When Love & Hate Collide
folder
Singers/Bands/Musicians › Good Charlotte
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
2,555
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Singers/Bands/Musicians › Good Charlotte
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
2,555
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. I do not know the members of Good Charlotte. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Part 02
Benji blinked, dropping his fork to the table. “What did I do?” He asked, forehead wrinkling into a frown as he watched Joel run off.
“I think you know what you did, Benji,” Robin sighed. “We all know you’re views on homosexuality. But this is your brothers friend we were talking about, you should have thought before you spoke, taken his feelings into account. Show a little compassion for once in your life, stop being so stubborn!”
Benji swallowed hard. “Sorry, mom.”
“So you should be. Now, are you finished with your dinner?” She waited for him to reply. “Good. Take Joel’s up to him and apologise.”
“Yes, mom.” Benji rose to his feet and picked up Joel’s plate, slowly walking up the stairs. He paused outside the shut door, knocking gently before entering. “Joel?” He stepped into the room and placed Joel’s plate on his bedside locker. “Mom wanted me to bring your dinner up, so I’ll… uh… leave it here for you.”
“Don’t want it,” Joel muttered from his prone position on the bed; face down, stretched out, his head pillowed in his arms.”
Benji shrugged as he turned to walk away, crying as the plate came flying through the air, smashing into the wall next to his head. “Hey!” He span around to face Joel, eyes narrowed, hands bunched into fists at his sides. “That nearly hit me!”
“Guess you should be glad I’m not a jock and my aim fucking sucks - else it would have!”
“Joel…”
“How would you feel if it was one of your friends in the hospital right now?”
Benji laughed dryly and rolled his eyes. “Well, since I don’t hang around with a bunch of faggots, that’s not gonna happen, is it?”
Joel’s voice rose to a near scream as he stared at Benji, tears tracking down his cheeks. “How would you feel if that was Nick or Matt or Jere lying unconscious in bloody pulp in a hospital bed?”
Benji took one look at the look of misery on Joel’s face and bit back the sarcastic comment that was on the tip of his tongue. “Pretty shit,” he admitted, moving to sit on the bed next to Joel.
“Paul’s my friend, Benji.” Joel whispered, burying his head in his hands. “I know what you think of him being gay, but…” He sighed. “He’s my friend,” he repeated. “One of my best friends. And since Tony decided he was too cool for school and dropped out, and Christine became a cheerleader, friends of mine are in pretty short supply right now.”
“You… you could always hang out with me,” Benji offered, wrapping a tentative arm around Joel’s shoulders, relieved when he didn’t pull away,
“Yeah, right!” Joel snorted, leaning against Benji. “Like a bunch of jocks would want someone like me hanging around.”
“Sure they will - you’re my brother.” Benji pointed out.
Joel shook his head and pulled away from Benji, laying back down again. “Thanks but no. I’d rather be with people who want to be with me, rather than those obliged to because I’m ‘Benji’s Twin’” He rolled over, facing the wall. “I’m gonna go to sleep. Night, Benji.” Joel reached out as he spoke, flicking his bedside light off.
Benji watched as Joel curled up on his side, one hand under his pillow. “Night Joel,” he replied, laying down on his own bed and picking his headphones up off the floor.
“I think you know what you did, Benji,” Robin sighed. “We all know you’re views on homosexuality. But this is your brothers friend we were talking about, you should have thought before you spoke, taken his feelings into account. Show a little compassion for once in your life, stop being so stubborn!”
Benji swallowed hard. “Sorry, mom.”
“So you should be. Now, are you finished with your dinner?” She waited for him to reply. “Good. Take Joel’s up to him and apologise.”
“Yes, mom.” Benji rose to his feet and picked up Joel’s plate, slowly walking up the stairs. He paused outside the shut door, knocking gently before entering. “Joel?” He stepped into the room and placed Joel’s plate on his bedside locker. “Mom wanted me to bring your dinner up, so I’ll… uh… leave it here for you.”
“Don’t want it,” Joel muttered from his prone position on the bed; face down, stretched out, his head pillowed in his arms.”
Benji shrugged as he turned to walk away, crying as the plate came flying through the air, smashing into the wall next to his head. “Hey!” He span around to face Joel, eyes narrowed, hands bunched into fists at his sides. “That nearly hit me!”
“Guess you should be glad I’m not a jock and my aim fucking sucks - else it would have!”
“Joel…”
“How would you feel if it was one of your friends in the hospital right now?”
Benji laughed dryly and rolled his eyes. “Well, since I don’t hang around with a bunch of faggots, that’s not gonna happen, is it?”
Joel’s voice rose to a near scream as he stared at Benji, tears tracking down his cheeks. “How would you feel if that was Nick or Matt or Jere lying unconscious in bloody pulp in a hospital bed?”
Benji took one look at the look of misery on Joel’s face and bit back the sarcastic comment that was on the tip of his tongue. “Pretty shit,” he admitted, moving to sit on the bed next to Joel.
“Paul’s my friend, Benji.” Joel whispered, burying his head in his hands. “I know what you think of him being gay, but…” He sighed. “He’s my friend,” he repeated. “One of my best friends. And since Tony decided he was too cool for school and dropped out, and Christine became a cheerleader, friends of mine are in pretty short supply right now.”
“You… you could always hang out with me,” Benji offered, wrapping a tentative arm around Joel’s shoulders, relieved when he didn’t pull away,
“Yeah, right!” Joel snorted, leaning against Benji. “Like a bunch of jocks would want someone like me hanging around.”
“Sure they will - you’re my brother.” Benji pointed out.
Joel shook his head and pulled away from Benji, laying back down again. “Thanks but no. I’d rather be with people who want to be with me, rather than those obliged to because I’m ‘Benji’s Twin’” He rolled over, facing the wall. “I’m gonna go to sleep. Night, Benji.” Joel reached out as he spoke, flicking his bedside light off.
Benji watched as Joel curled up on his side, one hand under his pillow. “Night Joel,” he replied, laying down on his own bed and picking his headphones up off the floor.