A/N: The other banner CrayonChomper made is to right! :,)

Chapter 4: Sour as a Grapefruit (Ben)

"I had no idea she went to the same uni as us!" Clark revelled in a low voice, the happiness obvious in his tone.

I grunted, not opening my eyes. "Who the fuck are you talking about this time?"

"Why don't you open your eyes and see for yourself?"

"Because that requires effort."

"But Ben, it's your best friend!" he mocked.

I cracked open one eye to look at him. "Then what does that make you?"

Clark's smile became suggestive and he slid down the bench we were sitting on until our elbows were pressed together. "What else but...lovers?" he purred mockingly, running a finger down my arm.

I grabbed his head and shoved it towards his knees. "I swear to god, you touch me like that again and I will end you," I growled. "Are we clear?"

"As glass," he replied cheekily, his voice muffled by his jeans. "Jeez, Ben, I get you're straight but why are you this straight?"

I released his head and crossed my arms, reattempting to get some shut-eye before class. And if my nap just so happened to stretch throughout the lesson...well, nobody had to know, right? "Who were you talking about earlier?"

"Charlotte! Over here!" Clark suddenly bellowed, and even with my eyes shut, I could feel how energetically he waved his hands.

I groaned in embarrassment for his sake seeing as he probably didn't care, until I realised what he'd just said. "Did you say Charlotte?" I hissed.

Clark smirked. "Maybe you can take this as a chance to mind your manners."

"What manners?" I wondered.

"Exactly."

"Hello!" I heard the voice of my nightmares greet us.

"You never replied to my text," Clark teased, and I almost told him that he sounded like a clingy girlfriend, but decided to keep quiet. If I spoke around that chick, I'd only say hurtful things and then Clark would shoot me in the balls.

I kept my eyes closed, but I could hear the way she stammered out her reply and internally cringed. "Uh-I...eh-"

"She's trying to let you down easy," I interrupted, not even flinching when Clark kicked me in the shin. Hell if I was going to sit here and listen to my idiot best friend flirt with a girl who was trying to get away without sounding mean.

"Oh no, no, I wasn't-"

I let out a heavy sigh and opened my eyes. "If you don't want to date him, just let him know now. He won't be offended and he'll get over it. He's a big enough boy."

"Ben!" Clark exclaimed in exasperation.

I waved him away and stared accusingly at the pushover in front of me. "So?"

She turned a light pink colour and glanced between Clark and me. "Well...I don't know you all that well," she murmured to him in a soft voice. "So I didn't know what to say." She gave away her number within minutes of meeting us, so what else did she expect? Idiot.

I turned my head so that Clark wouldn't see me snicker at how awkward the two of them were being. But he noticed and not-so-subtly punched me in the gut. "Don't be such a wuss," I mocked.

"Oh wow," I heard the girl gasp, and I looked up to see her eyebrows furrowed. "I just think I'll leave-"

"Wait!" Clark cried, springing to his feet. Thirsty bastard. "I'll walk you to class. Is that okay with you, Charlotte?"

She stared at him for a moment as though he confused the fuck out of her and then shrugged. "You can call me Charlie," she offered after a pause. She smiled at him, and I swear to god the lad got a bit starstruck at the sight of her dimples. And, not that I'd ever admit it in public, but the happiness of it dazzled me too. It had been a while since I've seen someone smile with so much feeling.

Jesus, I was losing it.

Clark shot me a triumphant look and I rolled my eyes. She didn't say yes or no, dork, don't get too excited. "Okay, Charlie, shall we go?" he asked. I heaved a sigh, hoping that with those two jabber-mouths gone, I'd finally be able to get some sleep.

"You're going to leave Benny here alone?" the girl asked worriedly.

I slid my eyes to her and glowered harshly, making her shift uneasily. "Don't call me Benny," I ordered. "I am not your pet, I am not your toy, and I am not your friend, got it?"

"Ben." I ignored Clark, and continued to stare at her angrily.

"It's okay, Cl...Clark, is it? It's alright." She turned to me and smiled wider, causing me to frown deeper. What was her problem? Did she want me to rip up that prissy backpack of hers into shreds? "I'm going to keep calling you Benny, because I like it," she told me. "So you can call me whatever you want as payment!"

"Not whatever you want," Clark interrupted, piercing me with his eyes. He was trying to get me to be nicer to this chick, but I didn't want to. Why the fuck would I when I didn't even know her? And now she was ordering me around?

"I am not giving you a nickname," I finally said.

"Why not?" she pushed. "It's only fair if I call you Benny."

Fair? She must be a primary schooler masquerading as a university student, because there is no way that someone like her was a young adult. I pretended to think about it. "How about this? No."

"Come on. Please?" She blinked at me and tipped her head, her eyes widening pleadingly. I blinked back, wondering how such a small girl could be so good at persuading people. Maybe it was her big eyes. Maybe she was a demon, and that was why I felt myself weakening.

I glared at her for making me relent, and then at Clark for involving me with such an annoying girl. He just continued to watch her with this soft glow in his eyes. He was so whipped. "Fine!" I barked. "Fine, only to get you to stop complaining, goddammit."

She winced a little at my tone of voice, but then beamed at me. "What do you have in mind, Benny?"

Fuck, what did I get myself into? Now, every time I saw this demon, I'd have to endure her calling me that emasculating name. Benny. God, just thinking it gives me shivers. "I'll call you Shit-fac-"

"Ben," Clark warned.

I groaned slightly and rolled my eyes to the sky. No peace. No more peace, Ben. That was what happened when you tried to do something good, it just bit you right in the ass. No more good deeds for me. "Lottie," I finally grumbled. "I'll call you Lottie."

"Wow, no one's ever called me that before!" she exclaimed excitedly, before turning to Clark. "Lottie such a good one, isn't it?" He nodded agreeably with her, but I knew he wasn't really listening to her.

"Wow, you must feel so accomplished," I bit sarcastically, wishing to god she would just leave already. "Now go to cla-"

"Why would I feel accomplished, you're the one who came up with it!"

Oh my god. I couldn't do this. She was driving me insane. I needed to leave before I stick my head in the fountain and never come out. Fuck me.

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This chapter was hard to write. Ben is weird, I don't really know how to convey him. But I hope you liked it :)