"Benji, I can't believe you're being such a baby about this," Paul said as he snatched the beer bottle from his friend's hand. "How could you let something so petty come between you two? It�s both sad & pathetic."
"Oh shut up Paul. Mind your own fucking business," Benji slurred slightly. "You don't know a damn thing about what's going on with Joel & I," he snapped, swinging at Paul who moved back slightly since Benji was too drunk to swing straight. "Go the fuck away Paul."
"Benji, you're coming home with me. We can come back tomorrow to get your car."
"I'm not going anywhere with a little fairy like you. Tell me Paul, does my brother like it when you fuck him?"
Paul clenched his fists & swung one of them, knocking Benji in the jaw. "You stupid fucker, I do not fuck your brother. I'm straight, like you. Or does it piss you off so much that your brother is gay because you are & you thought that was the only thing you two didn't have in common? Without that, how could you be different?"
"You stupid, fat bastard!" Benji yelled, lunging at Paul, who grabbed him by his shoulders & pushed him from behind, directing him to the door, shoving him outside where he toppled to the ground. "You fat bitch, you'll pay for that!" Benji said as he tried to get up but found himself back on his hands & knees, coughing up his dinner on the ground.
Paul sighed & shook his head. "You're a fucking wreck," he said as he helped his friend to his feet after he was done vomiting. "Like it or not, you're coming back to the house with me."
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Benji woke up to the sun shining brightly in his eyes & a pounding migraine resting in his head. He groaned & rolled over, facing away from the light to see a girl staring into his eyes with a pissed off look. Seeing her there startled him, making him roll over until he could put his feet on the ground & stood up, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded.
"I'm Tisha," she answered. "I'm a close friend of Billy's. I'm also the one that helped him set up the place the day he was moving in."
"Ugh, you," he groaned. "Can you not talk so loud?"
"Oh honey, I'm barely talking loud... THIS IS TALKING LOUD YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" She yelled then smiled at him with a shit-eating grin.
Benji covered his ears, closing his eyes tightly as she yelled. "You stupid whore quit yelling!"
Tisha giggled & sat up on the bed. "Have a seat Benji, we're gonna have a nice, long talk about you & your brother. If you're nice, I'll talk as quiet as I am now. But if you're mean &/or say something uncalled for, I will raise my voice or yell the next few words, depending on what you say."
"I'm not talking about him," Benji said.
"Oh yes you are Benji," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You need to talk to me about him so we can figure out what has you so upset about your brother being what he is."
"You mean a flaming faggot?"
"BENJAMIN LEVI MADDEN, YOU ARE A FUCKING JERK!" She yelled, her eyes holding a dangerous gaze as Benji groaned & tried to cover his ears. "NO WONDER YOUR FRIENDS ARE SO MAD AT YOU! I CAN'T SAY I REALLY BLAME THEM!"
"Okay, okay!" He cried out, his eyes closed tightly. "I take it back!"
Tisha stopped yelling & looked at him. "Good. Now. Sit." When he sat down, she handed him his pillow & hugged the pillow she had used to herself. "Now Benji, what the hell is your problem with Joel being gay?"
"He's not supposed to be."
"He can't help it if he's gay Benji. It's not something you can just change at the snap of your fingers." As she spoke, her voice was soft & calm, very understanding. "Joel is ashamed of how he is because he never wanted to be gay. He always had fears of this exact thing, among others, happening & now that it is, he doesn't know what to do."
"Has he told you this himself?"
"Yes. But he also told me that you have a friend in another band that is gay. Was he telling me the truth?"
"Yeah, so? What does that have anything to do with this?"
"It has everything to do with it. Your friend is gay & you're so okay with him, but when your brother ends up being gay, all of a sudden it's this big Taboo, 'hold-up-a-cross-and-the-person-will-burn-at-your-feet' thing. What the hell is the big difference Benji? They are both two people that you care a lot about, both are gay, both are just two people in the world... What difference is there?"
"Joel is my brother, the friend isn't."
"Benji, you are missing the point here. Joel is your gay brother. He is also just another person in the world for other people to stop & look at. Your gay friend is just another person in the world for the same purpose."
"But I'm not related to the friend."
"Benji..." Tisha sighed; losing her patience with the person in front of her that was looking more & more like a lost cause than something she might be able to work through. "Why are you being so stubborn about this Benj? You couldn't just make this so easy on everyone & just accept Joel for the way he is. You have to go about this the hard way, don't you?"
"I'm not being stubborn, I'm just having my own damned opinion."