We Didn't Start The Fire

Corey is doing his favorite thing in the world. Hanging out with Trevor without Grace. He doesn't get this chance often but when he does he cherishes it very deeply. He just can't stand her ditsy statements and stupid rhetoric questions that nobody except Trevor and maybe Caleb care about. He's tried very hard to like her, because she's his best friends' girlfriend- for a really long time. He doesn't have the right personality for her.

He's stubborn and rude and harsh and she wants to end world hunger and save the whales and create world peace. They just clash. And when she called him the 'fat' twin freshman year he just about had it. He is exactly 3 pounds heavier than his brother and it's only because he has more muscle. No one could even notice it, not until she pointed it out anyway.

"Trev, can you make me another mix CD? The last one you gave me was awesome. I don't even know how you do it," he says, looking through Trevor's giant CD collection.

"Yeah sure. It's what I do. I may be a stoner and I may not be smart but I know what I can do. I can make kick ass beats and DJ like a pro."

Corey never liked the fact that Trevor smokes weed because he hates drugs altogether but Trevor is his one and only exception because he's not stupid about it, he doesn't smoke every day and he'd never drive high or do anything to hurt anybody. Sometimes he's hilarious.

"Don't talk bad about yourself like that man. You got a lot going for you."

Trevor puts down his headphones and looks at his friend. Corey has never seen him look so serious, but so mellow. He can usually predict what he's going to say but this time it's different.

"Speaking of which...I...you're right. I do have a lot going for me. I uh. This summer I'm thinking about asking Grace to marry me." Trevor is smiling but Corey is not. Far from it actually.

He knew it was inevitable. Of course Grace and Trevor were going to get married. Straight out of high school though, seems a little bit too soon. Maybe not to them but still.

Corey doesn't want to explode, especially because Trevor has no clue that he hates his girlfriend, so he breaks his opinion as gently as he knows how.

"Well I would think about this, Trev. I know you've been dating for a while but...I mean...I guess it's just shocking. She's so young and you're so young. Why don't you wait a while? She still doesn't know which college she's going to and...her parents are Chinese. You know how they are with young marriages."

Trevor laughs and Corey doesn't like it.

"First of all, chill. Second of all she's Filipino not Chinese, and her parents LOVE me. Third of all I freaking love her. You don't understand- no offense, but love is a powerful thing. You don't know what she does to me. I still get weak in the knees when she kisses me...I still get excited when I know I'm gonna see her. I write songs about her every night. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And I know she wants the same thing.""BUT SHE'S SO FUCKING DUMB!

Corey hates it when people tell him he doesn't understand love. Just because he's never loved anyone doesn't mean he doesn't understand. Or so he thinks.

"I'm only saying this because I don't want you to make a mistake. Not like it will definitely be one I just...I mean if it were legal for me to get married I'd want to wait y'know and all that bullshit but yeah. I'm not trying to stop you. Do what you feel."

Trevor wraps his friend in a non-aggressive headlock. "Dude you better be on my side. You have to be my best man. And I better be yours- because you know it's gonna be legal soon. So in 50 years when you decide you want to get married you can."

"Oh shut the fuck up." Corey jokes and gets himself out of Trevor’s' grasp. "I actually should get going, but listen you better have that CD for me soon, I live for your beats."

~

"Hey so you two did get together after all," Corey comments on Ben sitting in Caleb's room with a PS3 controller in his hands. He nearly drops it and looks like a scared puppy.

"Oh! Hello. Caleb is using the bathroom- I was just playing um..a game I don't know the name of. I've never played PlayStation before. I'm losing terribly." he breathes. "I'm Ben. You probably know that. You're Corey. Hi. Nice to meet you. I hope I stay on your good side." he looks even more scared than two seconds prior. "Oh my god I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way. I wasn't insinuating anything of a wrathful nature."

Corey has to blink several times before he can speak. He talks like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.

"You can totally relax. I'm not going to rip you to shreds. I'm actually glad that you and my brother are together. He needs someone like you. But if you ever hurt him I swear-"

"Corey! Stop threatening my boyfriend," he half kids and runs over to Ben. "I'm sorry Ben he's just a little crazy sometimes."

"No he's fine. Why doesn't he join us with our game? He can take my turn because I'm not very adequate in this as I am in pool..."

"We can all play at the same time, you can play with tons of people in Call of Duty."

Ben turns a little red because he knows nothing about video games or anything of the sort. He's a math nerd not video game nerd.

"Boys dinner will be ready soon, were having chicken cordon bleu! Come down when you're ready," Melissa calls from the staircase.

Corey pauses his controller and bolts down the stairs leaving the other two boys to catch up.

"I'm so sorry, I should go. I didn't realize it was dinner time," Ben grabs his book bag and keys.

"Ben, you don't have to leave," Caleb giggles. "You're more than welcome to stay and eat. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. We'll fix you up something else. Whatever you want."

Ben shakes his head. "Oh no, no it's not that Caleb. It's so rude of me to impose. I'll see you tomorrow in school or you can pick me up again if you want. Or not- you don't have to. I-"

Caleb takes Ben's hand and turns him away from the door. "Shh, breathe. It's not rude at all. It's ruder if you just up and leave. My mom would be offended if you didn't want her cooking."

The redness returns to his face but he accepts his boyfriends' offer. "Okay, thank you very much. I appreciate this."

Ben usually has take out 6 out of the 7 days in a week. And the other day is just as bad because his mom can't cook to save her life. He doesn't care so much about himself, it's really Emmy he's worried about. He's surprised she's not overweight.

"Dr. and Mrs. Sordino thank you so much for allowing me to have dinner with your family, I didn't want to impose..."

Melissa and Robert are in awe at Ben's manners. Corey is too busy stuffing his face to notice. Corey lives for Melissa's cooking.

"You don't have to call us that sweetheart. You can call me Melissa and my husband Robert. And you are very welcome," she says with a beautiful smile. "Any time you are welcome."

Ben never had chicken cordon bleu before and he is kind of afraid of the name but it is the best meal he's ever had by a long shot.

He thanks Melissa and Robert another few times before he leaves, and he
makes sure to hug Caleb goodbye. Caleb bites his lip and smiles big after he shuts the door. He's got the cutest boy ever.

He goes upstairs and flops on his bed.

"Caleb do not even." Corey says, unbuttoning his jeans as he always eats a little bit too much too fast- after all he IS the fat twin.

"What? Do not even what? You act like you know me." He fake pouts and folds his arms.

"Sad thing is I do know you and I know exactly what you're thinking. You can't wait to jump into bed with him." Corey shakes his head. "You get that look in your eye and I just know you're go-"

"No, Cor. Ben's different. I'm really into him and as much as I would love to I'm not going to."

Corey nods. "Fair enough. Reminds me that I haven't got laid in a few days."

'Anyone who wants to fuck reply... now. No do-overs. -Cor.'

"Are you sending a mass text for a-"

Corey nods again. "Yep."

Disgusting, Caleb thinks. Absolutely disgusting.

He gets a message from Trevor that says Dude you'll never change and a few from girls that he ignores.

'Come to Hayden's house. I'm in. -Kevin'

"If you'll excuse me," he re-buttons himself and reaches in his draw to grab a condom. "I've got somewhere to be."

"Gross!" Caleb calls out as his brother leaves.

~

Corey thinks it is Kevin. Kevin as in Kevin Roher from math class. As in Kevin knows he can't get Mr. Langhan so he'd try to get Corey. But it's not that Kevin. It's Kevin Manning. A football jock.

Corey isn't disappointed. He doesn't do disappointed.

"Seriously? You, Manning?" he almost laughs. "Is this a joke? I didn't even know you knew Hayden."

Mr. Big Shot Manning scoffs and tries to act cool. "It doesn't matter. I don't usually do this. Um. Just don't tell anyone?"

Corey smirks and takes off his shirt. "Secret is safe with me." He doesn't care how Kevin got to Hayden's or how he got his phone number or how he got Hayden out of her own house. He just wants some action.

Kevin takes his shirt off as well and tries to kiss the smaller boy. "Not gonna lie you've got a banging ass body and I can't wait to fuck the shit out of you... but I don't kiss."

Everything halts.

"You don't kiss?"

Corey shakes his head. "Are you deaf? No, I don't kiss. I just fuck. You can suck my dick if you want but-"

"I- I can't do this. You can tell anyone you want- it's not worth it, just leave."

Corey would be pissed. If he cared. He puts on his shirt and holds his hand up. "I can show myself out. And don't worry I still won't tell."

To be honest he thinks it's kind of cool that someone like Kevin Manning would care about something so minuscule like kissing.

He takes out his phone and takes a look at whose next in line. A 'hot ass mother fucker,' as Corey would say, Luis Weber.

He wonders how he hasn't had sex with the whole entire school because he remembers having sex with a lot of people, but then he remembers that not every guy in his school is gay and he has friends from other schools and also friends who've graduated. Lots of options.

"Hey Luis, I'm on my way." He hangs up with a sly smirk on his face. A long night is ahead of him.