Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Forty Two

"Okay, let's read about our championship game," Chad said with a nervous smile. He in all honesty was not looking forward to what was going to happen after the scroll ended.

Ben made his way down to the locker room with a small spring in his step.

"Someone seems happy," Lucas said.

Even if there was the hurdle of Audrey not grasping the fact that they were no longer together, Ben couldn't find it in him to care at that point.

"Ben, you probably should care," Macaria said. "If she doesn't grasp the fact that you're no longer together, she'll pester you about it and by extension she'll pester Mal."

Mal was interested in him. Interested enough to try to spell him.

Malinda chuckled. "I will admit I may have been in a bit of a denial stage regarding my feelings there when I gave Ben the cookie."

"I can't believe you're all just being so calm about this!" Audrey exclaimed.

"How'd you get out of my grip?" Audie asked.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "She's flat out saying she's stealing my boyfriend and yet you—."

"Audrey, you said yourself that you're supposed to be 'Queen'. Not that you're supposed to be Ben's wife," Akiho said, rolling his eyes. "All you care about is the crown.

Honestly the novelty of the whole thing was enough to make Ben grin. He couldn't believe he'd been stupid enough to think Mal and Jay were dating.

"One more time for those in the back. Jay. Is. My. Brother," Mal said.

"We get it Mali," Uma said with a smirk. "But why does it matter what Beastie Jr. thinks about your relationship status with Jay if you don't like him?"

"Well, well, well, what's this on our captain's face?" Akiho teased as Ben walked into the locker room.

"A smile. You've seen it before Akiho," Ben shook his head.

"More importantly, why aren't you teasing Ben for almost being late to the game?" Elle asked, looking at Akiho.

"Because Ben running late is almost common place, even if him being late to games isn't," Akiho told her. "However...Ben looking happy hasn't really been a thing for I'd say the past year. Makes sense why future me would note that."

"No, that smile only shows up when you've been around Mal," Emir said, backing up his best friend.

"I don't have a specific smile when I'm around Mal," Ben said, shaking his head.

"We may have only been here for who knows how long but trust us Ben, you've got a certain smile that comes whenever you talk to Mal," Emir said, nodding his head.

"And considering we heard Audrey shrieking up a storm as we made our way to the locker room..."

"But by the grace of the Gods and of Audie, we didn't hear it here and were able to keep our hearing!" Akiho said with a grin.

Ben shrugged as he started to take off his shirt to put on the undershirt that would go under his pads. "She didn't like the fact that I revoked my consent for the Betrothal contract."

"Didn't like would be an understatement," Ashaki said, shaking her head.

He paused as he got changed, looking at his two best friends who seemed frozen in surprise. "Guys? Hello? The game?"