Thank you to all who reviewed. You really made me work harder on this chapter! I'm not going to bore you with all my constant blather and let you get on with the story! I think it's really taking shape now!

---

Total Opposites

Chapter 4: Crushes

When Matt walked into drama on Monday he held a look of smug satisfaction. Now this look generally meant he knew he snagged a lead in a play and could be quite endearing, but the way he kept giving that look in Jason’s direction made him feel like something was out to get him.

“He keeps looking at me like I’m dinner or something.”

“Lucky. I wish my crush would look at me like I was dinner.”

“Oh yeah, ‘cause we all know how much he likes his- hey! I don’t have a crush on him!”

Sal gave him a blank look and he might have been raising an eyebrow, but seeing as his rapidly growing bangs were covering his right eye, it was hard to tell.

“Well I don’t!” Jason crossed his arms defiantly.

“Then was it another black-haired rich boy drooling over him during the beach scene last quarter?”

“Must have been, seeing as I have brown hair!”

“Whatever. It’s too dark to tell the difference.”

“And I wasn’t drooling!”

“You almost missed your cue because you were so busy ogling him from backstage!”

“I just thought it was a stupid part. I figured someone else would take my place with that whole, ‘the show must go on’ thing.”

“I had to pull your hair for you to come to your senses.”

“Well, still. That doesn’t mean I have a crush on him. I can appreciate a person’s body without feeling attached. Anyway, he might look nice but his personality’s lacking.”

“How would you know?" Sal said, crossing his own arms. “You never spend any time with him. Maybe if you attempted to be friends with him you might actually like him.”

“Are you actually supporting this? I thought you hated him!”

“Not hate. Just, moderately dislike. Sure he speaks without thinking and always beats me at things, but he’s not so bad. We’ve actually had a civil conversation once or twice in the past.”

Jason scoffed. “Maybe you have, but I haven’t. And I doubt the guys have either. Can we please change the subject?”

“But Jason, I know you can get lonely and I just want you to be happy. You know I’ll be there for you and I’m sure the guys-”

“Despise him, just like me.”

“You know you don’t and you know the guys will support you.”

“No they won’t, not that it matters because I don’t have a crush on him.” Jason had to grind his teeth to keep from shouting and drawing attention to him.

Unfortunately, attention was already on him as Mrs. Nearly was walking up to him.

“Mr. Freeman, Mr. Setos, here are your scripts,” she said, handing them two packets of paper with certain lines highlighted.

“Scripts?” Jason asked, looking at the paper, “for The Weirdest Honeymoon Ever? What’s that?”

“It’s the play I was trying out for last week. Mrs. Nearly, you must have it wrong.”

“Do you not like your part?”

“Oh, no. I like it, it’s just Jason didn’t even audition for the play.”

“Oh yes, that. Well, none of the people who I wanted to play the part of Pete did it in a manner I liked. I was going to hold auditions in the class when Mr. Molato,” she gestured to the boy behind her, “was kind enough to suggest you. He said you would be a natural at the part and I agree with him.”

“Oh,” Jason blinked, “Well, thanks. I’m flattered that you would think I would be a natural but I really don’t-“

“Oh nonsense,” the teacher interrupted, “I should thank you. I don’t think we could find a better Pete. You, of course, will be getting extra credit. It will count as both of your term projects and daily grade in the class. I hope you can deal with that.”

‘Daily grade? You mean I wouldn’t have to do the stupid sketches in here for however long it takes to make this thing?’

“Sure. It’d be a pleasure.”

“Oh, I knew you’d agree. Now why don’t you two go join the others and read over your parts?”

Mrs. Nearly walked away before they could answer and addressed the class, informing them of her plans for the day.

“Well you heard the woman.” Matt said, grabbing Jason by the arm, “Chop chop! We gotta go see Kate.”

“Kate?” Sal asked, over his amusement at Matt’s bluntness. “As in, Cooler? How the hell did she get a part?”

“Hey,” Matt stopped and let go of Jason, much to the boy’s relief, “My friend is a very good actress I’ll have you know!”

“Really?” Jason drawled, uninterestedly, “What is she playing? A tree?”

“No, actually Pete, she’s playing your wife.”

“Okay, eww,” Sal gagged. Picturing Jason with any girl would be disturbing.

“Yeah, and since she’s so close to me, it’d be like we were brothers-in-law,” Matt said, with mock glee.

“Yeah, right! Like I’d wanna be related to you in any way.”

“True. That would bring a lot of complications wouldn’t it?” Sal smirked as Jason glared.

Before Matt could ask what that was about, they heard a thump and looked up to see Kate, on the top row of seats, viciously beating a backpack.

Correction: Matt’s backpack.

“Oh not again,” he groaned before running up the seats. “Kate, honey, the book bag didn’t do anything to you. Why don’t you just gently put it down and-“

But Matt’s calming speech was interrupted by a backpack to the face.

“Why does she have to get everything?!” Kate yelled, kicking her large history book down the aisle. “She knew I wanted that part! She knew it! Why’d she even audition? She doesn’t wanna act!”

“Kate, you know Bella. She doesn’t know what she wants.”

“Oh yes she does! And she gets it. She gets everything! She stole my part! She stole Andrew!”

“Andrew? You’re still on about that?”

Sal and Jake shared a glance, and then went to sit in seats a little further down.

“What do you mean still on that? She tricked him! You don’t know. You weren’t there! She was short for her age and went and put on her little baby face. With my headband too! That blue headband you thought she got at the mall? That was mine! He thought she was ten, not 12! And she knows that he’d never admit that to her, so she just keeps him close. Thinks she has Andrew rapped around her little finger! Well I’ll show her. I’ll get Andrew back! You just wait! Then she’ll know not to mess with me anymore!” Kate growled as she stormed out of the auditorium.

“Crazy dirty-blondes,” Matt sighed collapsing into the nearest chair.

“Aww, look at him,” Sal whispered, “He looks like a sad puppy. You should go comfort him.”

Jake pushed him off the chair.

Matt’s family moved when he was in 7th grade. On his first day of school he got lost. Luckily, he bumped into some 8th graders who were also headed to gym. On the way, Ben interrogated him. Apparently, Ben and Andrew had some sort of test that everyone they met had to go through. If you passed, you could hang out with them. Ben made most of the questions about random things, while Andrew just criticized them on their fashion sense.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Your hair’s a mess.”

“Dark greens and blues. I was in a hurry this morning. You guys start an hour earlier than my old school.” Matt said, answering both questions. He had quickly learned that Ben and Andrew had a tendency to say different things at the same time and both expected to get answers.

“Yeah, I think it has to do with being in the desert. Who was your first kiss and when?”

“School wouldn’t want kids getting heat strokes in the middle of class. Your shoes look older than I am.”

“Robert Conning, eight grader, last year. They’re hand-me-downs. My parents don’t think you should buy new things if the old ones are still intact.”

“Parent’s are weird like that. So you’re gay?”

“They’d probably make you wear shoe boxes if they looked good enough. Was he cute?”

“About as straight as an eight. Yes, incredibly so. Sleek blonde hair and blue eyes; he was very tall and could probably pick me up with one arm. The embodiment of a god. It’s sad we had to move.”

“Really. Well, you’ve passed. You can hang out with us.”

“Ben, you really need to stop being people’s friend just because they’re gay. There’s more to a person than their sexual preference.”

“Who cares? We homos need to stick together. I hear the population’s going up to five thousand. The homophobes’ll be here soon and we need to make sure none of us gets hurt.” (Strangely enough, Gareth Wither moved the year after he said that. Though it was him that was getting hurt more than the homos.)

“Oh please. By the time someone prejudice gets to this town, we’ll be long gone. And how many times do I have to tell you I’m not gay?!”

They had stopped at the entrance to the lockers when Ben pulled Andrew to him and kissed his lips soundly.

When they parted, Andrew licked his lips. “I’m bi,” he stated lamely. Ben just smirked superiorly and walked in the locker room. Andrew quickly ran in before Matt could ask what that was about. (there seems to be a pattern there)

The next year, Ben and Andrew were invited to Matt’s house for his birthday party. Ben said he couldn’t turn down cake and ice cream and tried to convince Andrew to change his name to Jerry so they could be the perfect pair.

On the day of the party, Andrew showed up with his rightful name and a present, while Ben said that gracing them with his charming charisma should’ve been present enough.

“Oh, yes,” Matt rolled his eyes, “I am truly honored Ben. Believe me.” He chuckled taking the presents in Andrew’s arms. “My mom doesn’t want me sneaking looks at my gifts so I gotta give this to her. Kate and my sister are out back. You should go say hi while I put this in the kitchen.”

They nod and start around the house while Ben starts complaining about Andrew not agreeing with him and changing his name.

True to his word, in the back yard were Katherine Cooler and a small blonde girl they assumed was his sister. Though her stature was small, her eyes were big and piercing, as if there were a million secrets written there. One look at the mischievous gleam in those brown eyes and Ben decided he didn’t like her.

“Hey guys,” Kate greeted, separating from where drinks and appetizers (carrot sticks and celery with ranch) were placed.

“Hey Kate,” they replied. Andrew walked over to the smaller blonde and stooped next to her. “And you must be Matt’s little sister. What’s your name?”

“I’m Bella,” she said shyly, “You’re Andrew, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Bella stood up a little straighter like she was gathering her courage. “Well, Matt and Kate talk about you sometimes and I think you’re really nice and cute.”

“Aww thanks. You’re cute too.”

“Really? Everyone says I look like a baby, but I don’t think so.”

“No, you’re not a baby. Soon, you’ll be going to high school like me.”

“Mmhmm,” she nodded vigorously, “Do you think… well, do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

Andrew chuckled slightly. “Sure. I’ve yet to find someone cuter than you for a girlfriend.”

At that time Matt came out with his mom, both hauling the huge chocolate cake over to the table. Andrew stood up and walked over Ben, who was drooling and looking like he was going to run head first at the large desert.

Once his friend got within ear shot, Ben said, “I am so glad I told everyone else not to come to this party.” Then he promptly ran to the chocolate, a laughing Andrew following close behind.

After much chips and cake were consumed, a bickering Ben and Andrew could be found in the living room, fighting over which movie to watch.

“I said, I wanna watch the first MIB,” Andrew repeated, holding up said movie.

“And I said the second is ten times better!” Ben yelled, taking the offending movie out of his friends’ hand.

Andrew growled but before he could make a retort, Matt came in with a weird look on his face.

“Andrew? What this about you dating my sister?”

“You’re dating who?!” Ben exclaimed, forgetting about the movies.

“Oh, I was just talking to her and she asked me to be her boyfriend.” He didn’t understand what the big deal was.

“And you said yes?!”

“Ben, you know I love kids. What kind of person would I be to break a poor little eight year olds hear?”

“Eight year old?” Matt looked amused.

“Well, actually she talked pretty well. She’s probably ten or something, right?”

“Do I look eleven to you?”

“No. But what doesn’t that have to do with anything?”

“Because my sister’s only one year younger than me.”

“She’s what?”

“She’s in the seventh grade and now she’ll probably go and tell everyone she’s dating a high schooler.”

“Oh fuck!”

Jason sat at his table, food pushed away from him, attempting not to gag as he watched Greg and his latest fling make out against a tree. It was currently a girl with long red hair, though Greg probably couldn’t tell you much more than that. Greg was, to put it lightly, a slut. He slept with boys and girls, tall and short, blind and deaf… well, not really blind but you get the point. Some people called him bisexual. Jason just called him hormonal.

Casting his glance down, Jason looked at the boy in front of him. Jake was currently attempting to balance his pudding cup on his nose. So far he was doing well but by the way his movements were becoming jerky, he could tell Jake was going to have a face full of pudding before Cooler could say, ‘I have a big ass.’

He shook his head and looked to his right where Steven and Sal were talking. Well, Steve was talking. Sal was just staring dreamingly into his eyes and nodding. It was no wonder Jason was the only one to notice with the nitwits he has for friends.

Looking to his other side, he saw Matt and his friends laughing over something the football player had said. Just as the words, “you think you have it bad,” came out of Kate’s mouth, the sound of pudding being splattered and plastic hitting metal could be heard around the table. Jason didn’t even have to turn his head to know that when he did he would see a butterscotch pudding covered Jake in front of him, attempting to lick if off his nose.

Sighing, he thought, ‘You know, maybe I should just tell the guys I like Matt. At least then, they might leave me the hell alone!’

---

Yay! I like this chapter. I really hadn't meant for so much of their pats to be revealed so early but it just seemed to fit there. So tell me what you think!