When Ashton pulled Benji aside after class the next day, Benji greeted him with a large smile.

"Hey Ashton what's up?" he asked, adjusting the bag strands that swung over his shoulder.

"Listen..Mateo thinks you're gay," Ashton told him but immediately regretted the words.

That was not how he had wanted to begin his talk with Benji, and he internally cringed to himself. Idiot.

Benji only laughed and said, "Oh. Okay."

Ashton narrowed his eyes, his lips parted in surprise at Benji's lack of words.

"You uh.. don't care?"

"Ashton, Mateo's a piece of shit. Why do you even listen to him?"

Ashton didn't want to listen to Mateo, but fuck, the guy spoke so strongly about what he was saying all the time, it was hard to dismiss his opinions.

"Are you saying its true?" Ashton hesitantly asked, his lips twitching anxiously.

"No, I just don't like him," Benji shrugged, "Now is that what you really wanted to ask or is there something else?"

Ashton stayed silent for a moment before eventually opening his mouth and doing what he was supposed to be doing. Uninviting him.

"You can't come. To the fair I mean, with us," Ashton said, cringing at his own lack of verbal sense, "But uh the thing is I wanted to ask if you would like to come with me and Betsy instead..?"

Benji was a little startled by Ashton's offer and wasn't too sure why he was even asking.

"Why can't I go with the group? Why aren't you going anymore either?" he questioned, his eyebrows knotting together.

"Because like you said, Mateo's a dick and well he doesn't want you there so I decided to go with Betsy's family instead and well do you wanna join us?" Ashton asked.

He was nervous. He never allowed himself to get caught up in situations like these, because he hated the way his fingers twitched and his feet tapped impatiently on the floor—he never wanted to be there—he didn't like the anxiety of physically doing partially nice things.

"Oh. I see, " Benji's tone suddenly sounded sad as he spoke, "Well then, I guess I uh.. Will take you up on that offer."

Ashton grinned, but it faltered when Benji didn't return it—Benji, who was usually the one to initiate the glee fueled smiles—had his gaze casted down, and his eyes lacking that usual sparkle.

Ashton's lips parted and he was at a loss of what to say. He had never seen Benji like this before, in fact all he ever was, was smiles and laughs. So, this was kind of odd.

"Are you alright?" he asked after a long moment.

Benji titled his head with a slight nod and suddenly his smile had resurfaced like it never even left.

"Totally, hmm.. yeah I'll tag along if that's alright with Betsy, don't want to intrude or anything."

"Great, I'll ask her."

♡