Joe-Trae Relationship

The **Joe-Trae Relationship**, also known as **Bentura**, is the tumultuous to romantic relationship between Joe Bender and Trae Ventura. In The Mafia, Joe joins The Savages despite Trae's uncertainties; Joe plotted to join the clique only to sabotage the clique's success, while taking over Trae's leadership in the process. However, they remained on a particular good note in the beginning of Season 1, but Trae realizes that Joe isn't to be trusted when he kisses Trae in Portland, Oregon, and forces Nate to quit The Savages entirely. By the end of the first season, the two burned bridges with each other after a physical altercation.

## Overview

### Before *The Savages*

Trae and Joe first meet and interact with each other during their sophomore year at James A. Masters High School; as shown in *The Scarlet Letters*, the two are both paired up together for a trigonometry project, and the two slightly bond over their hatred for the class. Overtime, however, Trae's reputation at school changes dramatically from "quiet school nerd" to "rebellious socialite" and Joe was treated like a black sheep by the student body. Trae's reputation sparked slight jealousy from Joe, who wanted to be Trae's friend after they met, but Trae never reciprocated it, despite creating The Savages out of spite of the school's popularity. Feeling as if Trae's reputation seemed unfair and privileged on his part, Joe hoped joining the Savages and taking advantage of his power would help him find validation in his own reputation.

### Season One

Joe and Trae's particular bond comes with highs and lows in the beginning because of the mysterious intentions Joe has prior to joining The Savages. Whole Joe seemingly ackonwledges Trae's academic performance as they attend similar classes, he proposes an offer to join The Savages with the beleif that the clique isn't as "savage" as they think they are, and they need him. Trae becomes infatuated with Joe's persuasion, despite the members' uncertainty of him, and he agrees to let him in. Within their short time in the Savages together, Trae remains uneasy about letting him join because of Joe's suspicious demeanor, and his unusual interests in Trae's sexual reputation at high school.

While Trae continues to wrap his finger around Joe's role in the clique, Joe tries to make moves against him behind his back, by turning Nate against him and Sydney and making him believe he's inferior in their eyes. He also tries to put a wrench in Trae's growing relationship with Zachary. When The Savages head to a club in Portland, Oregon, Joe and Trae smoke together and Joe lures Trae into kissing him, until Zachary catches them. Succeeding in his manipulation and chaos, Trae and the Savages eventually catch onto his actionsl the Savages initially believe Joe is responsible for the video scandal involving Brian and Vik, and he is ultimately kicked out of the clique. Joe, then, manages to stand against Trae and the Savages during the riot they sparked, and they get into a physical altercation in which Joe overpowers him and strangles him on the ground. Zachary, then, attacks Joe, and once he retaliates, Trae tries to stop it until he is shot by the police. Joe appears to have no remorse during the aftermath.

### Season Two

Joe overhears Zachary and Sydney discussing Trae's role in the video scandal, and he realizes that he's the person behind it. After forwarding this information to Nate, they create a supergroup to battle against the Savages, although they realize Trae's relationship with The Savages has shattered after he returns to school from the hospital. However, Joe's intentions of creating The Glamouflage puts his friendship with Nate at odds, as Nate starts to feel treated the same way Trae and Sydney treated him in the Savages. Upon Nate confronting him, Joe kisses Nate imagining that he was kissing Trae. This moment reveals to the viewers that Joe has genuinely romantic and sexual feelings for Trae. It is also revealed that before Felix Winchester's death, Joe appeared at the hospital in hopes of visiting Trae and to apologize, but he wasn't allowed visitation rights.

When Trae and Joe reunite and exchange harsh banter, a confrontation between The Savages and The Glamouflage begin a new rivalry. Ironically, Trae and Joe are forced to work on a music project together and it challenges the tension between the two. By coincidence, Trae and Joe meet to work on their project and get stuck on the school elevator, causing a blackout. The two both hash out their frustrations with each other and Trae sees a side of Joe that causes a change of heart. When Joe has a nervous breakdown and a panic attack, Trae helps him through it. The two both hold themselves accountable for how they treated each other and both agree to call a truce for the sake of the cliques. When the two develop a bond with their music project, it further puts a blossoming friendship in question.

As the two manage to see eye-to-eye and remain civil, they both find themselves in the middle of a conflict between their own cliques, but as their interpersonal bonds within the cliques are on the rocks, they manage to confide in each other in secret, through texting and phone calls at home. But, in public, they refuse to interact. This continues on until Zachary overdoses and attempts suicide, and Trae physically attacks Kyler for enabling Zachary's drug addiction. When Trae breaks down emotionally in front of the entire school, Joe hugs him and comforts him, knowing what Trae did for him weeks earlier.

Trae and Joe both have a change of heart for one another when Trae realizes from afar that his family is hostile. When Joe is kicked out of his house and he isn't able to confide in Nate or anyone from The Glamouflage, he confides in Trae for a place to stay. Although Trae is uncomfortable and unsure at first, still with a lack of trust, his mother allows it. Joe spends two months in Trae's home, and they go to prom together without blowing cover. When Joe discovers Trae has distanced himself from The Savages after Zachary is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and he isolates himself at prom, Trae and Joe both ditch prom and realize a lot about each other and partake in reckless acts, including burglarizing in Joe's old home and drinking alcohol.

Joe opens up about his dark life, his abusive father and alcoholic mother, as well as his younger sister, and it brings Trae to open up about his life. Both intoxicated, Trae and Joe kiss for the second time, and eventually have sex.

### Season Three

A few months after the events of the second season, Joe remains living at Trae's house despite having a secret sexual affair with each other. Trae shares guilt because he feels that he's cheating on Zachary, although the two broke up before Zachary attempted suicide and left the school. Joe, meanwhile, slowly becomes clear of his feelings for Trae, convincing him not to fight off the realizations that they may be interested in each other. Joe also assumes that Trae is ashamed of him and wouldn't want to see himself with someone like him.

Eventually, Trae slowly gives into Joe after Zachary covninces him to move on from him while he's recovering in the hospital, and that it's his own fault that he's there. Although Trae and Joe both agree to start dating each other, Trae still believes it's best that no one in the school knows, but Joe still believes Trae is ashamed of him. Eventually, after Trae joins The Red Onion and exposes false rumours about members of The Savages and other cliques, an anonymous article leaks around the school that exposes Trae and Joe's relationship after someone catches them in compromising positions in the school. Their relationship sparks negative reactions from the school, particularly homophobic and racist attacks towards Trae, who falls into another crisis and tries to fight against it.

Although Trae and Joe continue dating, Joe realizes he has a hard time understanding Trae and the racism he endures especially when Trae confronts him for not publicly having his back like others have. Joe eventually starts advocating for Trae when he teams up with Sydney for her class presidential campaign. During the middle of the season, Trae manages to help Joe reconcile with his mother after she asks for Joe's help to check her into rehab and to watch over his sister, Hannah, to avoid being sent into the foster care system. Despite Joe's refusal to forgive his mother for the torment she put him and herself through, Trae helps him realize he has an opportunity to help his mother get better. Meanwhile, as Trae slowly reconciles with The Savages, he tries to find a way for Joe and THe Savages to remain civil with each other when he fears that he'll have to choose between them.

### Season Four

Trae and Joe's relationship slowly deteriorates during the beginning of the fourth season, as the two struggle with communication, honesty, and their different views on life. Joe, meanwhile, becomes increasingly jealous of Trae's goals and endeavors as he prepares to go to college in L.A., and Joe starts to fear the long-distance consequences of their relationship. At the same time, Trae becomes entangled in an unusual interest in Mike Daugherty as the two develop a professional relationship revolving around their journalism bonding during New York. Mike makes it clear that he's interested in Trae, and always has been since the day they first met, but he never could act on his feelings because of Trae's history of dating a member of The Moneybags, their feud with The Savages, and Trae's relationships with Zachary and Joe. When Trae and Mike begin developing a closer friendship as they return back to school from winter break, Joe becomes paranoid.

Also, Joe becomes involved in a blackmail situation when Principal Gordon convinces him to take down Trae's reputation behind closed doors. Joe becomes conflicted because he doesn't want to hurt Trae anymore, or do anything behind his back, but when he feels shut out by Trae, and gets an offer by Gordon to be guaranteed a college admission from a prestigious school despite his low GPA and financial strife, he takes the risk. Ultimately, an article exposing Trae's involvement in the video scandal, Felix WInchester's murder, Sena's affair, and the riot. Written anonymously by Joe, he instantly regrets it, and it's too late for him to retract. Trae finds out and ultimately attacks Joe to the point of expulsion. Joe and Trae's relationship eventually ends.

While Trae's expulsion was lifted, and his college applications except for one was ultimately shelved due to the media, Joe remains remorseful for what he did and tries to seek colsure from him. Trae refuses to forgive him and kicks him and Hannah out of the house, much to his mother's blind discontent. As Joe moves back in with his father, who has apparently changed his life around after his mother is in rehab, he feels as if he owes Trae his life and considers taking his own life. Trae moves on from Joe quickly as he starts a relationship with Mike, and this hurts Joe, who feels as if their relationship was all a lie.

In the end, Trae forgives Joe before graduation, and hopes the two can be friends.

## Songs

* Season 1
* Season 2

Sang Together (In A Group Number)

 Young, Fresh N New | *The Wild Ride* | Alex, Carl, Gina, Lily, Nate, and Sydney and Zachary

Related Songs
* *Bad Reputation* by *Joan Jett.* (The Mafia)

Sang Together (In A Group Number)

 Takeover (Five To One) | Alex and Nate

Related Songs
* *Heavy Metal & Reflective* by *Azealia Banks* (The Rose That Grew From Concrete)