You Laugh Cause I'm Different, I Laugh Cause You're All The Same
Chapter 6
By: Mollye
"No, that's wrong. You've done this a million times before." Benji said as he shook his head. He walked over to Randy, who was sitting in their bus after a show. The guitar lessons had taken on a life of their own. Benji and Randy spent a majority of their time bickering over correct melodies and chords. The two of them had spent 15 hours together since the lessons had started two weeks before. The two of them had actually grown quite accustomed to one another. Benji sat down next to her, his eyes trained on her hands. "Now do it again and this time watch your hands."
"Alright you fucking guitar nazi…" Randy muttered as she positioned her hands again on Benji's guitar.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Randy replied as she started to play the basic melody to Switchfoot's `Beautiful Letdown'. Benji thought that it was a bit too hard for her to begin with, but she absolutely loved the band and would hear nothing else.
`At least she didn't pick Nickelback.' Benji thought ruefully to himself. He watched her hands as she played the melody and then stopped her halfway through.
"There's your problem." Benji said tapping her hand on the neck of the guitar. He ignored that she physically withdrew and continued on, "You are gripping the guitar too tightly. You need to relax, if you don't, then it's gonna come out like you are a four year old snot nose brat."
Randy laughed as she placed the guitar down, "Thanks for that lovely image. Now I know that I sound like a four year old. You certainly know how to make a girl feel good about herself."
"Ah, cry about it," Benji said as he picked up the guitar and put in its case. He was never one to feed into girl's that fished for anything. He also knew that Randy was full of shit and he hadn't made her feel bad in the least.
A moment later, the bus slowed down and Randy realized that they were pulling into a gas station. She got up and stretched. She went into the back room and wished the rest of the band members a good night. Joel was reading, while Chris, Billy and Paul were playing poker.
"See you later Dandy Randy!" Chris called over to her. Randy hated that nickname, but Chris seemed dead set on keeping it.
"Don't forget Strider's duck!" Billy said, pointing to it on the couch. A few days before, Billy had smuggled Strider onto the bus and had given him a duck filled with catnip. He loved that cat and offered to buy him from Randy. Randy had refused. And also told him the next time he stole her cat, she'd cut his balls off.
Randy grabbed the duck and waved to all of them. She entered the other room to find that Benji wasn't there. She shrugged her shoulders and walked off of the bus. It was dark outside and the air was really humid. She looked around the dingy gas station to see if Benji was in the store, but he wasn't. Randy furrowed her brows and walked over to her bus. She climbed inside and found out where Benji had gone.
He was sitting on the couch waiting for her. He smiled at her and Randy found it comical. Possibly because his lip rings looked so out place. She stared at him incredulously and with a motion of her hands, asked, "Is there a reason why you have taken up occupancy on my bus?"
Benji stood and went to her, "Actually, yeah. Would it be cool if I crashed here tonight. Joel pissed me off after the show and I don't really want to get into it with him over something stupid."
"Like socks?" Randy replied with a smile. The twins had been fighting over the dumbest things the last couple of days and Randy thought it was hysterical.
Benji nodded and ran his hand over his greasy black spikes. "What about it, can I?"
Randy grimaced at his hair and replied, "Yeah, but you seriously need to wash your hair. I could fucking lube some door hinges with that vat of grease." She laughed and walked away from him.
Benji laughed as he shot back, "Fuck you whore!"
Randy tossed behind her shoulder, "Jealous?"
Benji rolled his eyes, "Extremely." Randy laughed at that and closed her door. Benji looked around. Someone was missing, "Hey, where's Stan?"
"Oh, his girlfriend came out to see him tonight and since she hates this bus, he decided that he would fly out tomorrow morning so he could get some nookie tonight." She went back to her little area and closed the curtains. She pulled out her pajamas and quickly began to change. She didn't know how Benji was with the concept of privacy, so she changed fast.
Benji looked towards the drawn curtains and curiously walked over to them. He pawed at them like a cat and asked, "What are you doing in there?"
Randy reappeared, brush in one hand and a pony tail holder in the other hand. She thinly smiled at him and pushed past him. She curled up on the couch and started to brush her hair. Benji looked at her as she attacked her thick mass of black hair. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to look at her little area behind the curtain. He walked through and realized how anal Randy was. Not like him at all. Her cds were organized neatly on her desktop. Her clothes were folded neatly on the couch, organized into piles. Benji felt himself blush as his eyes scanned over her panties and bras. It didn't matter that they were similar to "parachutes" they still held great feminine mystique and Benji felt as if he were a pervert.
Randy's shoes were lined up at the foot of the couch and as Benji was going to turn back and bug her about her anal tendencies, he caught glimpse of a lifted loft. He tossed a glance back to Randy who was still brushing her hair. He climbed up into the loft area and pushed the curtains back.
`So this is where she sleeps,' Benji thought. He noticed the scattered papers and a large leather journal. He picked it up and examined it for a moment before losing interest and moving on to a small photo album. He was about to open it up when something clawed his arm. He hissed and looked over to find a white cat glaring at him. Ophelia seemed to chastise him for going through Randy's things. He smiled sheepishly at the cat and hopped down from the loft and stumbled back into the main area where Randy was just putting her hair into a pony tail.
"I think you look better with your hair down." Benji stated before he knew that the words were coming out of his mouth. He did everything he could not to blush. Randy looked up at him and arched her eyebrows.
"Thanks, I guess.." she mumbled. Randy wasn't good at taking compliments. She was however good at shooting insults. She shot back playfully, "I like it when you're hair is clean." She pointed to the shower down the hall. "Please go take a shower, I don't think I will be able to sleep with that stench." She batted her eyelashes at him.
"You love it," Benji replied as he grabbed his clothes from the table and strolled off towards the shower.
Randy laughed, "If by love you mean hate…"
Benji flipped her off as he disappeared into the small bathroom. Randy laughed again and padded off to get her journal. She came back into the main area pleased to hear the shower going full blast. She began to scribble down thoughts that had come to her randomly while Benji had been teaching her lesson:
`God, I swear that Benji has got his head stuck up his ass….If he touches me one more time, I think I might scream. He keeps forgetting my rule, either that or he's blatantly ignoring it. Oh well, at least he isn't the urchin that I thought he was. Funny how people can grow on you…' The water stopped and Randy quickly put the journal away. She flipped on the t.v. and surfed the channels, looking for something to watch.
Benji came out of the bathroom in boxers and a black sleeveless t- shirt. Randy observed his legs that would have been stark white if it wouldn't have been for the tattoos littered on them. Benji had a towel wrapped around his shoulders and sat down next to her. Randy looked at him incredulously and waited for him to notice her. Finally Benji glanced at her, but didn't say anything. He winked at pulled a pair of basketball shorts out from his bag and slipped them on over his boxers.
Randy rolled her eyes and began to watch tv again. Benji toweled off his hair and found himself watching her again. He did this more and more. He noticed how intently her green eyes watched the screen and couldn't help but smile. Her skin was so pale, but she didn't look sick. The splash of freckles made her look young, but that didn't matter. His eyes wandered to her fleshy neck and thought of how soft she looked.
Next he came to look at her ample figure and noticed the way that her knees were brought up to her chest. Her toenails were painted blue and Benji suddenly thought that she looked adorable. He wanted to pinch her ample cheeks, but knew doing that would be like trying to pet a bear. More damage than good could occur. His eyes traveled to her pajamas and read what they had sprawled out over them. He laughed out loud.
Randy threw him a questioning look and Benji motioned toward her sleepwear. "It's nice to know that you like people to cum over…" He snickered.
Randy blushed wildly and quickly got to her feet, "I have to change."
Benji leapt to his feet and grabbed her wrist. Randy looked at his hand like it was a snake and Benji ignored it. "No, you don't have to. You forget that I'm a big boy" he sat back down and motioned for her to do the same, "I've seen and heard worse." He smiled mischievously at her, "In fact, I've done far worse myself.." He winked at her.
Randy rolled her eyes and stood there. Benji rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm. He pulled her to the couch, "Sit your big ass down." Randy fell into Benji and pushed away from him roughly. She glared at him and he shrugged his shoulders. He took the remote and flipped through the channels.
A moment later, Randy ripped the remote out of his hand and turned the tv off. She stared at Benji for a moment and finally asked, "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Touch me. I've told you not to and yet you keep doing it."
Benji looked at her squarely and replied, "Because if no one touches you, then how are you going to get used to it once you want someone to? It's a big turn off when a girl you like doesn't like it when you touch her. No guy likes to think that women recoil from their touch." Benji sat back against the couch, "I'm just trying to help you out for things coming down the line."
Randy fiddled with her fingers and replied, "Thanks for the sentiment, but please, I'm not comfortable with that just yet. I just… I can't…." Randy stumbled over her own words. Benji had never seen her so flustered.
"Hey, I understand. I won't touch you again until you touch me. Deal?"
Randy smiled gratefully. She flipped the tv back on and settled a bit further away from Benji and curled her feet underneath her. Benji could tell that she was trying to shield herself from him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He found it frustrating that she treated him like a criminal. They had spent more time together than the rest of the band, and yet, he was treated like she barely knew him. This could have been the definition of discouraging. Benji sighed and watched Randy watching tv. After about twenty minutes of this, Benji got bored and got up from the couch. He ventured back into the area that was Randy's. Much to the chagrin of Randy.
"What are you doing back there? That's where I sleep." She called from the couch.
"Good to know," Benji stated as he scratched the head of Strider. He felt Randy shove off the couch and shuffle back to where he was.
"You know, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes." Randy said as she joined him, placing her hands on her hips. Benji looked over at her and grinned cheekily.
"Most people find me charming."
Randy rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch below her loft. Benji chuckled and continued his search of her area. He once again found a small photo album. He picked it up and sat down next to Randy. He held it up to her and asked, "Do you mind if I look at this?"
"Not at all."
Benji began flipping through the pages. First there was a picture of Manda and an older lady. The older lady had the same eyes as Randy. Benji glanced at Randy, "This your mom?"
"Yeah, that was taken at my graduation. I didn't really want to be in the picture."
"It was your high school graduation!"
Randy grinned sheepishly, "Actually, that was my college graduation.."
Benji stared dumbfounded at her, "You didn't want to be in the picture for your COLLEGE graduation??"
Randy blushed, "I'm not a big fan of pictures most of the time."
Benji shook his head and turned to the next pages. They were more of the same, pictures of her father, her mother, her younger sister (who just loved to be photographed) and a couple of her friends. Benji was getting a better picture of who Randy was. She absolutely adored her friends and respected her parents. But she was rarely in any of the pictures. When he finished with the photos he glanced at her.
"Those were great, but you should really be in them."
Randy shook her head, if I want to look at me, then I will look into a mirror. Pictures are for friends and family."
"What about boyfriends?"
Randy paled slowly and stuttered, "I-I have no pictures of him."
"What about that other photo album."
"There is no other album." Randy said sharply.
Benji stared at her for a moment, "Alriiiiiight." He placed the photo album and tapped his fingers on his knee. He looked around the room and found something that peeked his interest. He went over and picked it up. It was a map of the stars.
"You like the night life?" Benji said with arched brows.
Randy nodded, "I'm gonna let that one slip because I really do love the night sky." She took the map from him and started to point out constellations that she loved. "I love Orion. I think I will name my first son that. I also love Cassiopeia."
"Let me guess, you're gonna name your first daughter that?"
Randy smacked him, "No jackass. I just love this constellation. Staring up at the sky is like staring back in time."
Benji furrowed his brows, "Meaning?"
"It takes ions of time for the light of some stars to reach earth. Some stars could be burnt out and we wouldn't know it for another century. Some we might not ever know. That's how far some are. It's amazing," Randy's eyes beamed brightly and she exclaimed, "When the sky is right, I will show you Andromeda sometime. That's the nearest galaxy to us."
Benji could only stare at her. There was silence between the two, but volumes seem to have been said. He noticed how her eyes never left his. The green of her eyes reminded him of Waldorf. He didn't know why, but they did. The reminded him of the grass outside of his mom's house, they reminded him of the tree he used to sit up in and write lyrics.
He quietly asked her, "When did this happen?"
Randy blinked suddenly and replied just as quietly, "What?"
"When did we become friends?"
Randy smiled softly and looked at her feet as she replied, "When we weren't looking I guess."
Benji shook his head, "That can't be. I've always been looking."
Randy looked up at him, her eyes held something that Benji hadn't seen before. It was gone in a flash, "Then I guess it happened when we weren't paying attention."
Benji smiled cockily, "I always pay attention."
Randy arched her eyebrows, "Do you?"
"Yeah."
Randy quickly punched him in the gut. Benji doubled over. Randy laughed and got up, "I thought you always paid attention."
Benji rolled off of the couch, "I lied."
"That's what I thought," she started to climb up into the loft, "Goodnight Benji."
"Goodnight Randy."
With that, Randy disappeared behind the curtains and Benji stumbled into his bed in the other room. They both fell asleep thinking of the other. Things had changed, but Benji had been right. Both of them had seen the change coming.
They had welcomed it in and now they were wondering who they had let in the door. If they wanted to pursue what they had created or let it die in the dust. They would let things play out for now. No harm could come of a friendship…
…But something else could…