Freak
Chapter 3
By: Makena
Jeremy sat down on one of the wooden benches and sighed. Her feet were sore from walking around the mall with Benji all day and she needed a break. "I didn't know shopping could be considered a sport," she laughed. "I don't think I'd be good at that one, either, though."
Benji laughed and sat down next to her. "We haven't seen Bruce for a while," he said. "Where do you want to go now?"
Jeremy shrugged. "I don't know. I usually hate shopping, but today - I'm a good shopper today."
She laughed and shook her head. She knew why she was still at the mall and why it didn't suddenly suck - she had Benji to hang out with and talk to, which meant she finally had a "friend" to hang out with and make fun of things and people with her. It wasn't because Benji was from Good Charlotte or that he even acknowledged her - she actually had some one to hang out with for once. Jeremy laughed again, but stopped when she noticed Bruce once again.
"Kiss me," Jeremy said, turning to Benji.
"What?"
"Kiss me!"
"Why?"
"If you're not going to kiss me, at least pretend."
"Why...?"
Jeremy cut him off by pressing her lips to his and seriously kissed him. Benji, unfazed that Bruce was there, kissed her back. He ran his fingers through her blue hair. Jeremy noticed Bruce leave, but didn't stop kissing Benji until...
"Benji?"
Benji cut them both off and looked up at his brother. Jeremy blushed as both of them separated and slid to opposite ends of the bench.
"Yeah, okay, nice try," Joel said. "I saw it - you've been caught in the act."
"That wasn't supposed to happen," Benji said as Jeremy looked between the two.
Joel laughed. "Obviously not." He paused and sat between the two. "I'm Joel, by the way. Somewhat related to Benji. And you are...?"
"Jeremy," she replied, shaking Joel's hand. "I know who you are."
"You picked up another one?" Joel asked Benji.
"Actually, she's a fan of the music," Benji replied.
"Was," Jeremy spoke up. "The teenie incident, remember?"
"Was, sorry," Benji said. "She WAS a fan."
"Oh?" Joel questioned. "What's your favorite song from our first CD?"
"Joel..."
"Screamer and Change," Jeremy replied quickly. "East Coast Anthem is good too, I like Little Things... can I go all out and say the whole CD rocked?"
Joel grinned and nodded. "Fan," he said.
"Since 2000," Jeremy said. "I'm old school likin' GC."
Joel laughed.
"She's a freak like me," Benji told his brother. "But she has blue hair."
"Freak meaning... punk, right?"
"Totally," Jeremy laughed. "Avril is my hero."
Joel laughed. "Yeah, freak."
Jeremy grinned.
"You coming to the show tomorrow?" Joel asked, something Benji had forgot to bring up.
"Nope," Jeremy replied truthfully.
"Aww! Why not?"
"School night. Plus - it was sold out."
"There are always scalpers," Benji joked. "But seriously - I think we can get you into the concert."
"Ooh - free tickets?" Jeremy asked.
Joel laughed. "No. We kind of have to sneak you in, but we can get you in."
"But you gotta do us a favor," Benji added.
"A favor, 'eh?" Jeremy asked, leaning in so Benji could explain what she had to do in a hushed voice. "I think I can do that."
---
Benji, Jeremy and Joel hung out together until they decided the mall suddenly sucked and offered to walk Jeremy home. "You can walk me home," Jeremy agreed. "But you're gonna have to walk a ways."
Benji shrugged. "We don't have anything better to do, anyway," he said.
"You could have to go back to your bus and write anonymous hate notes to MTV," Jeremy said.
"That WOULD be time well spent," Joel admitted thoughtfully.
Jeremy laughed as they crossed a street and she shivered.
"Cold?" Benji asked.
"No," Jeremy replied sarcastically. "It pretty much winter outside and I'm not wearing a coat - I'm toasty warm. Of course I'm cold."
Benji laughed and began to take his hoodie off. "Benji... what the hell? No... don't give me your sweat shirt, no... NO!!" She laughed as Benji forced his hoodie over her head. "Now YOU'RE gonna be freezing," she told him, slipping her arms through the holes.
Benji shrugged and rubbed at his arms vigorously, wishing his Unseen t-shirt was a little longer in the arms. "You're right, I'm a little cold," he said. "Joel, give me your hoodie."
"You wish," Joel said, walking on the opposite side of Jeremy. "Mmm... toasty warm!"
Benji rolled his eyes and concentrated on the side walk ahead of him, colder than hell.
"Here," Jeremy laughed, struggling to get Benji's hoodie off. "You obviously need this a little more than I do."
"No," Benji said, trying to keep it on her. "You wear it. I'm good."
"Is that snow?"
Benji looked around and noticed that tiny white flakes were falling around them, mixing with the falling leaves that showered around their heads. He groaned, no longer wondering exactly how cold it was. Jeremy laughed at him, but Benji wouldn't take his hoodie back.
They finally reached Jeremy's house and she invited them inside for a while. Of course, they didn't want to intrude or stay too long, so they declined but let her call a cab for them.
"I like her," Joel said, slipping into the cab.
"Me too," Benji said with a smile, sliding onto the seat next to Joel after passing the driver the amount it would cost to take them back to the concert hall where their bus was parked.
Joel watched Benji for a moment before grinning. "You like her, don't you?" he said, elbowing him in the sides.
Benji frowned. "I just said I did," he said. "So... yeah, I do."
"I mean you LIKE her. As in LIKE, like."
Benji blinked.
"You can't deny it," Joel continued. "I caught you two making out in the mall."
Benji shrugged. "I don't know," he said.
Jeremy was a cool girl; she wore what she wanted, even if she got laughed at, she dyed her hair abnormal colors, she liked the coolest bands, she was funny, she was pierced and Benji was sure she was likely to obtain many tattoo's if she didn't have any yet, she was fun to hang out with and a damn good kisser. And she was everything he wanted. He sighed, trying to stop the list he had created on reasons he would like her.
"You do like her, don't you?" Joel asked. Benji hesitated. "So?" he asked.
Joel shrugged. "It's no biggie," he said, sitting back in the seat. "I mean, she is pretty - well - hot."
Benji shrugged and watched as the cab pulled into the parking lot. He got out and shivered slightly - he had forgotten to get his hoodie from Jeremy.