Ben had honestly been dreading going back to school on Monday. He knew everyone was going to be talking about what happened. Whether it was out loud, behind his back, or online. He knew there would be staring, and snickering, and (even if some of them were well meaning) comments he just didn't want to hear. He hated being the center of attention. The only time he wanted that was when he was on stage playing.

He had honestly thought about just skipping the first day, but there was no way his aunt would let him. Berta Brittle didn't raise any punks, and she expected her boys to confront their problems head on. Plus, Luna was going. He couldn't just cop out and leave her hanging on her own.

So, even if it might have been awkward, he was gonna go.

If there was any upside to it, it was that Eddy wasn't going to be there. It was going to feel nice to not have to look over his shoulder every two seconds. It wasn't like his goons were going to do anything. Ben was pretty sure they didn't even move unless he said so.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Hey you two, I'm cheering for you! Ya rock lovebirds!"

Ben and Luna both went wide eyed, their faces turning beet red. They had just pulled up on Ben's bike, only to have some random guy neither of them even knew call out to them. They knew arriving together would probably get a few people muttering, and they had gotten some stares when they pulled into the parking lot, but they hadn't wanted to change their routine simply because of what people would gossip about.

This guy though had chosen a far more direct approach.

"Uh… thanks I guess, but we're not… we're not dating…" Ben said, looking down nervous as Luna took off her helmet.

The boy smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Not yet! Don't give up dude!"

Ben palmed his face as the boy turned and walked off, and Luna let out a nervous laugh. "Man, that's… that's crazy right?" she asked, rubbing her arm. "I get the feeling we're gonna have to ignore a lot of that."

"Yeah…" Ben really wished he could control just when he tuned out or started hyper focusing on something. It'd make things a lot easier to ignore. "We should get inside, yeah? Don't want run late and have Mr. Gill getting on our case." Luna nodded, and the two began heading into the school, trying and failing to ignore all the glances they were getting.

A handful of people actually stopped and talked to them on the way. Most of them were just expressing their support to Luna after what had happened, which the girl was appreciative for. Fewer people had addressed Ben, telling them they were rooting for him. It was kind of awkward for them to do so right in front of Luna but… it wasn't as if it was a secret anymore.

Once they put some of their things in their locker and made it to homeroom, Mr. Gill looked up from his desk and smirked at him. "Well, lookie here. If it isn't the-"

"Don't," Ben said, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously, if you're gonna make a joke or something, just stop now. We already got enough of it on the way here."

Mr. Gill clicked his tongue. "Okay, fair enough," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Just glad to see you're doing okay kid. And you'll be happy to know Eddy will be off your back for a while. He's suspended, and the staff is talking about place on the football team from what I heard."

"Hope he gets kicked off…" Luna muttered, irritated.

Mr. Gill sat up and then rubbed his chin. "I told you aunt if she raised enough hell she could probably make it happen. She seemed pretty calm about it though."

"Yeah, she… wait, when did you talk to my aunt?" Ben asked, narrowing his eyes. He had worked all day yesterday, and hadn't seen him at the cafe. Had it been on Saturday when he went to Luna's place? No wait, nevermind that! Why were they talking to each other regularly at all?

"Oh, she gave me her number."

Ben scowled towards him. "Okay, we're definitely having a conversation later." And he was gonna make sure his brothers were involved in it too.

"Sure man, just tell your aunt to text me and let me know when you wanna meet up."

Ben narrowed his eyes, and Luna choked back at laughing. "Hey, hey, hey, don't laugh at him. He's not funny…" Ben complained.

Luna patted him on the shoulder. "Aw dude… it's a little funny," she teased. She made a mental note to congratulate Berta later when she swung by the cafe.

"So like… you and Loud huh?"

Ben groaned and banged his head against the locker inside of the gym's changing room. The entire day had been going like this. When he and Luna were together, which was often since they shared most of the same classes, people were muttering things around them or making very awkward comments to their faces. And when they were apart, people still kept on pestering him about it.

This had been the fourth guy today to try and ask him about what was going on between him and Luna, and he was already so done with this. "Look man, I really don't want to talk about this. It's sort of a personal thing going on," he said.

The boy who had spoken to him, a guy named Jefe, smirked. "Well, if you're trying to keep it under wraps I think it's a little too late for that man. C'mon, it's just the guys in here. Tell us what went down. I heard Loud crashed at your place Friday night. Did you two-?" Ben turned and glared at him, and he quickly held his hands up. "Whoa, cool it man. I was just gonna ask if you two got together. Like made it official."

He had seen his fight against Eddy, and how he had reacted on Friday. He didn't want to tangle with Ben. Even if he did win, he'd have to deal with his brothers. "Like I said, I don't want to talk about it. Luna was going through some things, and I'm not gonna air anymore of her dirty laundry. Me and her are cool, that's all I'm gonna say," Ben said slipping on his shirt.

Another boy made his way over and nervously spoke up. "So you guys aren't together then? Is she with Sharp?" the boy named Leo asked.

"Wow, you guys really don't get this whole 'don't wanna talk' thing about it do you?" It was like being at home being pestered by his brothers or something. "She's not with either of us, not please drop it."

"Dude, that means you still got a shot with her! You're sealing the deal right?" Spencer asked. He was another member of the football team, along with his brothers. "You know if you want to score with her, you gotta start making moves now right? If you don't, Sharp is gonna swoop in and steal her from right under your nose."

Olley frowned. "Guys, Sam isn't like that. We're all friends. And I think you're doing the right thing being subtle Ben. Luna's gone through a lot. She just needs a friend right now. Not someone trying to hound her about dating," he argued.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Okay one, you managed to score a hot girlfriend. So you don't get it. And two, that's just gonna land him in the friendzone."

Olley tilted his head. "You just spoke like me having a girlfriend is a reason not to listen to me on this. That doesn't make any sense."

"Oh rub it in!" Spencer turned back towards Ben. "Listen to me man, if you want to make sure you score with Loud, then you gotta make sure to come on strong. Girls like guys who make it clear what they want."

Ben looked at him curiously. "So you're saying I should go out there, try to show off, and flirt with her? You know, make it totally clear I wanna go out? Try and show up Sam?" he asked. Spencer smirked and nodded. "No man! Haven't you ever watched a teen movie before! When has that ever not backfired?"

"This isn't a movie! It's real life!"

"That's MORE of a reason why I shouldn't do it!" Ben said, holding his arms out. "Look, I appreciate you guys trying to give me your very much unwanted advice, but I'm gonna handle this my way. I'm Luna's friend, and I'm just gonna be the best friend I can. If she wants something more, I'll be happy. If not… wll, I'll be happy for her."

"You're totally gonna get friendzoned…"

"Shut up Spencer!"

After they had gotten dressed and left the locker room, Ben looked across the gym and locked eyes with Luna. judging by her expression, she had gotten pestered just as badly as he had in the locker room. The P.E teacher, Coach Rhine, blew her whistle and looked around at everyone.

"Okay everyone. We're gonna be starting off the week with some volleyball," she said before pointing over towards Ben and Spencer. "Brittle, Browns, you two are captains. You know how we pick. Boy girl, boy girl. Let's get going. Brittle, you get first pick."

Ben didn't even have to think. "Olley."

Spencer smirked. "Jefe."

"L… Luna."

"Oooohhhh!"

Ben's scowled, his face turning red as the class smirked and giggled out at the pick. He had picked Luna because… well, he always picked his friends first. But then for a split second he'd hesitated for some reason and… this was a mess. Luna was blushing too, but walked over to his side. "Alright, alright, settle down you runts. Spencer take your pick," Coach Rhine said.

"Sorry…" Ben muttered towards Luna.

She shook her head. "Don't sweat it. Not like anything we do isn't gonna get attention, you know?" she said, trying to wave it off.

After both teams had been picked, the game got started and everyone moved about the court. Some just half-heartedly so Coach Rhine didn't shout at them, and others actually tried to win. Olley seemed like he was going the former, while Ben and Luna were somewhere in the middle, putting some effort in to win, but not taking things too seriously.

"So, are you really thinking about working at my pop's restaurant?" Luna asked as she knocked the ball up into the air. Olley just barely managed to get it to the other side of the net, nearly falling on his face before Ben caught and steaded him.

"I mean, kind of. I think it'd be pretty cool to work in a professional chef's kitchen," Ben said as he stepped to the side and got ready for the ball. "It's not like I got a shot as being a real cook or anything, but it'd be cool to say I did, you know?" He knocked the ball up into the air, and another of their classmates knocked it over.

Luna looked towards him. "I don't know dude. My old man seemed really impressed. I think he thinks you got real talent or something." She and a few others thought he was pretty good before, but the fact that her dad did too carried way more weight. "Maybe rocking out isn't the only thing Ben Brittle was born for, huh?"

Ben chuckled. "Yeah, sure." The idea that he was good at something, like REALLY good at something, besides music? It was sort of impossible for him. Ben was a decidedly average guy in most areas. He was just okay at sports. He got pretty good grades, but he wasn't a genius or anything. He just studied. And he didn't have any other hidden talents or hobbies besides playing instruments.

It wasn't like this bothered him or anything. He loved music. If he had to pick one thing to be good at, then that totally would have been it. He always figured that one way or another he'd make a career out of it. If not as a musician himself, then as a tutor or even running a music store.

Cooking was just a hobby. One he sort of enjoyed, but… well, he didn't think he was super passionate about it. Sure he liked experimenting in the kitchen, but his skill set mostly involved baking and a few traditional islander dishes. Not actually restaurant worthy cuisine.

"Dude, heads up!"

Ben's eyes went wide, but he couldn't properly react before the ball hit him right in the head, sending him stumbling back. It landed on the ground, and Spencer held back a laugh. "Oh my guy, you gotta pay more attention than that. You okay?" he asked.

Ben rubbed his head and groaned as Luna, Olley, and a few others went over to check on him. "Yeah, I'm good." Compared to his fight with Eddy, or even a regular tussle with his brothers, this was nothing.

"You daydreaming again, Brittle?! C'mon!" Coach Rhine called.

"One guess what he was fantasizing about…" Spencer muttered, nudging Leo.

Luna glared towards him, and Ben scowled. "I'm serving next," Ben said, getting back up to his feet. He usually wasn't the petty type, but he was getting just a bit tired of this. If Spencer wasn't gonna leave it alone, he'd take his advice and show off a little. Olley picked up the ball and tossed it to his friend.

Ben dribbled it a few times and then threw the ball up in the air. He waited a moment, and then jumped up after it, brought his arm back, and smacked the ball. It whizzed over the net, and Spencer quickly ducked down and out of the way. "Shit!" he cursed, standing back up and looking towards Ben. "What the heck man?!"

Coach Rhine clapped. "Nice one Brittle. That was perfect form. Didn't know you played volleyball," she said looking impressed.

"Just a little…" He had grown up on an island, with beaches, and beach volleyball. It wasn't uncommon for him and his brothers to go out and play against each other, and some of the other local kids. "You should see my brothers. They're way better. Especially Bruce." The second eldest probably could have gone pro with how tall and talented he was at the sport.

Luna whistled. "Nice one B. Serving them even hotter than those cookies of yours," she joked, punching his arm playfully.

Ben smiled back at her, a faint blush on his cheeks. Okay, Spencer telling him to try and show up Sam was still a pretty dumb to him. But, he had to admit, Luna noticing him for doing something cool felt nice. Maybe he could afford to show off just a bit this game…

"You almost took my arms off dude!"

Ben rubbed the back of his head nervously as Spencer scowled at him. "Well, you did say I was supposed to show off right?" He had gotten quite a few serves in because… well, it was the only part of the game he was actually really good at.

"Okay, I both get and respect that, but did you have to send literally EVERY single at me dude? I play football! I'm not built for this!"

Ben held his hands up. "Okay, I admit I got sort of carried away. I'm sorry. But maybe now you'll stop teasing me about Luna. Seriously, it's weird enough without you guys dog piling on me about it," he said.

Spencer grunted. "Alright… fair enough I guess. But if you two don't end up together after you jacked up my arms like this just to impress her, I'm gonna be pissed."

Ben waved him off before Olley walked over towards him. "You guys were talking about you working at her dad's place right? Are you thinking about becoming a chef?"

Ben waved his hand. "What? No way man. I'm not cut out for working in a kitchen. I mean I zone out whenever I…" Ben felt his phone vibrate, and then reached into his pocket. "Hold on a second." It was probably one of his brothers, or his aunt. Maybe he had forgotten something at home or in the truck.

When he looked however, he saw a text message from a number he didn't recognize.

'You and me Brittle. One on one. No friends, no brothers. We'll settle this one and for all with just the two of us.'

Ben knew who it was instantly, but he kept his face even so the guys wouldn't notice anything. "Something wrong man?" Olley asked, tilting his head.

Ben smiled towards him. "Nah, just some automated machine or something trying to make a sale. Don't worry about it," he said waving him off. He felt bad about not telling Olley about this, but… well, if he said something to Kimi, she'd say something to Luna.

And Luna would definitely try and stop him from going…

A/N: Ben and Luna deal with some of the fallout at school. Most of it is well meaning, but it doesn't make it any less annoying to deal with. And looks like Ben had to think about this whole cooking thing a bit more. It's always been just a hobby to him, but so was music. And next chapter will be Ben dealing with Eddy! Are they finally going to settle things once and for all?

On another note, I also post these chapters and some artwork I commission on my Tumblr (same name). I had some pics of the Brittle Brothers and Berta commissioned and I should be able to post them sometime soon, so if you want to go check it out and drop some love to the artist, I very much encourage it!

Reviewer Responses!

Anonymous: Thanks! I'm trying to update the story as a more steady pace. Sometimes I really just get the urge to crank the next chapter out. Like a writing bug lol. And I might be interested in doing some more of the inner thoughts for the other brothers. I was going to stick more to the main story since the one-shots and other stuff didn't seem to go over to well before, but since that's not as side-tracking or dynamic I might be able to fit them in somewhere (maybe as the end of some of the chapters as a bonus)

guests: No so much a cultural thing as it is a personal one. Ben was/is pretty anti-social and introverted and he doesn't like complaining or throwing his problems on other people since he figures they have their own problems. But it's really not good for him so people like Luna, Mr. Gill, or his Aunt are good to have around so he can vent.

jowen2713: Another one for team Len! Lol!