Blushed

Chloe and Ben strolled to class, with Chloe playfully teasing him about the hoodie he was wearing. Was it odd that he chose to keep Liam's scent on it? Perhaps. But Ben didn't mind one bit.

As they stepped into the classroom, Ben was taken aback to find Julie perched on his desk. He thought she might have forgotten where she usually sat, even though that seemed unlikely.

The moment Julie spotted him, her face lit up with a bright smile. "Would you be okay with swapping seats?"

Swapping seats? That meant he'd be sitting next to Liam! Ben hoped desperately this wasn't a setup.

"Are you messing with me right now?" Ben inquired.

"Messing with you? No way! I genuinely want to switch seats," she reiterated. Ben glanced over at Liam's desk, where Liam gestured for him to join him.

"I'm your new seatmate," Liam said, patting the chair invitingly.

Ben took a seat. "What made her to want to switch seats all of a sudden?" he wondered aloud. Although he wasn't complaining, his curiosity was piqued.

"I'm curious too. Didn't you say she wasn't on board with it? How did you manage to sway her?" Eric chimed in, looking puzzled.

"She was quite tough to negotiate with. Kept asking why I disliked her so much for wanting to change seats and all that," Liam replied, frowning as he recalled their conversation.

"So, I offered her $50 a week to swap seats with him," Liam said, pulling his books out of his bag.

He glanced back at Julie, who waved at him with enthusiasm. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Ben, Eric, and Chloe fixed their gaze on Liam, with Chloe breaking the silence first. "Are you serious? $50 a week? That's $200 a month!" The three of them were astonished that Liam would give such a sum just for Ben to sit beside him.

"At least she agreed to it," Liam replied.

Ben sensed that Liam was missing the point of Chloe's concern. Why would he spend that much for a place to sit? He was itching to ask Liam about his unexpected generosity towards him.

Liam had given him his hoodie and was willing to pay $200 for his company. Ben hadn't even realized Liam wanted him as a seatmate. But deep down, he knew what Liam would say: a friend.

Despite that, Ben couldn't shake off the warm feelings swirling inside him. He recalled the hoodie from the previous day, and a broad smile spread across his face. It was all thanks to Liam.

As classes commenced, Ben found his focus split. He was only half-listening to Miss Riley while the other half of his mind was on Liam. It was still surreal to him that he was now sitting next to Liam.

"I don't think I'll ever get this," Liam murmured, his eyes glued to his book.

Curious, Ben leaned in to see what was causing Liam's frustration. It was a physics problem, one he knew how to solve. "If I help you out with this, what do I get in return?"

Liam looked up, intrigued. "Hmm, what do you want?"

This was his chance. A voice in his head urged him, 'Ask him out.'

"I want you to draw just my head," Ben said, and if the voice in his mind were real, it probably would have facepalmed.

"Alright, sounds good!" Liam replied with a grin.

So, Ben fulfilled his end of the deal by explaining how to tackle the task at hand.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«

"So, you just hang out inside and talk to with yourself?" Liam inquired.

"Sort of, but I also watch YouTube videos sometimes," Ben replied.

They were strolling through the field, where Liam's friend group often enjoyed picnics together, and today happened to be one of those days. Ben crossed their path, prompting Liam to approach him for a walk.

"What kind of videos do you watch?" Liam asked.

"Uh... a variety of videos," Ben answered, not wanting to admit that he mostly watched ship videos, fearing it would earn him a puzzled look from Liam.

Liam hummed softly. "Feel free to swing by when you're feeling bored or anything. We could hang out together," he proposed.

"Sure, sounds great!" Ben replied with a bright grin.

"Are you planning to come to the party?" Liam inquired.

"You guys actually throw parties?"

"Not exactly a big bash—just a small get-together with some music and drinks. We dance and have a good time. It happens now and then in that old hall behind the school."

"Well, that sounds like a party to me," Ben remarked.

"Yeah, I suppose it does," Liam chuckled lightly.

"Really? I had no idea."

"That's because we just started them last year. We also pay the hostel staff quite a bit to keep things quiet," Liam added with a nod.

"So, you'll come, right? Consider it my birthday gift," Liam said eagerly.

Ben had already made up his mind to attend since he had never been to one of these gatherings. However, Liam's mention of his birthday caught him off guard. "Your birthday is soon?"

"Yep, this Saturday—same day as the party."

"What should I get you? Any particular gift in mind?"

Liam couldn't help but feel pleased that Ben wanted to give him something, even though it was a common gesture. "Honestly, just you showing up is enough."

But Ben was determined to find a gift for him. He would call his dad later or perhaps finally order something online. What if it took too long? No, he decided he would just use his 'special kid privileges' to get something for Liam.

"I can tell you're lost in thought," Liam observed.

"Huh?"

"You tend to play with your hair when you're deep in thought. I've noticed it. It's kind of cute."

Ben felt his cheeks heat up. That was it—he simply blushed, unable to find the words to respond after Liam's compliment.

Not when he sensed his cheeks warming more with each passing second. Not when he experienced that familiar tingling sensation. Not when he felt an explosion of butterflies in his stomach.

Ben simply flushed, prompting a laugh from Liam. He adored it when Ben blushed.