All It Takes - Some Nail Polish

Ch. 5

Billy turned and threw his burger wrapper at Benji’s arm. “Good. Need drink.” He said shaking his empty cup. He went to the mini bar, “Should I? Hmmm? Yeah!” he grabbed whatever was in there and downed it in two gulps. Benji smiled and sighed. “I think our clothes are probably done,” Billy said as he sat down next to Benji. Benji nodded and finished chewing his last bite.

They went and got their clothes and came back to the hotel room. Billy somewhat folded his clothes as he put them back but Benji just shoved them all into his bag. Billy laughed and Benji laughed back, “Well they’re just gonna get messed up anyways.” Billy shook his head, “I'm gonna shower.”

Benji sat back on the bed and listened to the drum of the water. He began humming lightly and stopped when he heard another voice. It was Billy singing. He laughed. Wait that was the same song he was singing. They must have heard it together or something. Benji smiled and closed his eyes. What is going on? Why am I having these feelings? Benji must have drifted off to sleep cuz when he woke he heard Billy hit the corner of the bed frame with his foot.

“Ouch, motherfucker!” Billy shouted at the floor. Benji sat up and smiled as Billy stopped jumping around. He looked up at Benji as he felt eyes on him, “Huh?” Benji smiled shaking his head and lay back down on the bed. He smiled and closed his eyes again. “What are you smiling about?” Billy smirked.

Benji put his hands behind his head and laughed, “You were singing in the shower!”

Billy shrugged, “My thoughts got the best of me.” Benji laughed in his head- like my thoughts are getting the best of me? He rolled over onto his stomach and watched as Billy went back into the bathroom to change.

Benji got up and changed out of Joel’s clothes and into his own clean ones. He put Joel’s back before he had time to find out and yell at Benji. He sat on the couch and began to pick at his ragged black nail polish. He got up and went to the bathroom door and knocked. Billy opened the door with a toothbrush in his mouth and mumbled, “Wha?”

“Do you have any nail polish remover?” Benji asked trying to breath in the steam of the bathroom.

Billy smiled and mumbled, “Wha do I look like, a girl?” Benji smiled back and grabbed Billy’s hand holding it up and flicking a painted nail. Billy smiled and shook his head, “Nah.”

Benji nodded, “I’ll be back.” He walked out of the suite door and down the hallway getting into the elevator. He smiled to himself as Billy’s image ran through his mind. Towel teasingly low, sheen of water on his chest, frustrated grimace on his face (from hitting the bed), damp hair awry, piercings glimmering in the shallow light. His whole arm tingled from when he touched his damp skin just a few seconds ago. The elevator doors opened on the next floor but he didn’t notice a businessman enter. Benji rubbed his arm trying to feel the dampness again. His mind wandered to images of Billy. Good images. Images of Billy playing music with all his soul, the luster of sweat covering his lanky body. Billy singing in the shower. Billy in the shower. Benji half hummed half moaned, “MMM, Benji you have to stop.” He said quietly. He dropped out of his daydreams and nervously laughed as he noticed the businessman to his right giving him the questioning eye. He sighed and stepped out into the lobby and to the hotel store. He quickly bought some nail polish remover and had the urge for gum. He bought some Big Red and walked back to the elevator going back up to the room. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and chewed it lazily thinking of Billy once again. He opened the door and walked in the common room happily sitting on the couch next to Billy who was playing a game on his laptop.

Benji opened the bottle of remover and Billy coughed, “Dude that smells!” Benji laughed, “Why thank you!” He took the chipped polish off his nails and closed the bottle back up. He got up and found his black nail polish in the side of his bag and sat back down next to Billy. He painted his left hand and went to paint his right with his left but his clumsiness got the best of him. More polish ended up on his finger than on his nail. He sighed and looked over at Billy. “Biiiillllly?” Billy glanced over at Benji. Benji sat there with big puppy eyes looking up at Billy. Benji knew Billy was won already but he asked anyways, “Can you paint my left hand? Please?” Billy sighed and put his laptop down and took the polish from Benji.

“You can play the guitar but you can’t paint your own nails?” he smirked. Benji shrugged and watched as Billy did one, two nails then took his thumb and wiped where he had messed up. Benji looked at Billy and Billy looked up before he did the last two. For a reason unknown to both of them their eyes locked on each other. They just sat there staring at each other. Billy was the one who broke the gaze- he thought he was reading into it too much. Benji kept his eyes locked on Billy. Billy chuckled trying to start a subject, “Last night you kept going on about hating girls.” Oh wrong subject- he mentally kicked himself. He paused for a second dipping the brush a few extra times. Benji spoke quietly, “I remember. (He paused) I do. (He took another breath) You wouldn’t leave makeup on my pillow.” Billy stopped dipping the brush and looked up at Benji. Their eyes locked again. Billy wondered if Benji was staring at him with the same thoughts. Benji didn’t want to blink. Billy’s head was reeling. He thought if he just kissed Benji-what’s the worst that could happen? Benji would probably just shrug it off as something crazy Billy would do.

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