A/N: I think Ben Gross is wholly underrated. A lot of people like Paxton a lot more and I understand that but I really find the actor who played Ben Gross was really good too (I can't remember his name for the life of me... Jaren I think?) He has a lot of potential and he played the part really well.
In a matter of weeks Alice's small part-time job of taking Instagram-worthy photos nearly put her up there with the list of popular students. Only, she really wasn't. Business was business and a nobody was a nobody.
People only approached her when they needed her services, which she didn't mind. More money for her college fund and hangouts with Simone.
"Hey look, look here's another one," Simone piped up, her mouth stuffed with the sandwich she packed herself for lunch. She nudged her mobile phone with her elbow, another Instagram photo on the screen.
"349 likes. Not bad. But Daniel's got a lot of followers in the first place," Alice shrugged, remembering the struggle of working with the jock. He wanted his Instagram photo to be "Sporty and cool, but not too cool, like mysterious cool. Like, let's get outta here kinda cool," he said while wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
Alice shook her head at the memory. Half of the people in high school were just out here to try and become popular. What a waste of their parents' money. She did admit that sometimes, when she had extra time in the shower, she daydreamed about what it would be like to get fawned over by a handsome guy.
She was pretty ordinary looking. Not the best, but her Chinese blood gave her monolid cat-like eyes and sharp facial features, just not the perfect ones. "You saving up for anything?" Simone asked, goofy smile on her face,
"If I were you, I'd get the whole series of illustrated Harry Potter books. Illustrated Alice! Just imagine the magic," Simone disappeared into a far-off land of wizardry, Alice followed suit.
"Fantastic Beasts and magical creatures all drawn and coloured in every page," Alice sighed, imagining the collection in her library—more like a small ass shelf—at home.
"Oop, I gotta go early today Aly, promised Mr. Grant I'd help with something," Simone snapped back to reality and devoured the rest of her sandwich.
"See you later," Alice peeped out through her mouthful of food. She was nearly done here too and just as she was packing up, someone else joined her on the cafeteria table.
At first she didn't think much of it, he was probably just sitting for a second, tying a loose shoelace or something but when said person didn't budge from Alice's peripheral vision for a whole minute, she looked up.
She nearly choked. Ben Gross was sitting in front of her and she was pretty sure that he was looking straight at her. She was in four classes with Ben Gross. AP Literature, AP History, Biology and Algebra II. Not once in those classes did he spare her a glance, not once did they utter a word to each other.
Ben Gross was smart. Nearly everyone on campus knew that. Smart and rich. An automatic ticket to a comfortable life. He and Devi Vishwakumar were always at each other's throats to see who was the better overachiever. In Alice's opinion, it was entertaining to watch. What she would never admit to anyone though, was that she thought Ben Gross was actually good eye candy.
Eye candy. Nothing more. Her daydreams didn't really consist of Ben Gross, those were reserved for the real cute ones. Ben Gross was... He was endearing. Like a fawn. Not daydream material.
"...Can I help you...?" Alice drawled out, scrunching up the rest of her plastics and wrappers into one ball, picking up her tray, ready to bolt.
Ben Gross cleared his throat and smiled at her, rather blindingly "I heard from the grapevine that you're a remarkable photo-taker."
Alice had a lightbulb moment. She couldn't hide her disappointment when she replied "My rates have changed. $10 for 5 photos, additional $10 for every 100 likes you get, if you don't pay then you'll be banned from my services for life," she'd said it automatically. Very robotic and monotone.
"What? No. That's not what I'm here for," His face twisted into a type of confusion one would have when they see a Math problem they don't understand. He cleared his throat once again, his tone slightly more formal "On behalf of the yearbook club, we'd like to welcome you to our team."
He was serious. His hands were folded together like a very pleased interviewer. Alice's jaw dropped in shock, "I'm sorry I don't think I ever applied for that club?" She stood up, red cafeteria tray in her hands and rolled her eyes, walking towards the tray return area.
Ben stood up in a hurry, tailing her. "Oh yeah. Don't sweat the details. It'll look good on your college application, no need to thank me."
Alice dropped off the tray before turning on her heels to yet again look at him incredulously. Ben Gross was not endearing. Not at all. That was a mistake and a daydream she had all concocted in her head.
"My current membership in the newspaper club is also well-received by my college application form. Just to jog your memory, the newspaper club releases a new issue monthly," Alice stopped for emphasis, Ben had opened his mouth to interject but she had continued talking "aaaand the yearbook club releases a new issue...? When? Oh right it's a YEARBOOK, it comes out YEARLY. As in, once a year, do you really think that'd look better on my college apps?"
She tilted her head and walked away from him, heading towards her locker. He still followed. Alice was dumbfounded. Why was he so desperate for a photographer? Was she the only decent photographer in school?
"No one said anything about giving up newspaper club," Ben walked side by side with her, a wide smile still splayed on his face. She didn't reply until she reached her locker.
"Let me get this right, a total stranger is telling me to work for the yearbook club AND the newspaper club at the same time. I'd rather be fed to sharks, my grades are going to suffer," Alice countered, shoving her books into the locker and checking her schedule, refusing to look at Ben.
"I'm hardly a stranger," Ben shrugged "and I'm in 3 clubs, if you haven't heard, my grades are still top-notch," He smirked, smug look on his face.
Alice turned her head to raise an eyebrow at him, "Yes, and you have to realize, Ben Gross, that not everyone is like you. This conversation is done. Answer is no."
"I'll do your essays for you," Alice had shut her locker door when he said this. She grappled with the idea back and forth, she was just about to win, pinning the idea down when Ben added "I'll do your History essays, and your homework for whatever class we have together. For the rest of the year!" The last part seemed to be added in a hurry, but Alice was losing this real quick.
"What's the big deal? Why go this far? Doesn't the yearbook club have a photographer?" Alice asked, finally letting her guard down, leaning on her locker and conversing with him properly.
"We did, he transferred to another school. The few people who tried out for the photographer post were mediocre at most and I'm not gunna let a mediocre photo be printed on the school yearbook," Ben said, as if his pride had caught on fire. Perfectionist. Typical Ben Gross, Alice thought.
Alice sighed deeply, having Ben Gross do her homework and essays for her would be a very easy A. For a moment, Alice thought that he was almost pleading. Ben Gross, begging a girl he barely knew to be the yearbook photographer.
That wasn't an easy job. It meant she had to be there in every school event, taking photos. School trip, camps, spelling bee, sports meets, extra curricular activities, parents' night the list went on and on that it made her feel dizzy. She could feel a migraine coming on, but she sighed, not knowing if she would regret her decision.
"No less than an A on my essays and research papers for AP History and Biology. No less than an A on my Algebra II homework. You have to teach me the stuff I don't understand. For the rest of the year. AND," she took a breath and continued, "pay me at a rate of $20 for each event."
It really wasn't THAT expensive but, knowing Ben Gross, $20 was like a speck of dust. She didn't know how many school events there were, but if she was going to be there for all of it, she'd really be sacrificing a lot of her time. If she didn't have the newspaper club on her hands, she would've let him get away without paying but juggling both the newspaper club and yearbook club? That was an inch away from actual crazy.
"Easy deal." Ben agreed but paused for a few moments. "What about AP Literature?" Ben asked.
Alice blinked, "You knew we were in the same AP Literature class?" she asked, thoroughly surprised.
Ben shrugged, "I mean, Mr. Wilkins read out one of your poems, he read mine only after he finished reading and praising yours. I was near livid," Alice's shoulders slumped in disappointment. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, that Ben Gross actually paid attention to her?
"Right. Well, no, I can handle AP Literature. It's the only class I really enjoy," Alice exclaimed, finally relaxing in his presence, he looked intrigued at her statement but the bell rang and the hallways flitted in action.
"Cool. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. With your camera."
She forgot to tell him she didn't have a decent one.
