Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

John was fast asleep on the Fallons' couch, snoring lightly as he laid stretched across the couch, his head resting in Benny's lap. She played with his hair absent-mindedly, even in his state she couldn't help but adore him as he stopped his light snoring to smack his lips and stir in his sleep ever so often. Max walked in after dropping his date off at her house and shot her a glare. Benny quickly moved her hands to her sides.

Benny carefully moved his head, trying her best to extinguish the feelings that were swelling in her stomach. She slid out from underneath him and replaced her lap with a pillow so John wouldn't wake up from the awkward change in head position. She chased after Max calling his name quietly trying not to wake up their mother.

"Max, wait please?" Benny begged, even though they were older she was still that four-year-old chasing after her brother. Max had just turned sixteen and Benny was awaiting her fifteenth birthday in February. She felt tears swelling up in her eyes cursing the situation, because she really, really liked John, but she was still seeking Max's approval after all these years. "Please don't be mad at me," She said stopping him on the stairs. He turned around angrily and sighed.

"What Benny? What else do you want from me, of all the guys out there you got my best friend, want my kidney now?" Max said harshly, his anger clearly showing through his eyes, but what scared Benny was the fact he was still clear-headed enough not to raise his voice. He had actually thought this through.

"I'm sorry, I mean I didn't expect to-" Benny stammered losing her cool in the desperation for her brother to not hate her, she couldn't maintain her apathetic attitude. Her cheeks began to flush with the frustration of his ignorance. This wasn't a mind game, she hadn't chosen John to fuck with him, she was just drawn to him.

"Whatever Benny, just stay away from him or me, make your choice," Max said bitterly, he loosened his tie from his button-down shirt, casually rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and started walking up the stairs again. Benny bit her lip and pulled up her dress trying to find the words to make him understand, but Max was stubborn and she knew it.

"Max," She said shortly, he turned around after sighing heavily and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Benny took a deep breath and nodded, "I'll make a deal. If he remembers anything I'll tell him how I feel, if not I'll keep my mouth shut." Benny said hesitant and hoping with all her heart he would remember.

"Deal," Max said a small smile crawling on his lips, it was a mix of a malicious and loving smile. Benny sighed, wondering how Max's mind even worked, tears swelling up her eyes. She pulled her hair tie out of her hair, letting the waves cascade down her shoulders. She would have to fall for John O'Callaghan out of all the guys that were interested in her. She swore to herself before grabbing her phone and texting Melissa, walking over to her house. Despite the fact it was four in the morning and everyone was sleeping. No one had seen her cry since John so rudely followed her after Tommy Fitzgerald, her first boyfriend broke up with her, and she had every intention of keeping it that way. She wandered around the neighborhood finally settling on the swings at their neighborhood park until the sun rose.

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"Hey John," A girl said walking past Max and John on the first Monday back to school since homecoming. John wished he could remember what happened, all he could recall was Benny helping him puke his guts out then waking up on the Fallons' couch. John gave her a smirk and waved, pulling up his loose straight-leg jeans, there was a wave of giggles after it.

"Max, dude, what happened during homecoming?" John asked finally remembering to ask Max. He gave John the half-assed version, neglecting to tell the part about John and Benny's make out session. Half way through his explanation he cut himself off, nudging John in the ribs and pointing to a blonde staring at him, leaning against the lockers, seduction in her eyes. "Get some dude," Max said pushing him over towards her. John let out a raspy laugh and shoved him back lightly, after turning his swagger on he made he way over to her. John was confident, his entry to the J.V. basketball team as a freshman made him quite the hit among freshmen and now he was on Varsity the girls seemed to line up to go out with him. It would give anyone an ego.

"Hey stranger," She said her bright blue eyes, lined with black. John should be nervous, but he wasn't he leaned against the locker turning to her. She clutched her books to her chest creating lines of cleavage. John looked shamelessly, due to his height it was easy for him and he didn't exactly need to keep appearances up.

"Hey, how are you doing?" John asked giving her his patented crooked smile. She seemed to melt in his hands, a seduced smile spreading across her lips until John heard someone call out 'Bennett', he turned to see forgetting momentarily about a girl who had pretty much given herself to him. His heart quickened it's pace in his chest. She looked up at the same time and gave him that same half smile before returning to the girls. He watched her for a while, seeing her brown hair swing behind her, looking glamorous in a light blue sundress, moving with her hair. John swallowed after the girl cleared her throat.

"So I think we should get lunch today," John said returning to the blonde, she nodded brightly and he got her number, punching it into his phone. She gave him a coy smile, her lips smeared with lip gloss and her skin orange from fake tanner. He couldn't describe his apathy toward her, but he was lonely and she was there.

"Sup JohnO!" Halvo called out in the hall, slapping five with him before they took off for class. John stole one more look at the brunette walking away, unaware that she was dying inside, wishing that he could've just remembered one little thing from Homecoming. "Dude I heard you made out with Moose's sister at homecoming," Halvo laughed slapping John on the back with some sort of congratulations.

"Uh, what?" John asked completely confused as if some bomb had been dropped on him. He chocked lightly and wondered why Max had neglected that detail and why nothing had changed between him and Benny's relationship, he double checked where she had been but the hallway was now empty much to his dismay. "No, man, she went with Jared," John shook his head in complete denial. It just didn't make any sense, he would know if he made out with the girl he had been crushing on since eighth grade.

"You definitely grabbed her on the dance floor and gave her a big, sloppy, sexy, intense, saliva-y-" Halvo said trying to continue on, trying to come up with adjectives when John cut him off.

"No- I mean-, what? No, we couldn't-, what?" John's mind was racing, he couldn't even listen to Halvo going on and on. Does this means she regretted it? Should he say anything about it or just keep things the way they were? How could Max not tell him, I mean obviously if he had acted on his feelings for Benny Max would get the picture. He wracked he brain for the memory and suddenly remembered her smirk right before lips touched, but that was it. It seemed hazy and almost out-of-body, like watching an old movie. Now John was completely in awe of what he should do now.

"Whoa, John's gone catatonic," Halvo said to anyone who was listening.This was the problem with alcohol, you got the balls to do things you always wanted to, but you couldn't remember them. He desperately went out to find Benny, he had to tell her now, or tell her again, but sober this time. If not to explain his actions, then just because he needed to tell her how he felt about her. He turned the corner and saw Benny staring intently at Max both of them entranced in their conversation. John decided to listen instead of go straight up to her, curiosity taking over reason.

"Max, don't worry about me and John, he doesn't even remember anything. I won't say anything, it's never going to happen," Benny exclaimed clearly annoyed with the situation, John sighed loudly, feeling completely disheartened, of course the one girl he wanted wouldn't want him. John was crushed, he let his head hit the locker behind, despite the fact it hurt like a bitch. He didn't care anymore. John skipped the rest of the day, pouting around before laying on his couch, ignoring the TV program that was on until he fell asleep alone on the couch.

Benny went through her day, biting her lip and wondering if she should break her arrangement with Max. She had seen John hitting on a blonde earlier, completely discouraging her. She tried to forget the kiss and what he had said. She just kept trying to convince herself it was just the booze talking. Situations like this happen for a reason, and tried to push it to the corner of her mind.