Every Hidden Truth (Far From Ruined #2)

8. Gay Anime Porn

8

Gay Anime Porn

My phone buzzed in my cup holder as I pulled Mabel into the school parking lot the next morning. I grinned like an idiot when Ben’s name flashed across my screen. Once I safely parked a few cars down from his Impala, I opened my phone to his text.

Ben: So, boyfriend, are we meeting early to make out before school?

Chuckling, I shot him a reply before exiting my truck and locking it.

Silas: If you wanted to make out before school, you should have texted me sooner. I’m lucky if I make it to my locker before the bell rings.

As I carefully traversed the icy sidewalk, I split my attention between not falling on my ass and my phone.

Ben: We can make time. I’m in C hall by the pool. Where are you?

Silas: On my way.

Shouldering my backpack, I tucked my phone into my pocket and quickened my walk.

A group stood near the lockers where the gym corridor met C hall, and my smile widened when blue eyes met mine. Like he’d been waiting for me, Ben straightened from his slouched position on the wall of lockers and shoved his phone into his pocket.

Nerves exploded in my stomach as I approached the group, unsure exactly how to act, but Ben erased my doubt as he gestured me closer. The moment I stood within reach, the other bodies shuffling to make room, he snagged my sleeve.

“Hey,” he greeted me as he pulled me to stand right next to him. “You’re almost late.”

“Yeah, fashionably late is kind of my thing.”

A few pity chuckles sounded from the rest of the group, and I tightened my grip on my backpack straps as Ben jumped into introductions. “Everybody, this is Silas. Si, that’s Julian and his girlfriend, Iris.” He pointed to the Latino diver from the team and a tall, raven-haired girl beside him, before moving on to the others. “David, Troy, and Kelly, and the twins, Hollie and Brent. And you know Ronnie.”

I waved with a closed-lip smile. “Hi.”

They offered friendly greetings, but I felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny, anyway. Plus, there was no way I was remembering their names. Hopefully Ben wouldn’t quiz me later.

“Listen, I gotta hit up my locker,” I said to Ben. “See you at lunch?”

“I’ll walk with you.” He bent to snatch his rucksack from the floor.

I shook my head. “No, it’s cool. You don’t have to.”

With a droll stare, he pushed a noisy breath through his nose. “How about I want to.”

“Okay,” I agreed readily, a genuine smile spreading across my lips, and he beamed at me.

“Argh, get a room.” Ronnie coughed the words, holding his hands in mock apology as he cleared his throat. “Excuse me, I think I’m coming down with something.”

“Yeah, I hear being a dumbass is incurable,” I said as I pushed Ben in the opposite direction.

He feigned a shot to the chest. “If only Ezzy was here. She’d defend me.”

“Except she would totally side with me, ’cause she loves me more than you.”

Ronnie laughed as Ben dragged me away.

“I still can’t tell if he likes me or not,” I confessed as we made our way to my locker.

“He does. He’s just... protective of his people, I guess. He wasn’t sure what to make of you at first.”

Instead of taking Ben’s hand like I wanted to, I kept a hold of my backpack straps as he buried his hands in his pockets. Our elbows knocked at even intervals, and my heart pitter-pattered pathetically in my chest.

“Sleep okay?” he asked as we passed the cafeteria, and I side-stepped to avoid a collision with a group of giggling freshmen.

“Yeah, pretty good. You?”

He shifted closer to me as the hallway grew congested, dropping his volume. “Yeah, but I liked our nap better.”

Yesterday, we’d napped on his bed, tangled together for nearly an hour. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because you were there with me, of course,” he said without an ounce of shame.

Spinning, I walked backward as I cooed, “Aw, you missed me, Adams?”

“Always,” he said, cheeks turning rosy.

“Oh my God, I cannot with this cutesy shit.”

“Too bad,” he said with a flick to my nose. “Because I like the cutesy shit.”

After stopping by my locker, Ben walked me to my first class, the back of his hand grazing mine. The seven-minute bell rang, and his index finger curled around my pinkie, squeezing gently.

“I’ll see you at lunch.” He hesitated, searching my gaze, then focusing on my mouth.

Before I could second guess and chicken out, I popped up onto my toes and pecked his mouth quickly. “See you at lunch.”

Without waiting for a reaction from him or the other students around us, I scurried into my class and plopped into a desk at the very back. I ignored everyone around me as my face heated to surface-of-the-sun levels. Hopefully, no one noticed our kiss, but I doubted it.

I had a feeling that, by lunchtime, everyone would know.

Sure enough, eyes followed me the moment I entered the lunchroom, but I studiously held my head high as I joined Ben at the end of the lunch line. He smiled and tentatively twined our fingers, our hands hidden between our bodies as we shuffled along the queue like sheep.

We filled our trays with food as we made small talk, pointedly ignoring any stares. It didn’t matter what they thought or what they said. I wouldn’t let it matter.

As we crossed the lunchroom, hand-in-hand, a round of raucous catcalls brayed from a group of athletes. They whistled and jeered, and Ben’s steps faltered.

“Finally found yourself a boy toy, huh, Brigs?” Jake Thompson sneered as his friends laughed like idiots around him. Red splotched Ben’s cheeks and neck as his fingers tightened in mine. “Which one of you is gonna run for homecoming queen?”

“I’m sorry. Just ignore them,” I whispered as he glared over my shoulder.

And because the world was apparently against us, we spotted Alice charging our way. Ben’s annoyance morphed into horror.

“Oh, shit,” he squeaked, meeting my eyes in panic.

I snorted. “Pussy.”

Rubbernecking as if in search of an escape, he grunted in irritation before something naughty gleamed in his eyes.

He released my hand and pushed his tray into it. “Hold this.” I automatically obeyed to save both of our lunches from tumbling to the floor.

“Ben, what—” But I never finished.

With a chuckle, he framed my face with his hands and kissed me square on the mouth.

In the middle of the cafeteria.

In front of everyone.

If I hadn’t had trays full of nachos and french fries in my hands, I would have thrown myself into his arms. As it was, I could only stand and let him kiss me.

And kiss me, he did.

It wasn’t lewd, but it was claiming. He was making his statement, taking a stance. My stomach somersaulted as he slid our lips together. Spearmint exploded over my tongue as I teased the seam of his mouth, unable to stop the instinctual action.

Pulling away, he smiled widely, and his eyes crinkled at the edges. “Sorry. It was either this or I punched Thompson’s lights out.”

“Either is satisfactory,” I said, breathless. “Plus, now Alice will probably stop stalking you.”

As he took back his tray with a chortle, I chanced an investigatory glance around and grimaced. A lot of people gawked at us like rare animals in a zoo, and my skin itched. But if Ben was brave enough to do this, then I could be too.

So I squared my shoulders and said, “What? Never seen two guys kiss before? Jesus!”

Ben’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as he linked our hands. The weight of eyes following us was heavy on the back of my neck, but I refused to slump under it.

We passed Alice, and because I was a petty bitch, I sent her a triumphant smirk. She scowled.

“Stop looking so smug,” Ben chided, and I waggled my tongue at him.

When we finally made it to our table, the buzz of cafeteria conversation resumed, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Ben sat and I took the chair beside him. I peeked at Kim, and she was beaming at us.

Jordan held out an expectant hand to Harris. “Pay up.”

“Damn it,” Harris muttered and slapped a five dollar bill into his waiting palm.

Caroline squealed wordlessly.

“Okay, let’s not—” I started, but Kim interrupted.

“Finally!” she crowed, exchanging a high-five with Caroline.

I groaned and hid my face in my hand. Ben just laughed and popped a french fry into his mouth.

“I knew it,” Kim declared to no one in particular. “I fucking knew it.”

“Congratulations,” I deadpanned, and she tossed a piece of lettuce at me.

“Stop ruining this for us,” she said.

“Yeah, this is, like, every yaoi lover’s dream,” Caroline said.

I said, “What’s yaoi?”

And Ben choked on his sports drink.

“Gay manga,” Kim explained.

“Or anime,” Caroline said.

“It can be a lot of different forms of gay Japanese fictional media,” Ben wheezed.

My wide eyes ping-ponged between Ben and Kim. “Gay anime porn?”

“Not porn!” Ben said at the same time Kim said, “Yeah, kinda.”

I rounded on Ben, and his face flushed. “We are gonna have words later.”

Instead of responding, he focused on his food.

The conversation shifted to everyone’s favorite anime, of which I was woefully ignorant. I ate my nachos as Ben and Kim connected over their love for something called One Piece .

Absently, Ben reached over and took one of my nacho chips and ate it. I glared. He didn’t notice. When he went for a second, I smacked his hand, interrupting his conversation.

“Dude, ow!”

“Dude, get your hands off my food.”

He rubbed the back of his hand. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. You can’t just take my food without asking.”

“You always steal my food,” Ben countered.

I grinned slyly as I did just that, pilfering one of his fries and shoving it into my mouth before he could stop me. “Rules don’t apply to me. You should know this by now.”

Fighting a smile, he glared and pinched my side. “Give me a chip.”

“No,” I said, batting his hands away as he tried to loot my plate. “Get your own damn chips, you thief.”

“I gave you a bite of my pancakes.”

“I didn’t want your pancakes. You practically shoved them down my throat, and it was gross.”

Jordan leaned toward Harris and whisper-shouted, “I bet pancakes is a euphemism for—”

“Finish that sentence,” I hissed, pointing a finger at his face, “and you’ll spend the rest of your life as a eunuch.”

His eyes widened behind his hipster glasses; he did not finish the sentence.

“I’m sorry.” Ben rubbed my shoulder. “I thought you wanted me to shove my pancakes down your throat.”

Everyone laughed as I glared at him. “Do not encourage them, Ben!”

He plucked a chip from my plate and smugly crunched down on it.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I huffed, scooting my chair closer to Caroline.

A minute later, Ben’s finger traced the back of my hand. I ignored him. He curled his hand around mine and tugged. I ignored him some more. He sighed, like everything in his life was unfair.

“Don’t be mad,” he whispered against my shoulder, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He gave me puppy dog eyes, and air whistled through my nose on an exaggerated exhale. “I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.”

And because I was a total sucker, I thawed. “I’m not mad at you,” I mumbled.

“Promise?” He offered his pinkie, and I smiled.

Hooking our pinkies, I said, “Promise.”

Ben leaned in and pressed a kiss to the spot beneath my ear, and heat crawled up my neck as I ducked my head. I caught Kim’s gaze, and she was smiling sweetly at us. I blushed hotter and looked away.

Sharing the rest of my nachos with Ben, I listened in as Caroline and Kim excitedly discussed the winter dance. It was still two weeks away, the last day of the semester, but with Caroline in student government, she helped plan and set up for the silly thing.

“Oh, did you answer Brayden yet?” Caroline asked.

“Who’s Brayden?” Harris demanded before Kim could answer.

She waved her hand noncommittally. “He’s in my chemistry class. And he, uh, asked me to the dance.”

She sipped at her bottle of water as Harris scowled. Ben and I exchanged a worried look.

“You’re going with him?” The accusation in Harris’s tone ruffled Kim’s feathers, and her spine straightened.

Jutting out her chin, she shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I mean, no one else has asked me, so maybe.”

“Do you even know him?”

Kim’s eyes flashed. “I don’t want to go to the winter dance alone.”

“You wouldn’t have gone alone,” he whispered even quieter. “I was—I thought… never mind.”

Awkwardness settled over the table as Kim and Harris glared in opposite directions. I spun my soda bottle cap on my tray, slumping lower in my seat. Apparently, their make-out at the party a few weeks back had complicated things.

“He seems nice,” Kim added flippantly, and Harris sulked.

“Well, good then. Have fun with Brandon.”

“His name’s Brayden!” she snarled before she stood up and stormed away.

Caroline sent us a withering frown, like we were all to blame for this turn of events. She followed Kim in a huff.

“Oh my God, Harris!” Jordan punched his friend in the shoulder. “You’re a fucking idiot, bro!”

“W-what?” Harris stared around the table in bewilderment, and Jordan and I shared a groan.

“She wants to go to the dance with you,” Ben explained kindly. “But you haven’t asked her yet, and it hurt her feelings. The only reason she hasn’t agreed to go with the other guy yet is probably because she’s hoping you’ll still ask her before it’s too late.”

His pale cheeks flushed. “She wants to go with me?”

“Jesus Christ.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, then took a swig of my soda in preparation. “Yes, she wants to go with you. So go be chivalrous. Sweep her off her feet. Make a grand gesture. Whatever. Just don’t wait too long or else that Brady guy is gonna sneak his stirring rod into her beaker.”

“Gross metaphor,” Ben said.

Harris stood, a look of determination on his face. “Okay. Yeah, I can do that.”

“There you go!” I said.

“Go get her, man.” Jordan thumped him on the back.

Harris nodded. “Okay.”

He straightened his clothes, touching his collar like he was going to tighten a tie that wasn’t there. With one last panicked look at the three of us, he rushed after the two girls.

“She is gonna eat him alive,” Jordan said.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s gonna be awesome.