Risk || Benj Nielsen

01.

the first day of high school had finally arrived. olivia was finally staring high school with her best friends. the girl was in a group of four boys, benj had dragged her into the group. the two met in kindergarten and had been friends ever since, so when benj made some new friends, olivia ended up in the same group. when she offered to make friends with some girls, they all protested, none of them being very good at talking to girls.

they all said they only accepted olivia, and though she was flattered, she also wanted some friend she could relate to. so that's why she was so close with alyssa, benj's sister, and alyssa's best friend, bailey, who also happened to be benj's crush.

whenever bailey was around, olivia felt ignored by benj. she loved him. like, she really loved him, but he couldn't see that, cause all he could see was bailey.

bailey took note of the situation and had spoken to olivia. she told the girl to speak with benj, now that they were both is high school, and tell him how she really felt.

however, olivia wasn't great with confrontation or expressing her feelings. she would much rather just listen to other people and help them. she always felt like a burden on everyone when she shared her feelings. she was very much a people pleaser.

but, today she was going to enjoy her first school day. she spotted benj, eddie and conner standing outside the school and jogged over to them.

"guys, wait!" she called out and they all turned to face her.

benj smiled at the sight of his best friend, "livie! there you are."

connor seemed panicked when he spoke to his friend, "liv, did you see that shit? we almost got ran over."

"no, i didn't. but i'd pay to see it again." she laughed but conner seemed unamused by her teasing.

"ancient history." benj brushed it off, "once that bell rings, we're in high school. you know what that means?"

"new teachers?" olivia suggested.

"more pressure from our parents to succeed?" eddie asked.

"pubes?" connor was the last to suggest.

olivia pulled a face at his words, "gross. i didn't need to know that, con."

"what, it happens to everyone." he shrugged.

"connor, shut up." she protested.

"it means we have a fresh start." benj broke the tension between connor and olivia, "anything is possible. check it out, her comes koosh."

they watched as their 'friend' pulled up to school in the passenger seat his brother's jeep. both brothers got out the car and koosh began walking to his friends.

"do we still have to hang out with him?" eddie protested and olivia nodded, neither of them were too keen on the boy.

"come on, he's our friend." benj argued.

connor argued back, "he's an asshole." and olivia agreed.

"well, well. if it isn't the dick and his two weird little balls. oh, hey, liv." he smiled at the girl and returned his gaze back to the boys as they greeted him, unenthusiastically.

but as they said 'koosh' his brother came up and punched his shoulder, earning a laugh from olivia, "don't forget it. i'm serious." and with that, he walked away.

"you guys can't call me koosh anymore." the boy stood up straighter, "my brother says i haven't earned the name. he'll pound me every time her he hears it."

"oh, i'm definitely calling you koosh then." olivia laughed, earning a glare from the boy.

"what are we supposed to call you?" benj asked his friend who sighed.

"my real name, i guess." he shrugged.

"dangah?" eddie joked, annoying the boy.

koosh snapped back at him, "it's danah, ass." but all four of his friends just laughed and began walking past him, "yeah, yeah. laugh it up, fuckos. you'll be chugging my hog when you hear what i have in store for you. my parents are going out of town this weekend, and yours truly is throwing a massive rager. five kegs. sick-ass dj. insane dong-to-puss ratio. shit's gonna be fucking lit!"

olivia scoffed as benj asked, "how are you gonna pull the off? we're your only friends."

koosh shrugged, "my brother's helping."

"oh, so kayvon is throwing a party." olivia clarified.

"we...we both are." koosh stuttered.

"that sounds terrifying. are freshmen even allowed?" eddie asked, not particularly keen on the idea, olivia wasn't either.

"fuck no! but i'm vip, and you clits are my plus-ones." koosh bragged to his friends as olivia rolled her eyes and shared a look with eddie and connor, before looking at benj.

"that's plus-four, you fucking idiot." connor corrected his friend.

"three and a half if we count your shrimps ass." koosh shoved the boy and connor shoved him back.

"fuck you, man!" the smaller boy shouted as eddie and olivia tried breaking them up.

"it's perfect." benj announced, "that's where i'll make my move on bailey."

everyone groaned at the mention of bailey, "ah, man. what happened to starting fresh?" eddie asked.

"yeah, bailey's great, but she's a sophomore, man. it's never gonna happen." connor clarified for benj, trying to break his delusions.

"something happened this summer, and i think i got a real shot." olivia perked up at the mention of this. neither benj nor bailey had said anything to her about this and all of a sudden she felt a course of pain shooting through her. "one night, i couldn't sleep so i went downstairs to make a snack."

look interrupted him, "you fucked her?"

"what? no! wanna hear the story or not?" benj asked.

"sorry. i just... i got a little excited. okay? go on." koosh shut up for once and let benj finish.

the boy then told his four other friends about how he'd seen bailey in the kitchen and sat down to talk with her and then her top fell down without her realising and he saw her nipple. big deal.

"then what happened?" connor asked, urging benj to continue.

"well, nothing. she went to bed." benj disappointed three of his friends, one was sort of relieved.

"that's it? you're kidding me, right?" koosh asked, unimpressed by the story.

"alright, wait. i'm confused." eddie began, "how does that story make you think you have a chance?"

"you had to be there." benj explained, "for the first time, she saw me as a man. an adult man."

"one to ten me on her nipple." connor asked, olivia rolled her eyes.

benj smirked and answered, "twelve."

the boys cheered and olivia scoffed walking away from them, but no one seemed to care. why did she have to be friend with them? and most importantly why couldn't just fucking get over benj? he'll never get over his delusion. he's so caught up in his own shit that he'll never see olivia's desperation.