"You're mom still out of town?" Ryan asked as I lay on his bed next to him. I nodded.

"Your dad called yet?" I mumbled no. A tear escaped my eye as I thought about the last time I saw my dad.

---

I was in the kitchen talking to my mom when my dad walked in coming home from which ever strip bar he was at tonight. Having no desire to talk to him, i began to walk up the stairs for the night but half way up I forgot to say goodnight to Mom so I walked back down stairs where Mom was putting up dishes and Dad was having another glass of scotch.

"Just forgot to say night so night Mom, love you." I said giving her a hug.

"Love you baby, night."

"Isn't that just adorible... Little babies gotta say night night to his mommy..." Dad laughed.

"Yeah, I'm twice the man you'll ever be." I mumbled.

"Don't start tonight Brendon, he's too drunk." Mom warned me.

"No, what was that boy?" Dad asked sliding the glass across the counter, it slid to far and shatter to the floor.

"I said, I am twice the man you will ever be. A real man doesn't go to a strip bar and spend all his money on chicks and booze because a real man doesn't have to pay for girls to sleep with him." He stood up and punched me in the lip giving me a busted lip and blood running down my face.

"Anything else Brendon? Any other leasons you want to give me on being the 'man' you claim to be?"

"Brendon, don't you dare say another word.." Mom started to cry.

"Yeah, there are a few more leasons, 1. You sure as hell don't deserve my mom 2. I will never again claim you as my father because they say a boy gets his women skills from his dad, I didn't get them from you 3. Now I know why you go to strip clubs, because you don't have enough balls to sleep with my mom. In case you didn't know, she's into men, not women..." He punched me again, right in the nose. Now blood was pouring down my face and all I could see was black.

"You really should listen to your momma, you don't know whats healthy for you." He punched me three times in the stomach making me cough up blood. Mom then stepped between us.

"You've gone way to far this time.. You punched my kid, now get the FUCK out of my house. Call me when you've figured out if you want me and Brendon." Mom was sobbing now. Dad walked to the front door.

"Or ya know what, how 'bout not calling at all?" I yelled. He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

"Goodnight Brendon." Mom said walking to her room.

"But Mom-" I tried to stop her.

"I said goodnight Brendon!" She snapped. I let her go and walked up stairs to call Ryan. He was my best friend, he always helped me.

A week later my mom left to go help my grandma live for a while.

---

"Ohh, shhh. It's ok Bren, shh it's ok. I'm right here. I won't let anything happen." Ryan pulled me over on his chest as I began sobbing. Most people would think it would be awkward to be on his chest, but not us. We were like brothers. Almost like boyfriends but we aren't dating. We've flirted, but more as friends then actually being interested.

"Brendon it's okay... I'm right here. Lets watch a movie. What do you want to watch?" Ryan asked.

"Anything that will make you cry."

"Why anything that will make me cry?" He giggled a little.

"Because, then I'll be the one to comfort you and you're really cute when you cry." We both giggled and he kissed the top of my head.

"Fine, The Notebook it is..."

Ryan's POV

"Great movie.." I said snuggling under the covers after it was over.

"If you say so.." Brendon laughed.

"It is!"

"Very chick flick-ish but its ok."

"Hey, you said you wanted to watch a movie that made me cry so we did."

"Purely for that fact that you're so cute when you do cry!" He said rolling over on top of me holding my arms to the bed.

"Fiesty!" I licked my lips jokingly. He bite my tongue and we started making out. We makeout all the time. It doesn't mean anything, but we do.

"Why don't we do this more often?" Brendon breathed hard as we came up for air.

"Because we're friends, not boyfriends..." I sighed.

"But you taste too good to deny!" He moaned as he kissed me again.

"Well, we could be friends with benefits...?" I asked.

"What benefits? Best friends who casually fuck sometimes?" He laughed at his sarcasm.

"Why not?" I said with a smile.