Benji

I spent the rest of the night in my room, ignoring my mother when she called me for dinner. It was dark when I finally left, must have been around eleven, and I was hungry.

The house was quiet as I moved through it; I didn’t turn on any lights in case people were asleep. The light of the fridge illuminated the kitchen as I was rummaging for food. I pulled out a couple of pieces of bread, intent on making a peanut butter sandwich. I turned and a movement in the corner of my eye made me freeze.

“Benji, what the fuck?”

He was sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of water in front of him. His blond hair was slightly mussed, his eyes looked tired, and I couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing a pair of boxers and a Batman shirt.

“What are you doing?” I asked him, recovering and moving to make my sandwich. Though I’d just told myself that I was trying to keep away from him, I couldn’t help but ask. It was midnight and he was sitting in my kitchen.

He shrugged. “I’m staying over ‘cause Carl had to go out of town for work and I didn’t want to be home alone.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but why are you sitting in my kitchen in the dark?”

“Well, I couldn’t sleep and I was thirsty so I came down for a drink and then I sat down and then I got scared ‘cause it’s dark so I just sat here and then you came down,” he mumbled, pushing the glass idly on the table.

I shook my head at his... oddness. With my sandwich on a plate, I sat at the table, opposite Benji. I could feel his eyes on me as I ate, but continued nonetheless – it was my house.

“So, uh, you’re from America?” I asked.

He nodded shyly. “Ohio.”

“Why’d you move here?” I asked between bites. “Why New Zealand?”

Benji looked at me, twisting his mouth to the side as though he was unsure whether or not to tell me. “Um... Th-there was just... Some stuff was happening at home and I needed to get away. Carl is my Mom’s brother and he said I could move in with him.”

I frowned at his response, concerned as to what could have been happening. What if he’d been being abused, or hurt? But then I wondered how that would have affected him, and if it was possible for someone to go through that and come out of it so optimistic.

“You know I’m here if you need to talk, or whatever,” I offered, finishing my sandwich.

Benji nodded shyly, a small smile on his face.

I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the awkward feeling in the air. “Well, uh, come on. I’ll walk you up.”

I put my plate and Benji’s glass on the counter then started toward the stairs, beckoning for Benji to follow me up. He complied obediently, quietly creeping up behind me.

“Thank you,” he beamed at me when we stopped outside Kyle’s door. His cheeks were pink as he leaned up on his toes and pressed his lips softly to my cheek. “Night Reid,” he whispered, and slipped into the room.

Robotically, I walked to my room, letting out a giant breath when I sat on my bed. I told myself that he was just overly-affectionate.

I told myself that it meant nothing.