The Benefits of Being Friends

Since the posting of this review, this story has been removed from FictionPress by the author.

The Benefits of Being Friends by thenifoundfivedollars

It wasn't complicated, our arrangement. We had sex. Fantastic sex. But there I went, making things difficult, falling for the guy who stayed up with me long after his roommate had gone to sleep
Banner Credit: Annie

Annie Thinks:  It's official: I'm in love with thenifoundfivedollars. (Our wedding will be in June; you're all invited.) We get a lot of questions on Formspring about whether or not us judges are allowed to review a story that hasn't been suggested to us--I'm still not quite sure what the answer is, but if it's no, absolutely not, then let's just say I suggested it to myself.

After reading her magnificent story Collide, I went lurking on her profile and found this gem. It's about Ritza (like pizza) and her "relationship" with Brian (her one-night stand that more closely resembles several-night stand) and, more importantly, his roommate Caden. She firsts starts talking to Caden, but after having her boobs insulted, she stalks off to his gorgeous roomie, Brian, and goes home with him. Later that night, though, she hangs out with Caden after their... activities. She immediately takes a (platonic) liking to him; he reminds her of her brothers. The rest, as they say, is history.

It was pretty obvious from the get-go that Brian was not the guy Ritza was meant to be with. That didn't take away from the agony that comes along with Caden. It may seem from my summary that Ritza is some sort of slut, but she's not. She's an intelligent, mature adult who is distrustful of relationships--and for good reason. Caden was the ultimate package (and not in a frustratingly cliché way)--he was sweet, funny, and totally understanding. I also loved how thenifoundfivedollars made it clear that Brian was not the one you should root for while not making him seem over-the-top evil. I also loved how thenifound showed the contrast between Caden and Brian, and how Ritza's conversations with Caden seemed much more intimate than her many rendezvous with Brian. Be forewarned: there are some graphic scenes. They're not lemons by any means, but let's just say there's one scene that takes place in a bathroom that you might not want to be reading with your grandmother hovering by your shoulder.

All in all, The Benefits of Being Friends was a very enjoyable, light read that was a breath of fresh air from my life as a good girl. Prior to reading this, I was pretty sure thenifoundfivedollars was one of the best writers on FP; now, I'm positive she is.

And because accidents happen, this story was reviewed twice!

Ali Thinks: It can be said that a new love can sprout from a no-strings-attached relationship. For Ritza, the saying is true... just not in the way you'd think.

After a party one night, Ritza (like pizza) and Brian, who practically looks like a god, develop a relationship— a casual, sexual relationship. However, it's Brian's roommate, Caden, who Ritza spends her time with for hours whenever her and Brian are finished with each other.

This one-shot isn't exactly what one would call short, as it almost hits 12,000 words, but it's so interesting that of the many times I've read The Benefits of Being Friends, I only recently noticed how long it is.

Ritza and Caden's relationship starts off as her wanting to kick him in the shin, and that's only because she's too nice to go any higher. But as Ritza and Brian continue their meaningless tryst, Ritza and Caden rapidly fall into a routine, which pushes them into the boundaries of friendship, and even past that, to the point where they have the makings of being even more.

As I mentioned before, I have read The Benefits of Being Friends more than once (more than ten times, actually). If you've ever read anything by thenifoundfivedollars, you'll understand why. She is absolutely brilliant and her stories are even more so. And if you haven't read anything by thenifoundfivedollars... well, what are you waiting for, go on!