Belladonic Haze

15

Ben was trying really hard to keep the conversation going but both of them knew that it was tougher than solving the world's hardest rubik's cube. They couldn't help it, it was kind of awkward between then and they couldn't deny the fact that conversation were flowing between them.

"Rami I need all your notes. I didn't write down a single thing, today." Thankfully he remembered he had to take the notes or the silence would drown him like an ocean.

"Do I look like someone who writes shit down? Courtesy to my dearest, loveliest girlfriend who has the same classes as me, that I pass in the exams." He said after a scoff and Joe hid his face in his hands, rubbing them over his face. He had kept too many expectations from Rami. Too many. How could he forget, he should've just asked Lucy. Instead of this good for nothing dumb. . .Rami.

"I could give you my notes. We also have the same classes." Ben said immediately after Joe had recovered from the disappointment. Okay, something finally worked out but how did Ben know they had same lectures? He couldn't bring it in himself to ask that question so he just looked at Ben for a moment and then nodded his head slightly.

When Ben began digging in his bag for the notes, Joe turned to Rami and gave him the hardest death glare he could muster up. Rami shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and smirked at the auburn.

"Here." The blond said as he extended his hand towards Joe with a few notebooks in it and a small smile plastered over his lips. Joe couldn't help but smile back, how could you not? He whispered a small 'thank you' and grabbed the notebooks.

"Ow." He winched when he grabbed those books with one hand and that hand banged on the table due to the weight of the books. Ben looked like he needed no effort to pick then up but it was completely different for Joe. Ben looked like he was having no problem lifting them up. He heard Ben's small laugh when his hand hit the table and Joe glared at him, making the blond laugh harder at his scowl.

"I'm-I, sorry. It's just-It's just, sorry." He said in between laughs, trying to suppress it. He took a deep breath and exhaled with a pout, his laughter almost dying down but his face still red. When Joe looked back at him and Ben was still looking over at him.

When their eyes met, Ben burst out laughing, now not even trying to hide it like before, he unashamedly placed his hands over his abdomen and barked out the laugh, obviously followed by Rami and Gwil joining in.

"Fuck off." Joe said as he couldn't stop himself from chuckling at his childish nature. The three of them continued laughing for what seemed like eternity and Joe couldn't help but stand up and place his hand over Ben's face, effectively silencing him.

"Shut up!" He said in a small sharp whisper and sat down, hands crossed over his chest, his eyes to the floor as he didn't stare look at any of the three.

--

"Pass me the water." Lucy whispered to Joe as they sat in front of each other in the library. They were studying in the library because that's what they did unlike a certain, friend for one while significant other for the other, did. Rami, as we all have already established, is someone who says himself that he works good under pressure. Well, god almighty himself knows the truth about that but sure, little guy.

Joe reached for the bottle but someone else had already grabbed the bottle before him and when he let it be because he thought that Lucy was the one who grabbed the bottle, he heard the said girl clear her throat. Joe, with a confused face, looked up at the blonde from his book and saw her smirk. He wiggled his eyebrows once to question her and her eyes shifted to the unoccupied space next to Joe. Um, correction. The space was actually occupied.

"Can we talk? Please?" Ben whispered his question silently and gave Joe an innocent questioning look. He had held the bottle close to himself, away from Joe.

"I'm studying." Joe whispered back and ignored his pleading eyes. He went back to looking at his book and pretending to study when in all honesty, his attention was all directed to the blond, only his eyes were fixated on the paper.

He had no clue why Ben was still sitting next to him so he looked up at Lucy to see what was going on and to his surprise, Ben and Lucy were silently communicating something through their expressions. Joe sneakily tried to look at Lucy's expression to understand what was going on and saw her giving Ben a slightly apologetic look. When Ben finally left, Joe looked up at Lucy and glared at her.

"What was that?" He spoke in a quiet, deadly voice.

"What?"

"The silent talk?" Joe asked again, trying to be as quiet as possible. Maybe he was being petty because Ben already said that he meant it when he asked Joe out in his intoxicated state, meaning that Ben 1) remembered that night and what he said and 2) he truly meant it like in a serious date way. But for some reason, Joe wanted more reasons to believe that what Ben said, he meant it.

"C'mon, Joe. I'm not just your friend alone. I'm his friend as well and he asked me to help. I couldn't say no." She whispered back, sending Joe an exasperated look and then shaking her head. Joe swore, he could see a smirk lingering over her lips but he let it, for now. He would surely get back to her once all of this. . .thing, was sorted out or whatever.

When he went back to actually studying, he couldn't focus. Lucy said that Ben needed help, what help did he need? Were they planning something? He hoped not.