Rage With Benefits

Extras #5: Snaps From the Same Little Breaks

"Why do you think Blake skipped out on us?"

Emery snapped out of his trance at the sound of Asher's lazy voice. Setting his glass of lime juice he's been staring at for the last ten minutes on the table, he shrugged at the boy before gesturing his phone at him.

"I don't know," the redhead answered mindlessly. "Ian's not answering my texts either."

"Bryce's M.I.A. too," Asher added with a puzzled face. "The last time I saw him was that time..." he trailed off, pausing with terror. "God, I don't even remember. Man, we're shitty friends. I should go look for him..."

Asher stood up, determined to go out and look for Bryce, but Emery didn't bother to stop him when the dark-haired boy went straight to the bathroom.

He then looked over to where Cameron was sitting and saw the blond watching TV with half a beer can in his hand, focus sharped on the story or whatever it was that was so interesting about the girl with an exposed chest on the bright screen. He's been awfully quiet since two hours ago, and Emery has been trying to figure out why for at least half of that time. Considering he was rather chippy earlier tonight, Emery couldn't help but be stuck in a pickle.

"It's Asher," Cameron spoke beside him as the two made their way towards the school's parking lot after being stuck with a late library errand.

Emery peeled his eyes off the pathway and looked at the tall boy curiously. "What'd he say?"

"'Movie marathon at my place tonight, stat,'" the blond read out loud, smoke coming out of his mouth as he spoke. "You wanna go?"

"It's late, don't you have anything to do tomorrow?"

"We all have something to do tomorrow," Cameron reminded him. The redhead frowned cluelessly. "Practice at 9, remember?"

"Oh right!" Emery exclaimed before shrugging nonchalantly. "Oh well."

Cameron let out a raspy laugh. "I'll tell him we're coming then."

"Okay," the redhead boy chuckled, pausing on his tracks when Cameron stopped beside a black motorcycle parked next to Emery's car. He was pulling his keys out of his jacket's pocket when he noticed that Emery was staring at him. "You drive a motorcycle?"

"Yeah, why?" Cameron asked innocently as he pulled his hood off, his dark golden hair falling tousled in all places, shaking them even before taking his helmet.

"N-nothing," Emery looked away. "That's cool."

No one's officially noticed yet, but Emery and Cameron had been hanging out together a lot more recently after Cameron invited the redhead to watch the Hamilton tour almost a month ago. For Cameron, all of this is probably just him gaining one more close friend — platonically, if that can't get any more clear — but for Emery, it's literally his biggest dream come to life. Even bigger than his dream of one day waking up with telekinetic superpowers.

"Hey, you think those three are forming a super-secret group outside our circle?" Asher laughed out louder than a normal person would. He paused, eyes widening. "Oh my God, they are, aren't they? Those bastards."

Emery grimaced. "Asher, I think you're a little drunk."

"No, I'm drunk," Asher grinned widely, pointing at himself. Pausing again, he stared at his empty glass. "I think this is why minor drinking's illegal."

Emery chuckled. Unlike them both, the redhead boy didn't drink a single drop of alcohol tonight. What can he say? He's one of the party-poopers who still think drinking laws are worth more than a social construct when it matters — just like this one, where both of his friends are wasted out of their asses.