~*March*~
Madison just had gotten back from class and was waiting anxiously for 2PM to come so she and Joel could head over to a local ‘Simple Plan’ show to chill with the band before they went on stage for their birthdays, which was on March 11th, tomorrow. As an unintended birthday gift, the boys had 4 days off from their tour with New Found Glory to go home and rest. Madison was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, attempting to concentrate putting together one of those 3-D Puzzles, this one of a birdhouse. Madison heard a knock on the door, hoping it was Joel arriving early for some kisses. She tripped over a leg of the coffee table and plummeted to the floor, but quickly got up and limped towards the door. She yanked the door open and jumped into Joel’s arms, wrapping her decrepit legs around Joel’s waist, or who she thought was Joel.
“You’re lucky Phoenix isn’t the jealous type,” Benji told Madison with a laugh, Madison looking up at Benji innocently.
“I’m just…” Madison stammered for an explanation, biting her lip, “Giving you a birthday hug! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
“Good cover,” Benji chuckled, giving her a tight squeeze before Madison slid down to the floor. “Joel asked me to ask you to meet him at the house because he’s caught up writing a new song. You know how those musicians get when they’re interrupted.”
“Yeah,” Madison laughed, motioning him to come inside as she went into her room for her mini green cargo backpack, Benji standing in front of the dining room table, “Those damn musicians. Get like girls with PMS.”
“I came over to see if Phoenix was here,” Benji told Madison, glancing around the apartment with his hands buried in the pockets of his red plaid bondage pants.
“She’s sleeping,” Madison whispered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and tiptoeing back over to Benji. “She has the flu or something. Been puking up orange stuff every few…”
“Thanks for the info,” Benji interrupted, rolling his eyes playfully.
“You can still come with Joel and Me to the concert, if you want,” Madison suggested, “The triplets separated at birth. Let her rest?”
Benji did look at Madison like a little sister, so bubbly and full of life. But she’s fucking Joel…which would be incest? OK Benji looked at Madison as a little…cousin. “I would normally love to,” Benji began his decline, looking over at the stove, “But I think I’m gonna try to cure Phoenix.”
“Aww,” Madison squealed, pinching his cheek, “What a nice young man you are!” Benji swatted her hand away playfully, Madison laughing as she headed for the door. “Don’t burn down the house,” Madison warned him with a wave good-bye.
“It’s an apartment!” Benji quipped, seeing Madison roll her eyes as she closed the door.
Benji stolled over to the kitchen, and searched in the bottom cabinets for a pot. He found one and raised it above his head in triumph. He reached on his tip-toes into a higher cabinet and sifted through, finding a can of chicken soup. He continued preparing Phoenix a meal with love in every spoonful as she peacefully slumbered. Or so he thought…
~*~
Phoenix was soundfully enjoying her dream. It was one of those cotton-cloud, peaceful music, bunny and kitty kind of dreams, dreams that made you feel like you were 10 again without a care in the world. Then, suddenly, it took a turbulent turn, dark rolling in like a fright train, thunder and wind pounding against her head, herself standing alone in the middle of a dark road. She felt her hair being plucked up from her skin in fear, her eyes searching blindly for light. Suddenly, she could feel the beams of headlights scorching into her flesh like a cigar, she turned around and woke up, sweat surging from her forehead. Phoenix felt hands massaging her neck, trying to make her relax, loosening up every knot twisting her muscles. She sighed happily, thinking it was Benji who was soothing her nerves, but she rolled over, and no one was there, just air. Phoenix screamed, Benji sprinting into the room, chicken soup slopping out of the bowl as he came to a stop, panting.
“Phi,” Benji cooed her, Phoenix trembling beneath her covers as he placed the soup down on her dresser and knelt in front of her, his hand brushing against her slimy skin. “Phi, What’s wrong?”
Phoenix tried to asses the situation, breathing heavily in fright. “We’re you in here…right before I screamed?”
‘No,” Benji answered, stealing her hand in his, “I was out in the kitchen making you soup.”
Phoenix’s eyes grew big as she diverted them to the floor, sitting up in bed, Benji taking a seat where she laid. Phoenix felt violated, even though she knows who it was. How can he just show up all of a sudden and scare her like that?! “I felt…” Phoenix started, taking her free hand and running it along her neckline. “Hands…strong hands…massaging my neck. But, no one was there when I turned over.”
Benji narrowed his eyes at her a little, taking note of her pale complextion and trembling hands, like she had seen a ghost…or felt one. “You must have been dreaming, Baby,” Benji differed, laying his lips on her forehead, “You’re so cold!”
“I wasn’t, Benji,” Phoenix differed softly as he stood up and paced across the room, “I felt it…Eth…someone was massaging me.”
“Here,” Benji gently laid the bowl of soup in her hands, Benji crawling over to the other side of the bed and leaning against her dark blue body pillow. “It will make you feel better.”
“I can’t keep anything down,” Phoenix complained faintly, swirling the silver spoon around the pool of noodles. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“The flu, Madison told me,” Benji informed her, Phoenix still playing with her food, Benji soaking in all her beauty. She may not have her hair perfectly pressed or her face caked with make-up, but her natural beauty in her body’s worst condition was flawless. “Right?”
“I guess,” Phoenix replied doubtfully, lowering the bowl to the floor and utilizing Benji’s chest as a pillow.
“Aren’t you going to try to eat?” Benji almost pleaded, stroking his hand through her long hair.
“Not unless you want me to puke on you,” Phoenix responded in all seriousness, rubbing her hand against Benji’s stomach, her frown resembling someone who just lost their cherished puppy. “I don’t want you to be all smelly and sick for you birthday.”
“You remembered?” Benji asked curiously, thinking that the date just slipped her mind.
Phoenix turned her head up to him, a small smile diffusing on her face. “Of course I did. I lost my lunch, not my memory.”
Benji grinned back, leaving a soft kiss in Phoenix’s pink lips. “Mmmm,” Phoenix moaned, “You know what I want to give your for your birthday.”
Benji laughed heartily, looping his fingers around her hair, “I can just imagine. Let me do something for you. What do you wanna do? I am your slave.”
“Well…” Phoenix thought devilishly, her eyes traveling outside the door, patting her hand just above his pelvis area. “I should get cleaned up.”
“I am here to serve,” Benji eagerly agreed, scooping her up in his arms and jogging over to the bathroom, Phoenix giggling all the way. Still in Benji’s arm, Phoenix opened one of the bathroom cabinets and got out some Bubble Bath, placing it on the counter.
“Put me down, servent,” Phoenix demanded in a fake stern tone, Phoenix feeling better with every second of Benji in her presence. Benji agreed, gently lowering her to the ground and then shooting back up, standing with an army recruit’s posture. “Now, strip.”
Benji’s eyes widened anxiously, liking where this was going as Phoenix turned on the water in the pink tub, pouring in a grandiose amount of purple bubble bath. “You first.”
Phoenix looked at him surprised, holding her hands on the hip of her leopard-print bathrobe. “Are you disobeying orders, slave?”
“I sure am,” Benji responded devilishly, reaching for the tie to her bathrobe. Phoenix wouldn’t be going down without a fight, and began to tug at his black ‘The Used’ T-Shirt as he ripped her bathrobe off, revealing a white wifebeater and pink pajama bottoms with white pinstripes. The tug-o-war of clothes continued for several minutes until Phoenix was left stark in only her comfy grey Hanes bikini cut undies, Benji Jumping around still in his socks, converses, and black boxer-briefs. “I am the winner, Yes! Boys rule and girls drool.”
“I guess you’re too arrogant to join me?” Phoenix responded with a sad face, the bubbles covering everything from her neck down.
“No, No!” Benji disagreed, tearing off his boxers, shoes, and socks clumsily, Phoenix holding him back with two hands.
“The captain of this Love Boat says no!” Phoenix shouted, Benji trying to distort her vision by throwing bubbles into her face. Phoenix seemed to have the upper hand in this battle, until Banji grabbed her face and passionately melted their lips together, Phoenix’s arms becoming limp strains of spaghetti as she whispered “Not fair,” both of them sinking beneath the bubbles.