Here for You

(Friday Noon)

When Audrey and Chad walk up to Mal's table he points to the poster, "So, why would people pay for a character?"

Mal frowns at them, "Caricature. It's a cartoon version of yourself." before she slightly smiles. "Only five dollars. I'm sure you have that type of change lying around."

"I'll entertain you," Audrey counters. "Can you do one of us?"

Mal's smile widens, "The five dollars is per person. Do you have ten dollars?"

Audrey gives her a look, "That's not what your poster says."

"No. Of course, it does," Mal lies. "It's just in invisible ink."

"You're conning us," Chad realizes.

"Do you want to see how bad my art sucks or not," Mal counters.

Audrey whispers, "Fiend." in disdain, before she hands Mal the ten dollars.

It takes Mal a minute to sketch out the drawing, and her friends watch as she does so before it finishes and she hands it to Chad. He makes a face, "Why's my head so big?"

Mal smiles again, "It symbolizes your big ego."

When he hands the drawing to Audrey she gasps, "My nose does not look like this."

"It will if you can't learn to mind your own business," Mal counters.

She furrows her eyebrows, "Is that a threat?"

Mal shakes her head, "Why would I waste my time on you?" before she points the pencil at her. "It's a cartoon. Don't take it too seriously" Mal darts her eyes between the two, as neither speak. "You can scram now."

Audrey huffs, "And you say I'm wasting your time." before she turns around to strut off. Chad stands still, staring at Mal for a moment, before Audrey calls after him and he hurries off.

"You know, I've been trying really hard to get you to laugh," Chad comments as he and Ben sits in the library.

"I know," Ben mumbles. "I'm sorry. Thing have just been…"

After a long silence Chad questions, "Been what?" and then Ben just gives a questioning look. "You didn't finish your sentence."

Ben keeps quiet as he returns to his homework, but after staring at the page for a moment he says, "I didn't feel like it."

Chad shuts the textbook and is more than surprised when Ben doesn't complain, before he slides it away and turns toward him, "What's going on?" Ben doesn't speak, merely staring down where the textbook had been. "It's okay. You can tell me."

"You'll tell other people," Ben quietly counters.

"No. I won't." He places a hand on his shoulder, and Ben faces him. "Not if you really don't want me to."

Ben glances down, "It's Mal." and then Chad's hand fall back to his side. "She… I don't even know where to start." Ben sees Chad looking at him attentively, waiting for him to talk. He cares that he's not happy. He actually does. Somehow, Ben had always thought Chad as too social or outgoing to be capable of that type of empathy. "Apparently Mal… She has of history of alcohol problems, and I don't really know when she started up again, but… I can't help but feel I had a part in it somehow, and she's really different now, but… maybe that's just more of me not having been there for her."

"You know, it's really not your fault," Chad informs.

"She was okay before she met me," Ben denies. "Sure. Maybe I got them all to a safer place, but… You know how much stress I must have been putting on her for her to feel the need to go back to drinking?"

Chad faces Ben and waits for him to meet his eyes, before he firmly comments, "Her drinking isn't your fault. Maybe she's using you or whatever stress as an excuse to, but you have to believe this isn't because of you."

"It's just," Ben sadly laughs, "you know, I just can't help but think." His eyes shift, "Maybe it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. If I'd been there for her…"

"Ben," Chad tries to reason. "Her addiction isn't your fault."

"No," Ben shuts his eyes and gulps. "Not that." The tears makes their way through his eyelids, and he wipes them away as they reach the surface, "Something else happened."

Chad's frown deepens, "What happened?"

Ben opens his eyes and wets his lips, "She just really wanted to see me, so… she hypnotized Doug to let her into the room." He gulps again, "And, uh, when he tried to get her to leave she made him leave, and she walked over, and she sat on my lap and then was kissing me, and—" He shakily breathes, "I couldn't get her to stop." He meets Chad's blue eyes, "I told her to stop, but she didn't stop." and he can see the shimmering tears in his eyes. Ben painfully grins, "She just really wanted to see me." before he looks off in thought. "And maybe, if I'd shown the least bit of affection towards her these past few weeks." He lets out a long breath, "This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me."

"Ben," Chad softly reminds him, "if you told her to stop and she continued to kiss you, then even that can be considered assault."

"If Mal goes to prison," Ben hurriedly states, "she will die. You can't tell anyone."

"So, no one else knows?" he slowly asks.

"Just Doug and Evie," Ben supplies, and then Chad looks down in thought. "You can't tell anyone. If she dies, it will be my fault. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

Chad swiftly faces him, "You don't need to worry about that." before he takes his hand. "I promise I won't tell anyone. You're going to be okay."

"That includes Audrey," Ben lets him know.

Chad nods, "I know." and after another moment of quiet he says it again. "You're going to be okay." He looks down as Ben squeezes his hand, and he starts to smile; however, it immediately slips. This is not how he wanted to get him, and when he looks back up at him he questions, "Did Mal even say sorry?"

Ben's quiet for a moment, "She's not herself right now." and after a few more seconds his eyes shift. "Thank you. I didn't expect or think… You listened well."

Chad slightly nods, "I'm just glad I could be here for you."