Summer Lovin' ✩ Hardzello

14 | Don't Be Cruel

(don't @ me for using another Elvis song title I love him ok)

I woke up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before going downstairs to make breakfast.

When I opened my door, a sleeping Ben fell into my room.

Ben was woken up by the impact of hitting the floor and he looked around frantically.

I kinda nudged him with my foot and he sat back up, following me downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a bowl of cereal because I don't really know how to make anything else.

Ben made a cup of coffee and sat down at the table

I sat across from him and made sure to avoid eye contact.

We hadn't said a word to eachother all morning and it was excruciating but I was gonna wait until he made the first move.

Once I finished my cereal I set the bowl in the sink and walked out onto the doorstep to grab the paper.

I trotted back inside and sat down on the couch.

Ben came and sat next to me. He tried putting an arm around me but I slid it off my shoulder.

I wasn't letting him get away with that until I got a whole hearted apology.

I licked the tip of my finger and turned the page of my newspaper.

I had a feeling like today was gonna be a long day.

~~~

4 hours in and Ben finally decided to say something.

"Hey, Joey" he said quietly.

I looked over at him to let him know I was listening.

"I'm really, really sorry about last night." He looked nervous.

"Why'd you do it Ben?"

He bit the side of his lip and looked back up at me.

"I-I really don't know." He looked back down at his hands.

He clearly deeply regretted what he did.

It was evident in his body language and the way he was talking.

I was gonna let him off the hook this time. I had a feeling like this wasn't entirely his fault either.

I was gonna interrogate Lucy later, I couldn't be bothered to in this moment.

I tipped his chin up with my index finger so his eyes met mine.

"It's okay Ben."

He sighed with relief and put a hand on his chest.

I chuckled and shook my head.

He pulled me closer to him and put his arms tightly around me.

I hugged him back and I could feel him smiling against my shoulder.

He moved away from me and smiled again.

I grinned back at him and picked my book back up off the table.

~~~

A few more hours had passed and I was laying upside down with my head hanging off my bed, just plucking away at my bass.

Ben was sitting at my desk across the room and he was writing something that I assumed was a song we could use during our next band practice.

I set my bass next to me and sighed.

I couldn't really think about anything new to write or try and my fingertips were starting to hurt so I just kinda gave up for now.

Ben set his pencil down on my desk and smirked at his piece of paper.

I walked over to him and draped my arms around his shoulders.

I tried reading what he wrote on the paper but his writing was too messy and I couldn't understand what it said.

He pulled my arms off his shoulders and hopped off the chair.

We both changed into pajamas and crawled into bed.

We both said our 'goodnights' and Ben was out cold almost instantly.

~~~

I laid wide awake in bed for way too long.

I slowly got out of bed, to make sure I wouldn't wake Ben up.

I quietly opened the bedroom door and walked down the stairs.

I was going to call Lucy to try and get an answer put of her about last night.

When I picked up the phone and put her number in I anxiously twisted the cord tightly around my finger while I waited for someone to pick up.

Finally, I got an answer.

"Hello?" She spoke into the phone.

"Luce, I need to talk to you right now."

"Okay, about what?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head.

"What happened between you and Ben last night?"

"Oh, that!" She chuckled as she spoke.

It was disgusting how much enjoyment she was getting out of this and she knew it made me angry.

"I saw the way you two look at eachother y'know"

I furrowed my eyebrows and pulled at the phone cord.

"I saw you two lovebirds kissin' in the kitchen too." She added.

"So, I told Ben that I'd tell the whole town he's a queer"

I pulled harder at the phone cord.

I knew that she'd do anything to get her way. That's just the kind of person she was.

"But, don't worry your pretty little head about me telling anyone about your nasty secret. I got what I wanted from him, my job is done!" She was snickering and giggling the whole time she spoke.

I didn't even say anything, I just slammed the phone back down on the receiver and held my face in my hands.

I called Lucy my "friend" for so many years but I knew there was something fishy about her.

It wasn't until we entered highschool together that she started getting all cocky and rude.

She learned quickly that she was seen as attractive and she used her looks to get away with what she wanted.

I was officially done with her.

I didn't want her in my life anymore.

And that's for the best.

Alright, just gonna quickly say that I don't think Lucy is this horrible irl, she's an actual darling and I'd die for her, I just felt like making her a big meanie face in this story.
Harrison🌹