Shaforostop It (2015)

Chapter 32 - Quit While You're Behind.

{Pic- Have some adorable sweaty Denis}

DENIS' POV

"Hey." I said softly. I felt guilty for not calling her. I didn't even go out with the guys that night - I stayed in and cried, and wallowed in self pity.

"Denis, hi." Leda said excitedly. "What's wrong?" She asked hesitantly.
"Nothing- nothing's wrong. Why would you think that."

"I- I don't know you haven't really called, and I figured there was something you needed to tell me."

"Well, there is. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't called you every day and texted you and told you I love you, because I do, and I should have. I've been a cunt."

"Denis don't say that about yourself. I forgive you. I know you're dealing with a lot right now."

"What I'm dealing with is nothing compared to what I can only imagine you're dealing with." I muttered. "It's not important."

"Exactly. It's not important. I'll be fine." She said harshly. Was she angry with me? I pulled my knees to my chest on the couch in the games lounge in the bus.

"Who are you on to?" Cameron came tearing up the stairs and into the room, his face bright red and his hair in a mess.

"Leda." I covered the phone and held it away. "Why?"

"Can it wait? Theres- there's a problem." He panted, catching his breath.

"Well I'm kind of in the middle of talking to her-"

"Denis." Cameron looked at me seriously. "It's James." I clenched my jaw and held the phone back to my cheek.

"Sorry, Leda. That was Cameron. I- I have to go." I wanted to do anything but hang up on Leda. I finally call her and now I have to go. For James.

"Oh." She said softly. I knew she was going to be upset.

"I'll call you back as soon as I can."

"Actually I'm just heading into training, so..." I took a deep breath.

"Okay. I love you. Bye."

"Yeah." She hung up. I looked up at Cameron again.

"What, do you want?"

"Come. He needs you." Cameron ran back down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Ben's POV)

"I'm sorry!" James screamed from atop the bar. He was off his fucking face. "I'm sorry, Denis. I don't know what else you want me to say." Denis climbed into the bar, against everyone's shouted wishes.

"Are you saying you did it?" He muttered. People had been crowding around the bar for as long as James had been shouting for, nearly an hour. We all found him fifteen minutes in, screaming about how sorry he was, and how he wanted everyone to believe him, and how he needed Denis to talk to him. Thankfully, he didn't actually say anything about what he was screaming about. He didn't mention Leda once.

"What do you want me to tell you, mate?" James said and shrugged. "Is that what it will take for you to talk to me again? Cause I'm not a fan of Dickhead Denis. I don't think anyone is, right?" He turned to the crowd and no one said anything. He ignored it. Denis punched James so hard in the face that he fell straight off the bar and onto his back. While he struggled for air Denis hopped down and sat on his chest, throwing punch after punch. We let him go for not longer than fifteen seconds before Cameron and I pulled him off. James stood quickly, blood dripping down his nose, he didn't notice.

"How could you!" Denis screamed at the top of his lungs. And he was loud. James wiped his face and ignored the bloody residue on his fingers. A tear fell down Denis' cheek. "How could you do that to her!" James remained silent. That's it. That was his confession. He really did it. I felt sick to my stomach. Denis shook our grasp easily and walked close to James, stopping only an inch from his face. He kept his voice low. "I never want to see you again." Denis walked out of the bar and the entire place went silent. I looked around and felt like I'd drank a bottle of vodka, dizzy and confused. In the crowd I saw more than ten phones held up. Videos. People recorded everything. I turned on the stop and emptied my stomach onto the floor. I knew the videos would be everywhere by morning, and all eyes would be on us. And Leda would see. Leda would see his confession. She's a mere two weeks from competing. How is she going to deal with it? I asked myself questions I already knew the answer to. She wasn't going to. After apologies to the crowd of people and the bartender, Sam, Cameron, and I returned back to the bus. I didn't really care what happened to James at that point. I couldn't look at him. When we got on the bus it was totally silent, unusual for us. I walked up the stairs and took a deep breath before walking to Denis' bunk.

"Denis," I said softly. "it's Ben."

"Fuck off." He muttered through his sobbing. He was crying. Fuck.

"Come on." I opened his bunk and he stuffed his face into his pillow. I climbed into his bunk beside him yet again, knowing he'd have to come up for air eventually. "Talk to Papa Ben." He chuckled slightly and I smiled.

"I can't- believe it." He sniffled as he rolled over. I pulled him close and he rested his head on my chest. "You're so gay." He whispered.

"Shut up. I'm being a good friend. Now tell me what's wrong."

"She's gonna see. Leda. She'll know by morning. And then she won't be able to train. Or compete. She'll get kicked off the team, and it's all because of me. All because I wasn't there."

"No. This has nothing to do with you Denis." I said. "You did everything you could, it's not your fault." Denis stayed quiet for a while, still crying softly.

"I can't believe he denied it for so long. It's been a whole month. He lied to everyone. He lied to his family."

"I know, Denis. I know." I did my best to comfort him, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I can't do this." He shook his head.

"What?"

"I can't be around him. I can't look at him, Ben. Know that he- knowing what he- I just can't."

"Are you," I could for all intense and purposes hear my world, crashing down around me. "Are you leaving?" I heard him take a deep breath, my shirt wet from his tears.

"I don't see any other way."

I'm officially the villan. Should I be sorry? Because I feel like this is only getting better and better as I make terrible things happen to everyone.

Also: please check out my AA Instagram @ denden.stoff cause I changed the username. Also I put the link to every new chapter in the bio, and make a post about it, so there's no way you can miss it.