He wanted to shake off this feeling. How pathetic would it be to admit to anyone that his mood was down because Ben seemed to enjoy Rex's company? 

Just the thought of it made him feel nauseous. 

"Are you okay?" Eric's voice broke through his thoughts. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Liam responded, fully aware of what Eric was implying. 

"Come on, you've been off since we got back. You look like someone whose crush just turned him down," Eric teased. 

"I do not have a crush on Ben," Liam shot back defensively. 

They locked eyes for a moment before Eric replied, "I didn’t... say... you did. Wait, how did we end up here?" 

Liam let out a frustrated sigh. He was definitely losing it. He needed some fresh air. "I need to freshen up," he declared, rising to grab what he needed before heading out. 

Eric remained behind, lost in thought, a broad grin spreading across his face. 

The shower did wonders for Liam. Afterward, he decided to take a walk around the field, but soon he overheard a group of friends chatting loudly, glancing at him as they spoke. 

At first, he wasn’t paying attention until he caught wind of a rumor that he and Ben were "friends with benefits." Liam couldn't understand how they had arrived at such a conclusion. 

"Friends with benefits?" he scoffed. "Why on earth would I have that kind of relationship with Ben?" he muttered to himself. 

He glanced at the girls who were pretending not to discuss him. Rolling his eyes, he turned on his heel and walked away. 

The last time Liam experienced the thrill of a romantic relationship was back in eighth grade with Michelle, a girl from his class whom he adored deeply. He was completely smitten, but his world came crashing down when she abruptly ended things without any warning. 

Devastated, he implored her to explain what he had done wrong. It took him two weeks to uncover the truth: she had found someone new, a junior student who had just joined their school. 

As fate would have it, she later transferred after the junior cheated on her . 

Despite this heartbreak, Liam didn’t abandon the idea of dating; he simply hadn’t met anyone who captured his interest. His thoughts drifted to Ben, his friend. Liam couldn't shake the feeling that Ben didn’t view him in a romantic light. 

He reasoned that girls must have been saying things just to grab his attention, and he couldn’t fathom why anyone would take those claims seriously. To him, his bond with Ben was purely platonic. 

At least, that’s what he believed. 

After catching wind of the rumors once more, he understood it was time to set things straight.

It all unfolded one evening while he was hanging out with friends. Bia informed him about the gossip circulating; apparently, a girl who witnessed Ben's visit during art class had begun to spread the word that the two of them were friends with benefits.

"Why would anyone assume that Ben and I are friends with benefits? I don’t roll that way, and everyone knows it. Besides, I wouldn’t choose Ben for that kind of relationship," he replied, his expression clouded with discontent. 

"So he actually showed up during your art classes? I had no idea you two were that close," Bia remarked, astonished. She found it hard to believe that Liam was friends with him. While she had nothing against Ben, this was Liam they were discussing—he wasn't the type to make friends easily. 

"Yeah, he dropped by, but what's the big deal? I shouldn’t even let those silly rumors bother me," he said, getting up and walking away, with Eric trailing behind. 

"Ben came to see you?" Eric couldn’t resist asking as they strolled along. 

"Are you really questioning that?" Liam halted and faced him. 

"Not at all! Ben is great. It’s just that your art classes were your sanctuary. You enjoyed going there solo and leaving solo, remember?" Eric pointed out. 

Liam indeed remembered. "It’s no big deal. He just dropped by to see me." 

Eric was surprised by his response. "Okay, if that’s how you feel." He wasn’t ready to draw any conclusions yet; after all, Liam had just asserted his straightness a few moments earlier. He decided to wait and see how things developed. 

The following day, during their hangout with the four of them, Liam turned to Ben and asked if he had heard the gossip. Naturally, Ben was aware of it but chose not to bring it up with Liam, concerned it might make him feel uneasy. 

"Yeah, I heard," he replied. Chloe and Eric remained silent, listening intently. 

"Isn’t it ridiculous? Those silly people actually think we could have that kind of relationship," Liam remarked, immediately regretting his words. He wasn’t sure why he expressed it that way or why he felt a sense of regret. 

"I mean, I’m straight and..." But what was he getting at? Liam found himself at a loss for words. 

Ben felt a lump in his throat. He understood the situation all too well: a straight friend reminding his gay friend that he wasn’t interested. It was an unkind wake-up call. 

"Y-yeah..." he managed to reply, and then silence enveloped them. "It’ll blow over in a few days," Ben continued, trying to fill the void. 

"I hope so. What a ridiculous rumor," Liam chimed in, but the air remained heavy with unspoken words. 

Chloe and Eric exchanged glances, unsure how to diffuse the tension that hung between the two friends. 

"Um, I need to grab something," Ben said, eager to escape and regain control over his emotions. The last thing he wanted was for Liam to witness how dejected he felt. 

Once again, Ben faced a harsh dose of reality. He had caught wind of the whispers surrounding him and Liam, but he also knew Liam’s response. 

His hopeful heart had clung to the idea that Liam had denied the rumors just to put a stop to them. But now, it was painfully evident: he stood no chance with Liam. 

He should have remembered that Liam was straight; when Ben tallied up the gay students at Collins High, Liam was never included. 

Making his way to the shop, he decided to pick up a lollipop. Whenever he felt down, he turned to his favorite cherry-flavored treat, using its sweetness to lick away his sorrows. 

"I figured you’d show up here. Are you alright?" Chloe asked, recognizing the signs of Ben’s crush on Liam. It was crystal clear, and Ben knew she was aware of it too. 

"Yeah, I’ll get past it, I guess." 

"I honestly thought he might have had a little crush on you," Chloe said, giving his hair a reassuring pat. 

Ben met her gaze. "Turns out we were both just delusional." 

They made their way back to the same spot, keeping a short distance from Eric and Liam. Ben observed as Liam hung onto Eric's every word, the intensity of his focus making him appear even more attractive, causing Ben's heart to race. 

"I don't believe I can move on from him as quickly as I initially thought, Chloe. What should I do?" He faced Chloe, who wore a sorrowful expression. "I think I might be falling for him." 

The reality of emotions is that they can’t simply be switched off. Despite all the reminders of reality, Ben couldn’t shake his feelings for Liam. 

And Liam is straight.