out, thankfully right before Emery decided to interject. "Did you guys bring any alcohol?" he asked.

"I don't think that's polite to Ian's mom Em," Asher murmured without taking his glare off Blake, still vexed about his pretzel.

Flashing a sarcastic smirk, Em took his earphones off in exasperation. "Rubbing alcohol."

"Oh. Nope, sorry."

It wasn't that important so he decided to just wait until they reach Ian's house. Emery leaned back and closed his eyes, a second of quiet passing by before he felt something nudge on his shoulder.

When he opened them, Cameron's face appeared, reminding him just how ridiculously easy his heart is when he felt it hammering inside his chest. "I think I have one in my bag," the blond offered, snapping the redhead out of his thoughts.

"Oh," Em smiled. "Thanks."

There was an awkward pause before Cameron spoke again. "You're sitting on it."

"Oh!" Emery yelped, looking down when he felt his cheeks starting to blush before arching to retrieve Cameron's bag. "Here. Sorry."

Cameron's lips curved upward, silently telling him it's fine before he managed to get the small bottle of alcohol he keeps in his bag's pocket, handing it to Emery who offered him a slight smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Never mind how difficult, Emery's trying to forget about it: the confession, his first real heartbreak, the fact that his best friend's living the life he wants without even knowing it — basically everything that involves Cameron. And apparently, he thinks the best way to do that is to spend the night with his friends including the man himself. Call it reverse psychology or whatever.