WHEN, WE WERE YOUNG

Henry lay down in his room in the dark trying to think about what to do next. Why, he thought to himself. Why, would I sleep with Adrian knowing that Ben still had feelings for her. Was I that drunk, and horny to realize what I was doing was wrong. Man, I have never done something so stupid in my life. Of all the women, at that party why did I have to sleep with Adrian. She was drunk too, and she did initiate the whole thing, by dancing so close to me. Pulling me into the bedroom, and kissing me. Then asking me if I wanted to see what it was like to be with her. But, Ben did ask me to keep her company, but that is no excuse. He meant for me to makes sure she was okay, not to take advantage of her in that state.

Why didn't I just go and dance with Alice when she asked. Why did I even break up with her? Its, not like I don't love her, but I just wanted to know what it would be like to do something different. To experience new things, people, places, and not have her by my side all the time. But, so far my new experience has cost me my best friend and gotten me beaten up twice, and I deserved both, and more.

Honestly, sex is nothing but a problem for teenagers. It got Ricky, and Amy in trouble. It caused problems for Grace, and Jack. It screwed up Ben, and Adrian. Alice, and I were no exception to the rule either.

Why, does sex have to complicate everything, he wondered? When Alice and I had sex it felt strange, and weird at first. Mainly because both of us were new to the feeling, of knowing one another so intimately. Then it stopped feeling weird, and started feeling right. It became the greatest feeling in the world to both of us. The best part was when we would be done, and I could hold her in my arms afterward. I could watch her sleep, and feel her lying close to me, sleeping so peacefully. I loved to watch her sleep, it was like watching the real Alice. She moved, and made funny sounds when she slept, she also would drool out of her mouth.

To some that would be gross, but I thought it was cute. Since we were kids, Alice Valko was literally the perfect woman in my eyes, and Bens'. She was smarter than anyone we had ever met, braver than an entire army, and funnier than a car full of clowns on laughing gas. No matter what stupid thing Ben, and I would do she was always there to either cheer us on, or slap our heads. I guess that's why Ben and I both fought over who should be her boyfriend.

We didn't really fight, more of argued and played stupid games in challenges. We were both young and geeky, and neither of us knew how to fight. Also both of us were totally afraid of getting hit. So, we devised a contest to choose which of us should win Alice's hand in a duel. We created a list of challenges and each of us had to complete the list in order to win.

We challenged each other in 13 straight games of Mortal Kombat, which I won seven. We rode our bikes in a race from my house to Ben's of which he won since my asthma was worse than his. We swam fifteen laps in his pool which he we both lost since we nearly drowned, luckily Alice was there to save us and slap our heads for doing something so stupid. Finally we just decided to try, and let Alice decide. When we went before her, and pleaded our cases, she was shocked that both of us had a crush on her. She didn't want to choose, and we both knew it. I left assuming she would choose Ben, since he was smarter, taller, and rich.

He could give her everything, I couldn't so what was the point so I gave in, and went home. Later she knocked on my door, and kissed me when I answered. That was my very first kiss, and I said to myself that I wanted her to be the only one I ever kissed. She then slapped me on my head, and said that the next time I give up on her she would hit me harder. Well she did that a few hours ago right after Ben hit me repeatedly harder.

I never knew Ben had it in him to beat someone like that, let alone me. But, after what I said about Adrian, and what I did with Adrian I completely understand. He is, was my best friend and I slept with his wife. The woman who was supposed to be the mother of his child. He, told me before we even got to the party that he still felt something for her, but he just didn't want to be married anymore. Neither did she for that matter. But, why did I sleep with her, I just don't know.

Ben, told me that he would do his best to try, and stay apart of her life because he felt bad for what happened between them. But, I knew the real reason was because he wanted to keep her part of his life because "HE DID LOVE HER", he just wasn't ready to be "IN LOVE WITH HER" Alice, and I talked about it right after he told us that he went back to live in the condo. Adrian, and Ben did love one another we both realized that, but we both also knew that they rushed into their relationship so soon, for the baby.

Ben, always tried to live up to the title of Prince, ever since I can remember. He always tried to show himself as a person of dignity, pride, and honor, he is probably the only person in the world I envy. I would never tell him that though. I don't envy him because he has money, but because he tries to be like everyone else even though he has money. Henry began to think back to the day he first met Ben, we were so stupid back then innocent, and naive I wish I could go back to that time "WHEN WE WERE YOUNG" My parents aren't rich, and work simple jobs. My dad is an engineer at an automotive plant, and my mom is a nurse. I never even stood out in school or anywhere else. I was a plain simple average kid who could barely even pass to the next grade.

So, I was shocked when after Ben and I ate lunch together one day, he asked to be my friend. Generally everyone else was afraid to go near him because, the rumor in the third grade was his father used kids to make his meat, so Ben was ostracized by everyone. The only people brave enough to go near him at our school was Alice, of course who feared no one. Grace, who said God protected her and she was not afraid of Mr. Boykewich, and me because I was dared to go over and talk to him by other guys in our class. I had to admit I was scared Ben although geeky was taller and looked kind of odd, but from the moment I sat down and I looked into his eyes I knew no one with eyes like his could be that bad.

From that day forward Ben, and I were almost inseparable. We did everything together, camping, concerts, sleepovers, fishing trips with his dad everything. I was shocked when he introduced me to his mom and dad. I always imagined the sausage king to be a big ma with a black beard, and mean eyes. But, when I met The King, I saw where Ben got his kind smile it was like looking at a 40 year old future version of Ben. When I met his mom Sarah, I saw where he got his eyes, I generally never met a more kinder and gentler person save for Ben. She was sweet caring, and almost as beautiful as my own mother. I soon spent more time with Ben's family than I did with my own.

I was kind of embarrassed when Ben came to meet my family since we had nothing impressive to offer like he had. We didn't have a home theater, we didn't have a pool, or a full serving staff catering to us. But, when Ben met my family it was like he was a long lost son to my dad, and mom. They have six kids, two sets of twins, one adult child and me. But, when I brought Ben home with me it was like my family had grown one more member. Ben, didn't care that our television was a knockoff or that I shared a room with my older brother, he was happy to be spending time with such a large and loving family.

My own little twin demon brothers, actually took more of a liking to Ben than to me. They called him their scarecrow cousin because he was so tall, and thin. But, they didn't do it to be mean, it was because one day when they were scared of a monster in their closet, Ben stayed with them all that night and stood watch like a scarecrow over corn. I envied Ben for his life, but I think he envied me for mine, since he had no brothers or sisters.

But, both our lives felt a something was missing, but all that ended the day we had to take on Alice Valko as our tutor. She was strict, and bullied both of us, but thanks to her we were able to learn integers, and pass our math test. For helping us Ben's dad invited her for dinner, and a movie. We both felt a little uneasy with her around since neither of us were used to girls, but Mrs. B. or Sarah forced us to accept her.

She said that both of us could use a little interaction with the greater sex. She loved to say things like that how women were so much greater than women. She often joked by saying the reason Ben's dad was so lucky in his life was because she met him so young, and as the saying goes "BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND AN EVEN GREATER WOMAN." So, Alice became our third musketeer, and we were finally complete. It may have been weird to some, that two boys spent so much time with one girl. But they clearly never met Alice because she could spit, run, belch, and in Ben and mines own experience HIT HARDER than any guy in our class.

Our lives were so happy back then, and for two years that is how I wanted it to stay, until the day we found out Mr. B was sick. In actuality she had been sick since we met Ben, but she hid it well. I never really knew just how sick till that one day she was teaching Ben, Alice, and I how to cook and started to cough. She grabbed napkin, and coughed into it. When she put it down, Alice noticed that it had blood inside of it and asked her if she was okay. She told us that it was just blood from a bad tooth, and she would be fine.

But, as she told us this I looked at Ben, who seemed unusually quiet and sad as he heard her answer. We later went to Ben's room in order to let his mother rest, and Alice immediately asked Ben for the truth. Ben, looked at us as though he were going to cry. He was so sad, and miserable, the only time I ever saw Ben look that bad, was years later. He had that look when Amy broke up with him, when his daughter died, and this morning when he saw Adrian, and I together. He looked as if he was going to break, and revealed to us that his mom had been sick for a while and that she would be going to the hospital soon.

Alice, and I were both saddened, and shocked to hear this. For two years we had grown to care, and love Mrs. B. as much as our own mothers and now we were hearing that she was sick. We did our best to comfort, and reassure our friend that it would be okay, but it wasn't. Ben's mom went to the hospital a few weeks later and stayed for almost two months before she came back for three weeks.

During those weeks, I have to admit I had never been so happy as a kid. But, it did not stay that way, for Mrs. B. as we all knew was ill, very ill. During the first time we saw her back we noticed that she had lost so much weight, and although she tried to hide it with make up her skin was so pale. Alice was the first to notice, and swore me to secrecy not to tell anyone, but I knew something was wrong so I asked the only other person I knew who could tell me what was happening, Grace Bowman. Grace's dad was a doctor, and I figured she might have a clue as to what was going on.

That's when I learned that Mrs. B. had cancer, Grace's father was actually treating her and the prognosis was not good. Her father usually kept a patience well being secret from others, but over time he had gotten to know Leo, and Ben, so he asked his daughter to try and be nicer to him. Grace did become nicer to Ben in that time too. She began to sit near him at lunch, talk to him, at recess, and even came to his house to help with homework. This made Ben ecstatic, since he already kind of liked Grace, but now she was showing interest and that made him fall in love with her. But his infatuation with Grace, fell to help him cope with what happened after his eleventh birthday.

A few days after the party which involved us Ben's mom, and a few of his cousins, Ben was told at the party his mother would be going away. Ben, simply thought she was going to visit someone in Florida, but he knew the truth, ad so did we. It killed all of us to know that we would never again see that beautiful smile, or hear her kind voice again.

After her death Mr. Boykewich, told Ben, who still refused to believe it. He continued to say that she was simply in Florida with relatives. I was going to correct him, when Alice held me back, and convinced me not too. She said that "This is how Ben wants to deal with losing her, and for now I think its' best that we let him." I knew she was right since Alice was always right about everything. It's one of the qualities she possessed that made me and Ben fall in love with her. It was also one of the qualities that made me break up with her. She was so smart, understanding and thoughtful, but she was also better than me at everything. She was faster, smarter, and she was way better at sex than me even though she pretended that she liked it, I knew I kind of disappointed her sometimes.

I didn't try but, she is just so beautiful, so smart, so funny, how can I keep her happy. So, I decided to break up with her. I thought that by breaking up with Alice it would give me time to become worthy of her. I didn't really want to, but when I realized that she would be graduating, going off to college, and meeting other guys that were good enough for her I thought it would be better to end it now before it got to hard to let go.

Letting go, Henry thought. That is what Ben had to do when his mom died. I remember her funeral well. Usually I don't like to dress up, especially wearing ties, but Mrs. B. always said, "A tie, is like a crown for a gentleman it lets people know to respect you." So, for her funeral I actually learned to tie a necktie myself, it was a small tribute, but it was all I could do. Ben, dressed for the occasion as well, I remember Alice had to tie his neck tie for him. Usually he would ask his mom to do it for him, and he almost called her to do it, before he stopped himself. Alice saw the expression on his face when he realized she would not be there to do it anymore, so she did it for him.

It was so hard to see that look on his face, and accept that his mom wasn't in Florida, but "GONE FOREVER". I guess it was hard on all of us. Especially Ben, and "THE KING". usually those two were full of smiles, and jokes but on that day I could see no happiness in either of their eyes. When we went to the funeral, "THE KING" let us ride in the limousine with he and Ben. I thought it would be strange seeing as Alice and I were not family, but he assured us Sarah thought both of us as her children. We both comforted Ben, on the ride who seemed quiet, and distant.

As the funeral started. "THE KING" who was usually a strong and happy, man actually cried for the first time. I never thought men cried till that day. I always thought, men should be strong, and resilient, and not want to shed a tear or they would be seen as weak. But, "THE KING" was not a weak man he was a strong man, and proud. But, today he was a man who was sad, and lonely because he lost the love of his life.

I remember watching how Mrs. B. and "THE KING" related to one another, it was like watching my brother and his girlfriend interact. They, always teased, and made fun of one another, yet they did it with such love in their eyes. I had never even seen my own parents act as they did so young, and happy. That was real love I thought, that was the love I wanted for myself, and the love I had with Alice. But, I ruined it, just like I ruined my friendship with Ben, and his love for Adrian.

Some people wondered why Ben, was so in a rush to fall in love, be a father, get married but knew the reason. Ben, wanted to be like his father, and mother. He has so much love in him, and when his mom died I think he didn't know who to give it too. I remember after the funeral Ben cried for days in his tree house so no one could see him, especially his dad. He told me he didn't want his dad to feel bad for him, that he had to be strong for him. But, "THE KING" felt the same way about Ben, I guess both father and son were to much alike. They both loved Mrs. B. so much and it was hard for them to let go. But, Amy never realized it, and Ben told me that Adrian was too broken to understand that.

I sometimes wondered if Ben, ever really loved either. He cared for both but, did he ever really love them. Amy liked him but I sometimes wondered if she loved him. The way she acted when they were together seemed so false as though she was only doing this to please him. As for Adrian, after the what happened I'm not sure. When they were together I never really got the impression that she was acting, but if she loved him then "WHY DID SHE SLEEP WITH ME".. That was Henry's last thought as he drifted off to sleep still guilty over his actions.