Disclaimer: I do not own "The Secret Life Of The American Teenager" or it's characters. That goes to "ABC Family" & Brenda Hampton. However this Fan-Fic is my story and all credits go to me.


A/N: Wrote this months ago, but I never got around to publishing it. Thanks to everyone that reviewed my first chapter. :-)


THE FAVOR


Tossing and turning, she tried all she could but she could barely get any sleep.

The painful memories would not let her rest. They always resurfaced. Not during the waking hours. But always during her sleep.

In those late hours she had always remembered those moments she had buried deep, deep down within her subconscious.

The memories that no matter how many hours she spent in school, no matter how much she read at home, no matter where she went with Grace, no matter how many hours she had talked to Ben, the trauma couldn't erase.

The excruciating pain. The feeling like a life had been violently sucked out from her.

The feeling that she had been violated in some weird way she couldn't put her finger on.

The guilt. The remorse. The shame.

The doctor telling her that what she had always told herself was "just a fetus" had been a girl. She vividly saw herself screaming and cursing at that women for telling her such a thing. The decision had been hard enough, with her knowing what she lost. What she had killed?

She remembered being given something. Antibiotics.

She then remembered the feeling that somehow, someway she had betrayed something. Someone? Herself? Her baby? Could she call it a baby? Was it a baby?

She remembered crying once she had gotten home, burying her head deeply into her pillow so that her parents couldn't hear her sobs.

She remembered seeing Ricky the next day holding John and talking to Amy. And for one brief second in her life she hated him for the decision that she herself had made. The decision she forced herself to make. Just like she had not lied down by herself to make that baby, Ricky was not the only one that knew the only sane choice was the choice she had made. But she had remembered thinking he could have at least come with her to the clinic or had said something to her about it. Maybe he was traumatized too? To Adrian, his smile, his laughter and usual nonchalance told an entirely different story.


Zoe was wrapped in Ricky's bed-sheets as he uses his cell-phone to try to access Adrian, again.

He had called Adrian at least 5 times yesterday, but to no avail. He tried reaching her through her social-media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - things that he had only gotten because Adrian viewed them as important. Why? He didn't know. Outside of Ben and Grace, they had no friends, and Ricky didn't like the idea of internet-chatting with random strangers. He didn't really have all that many followers on his accounts, considering the fact that he never used it except to upload pictures of himself with John. But he did notice that Adrian had an abundance of followers - male followers. He didn't like the kinds of pictures she posted she was uploading to these accounts. But, what could he say? He already told her he didn't like them and to take them down. But he felt Adrian had a lack of respect for him. That feeling however was mutual. Adrian felt Ricky had no business telling her what to do and who she could talk with.

But he did see new pictures uploaded to her Instagram account of a different kind. It was her with Ben. Her kissing Ben on the cheek. He couldn't quite figure out the background due to the dim-lighting of the picture.

On her twitter account, only one new message: " thesausageprince: Me and my bestie. Thanks. I had fun yesterday."

"She's probably just trying to mess with my head", Ricky thought to himself, shaking his head. "No way. These are probably old pictures. Photoshopped pictures?"

"It's time for you to get up", Ricky said, somewhat tugging at the sheet over Zoe's body. "I'm not allowed to have any company here and the shops about to open up so my boss is going to be here. Plus, I got to get ready for school."

"Oh, alright", Zoe pouted. "But, you'll call me?"

"I always call you", Ricky replied.

"Not just when you want sex", Zoe grimaced, putting on her clothes. "You'll call me again today, right?"

"Zoe", Ricky sighed. "I thought we agreed this wasn't going to be nothing serious. That this was just sex. I love Adrian."

Zoe grimaced.

After walking her to the door he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodbye."

"Yeah, Good morning", he replied eyeing her body as she opened the door.


Cindy peaking in her room, had jolted her out of her sleep.

"Hey", Adrian said somewhat drowsy.

"You're not yelling at me for waking you up this time. What a pleasant surprise?"

Adrian shrugged. "I was having a nightmare, anyways."

Cindy smirked at Adrian, "I was pulling up when I saw you get sneaking into the house."

Adrian looked down, smiling, having been caught. "I was at a friend's house. I'll be home earlier next time."

"Grace's house? This late?"

"Actually, I was at Ben's house."

Cindy looked at her strangely, as if she was thinking about what she wanted to say, before shaking her head, "Whatever. Just use protection."

"We were just talking", Adrian responded, before her mother could close the bedroom door.

"And the reason you felt you needed to take a shower?"

"We were swimming in his pool and I needed to get the chlorine out of my hair."

"Adrian, I'm afraid if you don't stop running around with these boys, something bad will happen - you'll get pregnant", Cindy said, voicing her opinion for once. Adrian looked away. "Or worse, catch some disease."

"The most that we ever did was kiss", Adrian admitted. Cindy folded her arms and rolled her eyes. Turning to leave she stopped when she heard Adrian say, "Mom."

It was the first time in years Adrian has ever called her that. Turning back around in stunned, disbelief, Cindy asked, "Yes. Adrian, what is it?"

"If I did get pregnant and I got an abortion, would that be a bad thing?"

Cindy sat down next to her daughter, "Why? Why are you asking this?"

Adrian shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, "There's this other Majorette that did get pregnant and she got an abortion. And I overheard her talking to one of the other Majorettes about it. She feels really bad about it, and she doesn't know why. She tried telling herself that it wasn't really a baby. But that isn't working anymore. She regrets doing it. She wishes she hadn't done it, even though there wasn't any other choice she had. She wasn't ready to be a mom. She couldn't afford taking care of a baby and she really didn't want to disappoint her parents. She hasn't told anyone about it - besides her boyfriend ... and this other majorette - and it's all really eating her up inside and she doesn't know what to do. She can't tell anyone else because she doesn't want them judging her. She's not sure if she believes in God and she's not sure if God is happy with her or if He just doesn't exist. And her boyfriend doesn't really seem to care about how horrible she's taking this. He just says things like 'We couldn't afford it' and 'It's for the better'. He's not sensitive about it and she doesn't think he cares anything about her or the baby. He only cares about sex. She barely sees him anymore, and he's always with other girls."

Almost speechless, Cindy looked knowingly at her daughter with tears in her eyes, "I'd tell this Majorette that she did what she thought was right for her at the time. I don't know if I believe in God, but I don't think that any loving God would really hate any of his creation especially not a remorseful teenage girl who only did what she did because there was no other alternative. If there is a God, He loves her, just like her parents love her. It doesn't matter what she did. Parents will always love their children. So no, I don't think she's a bad person."

Adrian nodded, still averting her eyes away from Cindy's stare.

Cindy was about to leave, but once more turns around, "Oh and I think this Majorette should really get a new boyfriend, or maybe even have no boyfriend - be guy-less for a while."


Jeff was putting on his seat-belt, preparing to drive Ben off to school.

"Have you ever had someone you really look up to, say something and within that one minute you suddenly realize that they are not the person you once thought they were?", Ben asked.

"What's this about kid?" Jeff said looking at his watch, trying to see if they had the time to fit a conversation into both of their busy schedules.

"My dad. He told me something that ... that ... It didn't sound right to me."

"Well, it's your dad. He must have said it for the right reasons", Jeff responded. "Your dad only wants the best for you."

Ben nodded his head, "Yeah."

"Your dad loves you", Jeff continued. "He loves everybody." Jeff started chuckling, and all Ben could do was shake his head.

"What if he doesn't love everyone?"

"Why would you say that", Jeff asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Last night, my dad told me not to date an individual only because this individual just happens to be ... Brown."

"That doesn't sound like Leo Boykewich to me", Jeff responded confused. "You sure you heard him say that?"

"He basically told me that I should stick to White girls."

"Wow."

"Could you not tell my dad that I told you any of this?" Ben still respected his father enough to not want him to know that he had told a third party about a private conversation of theirs.

"Of course not!"

"Jeff", Ben asked, looking at the older man in the driver's seat. "Could I drive myself to school again?"

"Getting embarrassed of me", Jeff joked.

"I'm man, now" Ben stated, smiling. "I want to be seen as a man, not some rich boy."

With that Ben unbuckled his seat-belt, stepped out of the Limo and walked towards his own car.

"Hey", Jeff called out to him.

Ben looked up.

"I say, do whatever you want, kid", Jeff yelled. "Life's too short!"


Ricky was finishing up before heading off to school.

He had come to the conclusion that it was photo-shopped. It had to be. But he had no accurate guesses as to where the two pictures could have come from.

"Hello, Ricky", Leo said, entering the Butcher Shop, around the same time Ricky is existing for school.

"Hey, Mr. Boykewich", Ricky said, smiling at the older man.

"Did you lock up" Leo asked.

"Yeah. Oh and Mr. Boykewich, I took the 5 stakes and 7 Lamb-Chops out of the huge freezer and put them in the small freezer like you asked me to."

"Thanks, Ricky", Leo said, opening a door to another part of the Shop. "Oh and Ricky."

"Yes, Mr. Boykewich", Ricky stated, turning around, showing Leo his full attention.

"I saw your girlfriend recently", Leo, manipulatively, stated.

"Adrian", Ricky said, questioningly. "Where?"

"Yeah, she was visiting Ben at the Boykewich mansion. I didn't arrive home until after eleven so I wouldn't know what time she arrived there or how long she had been there. But you and Adrian are welcomed to our home as friends of Benjamin, always", Leo said, looking more at the floor and his leather shoes than at Ricky.

"She was", Ricky said more as a statement than a question, trying to swallow his anger. "She never said anything to me about this. I tried calling her last night, after I left her house, and she never picked up her phone."

"Oh. I thought you knew, since Ben is friends with both you and Adrian. I assumed that you and Adrian had arrived together and you simply left early to take care of John", Leo lied, feigning shock. "Well I better let you get to school. Nice to see you, Ricky. Best of wishes to you, Amy, and John. Even though Ben has decided not to continue being a part of Amy and John's lives, and has decided he wants to see other girls, I hope you know there will always be a place for all three of you in my heart and here at Boykewich's Butcher Shop."

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Boykewich", Ricky said, his jaw clenching, before roughly swinging the door open.


Adrian's cellphone ringing snapped her out of her memories.

"Ben", Adrian exclaimed, almost giddily.

"Adrian, it's me, Grace."

"Oh, hey, Grace", Adrian said, slightly disappointed. "Why are you calling me, this early?"

"Well, I was just checking my Twitter Account and ..."

"And ...", Adrian questioned. They both knew why Grace was making this phone-call, and Adrian just wanted to get it all over with.

"I just found it interesting that you would have talked to Ben, yesterday."

"What", Adrian opted to play dumb.

"I thought I was your 'bestie'?" Grace questioned.

"Huh?"

"I saw your Instagram photos. I know you were with Ben last night."

"Ben? Which Ben?"

"Adrian!"

"Grace, you already knew we were friends when you guys started talking", Adrian sighed, siting up. "Look Grace, guys have female friends. It doesn't mean anything is -"

"I'm not accusing you of anything", Grace responded, cutting off Adrian. "If you guys did anything -"

"It's Ben, Grace", Adrian returned the favor. "We did nothing. He was bored. I was bored. So I went over to his house."

"What did you guys do over there", Grace asked, out of more than just curiosity. She hated seeing those pictures of Adrian with Ben. It just reminded her of how she so badly wanted to be his girlfriend, and yet she wasn't.

"We hung out", Adrian said, a hint of annoyance underlying her voice. "We ordered pizza. We watched a movie ..." Adrian stopped herself. She wasn't going to mention anything to do with swimming in Ben's pool. "And that was it", Adrian lied.

"What time did you go home", Grace asked.

"Like a quarter to 12. His dad came home and acted like a dick, so I left", Adrian responded truthfully. Adrian frowned, trying to think of what to say next, "Grace, I'm in a relationship with Ricky. Do you honestly think I'd cheat on Ricky with Ben?"

"It's just that Ben never invited me over to his house before."

"Well, I've known him longer than you have."

"Since you know him so well, can you give me an answer of why he isn't answering my texts", Grace asked.

"I don't know", Adrian lied. "Look Grace, I have to get ready for school, so I can't talk."

"Ok, bye Adrian."

"Yeah, bye, Grace", Adrian said, pretending to be annoyed.

"Adrian, I'm sorry for accusing you of doing something you obviously didn't do", Grace apologized. "It's just after what happened with Jack and Ricky -"

"It's somewhat understandable", Adrian admitted, giggling a bit. "Just don't do it, again. Alright. Your acting like a weird jealous girlfriend."

"And you aren't?"

"Ricky gives me reasons to be jealous", Adrian grimaced. "Ben. Ben is a good guy. He'd never intentionally do anything to hurt you, Grace." She rolled her eyes before making her next statement, "He does like you."

"He does?"

"Just tell me you don't want me dating her because you like me and I wont."

"Goodbye, Grace", Adrian said, hanging up.

Adrian felt bad for not telling Grace the truth, but she did check her messages to see if Ben had said anything else to her. Instead she just heard a bunch of angry messages from Ricky.


Ben was putting away some of his textbooks into a red locker when he noticed Grace walking towards him.

"Hi, Ben", she said, wrapping her arms around Ben, hugging him.

"Hi, Grace", he replied, in a low tone.

She tried to kiss him but he moved his head in the opposite direction of hers.

"Grace."

"Yes, Ben", Grace asked, knowing something was wrong.

"We need to talk", he said, as they walked towards one of the school's exist doors.

"You said that was tomorrow", she said, confused, existing the door he was holding open for her.

"We need to talk now, Grace", Ben said, softly yet with seriousness.

"OK", Grace said, noting the seriousness of the tone of his voice.

"I would like to say to you that I like you. I'm definitely physically attracted to you. But I only like you as a friend. You're a good human being – a wonderful person, Grace. But I can't see us being anything more than just friends", he blurted out.

"Why?" Grace's happiness and giddiness was now gone, replaced with confusion and an air of sadness.

"I think I may like someone else more", he said, averting his eyes away from hers.

"Why didn't you say of this earlier", Grace questioned.

"I didn't think she liked me or would ever go out with me", Ben confessed.

"So you're seeing someone else", Grace asked, crushed.

"No, but I want to", Ben blurted out to a now heart-broken Grace. "The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you, Grace, so I felt I had to say this now before things would get serious between us. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression", he thought.

"Oh, I see", Grace said looking at Ben. "Well I wish the best for the two of you – whoever the lucky girl is – and I hope you and I will continue being friends, Ben."

"Thanks for understanding, Grace", Ben said, giving her a smile for a second. He knew that her kindness towards him would probably dwindle once she found out the truth, and considering Grant High's track-record of spreading gossip, he was sure everything would be revealed to her soon enough.

"Goodbye, Ben", she said, hugging him.

"Goodbye, Grace", Ben said, hugging back.

"Ben." The sound of Grace's voice snapped him back to reality.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her the truth.

"Grace, maybe we shouldn't eat lunch together today", Ben said, averting his eyes. "Henry wants me to sit with him. He feels like we've been talking less since I've been spending time with you."

"Is that all you want to tell me, Ben?"

"That's all I have to say."

"You sure?"

"One-Hundred percent sure", he said, freining a smile. "See you tomorrow."

Grace forced a smile, "See you tomorrow."

And with that Ben walked away, leaving Grace looking on, confused.


Ben was sitting at his usual lunch table enjoying a subway sandwich, when he saw Henry approaching him.

"You gottah give it to her, dude", Henry said with excitement, sitting down across from Ben.

"What the hell are you talking about", Ben questioned his friend.

"Your phone-call, last night! I couldn't say everything I wanted to because my grandmother's staying with us and she's sharing my room", Henry said, shivering.

Ben sighed. "You're talking about Adrian?"

"There was a smoking-hot Latina chick, in your house, and you were just going to let that opportunity get away? Ben, what's the matter with you? You've changed! First you don't seem that interested in Grace anymore, and now you're just letting free pussy slip out of reach! Are you sick or something?"

Henry playfully placed his palm to friend's forehead, as if he was checking his temperature, but Ben pushed his hand away.

"What was I supposed to do, Henry? Whip it out in pool", Ben sarcastically joked, eating a Subway Sandwich.

"I would've. She was practically begging for the dick, man!"

"My dad showed up … unexpected. Would you have rather us have been upstairs in my bedroom when he caught us", Ben asked, cringing. He didn't tell Henry what Leo said after Adrian left, for fear it might offend him. He also didn't want Henry to think that his family were all a bunch of Racial-Separatists.

"All you had to do was lock the fucking door", Henry said. "Problem solved."

"I did think about that. I thought about it a lot when she was there", Ben admitted, filled with shame. "But it just didn't seem like the right thing to do, you know?"

"No. I don't. Why does banging the shit out of a hot girl have to be 'wrong'?" Henry rolled his eyes.

"In this case, for a lot of reasons", Ben said grimacing, his stomach feeling nauseous for a few moments. It took him a few minutes before his nausea calmed down and he went back to eating. "Seriously, Henry …Guys don't fuck their friends. Isn't that like immoral, unethical … or something?"

"Sure they can. After all, Mary Magdalene started out as just Jesus' Disciple. Don't feel bad. God understands you, dude", Henry joked devilishly, putting his hand on Ben's shoulder. Ben knocked it off.

"Henry", Ben exclaimed. "Don't bring Christ into any of this. I think I may have committed some form of adultery." Ben paused before whispering, " I think I broke 'The Guy Code'."

"Ricky mustn't be hittin' it right", Henry responding, looking like he was in deep-thought. "I say invite the Majorette over again. But this time, ride her! Then call me and tell me what it was like. Text, even. If Ricky was doing his job, then she wouldn't have went to your house or have been all over you, yesterday. She's itching for real loving and she wants you to ease that itch for her, if you know what I mean. Save her, Ben", Henry said, laughing.

"You're a sick, twisted fuck", Ben said lowly, pointing his plastic fork at him, looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Besides, Ricky's probably better at doing it than both of us, combined."

"I'm sick? You know what, if I was single, Ben, I'd gladly do it for you", Henry whispered, as Ben rolled his eyes. He knew Adrian would never let Henry within one-hundred feet of her much yet touch her. "But since I'm not, you're going to have to fuck her, for both of us! For nerds everywhere!"

"You're beyond ridiculous, Henry", Ben blurted out, with his mouth full of a chewed-mix of beef, unions, mozzarella-cheese and bread.

"Ben, I was looking all over for you", Adrian said - jolting both boys - in an unusually cheery, optimistic voice, sitting down before hugging him. It wasn't her lunch period as she had Chemistry now, but she knew this was one of the only times she could reach him, since he wasn't in Band Class anymore. So she used the bathroom pass the teacher issued out during class to take a short break to the Cafeteria.

Ben turned to Henry who was grinning, perversely.

"For what", Ben calmly asked, turning his head back to look at her.

"To let you know I had a good time and …", Adrian paused, staring at Henry, who quickly pretended as if he was only eating his lunch.

"And …", Ben said, egging her on.

Taking Ben by the arm, she stood him up, and walked with him. Ben looked back at Henry, who was giving him two thumbs up.

"You didn't hear any of that, did you", Ben questioned, concerned.

"Of what", Adrian asked, confused.

"Nothing", Ben swiftly replied. "So? …"

"I want you to take me to my Junior Prom", she blurted out.

"What", Ben nervously said, his fingers fidgeting. A girl had never asked him out before.

"I want you to take me to my Junior Prom. It's not a date or anything. We'll just go as friends. You just have to wear a tux and pick me up at my house", Adrian said, avoiding eye-contact.

"Adrian … That sure sounds like a date", Ben said, frowning, thinking about his father's words. Normally he would have been ecstatic, but he knew Leo meant exactly what he said.

"Please, Ben. Ricky won't take me, he doesn't like dances and I really want to go", Adrian pleading her case.

"I'll think about it."

Adrian tried a different approach, "Oh, never mind! I think I'll go with one of those strong, buff Senior football-players. Maybe one with a high testosterone level, a lot of experience, little self-restraint, and no respect for women what-so-ever."

"Alright! I'll do it", Ben blurted out. "What day and time do you need me to be there?"

"Yip-Pee", she gleefully cheered, hugging him a second time, before calming herself down. "It begins tomorrow at 7:00 P.M. But pick me up around six. You've been to my house, so you already know where it is."

"Oh, Okay."

"And look good. I mean, you know I'm definitely going to be looking great and I'll need a partner that matches."

"Adrian, I'm not a hand-bag … Though I'm sure you'll look great", he said, eyeing her body, thinking about the pool fiasco.

"You can be sure of that", she said, using her fingers to push his face back up so he was looking at her face again.

"So, later", Ben said, a little embarrassed.

"Bye, Benny", she said, waving and wiggling her fingers, as she walked away.

A confused Ben remained silent.

She stopped walking, turned around and yelled, "Oh, just don't tell Ricky or Grace anything! They won't understand!"

Frowning, Ben walked back to his table seat. He could already tell Henry was too excited for his own good.

"Dude, what did she say", Henry asked, slightly bopping up and down, partly out of curiosity, partly out of excitement.

"She wants me to take her to her Junior Prom", Ben responded, already knowing what Henry's shared thoughts would be.

"And you said what", Henry asked, somewhat sternly, hoping his friend would deliver an answer he would be happy with.

"I said I would", Ben responded, taking another bite of his sandwich. "I'm picking her up tomorrow night."

"See. She wants it! You really gotta nail her now", Henry exclaimed, getting up to leave.

"Henry, she doesn't even want anything from me", Ben lying to himself, as he was now starting to come to the same conclusion about Adrian's intentions as Henry. "And even if she did, I don't have to do anything ... Henry, get lost."

"Ben, all I got to say is, if you don't do this, one day, you're going to regret not taking my advice. Quit being such a goodie-too-shoes! Just be 'the big bad wolf' for once and eat her", Henry said, letting out a howl afterwards, as he continued on his way.

"Says the whipped guy", Ben yelled. "Trust me. I regret all the times I did take your advice!"

"It's called being 'pussy-whipped' for a good reason and maybe you'd know the glorious feeling if you would listen to me", he yelled back.

Wiping his mouth with a small tissue, Ben shook his head, before heading off to his next class.


Ben was loading his belongings into his car, when he saw a shadow approaching behind him.

"Hi, Ben." He heard Adrian giggling.

"Ummm, hi Adrian", Ben said turning around.

"I just wanted to say 'thank you' for agreeing to take me to the dance", Adrian said, sucking on a lollipop.

"It's no problem, Adrian. I would enjoy taking you to your dance", he responded. He jokingly added, "Plus, I get to be around Junior girls!"

Adrian rolled her eyes. If he was attempting to make her jealous, he succeeded.

Ben sensed her jealousy. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just joking. The only girl that's going to matter to me that night is you and I won't talk to any other girls tomorrow if you don't -"

"Eh, 'do you'. It's not my concern", she replied, grimacing.

"Well, I thought it would matter to you since we kissed last night - "

"It doesn't", she interrupted. "I'm with Ricky."

Ben looked down dismayed.

"And I love Ricky, and I think he loves me, even if he doesn't act like it", she said, averting her eyes from Ben. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about what happened between us last night."

He was heartbroken.

"But we'll always be friends, Ben", she said, with her two hands open- holding the lollipop in her right hand - offering him a hug.

"Yeah ... Friends", Ben sighed, hugging her, loving the feel of her warm embrace. He felt his body rising in temperature, his muscles tense up and his voice getting lower in nervousness, and an erection forming beneath the fabric of his boxers. While he was deeply ashamed of it, being around Adrian always made him feel this way. He desperately wanted to be on the receiving end of her love and affection, even if it conflicted with his feelings about his relationship with Ricky. He felt like such a traitor and a back-stabber. Crushed and confused once again by her mixed-signals Ben asked her, "Adrian, I don't want to come in between you and Ricky. I really don't. But why do you like him?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe I-I don't deserve you, and it's wrong to think we could be anything more than friends." He sighed before continuing, "But I know you deserve better than Ricky."

Seconds past and neither said a word to each other.

The silence was awkward.

"Forget it", Ben said breaking their stare. "So, Adrian, I have to get to work. Again, you're welcome. The pleasures all mine."

"You could maybe drop me off at my house", Adrian blurted out grabbing his arm so he couldn't walk away.

"What happened to your car", Ben asked.

"Cindy wanted to drive me to school today and I kinda told her I had a ride home."

"I guess", Ben smiled, nervously. "Hop on - I mean 'in'. Hop in!"

After saying goodbye to Trisha and Erica, Grace spotted Adrian getting into Ben's car. Frowning, Grace couldn't help but feel jealous. Ben wasn't texting her. She tried again, pathetically, to reach him, but to no avail. He simply pushed his phone back into his jeans pocket before starting the car. He didn't eat lunch with her that day. It seemed Ben didn't want to be anywhere near her, but would continue to hang around Adrian. Maybe Adrian wasn't telling her the truth. Maybe neither was Ben. Maybe more was going on than she thought.

Whatever", Grace muttered to herself.

"Grace", she heard a male voice behind her.

"Jack? What are you doing? Are you stalking me?"

"No, I just saw you staring at Ben and Adrian, and you looked sad, so I thought I'd come over."

"What so you could comfort me", Grace asked, reading Jack like a book. "Even if there was something going on between Ben and Adrian, you and I are finished!"

Jack threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, Grace."

Grace watched as Jack walked over to Amy, Madison and Lauren, and put his arm around his grifriend ... Before watching Ben speed off with Adrian.

The ride to Adrian's house felt like a slow one. Ben tried to keep his eyes on the road, but it was a difficult task.

"Your phone is ringing", Ben told Adrian, as if she didn't also hear the ringtone.

"So. Let it ring", she replied folding her arms.

"Ricky", Ben asked.

"Ben don't ask me about Ricky", Adrian responded, her hand folded on her lap. Then reaching up she started running her fingers through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck, "I just want be with you, right now."

Ben never understood her. She'd say she just wanted to be friends, and then say things like that in her very "Adrian" way of saying them and doing "not-so-friend-like" things that would upset any boyfriend if he knew about it ... And then he wasn't sure what she wanted.

When they reached their destination, Ben hurriedly got out of the car and went to open the left door for Adrian - almost pulling her up the stairs leading to house.

"Ouch! Ben, what's your deal?"

"Sorry, it's just that I'm late", Ben lied.

"Don't you want to come in", Adrian asked. Cindy was working her usual night-shift, her father wasn't destined to be home for another two hours. She didn't want to spend another afternoon alone and she loved just being near him.

"I have to go Adrian", Ben replied. "I'm sorry."

Adrian frowned, and began to resort to desperation out of lonliness.

"My dad isn't home, either, Ben", she added, somewhat suggestively, trying to convince him to stay. "We could ... continue what we started yesterday ..."

"I really have to go", Ben said, confused, yet conjuring up the willpower to walk away, practically running down the stairs not feeling completely safe until he was back near his car. Opening his car door, he added, "I'll see you at the dance."

"See you too", she grumbled. Her grin changed to a pout, and she folded her arms, watching him drive off, before entering her house ... alone ... once again.


Still feeling lonely, Adrian was sitting on her bedroom attempting to read "Twilight" – a lot of the other girls around her school loved it. While she often read fiction books – including young adult literature – she never read Twilight.

"What is this shit", she mumbled to herself, putting the book on a shelf, as she got off her bed.

She preceded to take off her clothes and as soon as she was going to step one foot in her shower, her cell phone started ringing. Rolling her eyes, she answered it.

"Hi, Ricky", she said glumly.

"Adrian, why haven't you been answering my phone-calls! I called 6 times yesterday and 5 times today", Ricky exclaimed.

"Maybe because I didn't want to answer your phone-calls! Maybe so you could get a piece of your own medicine, for a change!"

"Adrian, did you go to the Boykewich's house, yesterday", Ricky asked. Adrian could tell he was on the verge of an explosion.

"Yeah. Why ask?"

"You're my girlfriend now, which means you have to do what I say, and I'm telling you that you can't be friends with Ben. Not anymore. I've been telling you that for an entire year, Adrian!"

"I told you, I'm not going to stop being friends with Ben, just because you say so, Ricky. Besides, I know you've still been banging that slut, Zoe. So, why can't I hang around Ben?"

Ricky sighed. In his view, the comparisons were totally different. "That's different, Adrian."

"How?"

"Well, when you're not having sex with your boyfriend, what do you expect a man to do?"

"Wow. So cheating is excused for you because you think you're a man? Newsflash: It's not!"

"Did you fuck him", Ricky blurted out, his voice trembling with anger. "I know you, did, Adrian. I know you!"

"I'm not answering that", Adrian stated, trying to keep Ricky on his feet. Adrian paused for a second, smirking, before thinking of something that might drive the knife deeper, "Look, I asked Ben to go to the dance with me – as a friend, you know, since you won't take me – and he said 'yes'."

"Why would you ask Ben to go to the dance with you? He's going out with Grace."

"Not really", Adrian said, frowning remembering her best friend. She hadn't really thought about how Grace might take any of this. But Grace was just going to have to except it.

"So you'd betray Grace", Ricky questioned.

"You did. Besides, I knew Ben before Grace did … And we're just going as friends for God's sakes!"

"Yeah, and we both know Grace is the only reason your taking any interest in him now! You're gonna crush him and leave behind a mess. You'd betray Grace and get Ben's hopes up, just to get back at me?"

"How big is that ego of yours? This isn't to get back at you. I like Ben", Adrian admitted, much to even her own surprise.

"Bullshit".

"Ricky, why are you even with me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It can't be because you love me. We don't go anywhere. You use to invite me over and fuck me! Now that that's over you don't know what you're doing! Simple", she said, telling her truth. "You've never stopped cheating on me! You talk to me like I'm one of your hos instead of your girlfriend, all the damn time! You don't even want our parents to meet! Sometimes, I don't even think you like me. What's the point? Is it just because you don't want Ben or any other guy to have me?"

"Adrian", Ricky said, coyly, ignoring her question about Ben.

"You don't act like a boyfriend, and I'm sick and tired of giving you second chances. Chance after chance after chance. I really am, Ricky. I-I don't want to do this anymore", she said, her voice breaking, tears running down her eyes.

Ricky rolled his eyes, "Oh, God. Are you crying, again?"

"You wanted me to stay with you", she said continuing. "I said 'yes' because … for some reason I still love you. But we both know everything between us is so unhealthy - we had to therapy. We both promised to change and you haven't changed since. You're still the same Ricky you've always been! Maybe I should have just moved on."

"What are you saying? That you'd rather be with Ben", Ricky asked, sounding almost nonchalant. "Adrian, are you breaking up with me?"

No sound came out of her mouth. She wasn't sure of her exact feelings.

"Adrian", Ricky sighed. "Come now, don't be like this."

Not having an answer to his question, Adrian hung up.

"Bitch", Ricky mumbled to himself upon hearing the dial-tone.


It was Ben's shift at the Butcher's Shop ...

"We got two orders of stake and one order of rib", Ben yelled to Bunny.

Giving him the man's orders Bunny tells Ben, "Go in the huge freezer and get the 10 pounds of pork I was telling you about."

Ben hated going in the freezer. It was cold. It was dark. And most of all, he had an odd fear of the door closing and being trapped inside with no one to hear his screams, cries or pleas. Walking into the freezer, Ben hurried and tried separating the pork and running out, and returning it to Bunny.

"I'm going to take a Bathroom, break", Ben yelled to Bunny.

He had been holding in his urine the whole day. After all, Ben Boykewich did not use school bathrooms. The unsanitary conditions and gross actions by the other boys disgusted him. He avoided using any and all Public Bathrooms at all times.

Walking into the Staff-Bathroom he relived himself, but had a weird feeling someone was watching him. As he felt the cold water hit his fingers, he hear the sound of a flushed toilet behind him and a bathroom stall close. Stand aside him was Ricky washing his own hands.

"Your dad told me Adrian came to visit you yesterday", Ricky said, breaking the silence. His voice was unusually calm which kind of frightened Ben.

"Yeah." Ben didn't know how to respond.

"I thought I told you not to talk to her anymore", Ricky said, sneering at Ben, trying to intimidate him. "She is my girlfriend. You shouldn't be talking to her!"

"You don't own her", Ben said, drying his hands with a brown paper towel, before throwing it into a gray trashcan. "If she wants to talk to me, why does that enrage you so much? Are you threatened by me or something? Look, the day Adrian decides she wants to stop talking to me is the day I stop taking to her. But that day hasn't come before and it never will."

"Look we got into an argument, yesterday. She's just upset that I cheated. She doesn't like you. She never did like you. She never will like you. Stop trying! Anything she did with you yesterday was because she was mad at me kissing for Amy and not wanting to go to a school dance with her", Ricky lied, smirking. "I'm not intimidated by you, at all! She loves me. Most of the time, I've got her under my fucking thumb. I say 'bark' and she barks. I say 'crawl' and she crawls. I say 'jump' and she says 'how high'. I say 'lay on your back' and she lays on her back. I say 'swallow' and she – Well I think you get the message."

"Adrian's a smart girl. Sooner or later, she'll discover her love is wasted on a selfish and arrogant individual that doesn't care about anyone but himself – a human-virus to each and every girl he comes in contact with", Ben said, disgusted, standing defiantly whilst crossing his arms.

"I doubt it. But even if she does, she'll still never want to be with you", Ricky said, smirking, trying to make himself feel better than the younger boy standing before him.

"Perhaps. But deep down she doesn't want to be with you, either. She wants a guy that's capable of so much more than you can ever be", Ben snarled, turning his back and existing the bathroom.

"Oh yeah, like who? Like who", Ricky said pushing Ben multiple times as they walked. "Like who? Like who? Like who?"

Turning around, Ben pushed him back, causing Ricky to fumble backwards into a wall, and then stared him down. "She wants a guy that's worth more than slick talk, a hard dick, and some loose change! That's why I'm the one that's taking her to her to your Junior Prom tomorrow and you're not!"

Now face-to-face, chest-to-chest, neither boy was willing to back down.

"OK. Break it up, you two. Get back to your work", Bunny said, attempting to move them apart, trying to stand in between the much taller boys.

"Come on you pussy, hit me", Ricky said, taunting him, from a distance. "I know you wo –"

Ben threw a right hook, hitting Ricky with brute force at the side of his face, dropping him to the floor.

Bunny attended to Ricky, who was now covering his nose and mouth, as blood was gushing out of nose and down his body, unto his clothes.

"Benjamin", Leo exclaimed, shocked at his son's behavior, having just witnessing the punch.

"He started it", Ben exclaimed, enraged.

"Ben, we don't tolerate hitting in this workplace. I'm sorry, really, sorry, Ben, but I'm going to have to fire you", Bunny said, with shock.

"Fine take his side", he yelled, angrily taking off his apron. You all always do."


Leo shock his head not knowing what to think or say ...

"Why do you have to be so hard-headed", Leo said more of as a statement than a question, pacing back and forth in his personal room. "I give you a job and this is how you act? Hitting people! Benjamin, you're not to win anything acting like some kind of thug."

"Then you don't know, Adrian", Ben said, looking away from his father, diverting his eyes with a devilish smirk. His father's statement had just given him a good idea.

"Ben, did you really do this just to impress some trouble-making girl?"

"Dad, I didn't do this for anyone, but myself. He started that fight – he wanted one and he got one. And, I'm not going to let Ricky pick on me!"

"Why can't you just try to get along with Ricky?"

"Dad, I was in the bathroom, he came out of a stall talking sh –", Ben paused, looking at his father. "— Talking trash. I responded. He pushed me! Multiple times! He told me to hit him! What was I supposed to do – turn the other cheek?"

Leo was silent for a few moments. "Do you want me to get your job back?"

"No. I don't want anything from you. Honestly, I'd rather work for the devil than continue to work for you", he grimaced.

"With the way you've been acting Ben, I wouldn't doubt it", Leo said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, mixing the races is an abomination against God, right", Ben stated, sarcastically. "You told Ricky what happened yesterday, didn't you?"

Leo turned his head. "You gave me no choice, son."

"Look, can I just go to my bedroom? I don't feel like talking at all."

"You're free to go. But just remember what I told you."

"Yeah, Yeah. 'Don't date Brown girls.'", Ben said, resentfully, rolling his eyes. "I got it."

"Honestly, as long as you're safe, Benjamin, I don't care who you kiss in the pool, or even where you stick that", Leo said, pointing at Ben's pants.

"So, I can date Adrian", Ben questioned, hoping for his father's approval for some reason. Either way, he was going at least try until he was successful, but he didn't want his father upset with him if he succeeded.

"You didn't let me finish. I don't care about who you give that, but, I do care who you give this", Leo said, pressing his right index-finger against his golden name plate. "Don't just give it to anyone."

"I'm not 14 anymore, dad", Ben said exasperated. "I'm not stupid enough to think that every, single relationship I have with a girl is going to lead to marriage. For now, I just like her, alright."

Leo nodded. "OK, son. Goodnight, Benjamin."

"Goodnight, dad", Ben muttered, existing the room.


Cindy passed by Adrian's bedroom, and stopped before walking in ...

"Adrian, honey, you still awake ...", Cindy whispered.

She nodded. "I guess. I couldn't sleep. I think I broke up with Ricky, but I'm not sure."

"Do you think you made the right choice?"

"I'm not sure", Adrian replied. "I love Ricky, but's it's never going to work. I think maybe I should just go back to my original plan and start dating other guys. What do you think?"

"I think that you have plenty of time to find that special guy you for you. You're just a kid and you should focus on school and then in the future start dating and thinking about guys", Cindy said to which Adrian nodded. "I'm sorry that work has kept me from being there for you before. But I'm here now. Adrian, I love you."

"I love you too", Adrian said, smiling as her mother kissed her check.

"Good night, Adrian. You're dad will be back tomorrow."

"Good night", Adrian whispered, yawning.

And for the first time in a long time, she rested peacefully without those dreadful nightmares.