chapter three:
when truth comes to light

SATURDAY: November 1st, 2027

Benjamin wasn't surprised Alexander ended up crashing on his couch for the night. It's not like his parents would even notice the boy's presence. Of course he also didn't think he'd be awake at six in the morning to loud pounding on his bedroom door. He grumbled as he pushed his face into his pillow, he didn't care who it was at this rate.

"Benjamin!" he groaned in annoyance as he pushed the blanket over his head in hopes he'd disappear. His bedroom door was ripped open and he didn't even flinch as he pushed the blanket more over himself. "No, you're getting your ass outta bed!" Benjamin cried out in protest as the blanket was pulled off of him. "That's not even remotely cool Nathan! Go run back to New York and give someone a ticket".

Benjamin laid back down and then he yelled when he was dragged off his bed and landed on the ground roughly. "Your little friends called me, so I'm here to knock some damn sense into your head!" Benjamin rolled his eyes as he sat upwards. "Who was it this time? Alexander? Or maybe Vivian".

"I'm sitting there all the way in New York and I get this call! That you're running around drunk and outta your mind, you've been off your meds?". Benjamin groaned "again not cool! I take my meds man, even if they taste like shit at seven in the morning. You seriously doubt me? I'm like the most responsible in this entire family. Also the last favorite".

Nathan sighed deeply "alright well, pack a bag" Benjamin frowned "huh?". Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose "pack a bag, did I stutter? You're staying with me in New York till you get your life together. Which means no drinking, and definitely no weed".

Benjamin groaned "gee thanks mom!" he rolled his eyes as he grabbed his backpack from out of his closet "did my mom and dad make you do this shit, finally get me out the damn way? Or is this just your big ass ego trying to become a part of the family again since I'm relevant for once". Nathan held back his smart comments as he sat down on the boys bed "you watch the news, I'm sure you've what they said about you".

"I read it" Benjamin shoved random clothes into his backpack before grabbing his medication off his bedside table. "That Jenna Weathers chick made a book, it literally just came out today. But hey... given it's about my fucked up experience, she decided why not just mail me one. I read it already and it's all bullshit by the way. Didn't even get any of it right".

"That's not what your friends say" Benjamin glared at Nathan "so what, I'm telling you none of it was right. You're gonna listen to them over me?". Nathan chuckled weakly "you think I'm gonna listen to you in general? You're hungover, I doubt you'll even remember what you read if it was last night". Benjamin shrugged "I read it when I couldn't sleep, besides I can still read even if I'm a little drunk, it's called drinking water".

"Well that Jenna Weathers seems to have her shit together, she spent months working on that book. So something tells me she got it right unlike her mother who made shit up half the time".

"You're only saying that because you slept with her, I mean that's all you ever talk about at Thanksgiving for whatever reason. Jenna Weathers that, and this! She rejected you and that's become your obsession for the last five years". Nathan scoffed "that's none of your business, look just get your stuff and meet me outside, I'm not here to talk about me, I'm here to help you and that's the end of it".

Nathan left the room and Benjamin sat down on his bed as his door was closed. Help was the one word Benjamin had heard for so many months, at this rate he didn't even care about getting help. It's not like anyone could truly help him get better, everyone tried and so far none of it seemed to work.

He pulled open his backpack, as he put in the last of his clothes. He stopped when he grabbed hold of the burnt mask he couldn't part ways with. He didn't like the thing or even find it comforting to hold, but it made him remember what happened. He looked at the mask with a blank expression, why did Andy put this stupid thing on? Why ghostface? The questions were endless and he knew he'd never truly get answers given Andy was dead. He sighed as he stood up off his bed and walked towards his closet. It was all in the past, he didn't need this shit in his future.

He pushed the mask far into his closet before he left his room in a hurry. Alexander was gone, which didn't surprise him given the boy was always running off to work. Benjamin grabbed a bottle of water out of his refrigerator before he left his house and approached Nathan's fancy ass car. "Dude, you just scream cop with this car parked in front of my house".

Nathan looked at Benjamin as the boy climbed into the passenger seat "look, I drove all the way from New York. There's no way in hell I'm taking some cheap ass car, the miles would be awful". Ben slammed the door shut and Nathan drove off "consider this a little vacation, a healing journey to get over all that drama club bullshit".

"You sound like my stupid therapist, she's all about getting better and facing my past and you know I'm all about getting over it but that shit doesn't just go away by going on a little vacation". Nathan sighed "maybe if you actually tried to get better, you wouldn't be feeling so shitty all the time Benjamin".

"Don't act like you even remotely care about me, you haven't even been around since I've been on the news all the damn time, you're just like my mother, always trying to get some fame off of me. That's all everyone wants from me these days, a quick moment in the spotlight while I get more and more miserable".

"I don't want any of those things, I just want you to get better! Why can't you just try for once, you're literally doing everything you can to not get better". The car ride felt slower, almost suffocating as Benjamin turned the radio on to turn out Nathan's loud voice. "I'm trying, it's not exactly an easy thing to just get over, I mean... my friends tried to kill me".

"Sooner or later, you're gonna get older and this shit will be ancient history. If you don't get your life together now, then you'll end up down a bad path. I only want what's best for you Benny, why can't you just see that, I know I haven't been around much but I'm trying to help you get better".

"Don't call me that, I'm not fucking twelve anymore. I hate that stupid nickname". The conversation died down after that and Benjamin leaned into the window as he watched the rain slowly hit the window. If only life were so simple and he could get over what happened, but life was a fucking nightmare.

—

"Twenty seven" Vivian set the stack of clothes down onto the small bed "you literally have twenty seven turtle necks. That's not even in fashion anymore Viv". The girl chuckled as she looked up at Claire as the girl helped her bring boxes inside the small apartment. "It's comfortable, and I like different colors" after a very stressful week of moving back and forth. Vivian ended up just crashing at Claire's apartment until further notice. College was kicking her ass and not to mention her parents stopped calling the second she left for New York to do something for once.

"Come on, you gotta be in my play. I mean broadway is a big deal, it's still in the production process so people are auditioning and scripts are being produced and finished. You could play yourself, I know you still wanna act whenever you can". Vivian sighed "I can't, I have classes and I would be way more stressed trying to remember whatever lines you give me".

Clarie sat down on her bed as she pushed the stack of turtle necks back "everyone else is still getting back to me about if they're gonna be involved. Even if it's acting or another role. I have so many folders full of auditions and so many people who can't even remember a single line for their lives. No one is texting back, maybe things are actually bad again".

"Everyone's still trying to get better, and I mean most are so I know for a fact they'll join or at least show up when the show is complete. Just don't give up, and I'll even call them myself! It's broadway!".

"Apparently Broadway isn't good enough, not for them at least. We're all strangers at this rate, I only ever see you and Alix and no one else. Maybe a few calls or texts but that's literally it. I didn't even know Ben was in New York until I literally saw him walking down the street. Talk about awkward encounters!".

Vivian giggled slightly "I told you last night he was here, he's staying with Nathan or something for a few weeks apparently. I think his parents kicked him out in their own way. I think he's getting better, at least I hope he is, he deserves a break for once. I mean I haven't seen him smile in a really long time".

"I mean the last time he smiled from what I can remember was with Andy, at the end of the day it somehow always goes back to him and Andy".

Benjamin couldn't sleep, no amount of tossing and turning helped him get comfortable. He stared at the clock for hours. It made his head wanna explode as he sighed in annoyance. He could hear the loudness of the city in the background as he sat up and looked towards the door. Nathan was probably asleep and Benjamin was stuck here unable to sleep.

He grumbled to himself as he walked towards the window but he stopped at the strong stench of aftershave practically smacking his nose. It was a reflex at this rate, he turned so fast he nearly tripped over the air "Andy". His voice was a whisper and he knew for a fact it couldn't have been Andy, because the boy was dead. Stabbed to death by Ben himself and likely consumed by the flames of the fire.

Maybe he was actually going insane or maybe it was the bottle of aftershave that was resting on the bathroom sink falling over that made the scent even appear. Because Nathan used that brand, he had to remind himself that it wasn't Andy. It was just some stupid bottle of aftershave that never left his side.

It was just a big coincidence or maybe the world was playing a cruel joke on him. Seems that was all he faced these days, it all led back to Andy somehow.

—
authors notes:
everyone clap for me... because I actually updated twice for once! This is a proud achievement! I like ever rarely write these days, maybe a few sentences here and there but I never actually finish anything. But lately I've been trying to get back into writing because I miss my books on here also just these characters in general. Proud of myself and also enjoy this basic chapter, I'm trying to get the next act started asap because I can't wait to introduce all the new characters and start the chaos!!!!!!!

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another random question because I don't really need anything answered yet. What's a song you associate with your character? And their love interest (if they have one of course) because I've been dying to make edits for ages of these characters! So if you comment a decent song I might just work on a little something on my free time. Especially angsty ass ones for love interests, like the ideas I have for Andy and Ben! Gosh I regret my life choices of making Andy die!!!! Anyways byeee!!