Beneficial | ANTHONY VAUGHN

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Chess club was just as bad as Tori had feared. It was slow and involved paying attention to come up with a strategy, all the things she hated. It didn't help that Amerie kept zoning out watching Malakai and Spider practice basketball. Every time Tori tried to talk to Amerie she would just mumble some incoherent phrase.

From the corner of her eyes, she could hear the couch ordering some of the other players on their way out. "

Alright I need someone to carry these chairs back down to storage, and-" The order was met with a bunch of groans from the players. "Hey one of yous has to do it so quit your whining"

"I'll do it" Tori suddenly yelled, causing the couch to give a confused look."But we're not done with our-" Tori ignored her chess opponent moving to where the couch stood. "I can carry them"

"Look girly, I appreciate the offer but they're pretty heavy and-" Tori picked the stack of chairs with relative ease, smiling at the coach. "You said you wanted them to the storage room, right?" The coach just wordlessly nodded as Tori began walking to the location. Anything was better than playing chess. As she reached the storage room, she noticed the door was already open.

Peeking her head in she saw Ant on the floor, banging his head to whatever music he was listening to. "Hey," Tori spoke, causing the boy to yell and scramble to stand up, obviously thinking he had been caught by a teacher. He relaxed seeing it was Tori. "Where are the chairs kept?" Tori asked as she readjusted her grip on the chairs and Ant silently pointed to where the others were stacked. "You carried that all by yourself?" Ant asked and Tori simply nodded. "Hot" she heard him mumble.

"So what are you doing in here?" Tori questioned. "I didn't really want to play basketball today, but Spider asked me to hang out today so I thought this would be the best place to hide... it's kind of cool" Ant paused. "Have you always had muscles like that" He inspected the girl's arm. At a simple glance you wouldn't think she had any but seeing her flex as she carried Ant realised she oddly had a lot of arm strength.

"Oh yeah... I climb a lot of things" Tori's excuse for why she had arm strength was weak, but Ant didn't seem to listen just staring at her arms. "So is that why you like me? The muscles" Tori joked and Ant chuckled.

"Among other things"

"Like what?"

Ant sighed "Why are you so concerned about why I like hooking up with you"

"Cause it's weird, you've hated me for years, and now you suddenly want to do benefits with me" Tori explained. "I mean I'm not complaining it just confuses me" Ant furrowed his eyebrows. "I've never hated you... I mean I maybe thought it was odd you were high all the time but never hated"

Tori nodded. "So now that I've stopped smoking I'm suddenly cool in your books" Tori joked, but Ant shook his head. "No... I guess it was just nice to see someone who could not give a shit even when sober. It's cool people can still be genuine"

Tori felt her mind racing at this explanation. She felt like she was deceiving Ant. She wasn't a genuine person who could be herself. She was a liar. Someone who cared just as much as others, but was just good at hiding it. Which made her an even worse person. She gave a shit, too much of a shit. And she was a bad person cause now she convinced everyone that-

Tori's let out a surprised moan as Ant connected his lips with her. Tori mimicked his actions, quickly forgetting the anxiety she once felt. Ant was pretty good at being a distraction.

It didn't take long for the two to get undressed, not even checking to see if the door was unlocked before they got started. It was a tangle of limbs and desperation, but weirdly Tori liked it. Ant knew what he was doing and despite the rapid pace he worked at was oddly gentle.

He even gave her a light kiss on the cheek once they were finished. "I think benefits was the best idea we've come up with" Ant spoke, still panting slightly. "I would have to agree" Tori nodded before checking her phone. She shot up realising that there were only 5 minutes left of the chess club meeting. "Shit I got to go" Tori scrambled to get her clothes on, not even looking back at Ant as she ran down the hall back to the gym.

Tori slipped back in next to Amerie, thinking of what kind of excuse she could give for why she had been missing for so long. She didn't have to though, as Amerie just stared longing at Malakia and spider. Tori reached over and gave the girl a quick slap on the face.

"Hey, what the hell" Amerie complained, giving her cheek a rub. "You weren't doing your job so I took over" Tori simply explained. Amerie sighed. "Thanks... How do you do it? Keep yourself from thinking of sex when you're not having it"

Tori's eyes wandered to where a smirking Ant entered the hall greeting Spider and Malakai as they finished their game. Tori turned back to a waiting Amerie.

"Guess I just have really good self-control"

---

"I shouldn't have said anything," Amerie spoke sadly as they sat around a booth at Darren's work. Tori was just happily drinking her milkshake as Darren came to them with more food. "Why? It's funny." Darren smiled.

"What if it backfires and he tells Harper all of his secrets and it just makes them closer?" Amerie complained. "Dusty's darkest secret probably involves him jerking off to the time Justin Trudeau ate an apple on live TV." They all watched as Darren moaned into the chip they were eating. Tori gave a concerned look to Amerie who shrugged. "Don't say jerking off," Amerie complained.

"You still doing your chastity vow?" Quinni questioned and Darren gasped. "You mean you haven't been watching Malakai's Instagram stories? That boy is thirst trapping so hard, he might drown." They held out their phone in Amerie's face. "Get that shit away from me." She complained, though still took the phone watching the video.

"I gotta give it to him, those muscles are good" Tori smiled and Amerie sighed. "The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else," Darren smirked. "Darren, shouldn't you be working?" Quinn pointed out "Okay, Dad." Darren spoke sarcastically.

"I'm proud of you! You're doing amazing!"

"More onion rings, yeah?"

The three watched proudly as Darren walked off, acting like a group of parents.

---

"I thought I lost you as a client"

"You have but I've brought you a guest"

Darren had called Tori up asking her to take them to where Cash lived since they knew she had been making sales with Cash before. At first, she was worried that Darren was going to fall down the same hole she was trying her best to get out of, but Darren insisted the matter would not involve any form of substances. They just needed to give Cash some sort of bag.

In seeing Darren standing behind Tori, Cash nervously opened the door and stepped outside. "Oh yeah...What's up?"

"Hi. Random, I know. I guess that's our new fun thing, surprise visits. I swear I'm not a stalker for getting Tori to bring me here..Um, can I come in?" Cash stepped forward keeping Darren from entering. "Uh, my nan's home." Darren smiled. "I'm great with nans. They love to pinch my cheek and tell me how they once met a Black person." Cash nervously smiled. "Yeah, it's just not great timing."

He slightly moved Darren out of the way of the door, where they placed down Cash's bag. "Oh, um, that's okay. I can't stay long anyway. I just wanted to say that things got a bit hectic at home. It doesn't look like I can keep your bag there anymore. I'm sorry." Cash smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll sort something else out." Darren didn't seem satisfied by this. "I'm usually great with favours. I promise."

"They are" Tori backed up Darren's words. "I believe you." Cash chuckled shaking his head at the pair.

"Which is why you can trust me when I say, I have just thought of the perfect place to stash it," Darren spoke excitedly. "Okay, I'll put my shoes on." Cahs smiled, turning to Tori. "You joining us?"

Tori shook her head no. "Nope, I think I'm all done for appearing in this episode" and with that she gave the pair a smile, sauntering back down the street towards her house.

Cash gave Darren a confused look.

"What does she mean by-" "It's better just not to question it"