recognize / b.simmons

17

"you good, bro?" tahj asks ben as he tosses a frisbee for bens parents' dog. ben was sitting on the grass, his mind everywhere but here, playing with the stems. he's been in australia for five days, and he hasn't forgotten about amari like he hoped. if anything, he's thinking about her more.

ben snaps out of his depressed daze and looks at tahj, his eyes low. tahj heard what happened with amari—the front seat was barely any privacy for the two—but he didn't say anything after ben got in the car. they drove to the private jet in silence.

tahj has been meaning to talk to ben about amari, but he's not sure how to bring it up without possibly striking a nerve. he knows that his friend is in his feelings, but he's not sure how to actually be there for him without looking like a simp.

"yeah," ben says, clearing his throat and standing up, wiping the grass off of his backside. "i'm cool. it's cold as shit, let's go inside." ben says and whistles for his parents dog, monty, who comes barreling towards the two men, the like green frisbee in his mouth. it was winter in australia, but the dog had to be walked.

tahj tosses the leash to ben and he hooks it onto monty's collar and they start walking. tahj shoves his hands into his pockets and starts walking bens pace.

they walk in silence, except for the wind and montys panting. tahj has the words 'talk to me' on the tip of his tongue, but he won't bring himself to say them. he's never had to comfort his friend over a girl—ben wasn't the type to get too hung up.

yes, ben has had girlfriends, but he was never too upset after the breakup. he'd be in his feelings for a few days, then he'd be back to ben and back on the hunt for women. amari was different, and tahj could tell since this is the second time ben has been so distraught over her. her sex game must be bomb, tahj thinks to himself, feeling slightly guilty afterwards. this was his friend.

"yo, you know you can talk to me, right?" tahj says finally, catching ben off guard. when ben doesn't answer, tahj sighs. "nigga, you know i heard what went down the other day." he adds, making bens mind go back to when amari told him how she felt and he just blew her off. he feels like shit all over again.

"talking about it isn't going to do shit. i'm not getting her back," ben spits, a frown on his face. tahj holds his hands up in surrender and shakes his head, rolling his eyes afterwards.

"just stop being a little bitch and acting like someone pissed in your cereal, alright? you're ruining the trip for everyone," tahj says, sucking his teeth afterwards. ben rolls his eyes, but thinks about the last few days. he has been in an awful mood, snapping at everyone—but his father—who asked him something regular like, "how's it going?"

his sister got the worst end of it because, well, she's her. liv was a character and because she was his older sister, she acted like his mother. she knew something was up the moment he landed, and she's been prying at him ever since, which is prompting them to argue like children.

"fine. i like amari, alright. but now i fucked everything up," ben admits, blinking rapidly because he feels like crying out of frustration, but he wasn't going to. he doesn't even remember the last time he'd cried, and he wasn't about to cry over a girl.

tahj rolls his eyes. "you already said that, nigga," ben never told him that he liked amari, but he knew. he knew the day they were in the gym and she called him. tahj knew ben wasn't getting ass that day because who fucks at noon? no one, that's why, and he's known ever since.

"i told you talking wouldnt help," ben mutters and speeds up his walking as they near his parents' house. tahj trails behind him slowly, thinking about how he could possibly be at fault for ben leaving so abruptly when amari said what she said. it bothers him to think that he was the reason why his friend was acting like he has a pipe up his ass.