�Tisha, why are you so jittery?� Billy asked as the two walked through the airport, making their way to a certain gate. Billy & Tisha were at the airport to pick up her cousin that was coming in on a flight from New York to Maryland. Once they found the right terminal, they took a seat in the waiting area.
�I've never been able to meet him in person,� Tisha said, looking around as her knees bounced. �I've wanted to meet him for a while now, but now that I'm finally able to, it's under the worst conditions.�
�I feel sorry for the kid,� Billy said as he leaned back, sliding his hands into the pockets of his Level 27 hoodie. �I don't know what I would do if I lost my parents that way� Granted my parents aren't dead, but I don't know what I would do if something like that happened.�
�Same. I'm supposed to pick him up & let him stay at my place for a few hours until his Aunt comes to get him. What do you do for a couple hours with someone who lost their parents not even a full week ago?�
�I don't know what to tell you,� Billy said with a shrug of his shoulders. �Maybe after I meet the kid I can tell you some ideas��
�I hope so. I'm going to need all the help I can get.�
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Benji lay sprawled out on his couch, half way naked since he was only dressed in his boxers. He had one arm folded behind his head, the other resting across his abdomen, one leg hanging off the couch, & the other leg on the couch, bent up slightly & leaning against the back of the couch. Yesterday was the day he told Tisha he would go out with her tonight, but he was regretting his decision to do so. The fact that he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't helping him any.
The phone's shrill ringing woke him from his daze & he reached over, picking up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Benji, it's me, Tisha," came a voice over the line. "Listen, would you be okay with me bringing my cousin to the club with us?"
"No! You said just us, Tisha. Just me, & you," Benji growled into the phone, narrowing his eyes even though she could not see him.
"Benji please? He said he would be willing to come along so he wouldn't have to stay with my Aunt; please Benji? He just got in from New York, please?"
"Tisha no."
"Please Benji... If he doesn't come with us then he has to go be with my Aunt & I can tell he doesn't want to be!"
"Tisha..."
"Please. Benji. Please. He doesn't even know who Good Charlotte are!"
"Tisha, no fucking way. It's either me & you, or we go some other time when your cousin won't be there. I am not about to go out to a fag bar with you & your cousin that I've never even met before!"
"Benjamin, either do it or I'll spread news on the Internet that you're gay... Don't think I don't know how quickly news like this can spread & how much people believe the Internet more than the word of the accused themselves."
"That's blackmail!"
"I don't care! I want my cousin to be there so he won't be alone all damn night. The last thing he needs is that!"
Benji growled into the phone, his eyes closing tightly, & he knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do at this point, but to give in & go to the club with Tisha & her cousin. "Fine, I'll go."
"Thank you Benji... I just wish you would've said yes sooner so I wouldn't have to make a big deal like that... I'm dropping Billy off at the hospital then, I'll be at your house around nine tonight so you & him can have a chance to get to know one another, okay?"
"Yea, whatever... I'll see you then... Bye."
"Bye!"
Benji hung up the phone after the line went dead & he punched the back of the couch with the side of his fist. "Fucking bitch!" He yelled before he got up from the couch, looking at the clock; it read 6:45. He walked up the stairs to his bedroom & started looking for something he could wear to the club that would help him blend in enough to keep him from being noticed too much.
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Paul sighed softly as he ran his fingers through Joel's hair, while a nurse from that station changed the bandages that covered the slits on Joel's wrist. The cuts were finally starting to look better, even though they were red & irritated from the slices not being very clean ones. "Nurse, have you ever been around something like this?" Paul asked, looking up at the woman.
The red head turned to face him & nodded. "Yeah, this kind of thing is a specialty for me," she answered with a soft smile. "It seems like every time the suicide attempts come in, the doctors call me in, knowing I can handle these cases better than the other nurses in the station."
"Why is that?"
"My brother tried to kill himself & when he was in the hospital, I was assigned to him. They saw how well I handled it. Why do you ask?"
"Well," he sighed before he continued. "I'm worried because he hasn't woken up yet. Is this normal?"
"To be honest with you, it varies per person... He could be out still because from what Mr. Martin said, he was under so much stress before he tried to kill himself. I'm not a doctor myself, but my guess is, he's getting the rest he forced his body to need by stressing so much."
"How much longer do you think it will be until he wakes up from this?"
"Only he can decide on that one since it's his body."
"Oh..." Paul watched the red head leave the room & he looked up at his friend's face. "Come on Joel, you have to wake up..."
As if cued, Joel groaned softly & his head turned. "Paul," he muttered softly before he settled again.
�Because I�d be breaking a promise to someone if I did! They don�t even know I kissed you to find out anything.� Billy's words rung through Paul's head as he stared wide-eyed at his friend. -Is Joel the personal reason?- asked himself as Billy walked through the door. He looked up at Billy who looked like he was waiting to be yelled at.
"Is it safe for me to be in here?" He asked, looking at the seat on the other side of the bed.
"Yeah. Billy, I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
"Didn't know what?"
"About Joel... That you were doing it for Joel & not just saying you were doing it for someone to get away with a meaningless kiss..."