Once A Liar

Chapter Four: Gossip

BEN's POV

"You should have known she and Thomas have history!" Billie teased me. She sat against the windowsill next to Laurel, who ran her fingers along the sides of her braids as she blew a bubble with her chewing gum.

I stayed sitting on the couch of our new apartment with my laptop resting on my legs. I browsed through my homework assignments for the week as we sat in the living room.

"How the heck was I supposed to know that?!" I exclaimed.

Billie rolled her eyes and said, "Childhood best friend- turned lover- turned first heartbreak. Come on, Ben. Logan functions her love life now around the ptsd of this relationship."

Laurel dug her elbow into Billie's side causing her to gasp.

"Owe! What was that for?!" She complained while she rubbed where she got hit.

"Logan probably didn't tell him for a reason. You don't tell people you've fucked once about your past relationships," Laurel explained while raising her eyebrows. She made an awkward face like I couldn't see her.

I cleared my throat and continued to scroll on my computer.

"Just saying," Laurel emphasized.

This was day five of the five of us living together. Logan had asked me if I had any interest in joining their plan for a place, saying that the more people they had the cheaper it would be. I of course said yes, not wanting to lose the new friends I had just made. Besides, living by myself was lonely this summer.

Plus Sarah-J and I still hadn't talked about us and I missed her desperately. These guys helped take my mind off of her.

I turned my head at the door when it opened. Blake walked in causally with his guitar case in hand. We hadn't really run into each other that much this week since moving in so we barely had spoken to each other.

"Hey there," Billie waved as he shut the door.

"Hello," he said sounding a little out of breath. Probably from the three sets of stairs, he had to go up to get here.

"Where's Logan?" He asked curiously. He stood in place in front of the door looking at all of us.

"Class until 4," I answered quickly. He nodded his head and then continued down the hall with his stuff.

Billie and Laurel shared one room and Logan, Blake, and I had single rooms. I hadn't lived in a single with other people since before high school—I was thrilled to have my own room again.

"Anyway, so what were they like? Was it instant sparks? Or was there swearing? Screaming? Spill the tea!" Billie pestered around the subject.

"No, no, and no. It was awkward—both of us seeing our exes there. I had no idea she knew—let alone dated Thomas," I explained to them.

"I'm still confused about this whole thing," Laurel began. "So you and your ex from the same place, your high school sweetheart, happen to go to the same university in a different country? But you broke up before college?"

I sighed heavily as I hated the whole story behind my messed-up life. Footsteps in the distance became louder as Blake turned the corner back into the living room. He pulled out one of the chairs at the kitchen table with his book in one hand and took a seat.

"Basically yes," I answered loosely. I wasn't sure how much information qualified as too much information.

"And now she's dating Logan's ex-high school sweetheart? That's weird!" Billie giggled throwing her head back.