Alright! One more chapter and then this will be the end of this story, BUT there is a squal being planned, and I will upload the last chapter and the first chapter of the sequal on the same day! it may take me a minute becasue I am going to be very busy the next couple of weeks. I have an exam this week, a wedding the next week, and then I am going to Disneyland two weeks after that. PLUS! On top of that I have homework to do.
But ANYWAY! Please enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think!
Urmimala Hazra: Thank you! I am glad that you liked it! I hope this one was worth the wait!
Tracie Adams: Thank you! I hope you like this update! I can't say too much in response, becasue then it will spoil the chapter.
brimason0201: Thank you so much! I am very happy that you liked this chapter! I hope you like this one!
shortanamx: Thank you!
katy1986: You are half right! I did not mention protection, but Mal WILL NOT get pregnant in this chapter.
Creator of Magic: I know I put a lot into that chapter, but I put WAY more into this one... anyway... please let me know what you think.
InuKagLove22: Thank you! I am updating as fast as I can with all of the things I have going on, but I try to make them as best of chapters as I can! I really hope you like this one!
JWR Cromwell: Thank you! I am so glad that you liked it! The next time I update THIS story is the same day I will start the sequal.
Guest: Thank you!
ENJOY!!
Mal was sitting on her balcony, surrounded by college applications. It had been a little over a month since they had gotten back from Paris, and all of Ben and Mal's teachers were talking about college applications. She didn't know what to pick. She didn't know where to start. She knew she wanted to go to a school that had some sort of performing arts program now, because after the play she enjoyed performing. She knew her grades and extracurricular activities would get her into any college that she wanted, but she didn't know which road to take. Plus, she didn't know what Ben was going to do. She jumped a little when she heard a knock behind her. She turned around to see Ben standing behind her with his hands behind his back.
"Hey," she said as she smiled up at him. "I'm sorry! Are we running late?"
"No," he said as he shook his head. "It's only 7:15."
"Oh," she said in surprise. "Why are you here so early?"
"Well, do you know what day it is?" He asked as he smiled down at her.
She tilted her head to the side in confusion. It was February. What is in…
"Oh!" She said before standing up, walking over, and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Happy Valentine's Day."
He chuckled before he leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss on her lips.
"You forgot about Valentine's Day?" He asked as he looked at her. "I thought girls were all about hearts and flowers."
"Well, in my defense," she said as she moved her arms from around his neck. "I have never had a Valentine," she said as she turned to pick up her things.
Ben and Mal never really talked about past relationships, but in all honesty there wasn't much to talk about. Ben had only had two girlfriends, Mal being the second, but he didn't know about Mal's past relationships.
"Hey," he said, making her turn to look at him. "I never asked it, because I didn't and don't care, but have you ever been in a relationship?"
Mal stood up and shook her head. "No."
"I'm your first boyfriend?" He asked in shock.
"Yes?" she questioned as she piled her papers in her arms. "Is that a problem?" she asked.
"No," he said as he shook his head. "I'm just shocked."
"Why?" she asked as she walked past him and into her room.
"Because you are, and how do I put this, the most beautiful person to walk on this planet," he said as he followed her.
"I highly doubt that," she said as she grabbed her backpack.
He walked up behind her, while she was putting her papers in her backpack, and grabbed her face before examining it.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"I'm trying to see how blind you are," he said as tried to pry her eye open with his fingers.
"Shut up," she said as she playfully shoved him, making him laugh.
"We should leave soon," he said. "I'm going to take you to that little coffee shop you like before we go to school."
"I am fine going to Starbucks," she said as she turned to look at her boyfriend.
"I understand that, but I am going to drive out of the way because I want today to be special for you," he said as he brought her and kissed the back of it.
"You really don't have to," she said as she smiled up at him.
"But I want to," he told her. "I want us to have a good Valentine's Day."
"I'm sure you had good ones with Audrey," she said.
"If you count having her plan everything, and getting mad when you can't read her mind, and know exactly what she wants," he said, making Mal suck in her lips so she didn't laugh. "Then yes."
"Okay," she said before she kissed his cheek. "Fine. We'll do it your way."
"Thank you," he said as he kissed her in the lips. "I'll go wake up Hadie."
She laughed as Ben ran out of her room and toward her brothers. She was grabbing her shoes when she heard a big thud. She shook her head and walked over to Hadie's room to see that Ben had tackled Hadie to the floor.
"Mally, get your boyfriend off me," Hadie said as he groaned.
Mal laughed as she leaned against the doorframe. Ben got off of Hadie and helped him up.
"How did you guys get on the floor?" Mal asked as Ben walked over to her.
"Hadie made the grave mistake of trying to wrestle me," Ben said. "And he lost big time."
"You're a senior who is nothing but 200 pounds of muscle," Hadie said as he grabbed his clothes that were on a pile on the ground.
"I don't see how that makes any difference," Ben said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever, I'm going to shower. What time do you want to leave?"
"5 minutes ago," Ben said.
"Okay," Hadie said with a chuckle. "I'll hurry."
Ben and Mal walked out of Hadie's room and walked downstairs to see Haden and Seph leaving.
"Hey, Mally," Haden said as he walked over and gave Mal a kiss on her forehead. "I left you something on the counter."
"Thank you, dad," she said as she gave him a hug. "Are you guys still going to dinner with Belle and Adam tonight?"
"Yeah," her mom said. "Hadie, Celia, and Dizzy are going to watch Rosie."
"I thought…"
"Nope," Ben said, cutting her off. "Like I said upstairs. It's Valentine's Day. You're my girlfriend. So I am taking you out tonight."
"Really?" she asked. "I thought you taking me to the bakery was good enough, and in my defense. I didn't think you were the type for Valentine's Day."
"Mal, I took you to Euro Disney when we were in France. Just for a date," he said. "What makes you think that Valentine's Day would be less?"
"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "We never talked about it."
"In Mally's defence," Haden said as he looked at Ben and Mal. "My girl has never found someone like you," he said as he clasped Ben on the shoulder. "Well, guys have tried, but no one has ever been good enough for her."
"I'm honored, Sir," Ben said, making Haden laugh.
"Okay," Seph said as she placed a hand on Haden's arm. "Let's get going. I have to be at work soon and so do you."
"Okay," he said as he kissed Mal on the head. "Happy Valentine's Day my little fae."
Mal smiled at the nickname. Her dad hadn't called her that in forever, and she almost forgot about it until now. She gave him a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek, before he and her mom left.
"Fae?" Ben asked, making Mal turn around.
"Yeah," she said. "My dad used to tell me stories about fairies, magical creatures, and enchanted forest when I was younger. I was so obsessed with them that he used to tell me that I was going to turn into a fairy if I kept it up," she said as she started to laugh. "So, he started to call me his little fae."
"Why did he stop?"
"I don't really know," she said. "After… well you know… he was so angry and I was not… me," she said, trying not to go into great detail. "He just called me Mally."
"That is actually really cute," he said as he wrapped his arms around Mal's waist, and kissed the top of her head. "I might start calling you that."
"Please don't," Mal said with a chuckle.
"Why? I like it."
"My dad calls me that," she said. "Do you really want to call me that same name my dad uses?"
Ben thought about it for a minute before agreeing with her. He thought the name was cute, and he liked it a lot, but it would be weird if he used the name nickname.
"You can give me a different one," she said.
"Dragon," he said.
"Hadie calls me that," she said.
"He actually calls you the Dragon when you are sleeping or angry at him, not whenever he wants."
Mal smiled up at her boyfriend before laughing. She nodded her head before taking Ben's hand and walking into the kitchen. There was a small bouquet of baby pink roses sitting on the counter with a note sticking out. She walked up to it and took the note off.
My daughter…When I look at you I see my past, present, and future, I see my little girl dressing up, covering her face with makeup or paint. I see you running in the garden, picking flowers and bringing one to me. I see that beautiful smile on your face and knowing in that moment the pride of being a parent. No matter how old you are, you will always be my baby girl. I am so proud of you and I will love you with all I am for all eternity.
"My dad always gets me flowers on Valentine's Day," she said as she put the note close to her chest. "And he always writes me the cutest notes," she said as she took one of the flowers out of the bouquet.
"That's very sweet," he said. "Why are you taking one of them out?"
"I take one out and save it," she said. "I hang them upside down to let them dry in my room, and I have a big vase full of flowers from my dad," she said. "I have two from the flowers that you gave me," she said, making Ben smile at her.
"Really?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yeah."
He turned her around, grabbed the sides of her face, and kissed her deeply. Mal smiled against his lips, and both didn't hear Hadie walk into the kitchen.
"Can you both stop before I yak?" He said as he put his backpack on.
"It's Valentine's Day," Ben said as he pulled Mal close. "Why…"
"Fuck!" he said. "Can you take me to mom's on the way to school?" he asked.
"We can go by if we have time," Ben said. "If we leave now, I'm pretty sure we can go to the cafe and the Moors before school."
"Thanks," Hadie said. "I got Dizzy one of the Valentine candy grams when they were first announced, but I completely forgot it was today."
"No problem," Ben said. "But we should go before it gets too late."
"Gods," Mal said as she shook her head. "Those flower Valentine grams took me forever to make," she said with a laugh. "I don't know why the school gave different options on sizes."
"Stop complaining," Hadie said. "You love making the arrangements."
"Doesn't mean I like the amount of time it takes to make almost 1,000 different ones," she said as she took Ben's hand and they walked out of the kitchen and out of the house.
After going to the small cafe, and watching Hadie rush to get Dizzy a small bouquet at his mom's, they were off to school. Hadie jumped out of the car, before Ben had even gotten the chance to completely park the car, to make it to Dizzy's locker before she did.
"He does know that the bell is going to ring in like 5 minutes right?" Ben asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "And that Dizzy is probably already at her locker?"
"Probably not," Mal said as she shook her head and laughed. "But we better get going, before we are late."
"Yeah," he said. "Wouldn't want to be late for our teacher who is 5 minutes late everyday."
The happy couple walked to their class hand in hand, and when they had gotten seated, the bell rang. Audrey came in dressed in pink and red from head to toe. Valentine's Day was her favorite holiday, next to Christmas. Whe Ben and Mal had gotten back from Paris, Ben had found a gift in his locker from Audrey. It was a framed picture of them from sophomore homecoming, and Mal laughed so hard her pubs started to hurt.
"Good morning, and Happy Valentine's Day," Merlin said as he walked into the room wearing a baggy red shirt with pink hearts on it. "Before we get this class started I have some of the student council outside, waiting to pass out the candy grams and flower grams people have received."
A couple of students came in with bags of candy grams and four others came in with bouquets, of different sizes, in their arms. Most of the bouquets were the small ones Mal made, but one was one of the huge ones. There were only 2 of them ordered out of the 1,000 arrangements she had made. Audrey perked up when she saw the big bouquet, hoping that it was for her.
After passing out the candy grams, Audrey started to bounce up and down in her seat, knowing the bouquets were going to be next.
"Uma Eliades," one of the kids said, making Uma raise her hand.
"Lonnie Li."
"Emma White."
After the first three names, Audrey was getting impatient, but was still excited because the big bouquet was still not passed out yet.
"Ruby Fitz."
"Jordan Gene."
"Allison Kingsley."
The bouquets were dwindling down, and it was getting closer to the big bouquet passing.
"Jaden Jabara," they called, making Jay look confused.
"Guys deserve flowers too," Lonnie said as she looked at Jay.
The final bouet was the big one, and Audrey was sitting up straight, and her chest was out.
"And lastly, the big one is for Mallory Drakos."
"WHAT?!" Audrey asked in shock.
Mal's eyes widened in shock. She didn't think she was getting a gram, even though she was dating Ben, and she didn't expect it either. She looked at him to see the smirk on his face.
"Did you really think I wasn't going to get you flowers on Valentine's Day?" he asked.
Mal shook her head and laughed, before walking up to the front of the class to get her flowers. When she was walking back, Audrey turned in her seat in Ben and Mal's direction.
"What the hell Ben?!" she exclaimed as Mal sat down.
"What?" he asked.
She held her hand out to Mal, asking if he was serious about not getting her anything.
"Okay," Ben said as he sat up straight and locked eyes with Audrey. "Let's make this easier for you to comprehend," he said. "Girlfriend," he said as he pointed to Mal. "EX-girlfriend," he said as he held his hands out to Audrey. "Therefore, and if I do the math correctly. I do not have to get you shit, because YOU are NOT my GIRLFRIEND."
Audrey turned red with rage. She turned in her seat, crossed her arms over her chest, and slumped in her seat. She had never been this embarrassed in her entire life, and she was going to make sure that she got her revenge on losing Ben.
"Where are we going?" Mal asked Ben as he led her down a path while she was wearing a blind fold.
"Be patient," he said as he continued to walk.
"Are you leading me to my impending doom?" she asked, making Ben laugh.
"No," he said as he laughed. "We're almost there."
"Well, what do you expect me to think, when my boyfriend decides to take me into the forest?" she asked.
"That I am adventurous and romantic," he said as he stopped them and placed his hands on her upper arms. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah," she said as she grabbed his hand on her arm and nodded her head.
He untied the blindfold from her eyes, letting her look at the beautiful scenery around her. They were in a meadow that was surrounded by beautiful giant trees. There was a babbling brook not far away, and an open area, where Ben had made a picnic for them.
"Oh my god, Ben," Mal said as she covered her mouth. "This is beautiful."
"You like it?" he asked.
"I love it," she said as she turned to look at him. "When did you do all of this?" she asked.
"Well, I kind of ditched baseball practice for it," he said, making Mal look at him in shock. "Don't worry," he said. "Coach knows and he ended up ending practice an hour after it started," he told her. "I just wanted our first Valentine's Day to be special."
"It's perfect," she told him and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. "Just like you."
"No," he said as he shook his head. "You're perfect."
A month later, Ben, Mal, and the rest of their friends had sent off their college applications. These were hard decisions, because some colleges were far away from each other, and Ben and Mal applied to colleges that were far from each other, some and the same, and some that were close. But it stressed them out more knowing that Mal's dream college was one of the ones that is far away. All they were waiting on was the acceptance letters to arrive… or the rejection letters. As a couple of weeks went by Ben was getting more and more nervous, and Mal was trying hard not to be. They both tried to hide how nervous they were around each other, and it worked because whenever they spent time together, they would live in the moment.
"You're coming to the game right?" Ben asked as he and Mal were walking to chemistry.
"Yes," she said with a laugh. "You keep asking me, and I keep saying yes," she said. "Why? Do you not want me to go?"
"No!" He said. "I want you to go. Trust me," he said. "I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be there."
"I have gone to every junior varsity and varsity baseball game so far," she said as they walked in and took their seats.
"And I am very glad you do," he said as he kissed her cheek.
"Then why all the worry and questions?" She asked.
"I just wanted to make sure," he said. "I know we both have been getting nervous about college applications and we haven't even really talked about it."
"Yeah," she said as she looked at the table. "I guess we have been avoiding it for a minute," she said as she put her head in her hands. "It's very hard. We don't even have acceptance letters yet and we are both nervous," she told him.
He knew she was more scared than either of them. She was afraid of getting rejected, even though everyone knew she wasn't. But, more importantly, she was nervous because she didn't know what was going to happen between her and Ben if they chose colleges far away.
"You know I won't be upset if you pick a college that is far away from mine, right?" He asked.
Mal nodded her head, but couldn't help but feel a bit forming in her stomach. His words were nice, but she knew actions were louder than words. What if he broke up with her?
"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head, but Ben knew she wasn't convinced.
He turned in his chair to talk to her, but Mrs. K walked into the class and started teaching. He would just have to talk about it to her later.
After school, Ben and Mal were walking to the parking lot to get Ben's baseball bag.
"You know," he said as turned to her. "I want you to be happy. I want you to achieve your dreams," he told her. "Mal, if you get accepted to your dream college, I want you to go," he said, making her look up at him with a heavy heart. "I love you and I promise I am not going to be mad."
Mal gave him a smile before kissing his cheek. She loved Ben and knew he wanted her to be happy, but she couldn't help the gnawing feeling that was in her head and stomach.
"I'll see you in a bit," he said as he brought Mal out of her thoughts.
She smiled up at him, before he gave her a kiss on the lips and ran to the locker room. She took a deep breath before walking over to the baseball field to meet with her friends.
It was the last inning of the game, there were two strikes, and the Knights were down by 2 runs. Had was on second base and Gil was on third. They only needed three runs to win.
"Up next to bat is catcher and number 7, Ben 'The Beast' Anderson," the announcer said.
Ben walked up to the plate, and took his stance.
"He looks nervous," Evie said, leaning in close to Mal.
She looked closer at him and saw how tense he looked. His knuckles were white, his legs were a little shaky, and his arms were stiff. The pitch came, nearly hitting Ben in the leg.
"God, baseball could be dangerous," Evie said, but Mal didn't pay attention. She was too focused on why her boyfriend was acting weird.
"Strike one," the umpire said.
Ben took his stance again, waiting for the pitch, and this time he didn't seem as tense. The pitch came, and Ben smacked the ball hard, making it fly right through center field. The crowd started to cheer, as Gil and Chad were running to home plate. The outfielders were running, trying to catch Ben's hit. The ball went over the fence, hitting the scoreboard screen, and letting Ben score a homerun and the run to win the game. As he ran to home plate, the rest of the team ran onto the field to celebrate. Jordan, Ruby, and Mal jogged onto the field, before Chad, Gil, and Ben ran to pick them up off their feet.
"Now if I could have everyone turn their attention to the scoreboard screen," the announcer said.
The screen started to change colors. All sorts of colors. Ben wrapped his arms around Mal's shoulders as they watched. After a couple of seconds, Mal's eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw what the board said. 'Mal, will you go to prom with me?' She turned to look at Ben with a shocked expression to see him smiling at her.
"Well?" he asked.
"Yes, you doofus," she said as he wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a big hug. "Isn't prom like a month away?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Don't you have to go anyway since you are one of the candidates for prom King?"
"Well, yeah that too, but I would like it if my girlfriend would come with me," he said as he started to sway them back and forth.
"Yes," she said. "I would love to go to prom with you."
A month had passed and it was a week before prom. Mal was at work with Evie and they were making all of the floral arrangements for prom because it was going to be at the Moors.
"Mally! Mally! Mally!" Seph yelled as she ran into the greenhouse.
"What?" Mal asked in horror as her mom stopped in front of her.
"You got this in the mail," she said as she held up a giant envelope from Mal's dream college.
Mal looked at the envelope with wide eyes. She wasn't expecting a response for another couple of weeks.
"Open it," Seph said.
Mal took the envelope into her hands before opening the top. She pulled out the papers and her eyes grew wider.
"I got in," she whispered. "I got in!"
Evie and Seph screamed in excitement, before hugging her tightly.
"Well," they heard coming from the greenhouse door. They turned to see Mal's biological mom standing in the doorway. "I believe congratulations are in order," she said as she took a couple of steps toward them.
"What are you doing here, Malissa?" Mal asked as she glared at the woman.
"I came to see you, pumpkin," she said. "Can't a mother come and see her daughter?"
"She is not your daughter," Seph said as she stood in front of Mal. "She's my daughter. I adopted her. She is not yours, you heartless bitch."
Malissa laughed as she threw her head back.
"You're not welcome here," Mal said as she walked in front of her mom. "Leave."
"Still upset about the lies you told?"
"I didn't lie about anything," Mal said. "You believed the scumbag over your daughter."
"Why in the hell would he want you, when he has me? You put an innocent man behind bars because you wanted attention. Why would he rape you?" she asked as she took a couple of steps in Mal's direction. "You were nothing but a scrawny little thing that always annoyed us. Why don't you do everyone a favor and tell the truth for once in your life?"
"Get the fuck out of here," Seph said before she slapped Malissa across her face. "Don't you ever come back here. Don't you talk to my daughter. And don't you dare even think about her."
Malissa looked up before glaring at Mal.
"You're always going to be nothing."
She turned and walked out of the building, leaving Mal standing there with hot tears in her eyes.
"Don't you ever, and I mean EVER, listen to her Mally," Seph said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
Mal didn't say anything. All she did was let her tears fall and cry. Evie walked up and hugged her best friend. No one should ever have to go through what Mal did, and she shouldn't be called a liar about it. The three stayed in the greenhouse for a while trying to comfort Mal, not knowing that someone else had heard the entire conversation.
Mal was walking to her locker on Thursday, only 2 days before prom. She had forgotten her french book in her locker and was going to get it, before she went on her way to wait for Ben until he was done with practice, but she stopped when she heard her name being said just around the corner.
"Are you serious?" a girl asked. "How do you know?"
"Ben told me," Mal heard Audrey's voice say. "He is so fed up with all of her drama that he just feels sorry for her now."
What? Mal thought to herself.
"What did he tell you?"
"Well, we have third period together, and he is completely different when she isn't around," she said. "We were working in pairs and he didn't have a partner. We got to talking and he told me what happened to Mal when she was 13," she said, making Mal freeze in shock. "He said that someone raped her, but he doesn't know if he believes her."
Ben didn't believe her? She thought to herself.
"Seriously?" the other girl asked.
"Yeah," Audrey said. "And to top it off he said that if she moved away for college he was going to break up with her, because he doesn't want to do long distance."
"That doesn't sound like Ben," one of the girls said.
"Well, who are you going to believe? Me, who heard it from Ben? Or someone else?" she said. "Plus, he probably told her to go, so that she would think about it and end up staying.""
Mal heard them start to walk away, making her push herself against the lockers and cry. Did Ben really say all of this stuff? How would Audrey find out? The only people who knew at school were Evie, Uma, Hadie, and Ben. She sobbed and sobbed, not knowing what to think. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to believe that Ben would tell Audrey all of that, because of all of the things he had told her. But she also knew that Uma, Hadie, and Evie would never say anything. She still didn't know what to do. She pushed herself off the floor and ran out of the school. She ran and ran. She ran through the parking lot, and down the street sobbing, until she started to run home. It started raining when she was half way home, and she was soaking wet. Her phone started to ring in her pocket, and when she pulled it out she saw Ben was calling her. She clicked the decline button, not wanting to talk to him. She ran all the way home, and she was lucky that her parents were not home. She ran up to her room, slammed the door, and locked it, before she threw herself on the bed and sobbed.
"MAL!" she heard Ben yell, about 15 minutes later.
"MALLY?!" she heard her brother yell.
Mal buried her face into her pillows, not wanting them to hear her.
"I'll check her room," she heard Hadie say.
She heard his footsteps as they ran up the stairs, and down the hall. He tried the door, but it was locked.
"Mally!" he called from the other side of the door. "Mal! Open the door!" he said.
She heard more footsteps, now knowing that Ben was coming up the stairs.
"Mal!" Ben said as he knocked on the door and tried the knob. "Baby, open the door!" he shouted.
Mal didn't answer, and she continued to cry.
"Is she crying?" she heard Hadie ask.
"Mal. Baby, open the door," Ben said again as he pounded louder.
"I'll go see if I can find a key," Hadie said as he walked away from the door.
Mal wanted them to leave. She wanted to be alone.
"Mal," Ben said as he rested his head on the door. "Can you please open the door? What happened?"
Mal stared at the door, and she could see his shadow underneath. "Just go away, Ben," she said softly, but loud enough for him to hear her.
Ben's heart shattered. He didn't know what had happened. Did she not get accepted to the school she wanted? He thought. He sighed before looking down at the ground.
"Okay," he said. "I love you though. I just want you to know that," he said through the door, before leaving to go home.
A couple of minutes after Ben left, Hadie came with a key and unlocked Mal's door. He opened the door to see Mal laying in bed with a red nose and red eyes.
"Mally," he said as he walked over, crawled onto her bed, and pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to say," he said.
"Come on," he said as he started to rock them back and forth. "It's me. Your shadow. Your partner in crime. The one you can tell anything to," he said as he kissed her head. "I'm not going to tell anyone."
Mal took a deep breath before telling Hadie everything that she had heard Audrey say, plus everything that happened when she was at work. He was livid. He didn't want to believe that Ben would tell Audrey all of that, but she did know too much.
"Please don't tell him," she said as she rested her head on his chest. "I know you get hot headed over this."
"Mally, I don't hate saying this, but your mother is a bitch," he said, making Mal laugh.
"We have the same mom," she said.
"Your egg donor then," he said. "I'm sorry," he said as he held on to her tighter.
Mal curled her head into her brother, and started to cry more. She didn't want to go back to school, because she didn't know if Audrey was going around spreading her deepest secrets. The next morning Ben was walking to his Jeep to pick up Mal and Hadie, when he looked across the street and saw Doug parked in Mal's driveway. He saw Hadie get into the car and Evie walked out a couple of minutes later, and she looked pissed. They drove away and Ben was still standing there, looking at the house. Seph came out and leaned against the doorframe, before looking across the street at Ben. She shook her head and then headed back inside, closing the door behind her. He didn't know what was going on, but he was going to find out.
"Evie!" Ben called as he ran through the parking lot to catch up with her.
She stopped and turned to glare at Ben.
"What?" she asked in a sharp tone.
"What's going on?" Ben asked. "Why is Mal ignoring me, my calls, and text?"
"Why don't you go and ask Audrey since you are so chummy with her," she said.
"What?" he asked. "I haven't talked to Audrey since Valentine's Day when the whole flower thing came up."
"Well, she knows something, and I know Hadie, Uma, and I didn't tell her," Evie said before she turned and walked away.
Ben walked into history and saw Audrey sitting there with a smile on her face. He walked up to her and slammed his hands on the table.
"What did you say to Mal?" he asked with venom in his voice.
"I didn't tell her anything," she said.
"Bullshit," he said. "She won't come out of her room or talk to me! What did you fucking say?"
"I didn't tell her anything," she said as she stood up. "Maybe she's upset that her dirty little secret is out," she said with a smirk on her face.
"What secret?" he asked.
"Her being raped, obviously," she said as she sat back down and crossed her arms. "Can you say 'cry for attention'?"
The entire class went quiet. Harry and Jay walked up behind Ben, not knowing if they had heard Audrey right.
"What?" Ben asked through his teeth.
"Yeah," she said. "She probably overheard me talking about it yesterday with Ariana and Maddie," she said as she looked over at the pair. They looked over at Ben with furrowed and confused eyebrows. "She even messaged me on Instagram," she said as she pulled out her phone and showed Ben the message.
You can go to prom with Ben, since you guys are close. I'm not going anymore.
Ben looked at the screen with wide eyes. He couldn't believe that Mal had messaged Audrey that.
"So," Audrey said as she put her phone down on the table. "What time are you picking me up?"
"I'm not," he said.
"Why? Mal said that you can go with me," she said. "It's not like you really wanted to go with her anyway."
"Mal is my girlfriend!" Ben exclaimed. "Of course I want to go with her!"
"She's a liar," Audrey said.
"No! She's! Not!" Ben exclaimed. "You know nothing about what happened to her! And for you to go around and say she is fucking lying if bullshit! If the roles were reversed and it was you, you would feel just like Mal does right now!"
"So, Mal wasn't lying?" Maddie asked as she walked up to Ben.
"No," he said, keeping his glare on Audrey. "No, she's not!"
Everyone in the room went completely pale. Most of them knew Mal to be a snarky, spunky, and fun girl. She was so helpful, smart, and caring. They never knew that she had gone through something so horrible, and to now know that Audrey was making things worse for her was just horrible.
"Ms. Beau," Merlin said as he fully walked into the classroom and glared at Audrey. "To the principal's office. NOW!" he yelled, making her jump.
She slowly got up and walked out of the room, with Merlin in tow.
"Ben?" Maddie said as she walked up behind him. He turned to look at her, and she looked ashamed. "Audrey told us that you told her about what happened with Mal," she said, making him look at her shocked. "She said that you were tired of her drama, that you didn't know if she was lying, and that you were going to break up with Mal if she moved for college."
"What?" he asked in disbelief.
That's why Mal wasn't at practice yesterday, when it started to rain. Why she didn't unlock her door when he was there, why she ignored his calls, and why she told him to go away. She thinks he betrayed her. He ran out of the room, out of the school, and into the parking lot. He needed to talk to Mal. He needed her to know that he did not tell Audrey anything. He sped to her house, not caring that he was missing school now. When he got to her house he knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He ran around to the back and started to climb up the wooden fence that led to Mal's balcony. He climbed over the side and walked over to the door, to find it unlocked. He opened the door and found her room empty.
"Mal?" He called as he walked further into the room. "Baby, are you here?" He asked.
No one was there. He looked to the side and saw her door was open, making him hang his head. He saw a big envelope on Mal's desk. He walked over and saw that she had been accepted to the college she wanted. A big smile grew on his face, before he heard the door creak.
"She left 20 minutes ago," he heard, making him look at the door to see Seph standing in the doorway. "Uma came and picked her up."
"She went to school?" He asked.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "She is staying the night at Uma's."
Ben hung his head. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to tell Mal.
"You didn't tell Audrey anything, did you?" Seph asked, making Ben look up at her and shake his head.
"I would never, ever, betray Mal in any way," he said. "I love her too much to hurt her."
"Then how did Audrey find out?" She asked.
"I don't know," Ben said as he shook his head. "Audrey told people that I thought Mal was lying and that I was…"
"She told people Mal was ying?" Seph asked, cutting him off.
"Yeah. She told people that Mal lied about being raped," he said.
"Ben, why don't you go back to school," Seph said. "I have to run to work to check on something and if I see Mal I'll talk to her," she said as she gave Ben a small smile.
Ben nodded his head before following Seph out of Mal's room. He turned to close the door and saw the white garment bag that had Mal's prom dress in. He sighed before closing the door, and hoping Mal would talk to him soon.
Seph went to work, and looked at the camera footage from Sunday. She didn't know why, but she had a weird feeling in her stomach. She remembered seeing Audrey on Sunday at the Moors. She went through the footage of their confrontation with Malissa, and then she went to the footage that was outside of the greenhouse. Sure enough Audrey was there, standing outside of the greenhouse doors, listening to the entire confrontation. Her eyes grew wide before pulling out her phone and calling Mal.
"Hi, mom," Mal said in a soft voice.
Seph could tell that she was still crying.
"Hi, sweetheart. I just wanted to know if you are going to come home tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Mal said with a sniffle. "I'll be home."
"Okay, honey. I want to talk to you tomorrow, if that's okay," she said.
"Yeah," Mal said. "That's fine."
"Okay. I love you, Mally."
"I love you too, mom," Mal said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Mal hung up the phone and tossed it on Uma's bed, and a couple seconds later Ben's name popped up. Uma went to answer the call but Mal grabbed the phone first.
"Let me answer it," she said.
"No, Uma."
"Mal, Ben is not going to lie to me," she said. "I want to know what happened."
"I do too, but I can't hear his voice right now," she said. "Hearing it is going to make me cry, and I can't bear to hear if he actually told her."
"I don't want to believe he would, but Audrey knows too much."
Mal's phone pinged, and when she looked down there was a message from Ben. She deleted the text, not wanting to know what it said.
"You're really not going on tomorrow?" She asked.
"No," she said as she shook her head. "I don't want everyone looking at me."
"Mal, no one is going to be looking at you," Uma said as she sat down next to Mal on the bed. "You can come with me and Harry."
Mal shook her head. "Ben is going to be there."
"You don't have to be with him to go," Uma said. "It's our senior prom, Mally. You shouldn't miss it."
Mal laid down, and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She knew Uma and Evie were right. She should go, but she didn't want the chance of people looking at her.
Uma curled up with Mal on the bed. She hated that this was happening to her cousin, and her mom let the girls stay at their house all day.
It was 3 in the afternoon, Mal was asleep and Uma was on the phone with Harry.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Ben didn't tell Audrey anything," Harry said. "That's what he has been telling everyone, and you should have seen the way he yelled at Audrey."
"This is so confusing," Uma said as she looked at Mal who was asleep. "How did she find out if Ben didn't tell her? Because I know Evie, Hadie, and I didn't say anything."
"I don't know, but…" he said and then stopped. "Why didn't she tell me?" He asked. "I know I wasn't her friend until we started dating, but she's like a sister to me."
"She didn't want anyone to know, because she didn't want people to look at her differently, and it's not about you. It's about Mal," Uma said. "She doesn't want to go tomorrow."
"I know," Harry said. "Mal sent Audrey a message on Instagram, saying that she could go with Ben because they are close, and that she wasn't going anymore."
"I want her to go," Uma said.
"Yeah, Ben wants her to go too," he said. "He was telling people that he wasn't going to go anymore, but the president of the student council said he has to because he is in line for prom king."
"I'm going to try to convince her to go," Uma said. "Even if she and Ben don't go together, I want her to go."
"Everyone wants her to go," he told her. "Evie yelled at Ben today, after he got back to school. But she calmed down, when he swore that he didn't tell Audrey anything. Oh and to top that off, Audrey got suspended for two weeks, and can't go to graduation."
"Shut up," Uma said in shock. "Why?"
"Ben yelled at her in history, and Merlin heard. He told her to go to the office, and even went with her," Harry said. "On our way out of first, Audrey was crying when she was leaving school."
"Wow," she said. "I…" she started but stopped when she got a text.
I'm here!
"Hey, Evie's here," Uma said. "I'll call you later."
"Okay," he said. "I'm going to stay with Ben and Jay tonight. I think he needs it."
"Okay, love you."
"Love you too, darling," he said and then hung up.
Uma walked out of her room, and downstairs to let Evie in. She opened the door to see her standing there with an overnight bag over her shoulder.
"Where is she?" Evie asked.
"She's upstairs asleep, but we need to convince her to go tomorrow."
"She's going," Evie said. "We spent three days trying to find her dress."
"We can't force her to go though," Uma said.
Evie slumped her shoulders, trying to think of something to get Mal to go.
"Doug and his band are going to be playing!" Evie said. "Obviously, not for the whole night, but Kristine can't make it!"
"And Mal can take her place!" Uma said. "Call Doug and tell him! We'll just tell Mal that he asked for her."
After Evie and Uma called Doug and told him their plan to get Mal to go to prom, they went upstairs to wake her up.
"I'm not going," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Please, Mal," Evie begged. "Doug really needs you. Kristine has strep."
"Evie, I don't want to go," she said again. "I'm not going to go and get looked at weird. Or looked at with pity, because I was the girl who got raped."
"No one thinks of you like that," Mal said. "Audrey was suspended because she started the rumors. Do people know it happened… yes," she said, making Mal groan. "But, no one thinks you are lying about it. They actually think you are the strongest girl ever."
Mal looked up at her friends. She knew they would never put her in a position to make her feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, but she also didn't want to see Ben. she still didn't know if he was the one who told Audrey what had happened.
"Fine," Mal said. "I'll go."
Evie and Uma squealed in excitement, making Mal shake her head and smile. She didn't want to feel uncomfortable, but she also didn't want to miss a night with her friends. She also couldn't help but feel her stomach tighten, knowing she was going to see Ben.
"Mally?" Seph said as she walked to the front door to see Mal walking through. "You're here earlier than I thought you were going to be."
"Yeah," Mal said. "Uma had a hair appointment at 10, so aunt Ursula dropped me off before."
"Come on," Seph said as she held her hand out to Mal. "I want to talk to you. Your dad and brother aren't here"
Mal put her bags on the floor, before taking her mom's hand and letting her lead them into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen Seph gave Mal a cup of tea, and sat down next to her.
"How are you feeling?"
"Honestly?" Mal asked, making her mom nod. "I still feel like shit, but I'm going tonight to help Doug out. They are going to pick me up at 5, so we can get there early. It doesn't start until 6."
Seph perked up at hearing that. She was happy that Mal had decided to go to prom, and was hoping after this conversation, she and Ben would talk.
"I know," Seph said. "It's at my nursery, remember?" she asked, making Mal nod her head and laugh. "But that's great," Seph said. "I'm glad you're going. Have you told Ben?"
Mal shook her head.
"Sweetheart," Seph said as she took one of Mal's hands. "Ben didn't tell Audrey anything."
"How would you know?" Mal said. "She knew too much and…"
"I know," she said, cutting Mal off. "Because Audrey was at the Moors when Malissa was," she said, making Mal look at her in shock. "She was listening the entire time. I checked the cameras yesterday."
Mal looked at her mom in shock. She didn't expect to hear that. She didn't know what to say. She actually felt bad now for ignoring Ben, because all he wanted to do was be there for her. She stood up and started to walk toward the door, but her mom called her name.
"He left already," She said, making Mal turn to her. "Harry and Jay stayed the night and the three of them left early this morning," She said, making Mal slump her shoulders. "Come on," Seph said as she held her hand out for Mal. "Why don't I help you get ready?"
Mal took her mom's hand and nodded her head. After taking a long shower and letting her mom blow dry, curl, and do her hair, all she needed to do was her make up and change. Her mom had twisted Mal's hair back into a half due, and let the side pieces fall on the side of her face. Haden and Hadie had come home, and were happy to hear that Mal was going to her prom. The three of them left at 3 in the afternoon to help set up the Moors, leaving Mal alone. She just walked back into her room with a bowl of strawberries, when she saw a plastic box sitting on her bed. She walked to her bed, picked up the box and saw that there was a note taped onto the plastic.
I used to wonder if dreams could come true. You have no idea how much you have changed my life, and telling you that I love you does not even begin to describe how I feel about you. When I look at you, I get a feeling that everything will be okay, no matter what happens. It does not matter where you are. I love you no matter the distance between us. Congratulations baby! I am so happy for you!
Love always and forever, Ben
She couldn't help but smile at the note. She shouldn't have shut him out, but she didn't know what had happened. She didn't know Audrey was at the Moors that day. She opened the box to see a corsage that was made with Mal's favorite flower, the majestic blue mystique orchid. She smiled as she started to tear up. Ben had gone out of his way to get her her favorite flower.
"Mal!" she heard Evie yell. "We're here!"
Mal quickly wiped her tears from her eyes, before putting the note and box on her bed.
"Okay," Mal said. "You guys can come up to my room."
A couple of seconds later, Evie and Doug came into her room.
"Hi," she said as Evie placed her and Doug's suit garment bags on Mal's closet door.
"Hi," they both said in unison, before Doug walked over to Mal, gave her a hug and a kiss on the head.
"Are you ready for me to glam you up?" Evie asked as she held up her makeup bag.
"Yes," Mal said. "But not too much. I don't want to have a cake face."
"You're not going to need it," she said as she walked over and sat Mal down in front of her mirror. "Just a little bit of blush, to intensify your rosey cheeks. Some eyeliner to make your eyes seem bigger. And some mascara to make your eyelashes a little longer."
"I'm going to take a nap while you two get ready," Doug said as he flopped onto Mal's bed. "Wake me up 20 minutes before we leave."
Both girls laughed and shook their heads before Evie started to do Mal's makeup. When she was done, she turned Mal's chair, letting her see what she had done.
"Wow, E," Mal said. "You made me not hideous."
"You are not even remotely close to hideous," Evie said, making Mal smile. "Now, come on. We have to get you into your dress and I need you to help me clasp mine on."
They woke up Doug, and told him to change in Hadie's room. Evie helped Mal zip up the small part of her dress, and Mal helped Evie clasped all of the buttons that were on the back of her dress. When they were done and ready to go, Mal grabbed the corsage off her table and slipped it onto her wrist. She took a deep breath before looking in the mirror, and looking at herself. She was ready, but she didn't know how tonight was going to go.
"You ready man?" Jay asked as he clasped Ben on the shoulder.
"I guess," he said as he put his jeep in park. "I'm not going to enjoy it, but I'm here aren't I?"
"Come on," Lonnie said. "Let's go."
The three of them got out of the car, and walked to the entrance. When they walked in, he saw Mal's parents and brother standing with his family.
"Hi, love," Seph said as she walked up and gave Ben a hug. "You look handsome."
"Thank you. You look very lovely tonight," he said before he looked up at Haden to see if he was pissed.
"Hi, Ben," Haden said with a smile.
"Hello, Sir," Ben said as he held his hand out for him to shake.
Haden took Ben's hand and pulled him in for a hug, shocking Ben.
"I knew you didn't tell Audrey anything," he whispered in Ben's ear. "I know you love my daughter, and I know you would never do anything to hurt her."
He didn't know how much he needed to hear that. He gave Haden a squeeze before letting go and saying hi to his parents, Hadie, and Rosie. He gave his mom and Rosie a kiss on their cheeks before being pulled into a hug by Hadie.
"Don't forget to vote for prom king and queen," Belle said as she held up a ballot to Jay, Ben, and Lonnie.
Lonnie and Jay quickly filled out their ballots before giving them to Belle, but Ben shook his head. He didn't care about it, not that he did to begin with.
"I'm not going to vote," he said. "I don't really care."
"Okay," Belle said as she put the ballot down. "They are going to be closed in 5 minutes, and then the king and queen will be announced after the first two songs."
"That's fine," he said. "Maybe I'll just leave after."
"Ben, go have fun," Adam said as he patted Ben on the back. "It's your senior prom."
"I would have more fun if I came with Mal," he said as he hung his head.
"Well try," he said as he pushed Ben forward to follow Jay and Lonnie down the path to the back area where the prom was being held.
He followed his friends, and when they reached the entrance they saw all of the twinkling lights that were twinkling in the trees. There were tables surrounding the dance floor.
"Jay! Lonnie! Ben!" they heard someone yell, making them turn their heads in the direction of where the yelling was coming from.
They saw Chad waving his hands, calling them over to the table. When they walked over they saw Uma, Harry, Jordan, Evie, Carlos, and Jane sitting there.
"Hey all," Jay said as he pulled out a seat for Lonnie. "Where's Doug, Evs?"
"He's setting up," Evie said as she closed her mirror and placed it into her purse. "They should be going on in a couple of minutes."
Ben sat down and slumped in his chair. He really wished that Mal was here. Everyone looked at Ben with sorry eyes, and he told them not to worry about it. He didn't want them to concentrate on him when they should be having a good time.
"Oh look," Evie said as she perked up. "They're going to start."
Ben didn't turn to look, he was still upset. Everyone started to walk away or past the table, and toward the stage, but Ben kept his back away from it. He just wanted the night to be over.
I waited 'til I saw the sun
Ben snapped up when he heard the voice start to sing. He turned around to face the stage and saw Mal singing. She was wearing an emerald green satin gown. It was made of lightweight fabric, it had a sleeveless cowl neck bodice secured with adjustable spaghetti straps, and an open back. It was floor length, with an a-line skirt, and had a side leg slit and sweep train. She looked completely stunning.
I don't know why I didn't come
I left you by the house of fun
Don't know why I didn't come
Don't know why I didn't come
She started to sway back and forth as she sang. The song was soft and mellow. Ben couldn't contain his smile. He hadn't seen her in two days, but it felt like a lifetime to him.
When I saw the break of day
I wished that I could fly away
Instead of kneeling in the sand
Catching tear-drops in my hand
He noticed the corsage on her wrist, making him smile even bigger. He had dropped it off at Mal's house before he, Harry, and Jay left early this morning. And she was here, wearing it, along with the locket he had given her for Christmas.
My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind forever
"I told you I would talk to her," Seph said as she walked up next to Ben.
He looked down and smiled at her. He didn't know what Seph had said to Mal, but it worked. Mal was here, and that is all he wanted.
"May I steal my wife?" Haden asked as he walked up behind Ben and Seph.
Ben and Seph laughed, Before Haden took Seph's hand and they walked onto the dancefloor.
Out across the endless sea
I would die in ecstasy
But I'll be a bag of bones
Driving down the road alone
He continued to stare at Mal as she sang and swayed back and forth. Whenever she sang, she put her soul into the song. Her dress was brushing the stage as she swayed, and sometimes the slit on her dress would open more and more. He had to fight the urge to walk up there, take his jacket off, and cover her up. She had an open back to the dress, and he could see some of the guys that came stag looking at her and almost drooling.
My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind forever
Mal locked eyes with him, before giving him a small smile. He smiled back and his heart did a leap.
Something has to make you run
I don't know why I didn't come
I feel as empty as a drum
I don't know why I didn't come
Don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come
The song ended, and everyone in front of the stage went wild, making Mal, Doug, and the rest of the band smile. Ben was about to run to the stage, but Hadie tapped him on the shoulder.
"My sister loves you," he said. "And I have never seen her happy like when she is with you."
Ben looked at Hadie with a confused look, because Mal was happy with everyone she loved.
"She is a different type of happy when she is with you," he said. "The type of happy she was before everything that happened. I may have been 10, but I knew my sister was different. You brought my sister back to where she used to be."
"This next song is an original by my dear friend Mallory," Doug said as he smiled at Mal.
Ben and Hadie turned their attention back to the stage, and they saw Mal blushing before Doug started to play his guitar.
"He's right. She different because of you," Evie said as she walked up next to Hadie.
"In a good way, obviously," Adam said as he walked up on the other side of Ben with Belle and Rosie.
He's a phone call to his parents
He's a Bible by the bed
He's the t-shirt that I'm wearin'
He's the song stuck in my head
He's solid and he's steady
Like the Allegheny runs
He knows just where he's goin'
And he's proud of where he's from
"May I have this dance, Blueberry?" Hadie asked as he held his hand out for his sister's best friend.
Evie laughed and chuckled before taking his hand.
"What do you say Belle?" Adam asked as he held his arm out to her. "Want to go to the prom?"
Belle laughed before looking at her kids.
"Will…"
"May I have a dance?" Ben asked as he leaned down to Rosie.
Rosie nodded her head eagerly and held her hands up for Ben to pick her up.
One of the good ones
He's one of the good ones
He walked onto the dancefloor and started to dance with Rosie.
A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look one
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones
"Benny?" Rosie asked, making Ben look back at her. "Is Mally still your girlfriend?"
"I hope so," Ben said. "Why?"
"Because I want you to marry her," she said. "I love Mally, and I know you love each other."
You'll know him when you see him
By the way he looks at me
You'd say he hung the moon
I'd say he hung the galaxy
Nobody does it better
Oh, the way he pulls me in
I've known a couple bad ones
But they all led me to him
"I do love Mally," he said as he looked at Mal to see her smiling at him and Rosie. "I love her very much," he said as he looked back at Rosie. "But I want you to know that if Mally and I ever break up, I will always and forever love her. She is my best friend."
He's one of the good ones
A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look one
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones
"She's my best friend too," Rosie said as she smiled at Ben.
"I know," he said. "She's the bestest friend ever."
We should all find us one
They're out there, minus one
Some of the good ones
Yeah, I got a good one
Ben turned his attention back to Mal and saw her peak at him as she sang. He was hoping that they were still together, but if she didn't want to be his girlfriend anymore he would understand.
A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
The crowd started cheering again, when she finished singing. Belle walked up onto the stage and gave her a hug, before taking the microphone from her.
"Thank you, Mal," Belle said. "That was beautiful."
Mal smiled at her before Doug offered her his arm and they walked off the stage. Ben was about to walk to her, but stopped when his mom started talking.
"If I could have all of the candidates for prom king and queen come up to the stage," she said.
Ben groaned in frustration, before he walked over to his dad, gave Rosie to him, and walked to the stage. He walked past Mal, and stopped for a brief moment.
"I want to talk to you," he said to her before Evie pushed him up the steps.
All the candidates were on the stage. Ben, Chad, Ryder, and Jay were on the stage for prom king, and Evie, Ariana, and Ruby were on stage for prom queen. Audrey was supposed to be up there too, but after Thursday she was no longer a candidate.
"Now," Belle said as she held two envelopes in her hand. "I would like to announce that our prom king is… Ben Anderson!" she said into the microphone, making everyone cheer, and his teammates woot.
Ben walked up to his mom, and she placed a crown on his head. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, before the other guys walked off the stage.
"Now it's time to announce our prom queen," Belle said as she started to open the envelope.
Ben was starting to get impatient. He wished that he didn't win, because he could be talking to Mal right now and explaining that he didn't say anything to Audrey.
"And our prom queen is Mallory Drakos!" she said, making every one cheer louder than when Ben was announced.
She stood there, not moving. She was not expecting this. Evie walked down the steps, and pulled Mal up onto the stage, past Ben and in front of Belle.
"What?" Mal asked as Belle placed the tiara on Mal's head. "How…"
"Every vote we got in tonight had your name written in for prom queen," she said as she smiled at Mal. "Every single one."
Mal stared at Belle in shock. Why would every ballot have her name written down?
"And now it's time for the king and queen dance," Belle said as she backed away from Mal.
Mal turned to look at Ben who was standing there with his hand out and a small smile on his face. She gently took his hand, they walked down the stage, and into the middle of the dance floor. The music started, and Ben spun Mal around before pulling her close.
Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles, and wound up at your door
I've had you so many times, but somehow I want more
"Hi," he said as they started to sway back and forth.
"Hi," she said as she looked up at him.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
"You did amazing," he said. "But, you always do," he said as he stroked her back with his thumb.
"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for the corsage. It's beautiful. I didn't think you remembered that this was my favorite flower."
"You're welcome," he said as they continued to dance.
Everyone was watching them, but they paid no mind to them. They were too focused on each other to pay any attention.
Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure, it doesn't matter anymore
It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open, you come anytime you want, yeah
"Mal, I just want…"
"No," she said as she shook her head. "I should be…"
"Please let me finish," Ben said, making Mal nod her head. "I just want you to know that I didn't tell Audrey anything," he said. "I would never tell her, or anyone, anything."
"I know," she said.
"What do you mean you know?" he asked.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
"On Sunday my birth mom came to the Moors," she said. "I didn't tell you because it really bugged me, and I didn't want you to get upset," she explained. "She told me some things. Things that included what happened to me when I was 13, and Audrey was standing outside of the greenhouse listening."
"How do you…"
"My mom checked the cameras and saw her standing against the wall," Mal said. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I should have talked to you first, instead of shutting you out."
"I don't blame you," he said. "I would have done the same. I'm just glad that you are okay," he said.
Mal rested her head on his shoulder, letting him kiss the top of her head.
"Congratulations, by the way," he said.
Mal looked up at him in confusion and then remembered the note on the corsage box.
"Oh, thank you," she said. "I don't…"
"You're going," he told her.
I know where you hide, alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls, yeah
"I want you to achieve every dream you want," he said.
Mal started to tear up and smile. All she ever wanted was to be happy, and Ben made her happy.
"I want you to go," he said. "I want you to be happy. Mal, I love you so much, and I want you to catch your dreams."
"I love you too," she said as she let her tears fall.
"If we end up breaking up, for some reason, while both of us are away, I want you to know now that I will always and forever love you," he said. "You are my best friend and I am never going to lose you."
Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful
"I never want to lose you either," she said as Ben wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
"You never are," he said.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
Everyone watched as Ben and Mal continued to dance around. No one knew what they were saying but it was making both of them emotional.
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
"So…" Ben said, making Mal look up at him. "We're going to try?" He asked. "We're going to try long distance?"
Mal smiled and nodded her head, making Ben caress her cheek and kiss her deeply. The whole crowd cheered again, making Ben and Mal laugh into their kiss.
"I meant everything I have ever said to you," he said. "I will love you regardless of distance, relationship status, or death," he said, making her laugh. "I just want you to be happy."
Yeah, yeah
I don't mind spending every day (Ooh, ooh)
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)
When the song ended, Ben dipped Mal and kissed her again, making the crowd clap. They were happy again, and all they needed now was to get through graduation.
Okay! That's it for now! Please let me know what you think!
Songs - -
Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
The Good Ones - Gabby Barrett
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Until next time my lovies! xoxo GM