Hate Every Beautiful Day
Chapter 21
By: Makena
Makena invited Benji into her empty house - her father had gone on yet another trip to Michigan and wouldn't be returning until Tuesday. Benji, a little confused on why he had just defended her against her own boyfriend and suddenly feeling guilty because he suddenly realized he had left Shannon at the dance by herself, accepted anyway and followed her inside.
"Come on," she said, leading him up the stairs and into her bedroom. "Sit down."
Benji obeyed and sat down on the end of her bed. She walked around the room for a while, throwing her shoes in one corner and tossing her keys on the computer desk.
"You can take your sweater off," she informed him. "You're probably a little uncomfortable in that, anyway."
Grateful, Benji shrugged his sweater off and tossed it into the hallway where he knew he would remember to grab it. He still had a simple white t-shirt on.
"You're lucky I actually cleaned my room today," she said with a small laugh, disappearing into her bathroom for a moment. She returned with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a cotton ball. She wet the cotton ball down with the peroxide and knelt down in front of Benji.
"This is going to hurt a little," she informed him. "But you gotta sit still, or you're gonna get it in your eye." Benji nodded and allowed her to gently dab the spot under his eye with the cotton ball.
"There's a small cut under your eye," she told him, continuing to clean the wound. "Probably from Aaron's class ring, but I really don't know." She sighed and got up again to throw the cotton ball away and move randomly about the house. Benji sat still on her bed, looking around her room.
She hadn't bothered to turn the lights on; the only light was the light that poured in through the bathroom and the moon outside, and the glow in the dark stars that were grouped together around her bed. Makena disappeared downstairs for a moment before returning with a pack of ice.
"Here," she said, pressing the ice pack into Benji's hands. "Put that on your eye - it'll reduce the swelling."
Benji nodded and did what she told him too, watching as she slipped her butterfly wings off and carelessly tossed them to the floor. She looked down at Benji and sighed.
"Listen," she said. "I'm sorry I was kind of a jerk to you. I mean, after I moved here. You just seemed like such a - well, an ass, and I figured maybe that's just who you were, but I guess I was wrong." She paused and sighed. "So... I'm sorry. All I want is to be your friend. So... are we friends now?"
Benji bit his bottom lip. "Sure..." he replied finally. Makena smiled.
"No "I hate you" or "leave me alone" on Monday?" she asked. Benji shook his head. "Good. Now that we're friends... could you unzip me? There's a hook on the top I can't reach."
Benji nodded as she turned around. He stood up to help her, placing the ice pack down on the floor.
"I didn't think this through very well."
She laughed at herself and held lose hair up and out of the zipper's way as Benji slowly pulled it down her back.
"Thank you," Makena whispered once he had finished. She turned around to look at him and smiled, letting her hair down again. Benji took a deep breath and slowly slipped the straps off her shoulders. The dress slipped down around her ankles as he kissed her softly on the neck.
"Benji... I can't..." Makena began, but stopped when Benji's lips met hers.
"I have... a boyfriend..." she told him between kisses, but her hands were preoccupied with Benji's pant zipper. Benji twirled one of his fingers in her long, blond hair as Makena lifted his shirt up and over his head. She sat down on her bed and slowly crawled back as Benji continued to kiss her.
"Okay," she breathed finally, although she hadn't needed to say anything at all.
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Benji's eyes fluttered open as he heard the phone ring from downstairs. He blinked a couple of times, trying to remember where he was and how he had ended up there when he noticed he had his arm wrapped around a sleeping figure next to him. He remembered and closed his eyes, not exactly concerned that he had woken up in Makena's bed. He smelled her hair - it smelled like fruit. He smiled to himself and readjusted his arm around her waist. The answering machine picked up and Benji listened to the message.
"Hi, you've reached Terry and Makena. Leave a message and we'll get back to you."
"It's the answering machine..." Joel's voice said somewhat distantly. "... no... oh! Benji! Benji?! Well, if you're there, pick up." Pause. "We tried everywhere else and we can't exactly find you. Um... so, if you're there, call Shannon's house. And... Makena? Shannon's a little pissed you took her date, but call if Benji wasn't there and we'll try somewhere else."
Benji breathed a couple of times and tried to fall back asleep. He didn't know what time it was, but he didn't exactly care, because it was Sunday and he had nowhere to be.
Finally, Makena began to stir next to him. She yawned and looked around before sitting bolt upright, holding her blanket around her chest.
Benji let go of her and watched her for a moment as she took a couple of deep breaths. She closed her eyes and slowly turned to look at Benji, opening her eyes to see him.
"Shit..." she muttered, using the bottom sheet as a cover up while she jumped out of bed. She ran around her room, in search of something to wear.
"I can't believe we did that," she muttered as she walked around the room in search of her socks. "I just... shit." She paused and looked up at Benji. "I have a boyfriend... just think of what he would do if he found out?"
"So... we won't tell him," Benji replied, propping his head up with his arm, which was resting on one of the pillows.
"It's not that easy," Makena said, groaning. She found a shirt and a bra and disappeared in the bathroom to slip them on.
"Well, no one knows I'm here," Benji said.
"True," Makena called from the bathroom. She returned, brushing the parts of her hair that wasn't still wrapped in braids. She sighed and leaned against the door in her dark blue t-shirt and black underwear. And socks. She smiled and put the brush down on the bathroom counter.
"You know what?" she said. "I might have pointed out that I have a boyfriend, but I really... enjoyed, last night." She smiled sheepishly and crawled onto her bed on her hands and knees, kissing Benji on the lips. Benji smiled up at her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her down.
"Hey!" Makena squealed, laughing.
"You're ticklish?" Benji asked.
"Well... no, Benji. Don't... stop it!" Makena pleaded between laughs. "No... not the feet!! NOT THE FEET!" She kicked her way out of Benji's grasp in time to hear the phone ring. They listened to answering machine for a second.
"Hi, you've reached Terry and Makena. Leave a message and we'll get back to you."
"Hi, Makena! I know you're probably still sleeping, but I just wanted to call and tell you my flight is going to be early, so I'll be coming home shortly. If you get this, call the cell and I'll pick something up. Love you! Bye." Makena looked at Benji before scrambling off the bed again.
"That was my dad," she informed, handing Benji his boxers before looking for some pants for herself to wear. "You gotta get out of here."
Benji nodded and began the search for his pants once he had pulled his boxers on. He found his t-shirt and slipped that on as Makena struggled to get her own pants on - a pair of jeans famous people had autographed for her throughout the years.
Benji found his pants under the bed and raced to put them on as Makena put her shoes on. They raced down stairs, Benji grabbing his brother's sweater on the way.
"You slept on the couch," Makena said, looking directly at him as she went through the messages on the answering machine and deleted the ones she didn't need.
"What?"
"You slept on the couch," Makena repeated. "If ANYBODY asks, you slept on the couch."
Benji nodded as he put his shoes on. Makena opened the front door and led them outside and into the driveway. Benji climbed into her van as Makena ran back into the house for her keys. She returned quickly, shutting the front door and starting the car, driving down the short distance to Shannon's house.