A/N: Devi is a funny character. I sort of relate to her because I'm basically not living in my own culture. Does that make sense? Sometimes my sense of identity is kinda messed up too.
"Ben Gross asked for your help? Ben. Gross. Are you sure?" Devi was in the newspaper club. Alice had always thought that was a good thing. Devi was the kind of girl who had a lot of plans in her head. A lot of ideas. The problem was that sometimes, her ideas were not all that good. They were out there, but they weren't remarkable.
"Yes, Devi. Ben Gross. I have four eyes," Alice motioned to her face, directing Devi's attention to her glasses, "So I'm pretty sure I didn't mistake him for anyone else. It was Ben Gross." Devi made a sound of amusement before turning to Alice with confidence in her eyes, "You said no, right?"
Alice faltered, remembering the conversation they had by the lockers yesterday. "I mean, I didn't exactly say no..." Devi groaned, lulling her head back.
"Alice, you're better than that. He's just using you! I'm pretty sure he's doing it to spite me too," Devi prodded. As if convincing her own daughter not to go on a date with the cool jock. Ironic when Devi was all about Paxton Hall-Yoshida.
"It doesn't make me any less of a person to help someone out, Devi. Besides, we struck a deal. I'm getting a good return for this too," She felt as if she had to explain herself. A part of her felt like she was betraying the newspaper club and Devi wasn't really helping with that. "Oh, and here, the photos for this month's issue," She rummaged through her backpack, fishing out a white usb from somewhere in the depths, tossing it to Devi who caught it flawlessly and saluted her.
"Well, I'm off... Have something else to do," Alice slung her backpack on herself. Devi gave her a once over, "Like playing into the hands of the enemy," Devi whispered with mock-solemnity. Alice shot her a grin—she knew Devi was just playing, she found it amusing—before ambling towards the other side of the school.
It was after-school hours. A significant amount of students were missing. There wasn't the standard teenage couple kissing, pressed up against the lockers. The jocks repeatedly punching each other on the shoulders were nowhere to be found. Likewise to the wannabe influencers who were 24/7 on their phones.
It was peaceful. Just the occasional noise from a classroom being used for club meeting or practice.
Alice reached her destination. An oak door standing between her and the yearbook club. She was trying to keep the bubbling in her chest to a minimum, she wasn't very sure what was causing it. Before she could even touch the door, it had opened and revealed to her none other than the yearbook club president, or so she assumed.
Ben glanced at her, and then at his watch. "Bit earlier would've been great but since it's your first time, I'll let you off for today,"
Maybe Devi was right. Alice thought. Maybe this was a bad idea and maybe she WAS better than just getting verbally abused by someone she barely knew. He opened the door for her, stretching out one arm like a butler guiding a guest to their hotel room.
"Come on in and meet the team," declared Ben.
Alice silently took a deep breath as she took her first few steps forward into the room. She was running through her introduction in her head, trying to rehearse it again so as not to mess up when she was introducing herself to—an empty room.
She wasn't even able to utter a word in her confusion. No one was in there, except for him and her. She turned to Ben with a bewildered face that rivalled her Asian mom's face when she wondered how her daughter got a B on her elementary Math test.
Ben was not fazed at all and didn't miss a beat, "Nice to meet you, I'm Ben Gross. President and whole team of the yearbook club," he stuck his hand out, held his head high and regarded her with a sort of self-important look.
"Oh God, you've got to be kidding me," Alice didn't even take his hand and shook her head slowly, descending into a spiral of metaphorical endless falling. What did she get herself into? "You don't have a team?!" She finally lost it.
Ben dropped his hand to his side when it was clear she wasn't in the mood for hand-shaking, "What do you mean? I'm right here."
Alice stared at him for five seconds, trying desperately to wait for the punchline. It didn't come. She waited another five seconds for someone to burst through the doors and shout "Just kidding!". She waited. For anything.
"Oh man, you're serious," she whispered under her breath when she finally accepted that the yearbook club was a one-man team.
"I don't understand what you're freaking out about, this is the way it's been since..." Ben paused for effect, "Since I took over. I'd rather work alone. That way no one can drag me down to their pace of doing things," again with the self-important look on his face.
Alice shut her mouth. A part of her felt sorry for this chap. How did he get on with life? Did he just study and do school stuff 24/7? Would he just go home from school, whip out school work, sleep and repeat the process the next day?
"Alright, okay, look. Just as long as you can keep your end of the deal, I'm good. I'm just a photographer, don't ask me for help with anything else. No editing, no filing, no transferring of photos to whatever drive you have," Alice held Ben's gaze very seriously. The latter didn't think it was such a grave matter at all.
"Yeah, like I said, I've been running this club by myself since a while ago. Piece of cake," he declared. Lifting his arms up for a moment in a nonchalant shrug.
"Anyways, here's the calendar," He grabbed a folder from one of the tables and handed it to her. "It shows you what dates the school events are and I'm expecting you to show up to them, take those photos and pass the memory card off to me. Where's your camera?"
Alice muttered a small thanks before taking the folder from him, reminding herself that she was going to get paid for this. It was the only thing keeping her from running away from the deal they made. She dropped her backpack on one of the tables and zipped it open, retrieving a small point-and-shoot camera from inside.
Ben stared at the puny camera she was holding up, before shaking his head with a hint of frustration in his sigh. "THAT'S the camera you use?" He immediately pulled his own bag towards him and zipped it open in the same way that Alice did hers, he extracted a rather hefty DSLR to which Alice gasped at.
"Is that the latest model of Canon?" She gasped out, staring at it as Ben held it up for her. Ben blinked, glanced at the camera and stuttered, "U-Uh... Yeah, I guess." He sounded half confident and half confused. Alice wasn't sure which one dominated.
He held it our for her, "Found it at home, my dad doesn't need it anymore. Use it, keep it, don't really care. . ," he emphasized his last sentence. Alice blinked at him, yet again dumbfounded.
He was giving away the latest model of Canon? She was dumb-struck like never before. She knew that Ben Gross was rich. Everyone knew that but it was only at that moment, that it really hit her. He was on a way different level from everyone else. The kind of rich he was, was the kind of rich that celebrities were...or maybe that was an exaggeration.
She hesitated to take it from him. "Uh..." She started, finally coming back to reality. She picked her hand up and took the camera from him, cradling it carefully in her hands. "I'll give it back by the end of this, no worries." Deep inside she was tingling with excitement. She couldn't wait to try out the functions and study the buttons at home.
Ben watched as Alice took to the camera immediately. She was looking at it all over. The lens, the buttons, the strap. She was immersed in her own world. He had wanted to say something but he'd somehow lost his train of thought while looking at her. Tomorrow, he'd pass the charger and spare batteries to her too.
He cleared his throat and took out his own copy of the school calendar. He saw her jump a little out of her own world and looked up at him. "So tomorrow, it's the school play. Meet me at the auditorium by 4pm."
He packed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Deal's off if you don't show up,"
It didn't really sound like a threat to Alice, more of a reminder. She said nothing and only gave him a curt nod. He gave one back and turned away from her. He stopped at the door for a moment, inciting a raised eyebrow from Alice, but as soon as he stopped, he continued on his way and muttered a soft "See you later," before disappearing out of the door.
Alice let out a pretty long sigh that she didn't even know she was holding.
This was going to be a long school year.
