"Fame" drabbles
I just want to say I love my new tv.
Anyway! More funny and cute this time; didn't feel up to angsty. Enjoy!
Unflattering Picture
Ben frowned at the picture on the screen. “Why’d they use that? That is not my best angle.”
“Well,” Kevin said, looking thoughtful, “could be worse.”
Ben raised a brow. “How so?”
“They could’ve gotten that picture I took that one time we-”
Ben turned bright red and threw a pillow at Kevin’s head before he could finish.
Laying Low
“Not that I mind hiding you out for a while,” Julie said. “But…why aren’t you staying with Kevin?”
Ben blinked at her, trying to look innocent. “Because…you’re my girlfriend?”
Julie gave him a look that said, Ben Tennyson I am so not impressed with you. “You still haven’t told him.”
“That’s a negative.”
“Why not?”
Ben squirmed a little. “Well, it…I don’t know…telling him that you and I broke up just to get an ‘in’ with him seems…kind of low. And if he figures it out, he’ll think I’m on the rebound.”
Julie sighed in exasperation. “But you’re not on the rebound, Ben. If he figures out you like him, then there’s no trouble being honest, is there?”
Ben hesitated, squirming again. “Come on, I’ve just been outed as a hero, Julie. I don’t want to come out as gay on the same day.” As he said it, it seemed to fully sink in, and he suddenly looked a little sick. “Oh my god, the press would go nuts…”
Julie sighed again, and relented. “Okay, fair enough. But as your friend, I am not about to let you run from this forever, got it?”
Ben smiled about a million watts and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Julie.”
Julie grumbled. “If you weren’t so cute…”
Threat or Menace?
“Has anyone bothered to ask how many people actually answered that poll?”
The question comes almost out of nowhere, and it stops everyone in their tracks. Ben stares blankly at Kevin, smoothie straw hanging from his mouth, while the other boy glares at the table.
“Come again?” Gwen asked, looking just as confused as Ben.
“That whole ‘threat or menace’ thing,” Kevin explained. “That’s only two options, and they both suck.”
“Yeah, I know.” Ben rolled his eyes and continued slurping away. “Apparently 74% of adult viewers think I’m a threat. So what’s your point?”
“My point is, do we even know how many people in town actually think that way?”
“Oh, I see.” Gwen’s face lit up with genuine interest. “The only options were negative, so obviously only the people who think badly of Ben would have voted. I didn’t think of that.” She smiled at Ben. “See? There are probably lots of people who like you.”
“Yeah, sure, that,” Kevin said, brushing her off. “More importantly, there are lots of people we can talk to about their opinion, if you know what I mean.”
Both cousins rolled their eyes.
Ben snorted. “And Harangue says I’m the menace.”
A Time and Place for Everything
“You know, I used to think you guys only hung out with me because I was the one who could drive.” He says it jokingly, though he’s being honest. He doesn’t handle “honest” and “serious” very well at the same time. Especially when it comes to his feelings, which he’s honestly tried to keep to himself. At least the ones concerning Ben.
He doesn’t want to hope right now. It’s not the time, or the place for it, really. He doesn’t want to think it’s significant that Ben lowers his eyes when he responds, “Maybe at first…” He doesn’t want to let himself believe that it’s out of shyness. Not right now.
It’s just not the time.
Too Obvious
“So, um…”
Gwen stopped at Jimmy’s hesitant voice. When she turned around, she caught him peering out the door. He was checking for Ben and Kevin. Whatever he wanted to say was for her ears only.
She shut the door.
“Something you wanted to ask me, Jimmy?”
“I wasn’t sure if I should say this out loud, in case I was wrong.” Jimmy fidgeted in his seat. “Um…Kevin…likes Mister Tennyson…doesn’t he?”
Gwen was surprised at first, but then she let out a sigh. “So it’s obvious even to ten-year-olds. Lovely.”
“Oh. So I was right.” Jimmy paused, taking in the rest of her response. “…it’s a secret?”
“Well, Ben doesn’t know, at least.” Gwen shook her head. “Which I guess is just how Kevin likes it.”
Jimmy fidgeted again, looking embarrassed. “I won’t tell anyone, then. I don’t wanna cause any more trouble than I already have…”
“Probably a good idea.” Nobody wanted a repeat of what had happened earlier. Now that Gwen thought about it, Kevin’s little aggressive display-for Ben’s sake, too-was probably what gave him away.
Unnerved by the sudden silence, Jimmy shyly interjects Gwen’s thoughts with, “I don’t think they’d make a bad couple, you know.”
Gwen had to smile at that. “I feel the same way.”
Anyway! More funny and cute this time; didn't feel up to angsty. Enjoy!
Unflattering Picture
Ben frowned at the picture on the screen. “Why’d they use that? That is not my best angle.”
“Well,” Kevin said, looking thoughtful, “could be worse.”
Ben raised a brow. “How so?”
“They could’ve gotten that picture I took that one time we-”
Ben turned bright red and threw a pillow at Kevin’s head before he could finish.
Laying Low
“Not that I mind hiding you out for a while,” Julie said. “But…why aren’t you staying with Kevin?”
Ben blinked at her, trying to look innocent. “Because…you’re my girlfriend?”
Julie gave him a look that said, Ben Tennyson I am so not impressed with you. “You still haven’t told him.”
“That’s a negative.”
“Why not?”
Ben squirmed a little. “Well, it…I don’t know…telling him that you and I broke up just to get an ‘in’ with him seems…kind of low. And if he figures it out, he’ll think I’m on the rebound.”
Julie sighed in exasperation. “But you’re not on the rebound, Ben. If he figures out you like him, then there’s no trouble being honest, is there?”
Ben hesitated, squirming again. “Come on, I’ve just been outed as a hero, Julie. I don’t want to come out as gay on the same day.” As he said it, it seemed to fully sink in, and he suddenly looked a little sick. “Oh my god, the press would go nuts…”
Julie sighed again, and relented. “Okay, fair enough. But as your friend, I am not about to let you run from this forever, got it?”
Ben smiled about a million watts and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Julie.”
Julie grumbled. “If you weren’t so cute…”
Threat or Menace?
“Has anyone bothered to ask how many people actually answered that poll?”
The question comes almost out of nowhere, and it stops everyone in their tracks. Ben stares blankly at Kevin, smoothie straw hanging from his mouth, while the other boy glares at the table.
“Come again?” Gwen asked, looking just as confused as Ben.
“That whole ‘threat or menace’ thing,” Kevin explained. “That’s only two options, and they both suck.”
“Yeah, I know.” Ben rolled his eyes and continued slurping away. “Apparently 74% of adult viewers think I’m a threat. So what’s your point?”
“My point is, do we even know how many people in town actually think that way?”
“Oh, I see.” Gwen’s face lit up with genuine interest. “The only options were negative, so obviously only the people who think badly of Ben would have voted. I didn’t think of that.” She smiled at Ben. “See? There are probably lots of people who like you.”
“Yeah, sure, that,” Kevin said, brushing her off. “More importantly, there are lots of people we can talk to about their opinion, if you know what I mean.”
Both cousins rolled their eyes.
Ben snorted. “And Harangue says I’m the menace.”
A Time and Place for Everything
“You know, I used to think you guys only hung out with me because I was the one who could drive.” He says it jokingly, though he’s being honest. He doesn’t handle “honest” and “serious” very well at the same time. Especially when it comes to his feelings, which he’s honestly tried to keep to himself. At least the ones concerning Ben.
He doesn’t want to hope right now. It’s not the time, or the place for it, really. He doesn’t want to think it’s significant that Ben lowers his eyes when he responds, “Maybe at first…” He doesn’t want to let himself believe that it’s out of shyness. Not right now.
It’s just not the time.
Too Obvious
“So, um…”
Gwen stopped at Jimmy’s hesitant voice. When she turned around, she caught him peering out the door. He was checking for Ben and Kevin. Whatever he wanted to say was for her ears only.
She shut the door.
“Something you wanted to ask me, Jimmy?”
“I wasn’t sure if I should say this out loud, in case I was wrong.” Jimmy fidgeted in his seat. “Um…Kevin…likes Mister Tennyson…doesn’t he?”
Gwen was surprised at first, but then she let out a sigh. “So it’s obvious even to ten-year-olds. Lovely.”
“Oh. So I was right.” Jimmy paused, taking in the rest of her response. “…it’s a secret?”
“Well, Ben doesn’t know, at least.” Gwen shook her head. “Which I guess is just how Kevin likes it.”
Jimmy fidgeted again, looking embarrassed. “I won’t tell anyone, then. I don’t wanna cause any more trouble than I already have…”
“Probably a good idea.” Nobody wanted a repeat of what had happened earlier. Now that Gwen thought about it, Kevin’s little aggressive display-for Ben’s sake, too-was probably what gave him away.
Unnerved by the sudden silence, Jimmy shyly interjects Gwen’s thoughts with, “I don’t think they’d make a bad couple, you know.”
Gwen had to smile at that. “I feel the same way.”