Liam's Hoodie

"You might want to grab a jacket or something," Liam advised Eric as they prepared to head out. "I have a feeling it's going to rain."

Eric glanced at the sky. "I doubt it," he replied. Liam shrugged off the comment, and they continued on to class.

Liam had a hunch that today would be chilly, so he opted for his favorite blue hoodie. Just a couple of classes later, the rain began to pour.

He even contemplated a future in weather forecasting during college.

Turning back to Eric with a playful smirk, he said, "I told you so." Eric simply rolled his eyes in response.

Liam's attention drifted to Ben, who was seated to his left, resting his head on the desk with his eyes shut. In the past, Liam didn't mind that Ben sat by himself; they had only recently grown closer.

But now, he found himself wishing he could sit with Ben. The problem was that he wouldn't be able to persuade Julie, the girl sitting next to him, to swap places with Ben. That would leave her alone, and nobody wanted that.

He shrugged it off and focused ahead. As long as he could talk with Ben, he felt content. When their biology teacher walked in, Liam stole another glance at Ben, who was finally lifting his head and retrieving his books from his bag.

"Everything alright?" Eric asked as they made their way to the library to grab some books. The chilly weather made Eric regret not heeding Liam's advice.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Liam responded, reaching for a book.

"You just seem a bit distracted," Eric noted.

"Really? I didn't realize it was that clear. I've been contemplating on how to get Ben to sit next to me, but it's not a huge issue."

Eric raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You want to sit with him?" He and Chloe were positioned at the back, just behind Liam and Julie.

"Yeah, but Julie wouldn't go for that. She's not going to switch seats with him," Liam replied, flipping through a book titled *The Small Whisperer* by RaeLyn.

"Wow, you really want to be near him," Eric remarked.

"What's that? Are you feeling threatened that I might replace you as my best friend?" Liam teased with a grin.

"Tsk. We're best friends for life; no one can take my place."

"I can't stand how spot-on you are," Liam chuckled, making Eric laugh in return.

"I just think it would be awesome to have him as my seatmate," Liam said as they both exited after signing their names in the book.

Eric shot him a sidelong glance. "Sure."

As they walked, they spotted Ben and Chloe heading towards the P.E. building, engrossed in conversation while Ben wrapped his arms around himself.

With P.E. coming up next, Liam and Eric hurried to their class to stash their books before making their way to the building.

"Did you catch sight of the book?" Chloe asked Liam as they approached where she and Ben were standing.

"Yeah, he got it," Eric replied for Liam, who was focused on Ben.

"Are you feeling cold?" Liam inquired, noticing Ben hugging himself and rubbing his arms for warmth.

"Yeah, I didn't expect it to rain today," Ben lamented, regretting his choice to leave home without a jacket. He secretly wished the class would wrap up soon so he could snuggle in bed and binge-watch his favorite ship videos.

As if on cue, everyone watched as Liam took off his hoodie and offered it to Ben. "Here, put this on."

Ben's eyes widened in surprise as he gazed at Liam. "Uh, no, it's alright. I can handle it. Aren't you cold?" He could hear the murmurs of those around him.

"Not really, just wear it," Liam insisted, draping it over Ben's shoulders.

Muttering a soft 'thank you,' Ben slipped on the hoodie, instantly enveloped by Liam's scent, which he couldn't resist inhaling.

Just then, the teacher blew his whistle, redirecting everyone's attention. "Alright everyone, you know the routine. Boys to the left, girls to the right." P.E. class was about to begin.

Ben's cheeks ached from grinning so much. He found himself wishing for rain every day, just so he could wear Liam's hoodie again.

When the final school bell rang, Ben realized he needed to return the hoodie to Liam, which made him feel a little down. But then he thought he should wash it first before handing it back.

Gathering his belongings, he walked over to Liam. "I'll wash it and return it to you," he said.

"You can keep it; it looks great on you," Liam replied, as he started packing his bag.

Oblivious to the glances exchanged between Chloe, Eric, and his seatmate, Ben was completely unaware of their scrutiny. It was common knowledge that his favorite hoodie was the last piece from Louis Vuitton's coveted blue hoodie line, and many of his classmates envied him for it. The fact that Liam had given it to him, just like that, left him in disbelief.

"A-are you really sure about this?" Ben stammered, still processing the idea that Liam wanted him to have it.

"Absolutely, it's all good," Liam replied, then added, "Unless you don't want it?"

"Of course I want it!" Ben exclaimed, perhaps too eagerly, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

"Then it's settled," Liam said, flashing a grin. By this time, Julie had already exited the classroom, leaving just the four of them.

"Want to join me for art class?" Liam asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yes!" Ben responded, beaming from ear to ear.

"Let's go then." They both made their way to art class, leaving Chloe and Eric behind.

«»«»«»«»«»«»

Later, Ben lay in his room, a persistent smile on his face. This newfound happiness had been a regular occurrence for weeks. His thoughts were consumed by Liam, and he often found himself wondering how he would cope if Liam started dating someone else.

The thought of heartbreak was daunting; he couldn't imagine hiding the sadness that would inevitably come.

Should he tell Liam how he felt? But what if Liam turned him down, ruining their friendship in the process? That would be a far worse outcome. He was lost in thought when—

"This is illegal," Ben overheard a voice whisper from outside his window.

"Stop acting like we're trying to sell him drugs," another voice retorted.

"But he doesn't—" That was all he caught. Was he about to be robbed? He glanced at the clock; it was 8:45 PM. Should he alert someone?

A knock echoed through the quiet room. With deliberate slowness, he rose from his bed and made his way to the living room. He moved silently, reaching the door and glancing through the peephole. There stood a boy and a girl—Darla and Casper, whom he recognized instantly.

What could they possibly want at this hour? When another knock came, he finally opened the door.

"Hey Ben! Sorry to interrupt you, but we have a quick question," Darla greeted him.

"Uh, sure?" he replied, a bit taken aback.

"Before we dive in, is it illegal for us to be here? You know, visiting you like this," she inquired.

"Not really. I mean, besides my parents and the hostel staff who check in on me occasionally, no one really comes by. It's not against the rules; I just haven't had anyone over before," he clarified.

"Told you so," Darla said, glancing at Casper, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Still, it's pretty late," Casper interjected.

Darla crossed her arms and shot him a look. "Do you want me to ask or not?" she challenged him. Ben stood there, confused by the sudden visit.

With a resigned sigh, Casper nodded for her to continue. Darla turned her attention back to Ben. "We want to find out if Rex has any feelings for Jess."

Ben's brow furrowed. "No way. Why would you think that?"

"Well, Jess mentioned..." Darla recounted what Jess had told them earlier that day on the field.

Ben felt a wave of disbelief wash over him. Why would Jess fabricate such a story?

"That's not how it went down. That day was actually the first time Rex even knew Jess was a person. Rex told me to warn him that if he tried to kiss him again, he'd be punched," Ben explained.

"See, I knew Jess was lying! There's no chance Rex would be into him. That little liar—I'm going to punch him!"

"Alright, Darla, let's keep it together in front of the kid," Casper said, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You're only a year older than me," Ben mumbled quietly.

Casper raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And? You're still just a kid in my eyes. Thanks for the info, but we should be on our way now. And, well... good luck with Liam." With that, Casper pulled Darla out, and they were gone.

Ben walked back inside and collapsed onto the bed. He grabbed Liam's hoodie and wrapped himself in it, inhaling its familiar scent as he drifted off to sleep.

He curled up contentedly, surrounded by the warmth of Liam's hoodie.