The Barefoot Violinist

Unsure

"Em... Bennett? There's something that I've been wanting to say to you for a while now." he started while still looking down at his hands.

"Hmm?"

"I... you... I..." he broke off again.

"Why don't you just say it? I can handle whatever you throw at me. I've always had." Bennett retorted, without thinking.

Cory winced at his words. "Bennett, you have to believe me! I'm really, truly very sorry for everything that I did to you in the past. There's no way to explain why I did it, but I was hurting and I needed someone else to hurt as badly as I do." his eyes were shimmering in the dim light, as if filled with unshed tears. Bennett stared at him in shock at his admission.

What was going on here? Cory's behaviour had been strange for a while now. Always popping up around him to make idle conversation, or staring at him while they were studying.

"I.. I was an ass for so long that after a while it didn't matter what I did or what everybody thought, I just wanted the hurt and emptiness to go away." he continued miserably. "But then we were thrown together on this project and the more I got to know about you, the more I wanted to know."

"I... I can't explain it myself, but somewhere along the way I started feeling something. It hurt every time I would look into your sad eyes, knowing that I was the cause of your suffering. When I first saw you playing the violin, I was looking at a different person. You looked so happy that I wanted you to have that look on your face when you saw me." he looked at Bennett miserably.

"O-okay?" was all Bennett could get out.

"Look, I know that I'm hoping for a lot here, but do you think we could maybe hang out some more together? Outside of school and studying, I mean." he looked hopeful, but it was tinged with something else. Could it be fear?

Bennett looked at him confused, his eyes wide with surprise. Did the football star of the school, his ex-bully really just ask to hang out with me? What the hell?!!! His mind was racing.

"Bennett, would you please say something?" he pleaded after a few minutes of silence, desperately searching his face for some answer.

"What did you want me to say Cory?" he asked puzzled, seeing the panicked look in his eyes. "What do you say to that? You bully me, now you want to hang out? What is the end game here?"

"The end game is to have you as a friend, that's all. Give me a chance to prove that I'm someone you can depend on to always be there. I want to become a better person for you. Please, I know that you can never forgive the pain that I've put you through, but please allow me to make it up to you." he begged like a madman who was about to lose his last hope.

"You shouldn't become a better person for me." Bennett quietly said with a sigh. Looking at Cory's bowed head, his dark locks falling over his forehead, which he impatiently brushed away. "You should become a better person for yourself."

"Anything, I'll do anything, please?" he begged again, hoping against hope that Bennett would agree.

Smiling sadly, Bennett looked into his dark eyes and handsome face. "O-okay, I'll hang out with you..." A look of relief and hope swept over Cory's features and he visibly relaxed. "But..."

"But?" he asked holding his breath.

"I don't know if I can forgive you that easily." his arms unconsciously snaking protectively around his stomach. The movement caused a look of pain to cross Cory's face.

"I'll take it!" he grinned at Bennett. "I'll prove to you how much this means to me, promise. All I ask is one chance to make this right. I don't think I can...." he drifted off but never completed his thought.

Looking down at his hands, Bennett asked, "What now?"

"Do you want to get out of here and go somewhere else?" hope was back in his voice again.

"It's your party, shouldn't you stay here to make sure that everything goes okay?"

Cory grinned at him like a stupid cat that had lapped up all the cream. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Bennett, pulling him into in a tight hug, his face buried in Bennett's neck. Shocked, all he could do was sit there as Cory was holding on to him for dear life, a soft sigh escaping from Cory's mouth, blowing the warm air down his neck.

Finally, not knowing what to do, he gently pushed Cory away from him, he looked up and said: "One chance, that's all you get."

"That's all I need!" he exclaimed, grabbing Bennett's arm and dragging him out of the house.

"What's the rush?" he asked when Cory showed no signs of slowing down.

"I need to make up for lost time!" he said with that stupid grin still plastered all over his face, pulling Bennett toward the back of the house.