Entry #5:

Operation: Get Benny's Attention is a failure. I even bumped into him the other day and he barely acknowledged it, said a quick "sorry" and continued to walk away with Ethan. Maybe I need to up my game? Pouncing on him would be too obvious. *chews on bottom lip* Hmm… Oh the possibilities.

I can basically hear Laura laughing at me for it now. So telling her would be a big fat NO. Benny may never notice me, maybe giving up would be the smarter thing to do. I've barely even started and I'm willing to quit already, bet that says a lot about me huh?

School ends in a few minutes, better put my journal away now.

-Bea.

Rex exited the school with Bea at his side. When they were far enough away from the school, Rex pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it. Bea kept her distance from her cousin, not wanting to inhale any of the secondhand smoke.

"That's disgusting, Rex." Bea stated with a disgusted frown messing up her features.

"So is the face you're making Bea."

"Touché." Bea gave him a look and sighed when she noticed him take in a long drag. "I'm just going to depart from you now, nasty." Rex snorted when Bea turned a corner, taking the long way to her home instead. With a shrug, Rex continued to walk on.

"Look, I don't have any money." Rex heard Benny's distinct voice from behind him. When he turned, he saw Benny's collar being lifted by a jock. The jock was obviously threatening him and Rex heard a voice inside his head, sounding similar to Bea's, nagging at him.

Don't you dare let him hurt Benny! Rex could practically hear Bea shout at him. What could it possibly hurt? Rex thought to himself before he dropped the cigarette, smashed it with the heel of his boot, and stomped back to the jock.

"Do we have a problem here?" Rex asked as he approached. Ethan had been hiding by a tree, not wanting to get involved, and stood awestruck by Rex's sudden appearance.

"Not any of your concern, Parker." Rex shook his head in response.

"Picking on a freshman, now that's just cruel man." The jock dropped Benny, allowing him to hit the ground with a hard 'thud.'

"Like I said, Parker, it's not any of your concern." Rex's gaze matched the jock's easily, intimidating him equally.

"They're my geeks, now get before I do something that will send me back to juvey." The jock just glared before turning and walking away.

"Dude, like I just told him. I don't have any money." Benny said hesitantly as he stood and brushed himself off, adjusting his messenger bag.

"I don't want your money, man." Rex told him honestly as he gave the boy a small, barely visible, smile.

"Then why did you do that?" Rex sucked in a breath.

"Because my cousin would've killed me if I didn't." It was just above a mumble but Benny still heard him. "No need to thank me, it was more to save my own ass." Rex said before he walked in the other direction.

Benny turned to Ethan with an eyebrow raised. "Who's his cousin?" Ethan just shrugged in a response.

::

"You did what!" Bea shouted as she stared at Rex. The two sat in Rex's living room and Rex had just admitted to Bea what he had done for Benny earlier.

"I stopped some jock from beating him to a pulp." A giant grin spread across Bea's lips before she lunged onto her cousin, hugging him with a death grip.

"You're great, you know that?" Rex just pat Bea's back and tried to pry her off.

"All I did was stop some kid from getting his ass handed to him."

Bea shook her head, "no you stopped Benny from being harmed. You really do care!"

"Bea, you really do have to stop this." Bea gave Rex a confused look and Rex lifted her journal, turning to the first page. Mr. and Mrs. Benny Weir had been written across the top. A picture of Benny had also been taped to the other side. It was a picture that Laura had taken of Benny sneakily, also known as a "stalker-pic."

"I don't see what you mean." Bea avoided it by closing the notebook hastily and sliding it into her bag.

"You're stalking him!" Rex shouted with an 'I give up' face. "Laura and I have tried to tell you, Bea. But you just avoid it like the plague."

"Rex, I don't want to hear it. I'm not stalking him. I didn't take this picture! Nor did I write this!" She was referring to the 'Mr. and Mrs. Weir.'

"Laura did?" Rex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Laura is enabling me. Who do you think gave me the notebook? I'm not stalking, Rex. If it gets that bad, I've lost control over myself." Rex gave her a disbelieving look before sighing in defeat.

"Just wait a few weeks, Bea. You'll be hiding outside of his house in the bushes, watching him through binoculars." Bea blushed and looked down. "Oh God, Bea!"

"I wasn't in the bushes and I didn't have binoculars! I was walking past his house and saw him through the window, that's it!"

"Conversation for another day, Bea." Rex cleared his throat and stood. "I have a date tonight."

"Who with?" Bea asked as she watched the TV.

"Erica." Bea's eyebrow rose slowly as she turned to stare at Rex.

"Erica? As in the Erica who Benny hangs out with?" Rex nodded and Bea gave him a hopeful look.

"No, Bea. I'm not going to ask her things about Benny, imagine how that'll make me look." Bea pouted and gave him a hopeful look. "No. Bea, I'm not doing it!"

"Fine, I guess you don't love me."

"Don't be surprised if tomorrow at school a rumor is being passed around that I'm gay; and that I'm in love with Weir." Bea rolled her eyes but grinned up at Rex anyway.

New agenda! Part one: To get to the Benny, we must first get Rex to Erica.