Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

John O'Callaghan sat in his room plucking away at a few strings, for some reason he just couldn't think tonight. Instead, his mind kept creeping to the box under his bed, where other boys kept porn he kept a folded up picture, a letter and a ring. Well, there were a couple of dirty magazines under there too, but that wasn't the point. To everyone else, John had moved on, "partying it up" with numerous girls and he had managed to convince himself she had changed and so had he.

"Hey dude," Max sighed walking into John's room not even knocking. John let out a laugh wondering when they stopped knocking and just started walking into each other's houses. "Benny's home," He let out in a small voice and John's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, that's cool," John tried to dismiss, concealing the fact he wanted to go over there and demand answers and kiss her. "She here just for thanksgiving?" He tried to make small talk because people who were over their exes could small talk about them.

"Uh, yeah, she brought home her new tool bag boyfriend. Are you going to Melissa and Garrett's party tonight," Max asked sitting down in the computer chair at John's desk. Since dropping out he had still been doing stuff with the band, in fact they were about to go on their first major tour this winter. The news hit John, she had a new boyfriend? What did he look like and was she in love? It had to be serious since she brought him home with her. Was she having sex with him? Was he better than him? All flashed through his mind at the drop of the word boyfriend.

"Uh, yeah I will. She's gonna be there right?" John asked after realizing that he had let his thoughts get the best of him. He spent half of his time zoning out and getting lost in his thoughts, but at least he was thinking. There was a point after their break up where he couldn't sleep, think or eat. That was what Max saw, the shambles his sister had left his best friend in.

"Uh, yeah it's her welcome back party, so I'm pretty sure she's gonna be there. Plus you know how Melissa can be- she's not gonna let Benny miss it," Max laughed at the expense of his friend's girlfriend. John who seemed to be formulating a plan. He was good at planning, he was just bad at the follow through. "You sure you wanna go?" Max asked out of consideration.

"Yeah, what time should we head over?" John tried to reassure Max, who still seemed quite skeptical. He didn't even hear Max's response he was already scheming and deciding to scope out Bennett, to see if he even wanted her back. He also wanted to know what was the deal with this new boyfriend of hers and since he couldn't ask his friends out right, he would have to see for himself.

================

"So, you and Matt, tell me everything," Melissa hugged her tightly after Benny and Matt got to the Nickelsen house and Matt was thrown to the boys Benny had grown up with. She hoped he would be alright, after all they were John's friends and as far as they were concerned, she was the girl who broke John's heart.

"Well, he's three years older than me, we met at the library, he was staring at me awkwardly every time we happened to be in at the same time, until he finally talked to me and asked me out, and that's it," Benny shrugged casually, there was no great love story behind them. She downed the shot that Melissa gave her and then a couple more wanting more than anything to stop thinking and Melissa was happy to drink up with her.

"You're my best friend," Melissa slung her arm around Benny's neck. Both of them laughing and stumbling into the living room, weaving through people until making their way to Tim and Matt who were having a beer discussing something or other. "Please don't leave me all over again, just stay in Arizona with me," Melissa pressed their foreheads together letting the sadness show in her bright blue eyes.

"You're my best friend and I don't really want to leave you," Benny slurred trying to hold herself up before both girl started giggling and noticed a boy standing in the corner by himself with a jack and coke, but Benny tried to ignore him. She was too drunk to care about what exactly was going on.

"Honey, are you okay?" Matt asked putting his beer down and standing to hep her as Tim did the same for Melissa. They just laughed harder and Benny pushed herself off of him with a coy smile on her lips after giving him a quick kiss.

"I am perfectly okay and I am g-going to socialize with my friends, so drink up Matty," She slurred passing him the beer he had just put down before making eye contact with the boy who had had her heart for the majority of her dating life and walked outside, shivering slightly. The Arizona winter wasn't anything compared to the winters up in New York, but they were still chilly at night.

Once she knew she was alone she grabbed a red cup and downed it feeling so conflicted she didn't even know what to feel. She looked up at the stars that she could never see in the city and felt more homesick now that she was home than she ever had in New York. Then all the sudden, tears came to her eyes, and she didn't stop them. They simply flowed like tiny springs through a forest, and she let them, only wiping her nose.

She heard footsteps coming from behind her and hurriedly wiped them, not wanting anyone to see the fact she was crying. "Ben?" A voice called out and she felt her heart sink, "Babe, are you okay?" Matt came rushing to her side and she nodded giving him a fake smile that anyone would believe.

"I'll be right back in, okay? I just needed some air and time alone," She nodded kissing his cheek and he stole a couple of kisses before nodding and making his way back into the loud house. John was waiting by the door awkwardly before Matt appeared and sighed loudly.

"Hey, was she out there?" John asked nodding towards the door. He shoved his free hand into his skinny jeans, he looked down and saw Matt's khakis and felt some sort of superiority to him- at least fashion wise. John took a cool sip of his Jack on the rocks and winced as the straight alcohol hit his esophagus.

"Oh yeah, she said she just needed some time alone. Thanks for letting me know where she was, I'm Matt by the way, Bennett's boyfriend," He grinned extending his hand and John pulled out his hand from his pocket to shake it.

"I'm John. No problem dude, yeah she gets like that sometimes. You just gotta let her cool off," John shook his hand giving it a tight squeeze before sticking his hand back into his pocket. He felt slightly guilty knowing that he shouldn't be lying to the poor kid, the truth was when Benny got upset she liked someone to hold her and when she ran off she wanted someone to chase her. At least in his experience, but all's fair in love and war and this was both.

"Thanks bro, so how do you know Bennett? You seem to know her really well. Maybe you can give me some helpful tips," Matt smiled trying to make small talk. He was actually uncomfortable being in a place with all her friends without her to introduce him. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but he knew something was wrong. Something was always wrong, someone had hurt her so much she had pain in her eyes and the worst part was there wasn't anything Matt could do about it.

"We're old friends, I live next door so I've known her forever," John shrugged casually, down playing their relationship. Matt didn't know that the thing that was plaguing his girlfriend was making small talk with him right now. "With Bennett, you just gotta give her time and let her sort out her shit, don't try to rush her or you'll get her mean side."

"I've never even seen her mean side," Matt laughed before thinking about her at the airport today, but it wasn't mean it was just short. "I'm gonna go get another beer, do you want one?" Matt said pointing to the kitchen with a grin on his lips. John shook his head before looking at the door and taking a deep breath. As soon as Matt was out of sight John slipped out the back door to see his girl. After eight months after not seeing her, even her silhouette was enough to make his heart race. He figured it wasn't fair to Matt, but it had to be fair enough because he wanted her back. That was all he wanted for the past seven months.

"Just give me a second, Matt," Benny called out, her voice sounding nasal with tears and he scoffed, then she shot up realizing it wasn't Matt. She wiped her tears and nose profusely and cursed under her breath before forcing her legs to stand up straight and work properly, she faced him and tried to be angry. "What do you want, John?"