payment page
Ben Hope is a classic romance-novel villain in that he appears to be in a relationship with the protagonist, but he is actually serving his own ends. His relationship with Charlie is one of convenience for Ben. Ben is older than Charlie, and in initiating their relationship he holds a certain amount of power over the younger teen. Ben chooses Charlie simply because Charlie has made his sexual preferences known, and for Ben, this makes Charlie an easy target. Ben perhaps supposes that Charlie will be flattered by having the attention of an older guy and will thus willingly engage in the occasional make-out session at school. However, Ben selfishly doesn’t consider Charlie’s needs or desires. When Charlie expresses dissatisfaction with the clandestine nature of their relationship, Ben says that he isn’t ready to come out yet. Still, he is eager to engage in secretive behavior at his own discretion. Ben’s selfishness takes a turn for the monstrous when he forces himself on Charlie, proving that, for Ben, their “relationship” has always been about physical pleasure and getting exactly what he wants regardless of Charlie’s feelings.
