Hey everyone! So sorry to keep all of you waiting. I know it's been over a month since I last updated. Things have been pretty hectic with school and all of my extracurriculars, especially with college applications being right around the corner. But I really missed you guys on FF and I'm so excited to get back to writing so that I could share my next chapter with all of you. Seeing that there's been quite a few new users who have favorited and followed since I last updated, I'm really hyped to kick off the second half of this fic and continue Ben and Kate's story, especially with some changes I've made, which I thought of over the past few weeks. That's right! A new title (and a slightly new sypnosis), but still the same story for those of you who have been reading since the beginning. As always, Enjoy!
Chapter 12: With Friends Like These
A constant beeping sound was being made in Kate's dorm room, which woke up Ben and caused him to look around. He saw that he was still sitting on Kate's couch and wrapped up in her pink blanket that she gave him last night. Still trying to find out where the sound was coming from, he looked to his left to see that Kate was reaching a hand out to turn off her alarm clock. After she hit the snooze button and the noise had come to an end, Kate, who was half-awake, looked over at Ben and tried her best to smile at him.
"Good morning!" Kate said while letting out a yawn.
Ben could see how tired Kate still looked, along with her messy long hair which he had never seen before. He tried his best not to laugh at this weary sight of her that he had never seen, but still had a smile on his face. "Morning!" he replied happily to Kate.
"Sorry if my alarm woke you. I tend to get up earlier than most people." She mentioned.
"Nothing wrong that. Early to bed, early to rise." He stated.
As Kate got out of her bed, she walked over to her dresser which had Alice's cage sitting on top of it. She opened it up and filled up her pet rabbit's bowl with food to last her for the entire day. Ben observed Kate doing this while he still sat on the couch and pulled the blanket off him.
"Cute bunny." Ben commented while looking at the cage.
"Oh, thanks. This is my pet rabbit, Alice. I've had her for two years now." Kate said.
"Well, I'm sure she must really love having you as a mommy if you get up this early to feed her." Ben said.
"Thank you, Ben." Kate said as she smiled at his compliment. "Do you have any pets?" She asked.
"Yeah, my mom and I have a dog back in San Francisco." Ben replied.
"Aw, what kind of dog?" She asked with cheer in her voice.
"A Golden Retriever. Her name's Harley and she just turned five. She mostly keeps my mom company at home now that I'm in a completely different state." Ben said.
"I bet they both miss you right now." Kate mentioned.
"They sure do. As lame as it sounds, I face time both my mom and Harley at least once a week." Ben admitted as he chuckled.
"I don't think it's lame at all." Kate replied.
"Really?" He said.
"Well why would it be? You do it because you love your mother and your dog. You'd be surprised by some of the people on this floor who don't tell their parents they love them before hanging up on the phone. Better yet, you should hear how people like Victoria speaks to her own mother on the phone sometimes." Kate said pointing to the wall behind Ben, reminding him that she lived next door to the snooty rich girl. "That's all I have to say. I'm not really one for gossiping." She added.
"I actually never thought of it that way. I'm glad that there's another person who gets me." He said.
'Wow, I really love how he has such a sensitive side to him.' She thought to herself.
Kate walked over to her desk to pick up her phone and opened it to check for any unread messages, only to find none. This time she felt like checking her social media for the first time in a while. As she opened her Facebook app and scrolled down to see people's posts, she saw one that caught her attention right away. It was a video that was titled, Ben Vs Nathan! along with a description which read: Dose someone at a Vortex Club party, and you'll end up like Nathan. There was even a thumbnail which showed Ben on Nathan, punching him in the face. To her curiosity, she had to press the play button to see what it was all about. The video was only about thirty seconds long and she turned up the volume to hear what was being said as she watched Ben repeatedly bash Nathan's face in.
"YOU... FUCKING... ASS...HOLE!" She heard Ben scream furiously as he hit the other kid on the floor. She could hear the sounds of other boys in the hallway cheering on Ben and encouraging him to keep hitting Nathan. Finally, she saw Nathan, who appeared to be defenseless and begging Ben to stop, to which Ben began to wrap both his hands around the boy's neck just before the video ended. It was no surprise for someone like Kate to find this video disturbing. She had never seen Ben act so vicious before. And despite what Nathan even tried to do to her last night, seeing him like that actually made her feel bad for him for the first time. This didn't look good, especially since it was now on social media and it would gain the attention of others.
"Um, Ben?" Kate spoke nervously. "You might want to check social media. It's up to you though."
"Why? What is it?" Ben said with concern in his voice.
"Actually, I shouldn't have said anything. It's probably best if you don't check..." Before Kate could finish her sentence, Ben took his eyes off her and looked at his phone that he pulled out of his pocket. In just seconds, she heard Ben's reaction to the first thing he saw.
"You've gotta be shitting me!" Ben said frustratingly.
"I'm sorry, Ben. I know that this isn't how you want people at Blackwell to see you." Kate said with empathy. She could relate to this exactly, like how she attracted unwanted attention with the viral video that involved her.
Ben sighed and placed a hand on his head while looking down at the floor. "This isn't good. If Principal Wells or even worse, Nathan's parents see this I'm screwed." He said.
"I know this looks bad for you, but you should try your best not to think about what other people will think of you. This video shouldn't determine the kind of person you are." Kate said.
"I know Kate. I'm glad you understand. And I'm sorry you had to see what I did to Nathan." He said.
"Ben, you don't have to apologize to me. You protected me and I..."
"No, really." He interrupted. "It's just that... I regret what I did to him. Nate and I were both good friends just a couple weeks ago and last night, I could've killed him if someone didn't stop me. It's just that when I saw you pinned against that wall by him, I needed to stand up for you and help you. Because I could never stand up for myself."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked.
"After my brother had died, it was hard for me and my parents. My mom dealt with it the worst. So, about a year later, she decided to start dating and find someone who could possibly help her cope with losing him." Ben explained. "That was the moment she met this one guy and he moved in with us."
"Was he nice at least?" Kate asked nervously.
"He was anything but nice." Ben replied. "It didn't take long for us to realize he was a loser and a drunk with anger issues who worked a dead-end job at a construction company. He'd always come back home smelling like booze and cigarettes, yelling at me and my mom to take his frustration out on us. But then eventually, he started hitting my mom and she couldn't defend herself."
"Oh my goodness! Ben I..."
"I got tired of seeing my mom get treated like that, so one day I stood up to him and told him that he had no right to put his own hands on my mom like that." He shared.
"That's so brave of you. And you must have been so young when that happened." She stated.
"Yeah, I thought I was brave too. But only for a while, because that was the worst mistake of my life. Ever since that moment I stepped in between them, my mom's loser of a boyfriend would always smack me around for his own amusement and lock me in the closet for hours. And that wasn't the end of it for me. Some nights, when my mom was asleep, he would sneak into my room in the middle of the night. I knew he was in my room cause because he reeked of alcohol. And he would wake me up and force me to let him... do things to me. Things that no kid should ever have to experience. And I could never forget that whenever he left my room, he'd tell me that he would kill my mother and I if we ever told anybody what he was doing to us. I was only ten when all that shit happened to me." He admitted without even looking at Kate.
"I'm so sorry, Ben. Now I understand why you hate bullies so much. You may have never had to face them like I did in school, but you had to deal with one at home." Kate said.
"Yeah. Sometimes, I think that what what I went through was meant to make me stronger. During those times when he would lock me inside the closet, I would only think to myself as I sat in that small cramped space in the dark, not even knowing what time it was. I would tell myself that when I got older, I was going to do anything I could to help people against their own bullies so that they would never have to do it alone." Ben said reassuringly.
"And you have Ben. You stood up for me countless times and made me realize I wasn't alone. And I know that it wasn't because you felt bad for me." She reassured.
"Thanks for understanding, Kate. What Nathan told you the other day was all bullshit. I didn't do all those things for you just to get in bed with you. I did them because I really care about you and I realize that I like having you as a friend and spending time with you. Like when we had our movie night last night."
"I feel the same way about you too, Ben. I'm glad we became friends." Kate shared as she smiled at him. "If you don't mind me asking, what ever happened to him. The man who hurt you and your mother?"
"I never really found out. My mom couldn't take any more of the abuse, so we left and moved in with my aunt. She was always nice to me, and her and my mom always got along together since they were sisters. As for that asshole who brought us so much pain, I heard someone say that he eventually died of alcohol poisoning. I don't know if it was true but I wouldn't complain. Because that only means that he's in hell where he belongs." Ben said. "Sorry if that sounded a bit too harsh."
"It's okay, Ben. You've been through a lot during your childhood and I can't imagine how long those events have stayed with you." Kate said. "I should get ready to take my shower and start the day. We're still going to Principal Wells this morning, right?"
"Of course. I'll head back to my room to freshen up and get dressed. Then we can meet up to head to his office." He said.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Kate replied.
"Great! See you soon." Ben said as he stood up. He made his way over to the door to leave the room. He realized that it was still early and no one on the floor would probably be awake to see him.
Ben felt uneasy as he entered through the doors of the main building and walked through the hallway. He didn't mind being the center of attention since he was the captain of the Football team and one of the more well-known Vortex Club members. However, he felt different about having a viral video of him beating down the richest kid at Blackwell. It bothered him even more that kids were already respecting Ben for what he did to Nathan. How was it even fair for Ben to be praised in a viral video while Kate was shamed to the point of suicide in hers? He looked down at his right hand where he removed the bandage that Kate wrapped last night. He noticed that his knuckles where a dark red color, meaning that the skin was broken. "Did I really hit him that hard last night? Part of me kinda enjoyed it. He deserved it anyway after everything he's done and... No, I can't think like that. I need to show Kate that I'm better than that. If she believes in forgiveness and redemption for everyone than you can too." Ben's thoughts came to a complete stop when he heard someone call out his name in the hallway.
"Brother Ben! The man of the hour." It was Luke Parker, who was leaning against the lockers while looking at his phone. "I was just watching the video of you punching the shit out of Nathan's face again. Mad respect, dude!" Luke said with excitement.
"Thanks, Luke. To be honest, I kinda think I went too far though." Ben said remorsefully.
"No way! Word got out fast and everybody knows what he tried to do to Kate last night. You helped her and Prescott totally got what he deserved." He stated.
"I guess you're right. I just hope everybody will get over this video soon." Ben replied, hoping to change the subject.
"What for? This is like Christmas Day for every student at Blackwell. Seeing Nathan Prescott get the shit beat out of him by a cripple." Luke said. "No offense, Ben." He said apologetically.
"None, taken. I gotta go now." He said as he continued to go on his way.
"No problem. Later BB!"
As Ben made his way down the hallway, he saw Kate standing right outside of the main office and holding her books, waiting for Ben. She smiled as she saw Ben slowly approaching her and waved at him.
"Hey." Ben said. "Ready to go in?"
"I'm ready if you are." Kate said nervously.
"Alright! Let's go." Ben said
"Ben?" Kate said shyly.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Thanks again. For coming with me." Kate said more happily.
"No problem. It's what friends do for each other, anyway."
As the two both entered the main office they could see the door to Principal Well's office right in front of them. But before either of them could walk over to the door in time, they were met by a voice that addressed them both.
"Can I help you two?" Asked a middle-aged woman who sat behind a desk next to Ben and Kate.
"Hi, we're here to see Principal Wells." Ben said politely as he smiled at the woman.
"Is he expecting you?" Asked the woman.
"No, but it's something urgent that we need to discuss with him." Kate said.
"Let me see if he's available right now." The woman said as she eyed the two of them. She pressed the button of a speaker and began to speak into it. "Ray, you have two students that would like to see you."
In just a few seconds, Principal Wells' voice could be heard through the speaker to reply. "Thank you, Sharon! You can let them in." He said.
"Go right ahead." She said as she smiled at the two of them.
Ben and Kate both walked over to the door which had Principal Wells' name etched onto the glass window. Ben opened the door for Kate, who went in first. As Ben walked in and closed the door behind him, He saw the Principal standing behind his desk. But as he looked to his left, he saw that his dad and coach was standing near the bookshelves of the office.
'Dad? What's he doing here?' Ben thought as the two briefly made eye contact.
"Good morning Kate and Ben. Please, have a seat." Principal Wells said as he stood behind his desk. Ben and Kate both approached the two chairs in front of the Principal's desk and sat in them. "Do you two have something you'd like to speak to me about." He asked.
"Yes." Kate replied as she crossed her legs and put her hands on her knee. "Principal Wells, last night when I was leaving the boys dormitory, Nathan Prescott forced himself onto me and tried to take advantage." She said confidently.
Principal Wells had paused for a few seconds before he responded. "I have to say, that's a very serious accusation you're making, Miss Marsh. Are you sure that you didn't do anything to provoke Mr. Prescott in the first place?"
"No, I didn't. He came towards me while I tried to avoid him." Kate said fearfully. Kate had nothing to be afraid of. It was just that she always felt uneasy when being questioned by authority figures.
"I see. What exactly were you doing in the boy's dormitory, Miss Marsh? From what I've heard this 'incident' took place when curfew was already in effect." Principal Wells said, looking Kate in both eyes.
Ben watched as Kate was being interrogated and didn't like seeing this. She didn't deserve to be grilled like this, especially when it sounded like Wells was taking Nathan's side over hers.
Kate began to speak nervously and attempt to answer the Principal's question. However, Ben could hear the anxiety in her voice and see the fear in her eyes. "I... I..."
"Kate was with me!" Ben spoke out in an attempt to stand up for her. Kate, Principal Wells, and even Coach Ferris all looked at him after he spoke.
Ben sighed before he continued. "I invited Kate to my room to watch a movie with me last night. After the movie was over, Kate said that she was going back to her room. Just a few seconds after she left, I heard shouting out in the hallway. I left my room to see what was going on and that's when I saw Nathan pinning Kate against the wall. Principal Wells, I saw Nathan grope Kate and try to rip off her blouse and that was why I hit him."
"I understand, Ben. Thank you for intervening." Principal Wells said sincerely. "Are you aware of this viral video that involves you physically assaulting Mr. Prescott?" He asked.
"Yes, sir. And I'm sorry." Ben said respectfully. "I didn't intend to hurt Nathan as badly as the video shows..."
"Well, then I'm sure you're aware that Mr. Prescott is currently in the hospital recovering from both a broken nose and a broken jaw." Principal Wells mentioned.
"It was in self-defense." Ben tried to explain. "He pulled out a gun on me and almost..."
"I have heard just enough about this gun accusation. It's clear that it only started as a means to tarnish Nathan's reputation at Blackwell in the first place." He said in a stern voice." It is important to acknowledge that Blackwell has a zero tolerance for sexual misconduct on campus. But that does not justify how you handled the situation and dealt with Mr. Prescott, Ben."
"I'm sorry, Principal Wells." Ben said sadly with his head down. Kate glanced over at Ben and felt bad seeing him being reprimanded when all he did was help her. She reached out her hand and touched his arm to console him. Ben had looked over at her for a brief second and showed a small smile.
"I should remind you that this is the second fight you've been involved in here at Blackwell. And while you didn't face any disciplinary action for the first, I cannot let this one go unpunished." Wells stated. "Coach Ferris, I'm sure you would like to discuss how Ben's actions will affect his standing on the team." Wells said.
"Yes, Principal Wells. Due to the fight that Ben was involved in with Logan last week and the incident involving him and Nathan. I've made the decision to have him removed as a captain and to be cut from the team." He announced.
"What? You're gonna kick me off my own team for stopping someone for hurting Kate?" Ben shouted.
"Ben, watch your tone! You should just be thankful you're not expelled." His dad said sternly.
"This is such bullshit!" Ben mumbled under his breath.
"Now, I don't want either of you two to have to worry about Nathan. He has already been asked to move his belongings out of the Prescott Dormitory and arrangements are being made to have him removed from any of your classes." Principal Wells said. "That's all I have to say. I don't want to keep you here any longer since you're first classes of the day will be starting momentarily. If you have anything else you would like to discuss with me, please don't hesitate to let me know."
Ben and Kate had both gotten up from their seats and left the office. This time, Ben was the first to leave and he didn't even bother looking at his dad when he left the room. Kate only felt bad about being the first to hear that Ben was kicked off the football team just for protecting her. As she walked up towards Ben, she tried to place her hand on his shoulder before saying something to him. However just as she put out her hand, she saw him walk off as fast as he could while on his crutches. He was obviously angry and wanted to be left alone. He had trailed off through the hallways and eventually was at his own locker. Wanting to let out his frustration so badly, he punched his locker as hard as he could, leaving a loud echo in the hallway. He took a deep sigh afterwards. For as long as he could remember, all he ever wanted to do in his life was the right thing by standing up for people who couldn't. But it felt as if there was always some kind of punishment awaiting him in the end for doing so. How was it that whenever he did a selfless act, something horrible was always bound to happen to him? Suddenly, he stopped thinking to himself as he felt a warm hand placed on his shoulder. He slowly turned around to see that it was Kate with a very compassionate look on her face.
"I'm sorry that you got kicked off the team, Ben. You didn't deserve that." Kate said.
"Thanks, Kate. It's whatever, I guess." Ben said solemnly.
Kate could tell that Ben wasn't in the mood, so she decided to change the subject. "Class starts soon and I'm sure you wouldn't want to be late. Would you like to walk with me?" She said as she smiled at him.
Ben smiled back at Kate before giving her an answer. "Yeah! Lead the way."
The two of them had left the lockers and walked down the hallway together. Ben looked to his right to see that Kate was still smiling while holding her books. He managed to catch himself smiling too. It was this very moment that made him see things differently. Sure, he lost his starting position and role as a captain on the team, and he was receiving unwanted attention from a video he was in. But this very moment where he found himself walking to class with the girl he saved and went out of his way to make her happy. It was moments like this that made Ben feel grateful to be at Blackwell.
A day had passed and it was now Friday. Ben had woken up to some amazing news that morning as he received a phone call from the doctor at Arcadia Bay General. He was told that he could get his cast removed earlier than he expected. Without even pondering on it, the only thing on his mind was to head to the nurse's office to get it removed without having to leave campus. It was a struggle trying to drive a car with the cast on in the first place.
Ben watched with excitement as Nurse Barenchi brushed the medical saw against his cast. In just a few minutes, the white cast was now split in half while freeing Ben's bare right leg as well.
"There you go." The nurse said to him happily.
"Thanks! Feels good to finally be out of that thing." Ben replied as he began to move his leg around.
"Well don't think this means that you can go dancing or playing out on the field again anytime soon." She urged Ben. "Your doctor wanted me to remind you to take it easy the next couple of weeks and to start attending physical therapy once a week too. You're also going to have to start wearing a knee brace during the day too, which you can find at any kind of drug store."
"Good to know. Thanks again, Ms. Barenchi." Ben said while rolling down his pant leg and putting on his sock and sneaker.
As Ben left the nurse's office, he walked down the hallway to head to the cafeteria for lunch, despite being a few minutes late. As he entered the large room, he made his way to one of the lines to grab some food. While walking there, he received a couple of stares and even compliments from some of his friends.
"No cast anymore? Looking good, Ben." Taylor commented as she passed by him.
"Ben on both legs. Nice!" Hayden gestured while standing in line.
"Thanks guys! Feels good to walk again." He replied.
As he finished filling up his tray with food, Ben then showed his school ID to the lady at the register at the end of the line to pay for his meal. While he stood in the cafeteria, he saw his table that he always sat at, which was occupied by his usual friends; Dana, Zach, Juliet, Hayden, Courtney, and Taylor. However, there were two people missing. Nathan was obviously a no show and Ben theorized that he was probably still in the hospital, most likely eating food through a straw if anything. But Victoria was also nowhere to be found either.
On the other side of the cafeteria, Ben saw another table that was occupied by Max, Warren, Alyssa, Stella, and of course, Kate. They were all talking and laughing with each other and seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially Kate. Ben could see that there were four empty chairs at their table and he made the initiative to go over and sit with them.
"Hey guys!" Ben greeted as he walked over to the table holding his tray of food.
"Woah! Ben minus the crutches and cast. Congrats, dude!" Warren stated.
"Thanks, Warren!" Ben said. "Is it... cool if I sit with you guys?" He asked with a friendly smile.
Everyone at the table had paused and weren't sure of how to respond to Ben's question. For them, this was the first time that a Vortex Club member was approaching their table and asking to sit with them.
"Sure, you can." Kate answered to break the silence. "There's a seat right here." She said while smiling at Ben and pointing at an empty seat next to her.
"Thanks!" Ben said as he walked over to the seat next to Kate and placed his tray down on the table. Just before he could pull out his chair, Ben heard a screaming voice calling out for him, which not only gained the attention of him, but everyone in the entire cafeteria.
"Ben, what the fuck?!" The person shouted, who turned out to be Victoria. She was marching over to Ben with an angry look on her face and when she was finally standing near him, she smacked him as hard as she could.
"Nice to see you too, Victoria." Ben said sarcastically as he rubbed his cheek.
"You're the definition of a scumbag, you know that?" Victoria commented.
"What are you even talking about?" Ben asked.
"Oh please! You may be a Drama student, but you're not fooling me by acting like you didn't do anything wrong. I watched that video of you beating Nathan to a bloody pulp." She shouted.
"Victoria, it's not Ben's fault!" Kate interrupted in a pleading tone.
"Kate, please stay out of this! The adults are talking right now." She said rudely while pointing at Kate. Kate sat back down in her seat and looked down at the table, feeling bad for intervening. "I'm at a loss for words to even say to you right now, Ben. Nathan was your friend. You knew what he was going through. How people here treated him like shit just because of who his dad is."
"I knew exactly what he was dealing with. I was there when things would get hard for him and he needed someone to talk to." Ben argued.
"Oh really? Well where were you when his whole family disowned him after you got him suspended? Or when he had to go the hospital to get his jaw put back into place after you dislocated it? I know, let's ask Kate." Victoria mocked.
"Kate has nothing to do with any of this." He claimed.
"Really? Because it seems like she does, considering you've been spending more time with her than any of your real friends lately. She's not the only one with a viral video anymore." Victoria scoffed.
"That's not the point, Victoria. Nathan should know better not to hit a girl or put his hands on them where he shouldn't." Ben defended.
"Whatever, Ben. Nathan's practically afraid to come back to Blackwell without worrying about everyone calling him a rapist or a creep. His mom cleaned out his dorm room for him today because you got him kicked out. She's completely heartbroken by it and I decided to help her. That's why I wasn't in class this morning." Victoria explained. "He didn't deserve any of that pain or humiliation you caused him. You of all people should understand that he's not well. He was probably just off his meds the other night."
"That's your argument? So you think that whenever Nathan's off his meds, that gives him the right to bully people on a daily basis or dose someone at a party when all they wanted to do was let loose and have fun. Or even worse, try to physically attack them in the middle of a hallway. If you think Nathan can do whatever he wants just because he's off his meds, then maybe he actually belongs in a fucking mental institution instead of a private academy." Ben shouted. The room went completely silent as everyone's heads shot up and stared directly at Ben and Victoria.
Victoria paused for a few seconds with her mouth open as she was in shock of what she heard Ben say. "I can't believe you, Ben. I thought that when you came here and joined the Vortex Club, you would think of all of us as your family. But it turns out that you really are just a California douche who thinks he's better than everyone else here. You think that being the captain of the football team in your first year, saving someone's life, and beating up the richest kid at Blackwell will make everyone like you? You probably think you're the new Rachel Amber don't you? Well I hate to burst your bubble Ben, but you're not. You're just a bully!"
"No, Victoria. You're the bully!" Kate said as she stood up from her seat again and faced Victoria.
"Excuse me?" Victoria said.
"You don't know Ben at all." Kate argued.
"Oh, and like you do?" Victoria mocked.
"Ben has done more for me than anybody else here at Blackwell. Not because he feels bad for me, but because he empathizes with me. He's gone out of his way to make me happy and to keep me safe. You're only siding with Nathan because you've known him longer than you've known Ben, which isn't fair at all. That's why you only want to believe what you want, Victoria."
"Are you serious? You're standing up for him." Victoria stammered as she looked at both Kate and Ben. "And both of you are ganging up on me? After how hard I've been trying to treat you better this whole week?"
"That's not what this about, Victoria. Ben has been through a lot of awful things that you couldn't even imagine." Victoria stated.
"Like what? What kind of awful things has ever happened to 'Mr. Bigfoot' of all people besides having a football injury. Try me, Kate!" Victoria said in an annoyed voice. Kate was completely speechless and was hesitant if she should mention the secrets that Ben told her about himself the past two days. The tragedy he dealt with when he was younger. The abuse he faced at the hands of someone he couldn't fight back. Kate had built up an amount of courage to stand up to Victoria, but did she have the courage to divulge the things that Ben had confided in her with?
"It's okay, you don't have to say anything else." Ben said as he placed his hand on Kate's. "You can believe whatever you want Victoria. You just don't know Nathan like I do and that's why I'm done trying to help him. To be honest, I'm done with all of this."
"What? What do you mean you're done?" Victoria asked.
"I'm saying that I'm leaving the Vortex Club. For good." Ben answered.
"Ben, you can't just leave. We're your friends." Victoria exclaimed.
"Don't worry. You still are." He said.
Victoria made a loud frustrating grunt to herself before speaking again. "I don't have time for this. I really hope you know what you're doing, Ben." She said before walking away. Ben only looked at her while he shook his head and sat down in his seat that was next to Kate.
"Thanks for having my back. I appreciate it." He said as he turned to face Kate.
"You're welcome. It's like you said. It's what friends do." She said with a smile.
The end of the day was finally nearing as everyone was now in their last class. As Kate sat in her least favorite class, Art History, she couldn't help but shift her eyes between the clock and her teacher, Mrs. French who was giving a class lecture. Kate loved art, which was why she came to Blackwell in the first place. It was just this class in particular that felt so dry and tedious, which made it feel like it lasted even longer. But sooner than she expected, the bell rang and the weekend now began for everyone.
As she left the classroom and walked through the halls, Kate began to reflect on how this week went. How she hoped to stay out of the spotlight as best as she could, however, it didn't seem possible with all the happenings that she and Ben had dealt with. However, she thought back to what the school counselor, Beth, had told her. How being back at Blackwell was now about trying her best to be happy. But no one said that it would be easy. Regardless, it just felt good for her to be back for another weekend even if she didn't know how she would be spending it this time. While walking back to her dorm, she looked at the bench near the building that she usually sat at on afternoons and saw that Ben was sitting there reading a book. She was curious as to how he was already outside when classes just ended minutes ago. She decided to go over to him and have a conversation since he was alone.
"Hi, Ben." Kate said cheerfully, breaking Ben's concentration and causing him to look up at her.
"Oh hey, Kate. What's up?" He said.
"I'm okay. Can I sit with you?" She said.
"Sure." He replied as he took his backpack off the bench, providing a seat for her.
"What are you reading?" She asked with interest as she sat next to him.
"A Farewell to Arms. It's a World War I novel by Ernest Hemmingway. Mrs. Hoida let us out of class early today so we could have some time to work on our book reports for next week."
"What's it about?" Kate asked curiously.
"It's about this young American named Fredric, whose an ambulance driver for the Italian army during the war. He comes back to the front after taking a leave and he falls in love with this nurse named Catherine." Ben explained.
"Oh, so it's a love story?" Kate asked.
"It's kind of more than just that. You see, Fredric's been haunted by so many horrors of the war and Catherine's still mourning the death of her fiancé, who was killed in the war. After Fredric gets wounded by an artillery bombardment, Catherine transfers to the hospital that he's being treated at to help him recover. They start to spend their free time with each other and realize that love is the only thing that helps them get past the cruel world their both living in. But there's much more to it. I don't really like to spoil the entire story for people."
"Well it sounds very interesting from what you just told me." Kate said.
"It really is. You're more than welcome to borrow it once I'm finished with it." Ben said sincerely.
"I'd like that." She replied. "Everyone's been talking about how you decided to leave the Vortex Club."
"Why am I not surprised. Juliet wants to interview me sometime for a story on the Vortex Club that she's working on for the school paper." Ben said. "I'm sure people will get over it soon. You were kind of a badass yourself today for standing up to Victoria like that."
"I just didn't think it was right for her to speak to you like that when she didn't know the full story about happened that night. I hope she doesn't think that I'm holding a grudge against her for what she's done to me. " Kate explained. "Why did you decide to leave anyway? I thought everyone in the Vortex Club were your friends." She asked confusingly.
"They still are, Kate. It's just that I felt like it was something that had to be done." He explained.
"Really? Why's that?" She replied.
"Because I've been a screw up for most of my life." Ben said as he looked down at the green grass.
"Ben, I've known you for over a week now and you're not a screw up from what I've seen." Kate reassured.
Ben only laughed as she said this. "You obviously didn't know me before I came here. After all the messed-up shit that happened in my life when I was a kid, it kinda changed me and I became a different person to hide who I really was. Sometimes it feels like this whole 'Mr. Popular' persona is just an act that I put on."
"What do you mean by that?" Kate said.
"I kind of became a trouble child in school. I always associated myself with the jocks, started fights with the school bullies, and would even sneak out of the house to party with my friends and get wasted with them on school nights." Ben expressed.
"I never knew that about you, Ben."
"No one here does but you and me. But that's why I feel comfortable telling you these things, because I know you can keep a secret and you won't judge me for the things I've done." Ben said. "The worst thing that I probably could have done happened earlier this year. I was always the athlete back in high school. I ended up playing three sports a year."
"That's impressive!" Kate commented.
"Yeah. Football in the fall, Basketball in the winter, and Lacrosse in the spring. Well, back in May, our school's Lax team advanced to Regionals and got to play in this huge tournament in Seattle against teams all over the country."
"So, what happened." She asked.
"Well, we played our first match and we won, meaning that we were going to advance to the Semi-Finals. When we found out that the team we would be going against was in the lowest seed, we figured it would be an easy win. So a couple of my buddies and I decided to get completely shit-faced at some nightclub that wasn't gonna card us. We ended up taking shots left and right and even killed an entire bottle of Cîroc, which is probably one of the best kinds of Vodka out there in my opinion."
"Sounds like you guys had a lot to drink." Kate commented.
"We definitely found that out the hard way the next morning, which was when we had our match. Our coach knew that we were so hungover that morning too and most of us were starting players on team. I tried to push through and score a goal for the team. That is before I projectile vomited on the field." He said.
"Gross." She said.
"Yeah, not my proudest moment in life." Ben admitted.
"Then what happened?" She asked.
"Well, after I was decent. My coach benched me for the remainder of the game along the rest of my friends who went out drinking the night before. And since our season was over when we got back to school, we had to face some kind of consequence for what we did. So, we weren't allowed to walk at graduation for underage drinking."
"Sorry that happened to you. I don't even want to think about what my parents would do if that was me."
"Well, my dad was considering sending me to the Marines to get me straightened out. But my mom on the other hand, had the idea that sending me to Blackwell could be a way for me to have a fresh start before going to college and making the same mistakes again. If you ask me, I think I've made those same mistakes by joining the Vortex Club."
"I don't really think that's true." Kate said.
"You don't?" Ben asked while having a sense of shock in his voice.
"Of course not, Ben. You may have the reputation of a partier here at Blackwell, but you're still a kind and selfless person. I can't tell you how many times I've been beginning to feel so happy now, compared to how I felt in the past few weeks. And I owe it all to you." Kate said.
"I guess you're right. You said it yourself that you believe in forgiveness and redemption. I guess that's what being at Blackwell is about for me. A chance for redemption. That's why I said I was going to quit the Vortex Club today at lunch. After I got kicked off the football team yesterday, I wondered if it was really a blessing in disguise. I just hope this all pays off in the end."
"I'm sure that it will, Ben." She said. "I know that you won't be playing football anymore, but do you think you'll try out for the lacrosse team in the spring?"
"Actually, I was thinking about joining the drama club and getting involved in the spring musical instead."
"Really?" Kate asked in surprise.
"Yeah. I've been thinking about joining for a while now but I never could because football conflicted with it so much. Besides, most of the guys on the team probably would have just laughed if they found out I wanted to do theatre." Ben admitted.
"Why should that even matter? You should go after your own passions and not have to worry what other people think. I have dreams of writing my own children's books even though some people think that it sounds childish." Kate shared.
"Actually, that doesn't sound childish at all. To be honest, I think it's kinda... cute. I would read your books, even if they were meant for kids. Ben admitted.
"That's really sweet of you, Ben. But do you see what I mean, even if our pursuits in life may seem different or odd to some people, there's always one person who will support us. And if you ask me, I would come to all of your plays that you were in just to see you perform on stage." She stated.
"Thanks! For believing in me." He replied. "Are you doing anything tonight by the way?"
"What?" Kate asked, sounding baffled.
"Oh, I'm sorry if that sounded forward at all." He said apologetically. He didn't want Kate to get the impression that he was trying to make a pass at her.
"No, it's not that. It's just... I actually haven't gone out since the night I went to that party. And I was home with my family last weekend and you know how that went."
"Oh, right. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with us tonight to watch a movie."
"Tonight? But I thought you were going to that Halloween dance that everyone's been talking about."
"I kinda decided that I want to stay out of the spotlight for a while. You know, after everything that happened this week." Ben explained.
"Oh! So, does this mean that Blackwell's social butterfly is beginning to turn into a wallflower?" Kate joked.
"Okay, laugh it up, Marsh. It might just be temporary. But then again, I am starting to get tired of the whole party scene. To be honest it's just same shit, different night. And the hangovers are never fun to deal with the next morning."
"So, who else will be attending this movie night." Kate asked.
"My best friend Chloe will be there. You briefly met her when you went to see me at the hospital on Monday. And she's also friends with Max, who I also invited in class today. I told her that she's more than welcome to invite Warren too. Which means that if you're on board, then that makes five of us."
"Then you can count me in too I guess."
"Great! It'll be at my house. The team has an away game tonight, which means my dad will be back home pretty late anyway. So we pretty much have the place for most of the night." Ben explained. "Plus, we're going to order pizza."
"Pizza?" Kate asked as she couldn't help but smile upon hearing Ben say that.
"Oh, yeah! The best kind too. There's this place here in Arcadia Bay that delivers called Vito's. They have some of the best toppings that you probably haven't heard of. As I've said before, you haven't lived until you've had pizza topped with French Fries."
"French Fries on pizza?" Kate questioned with a puzzled look on her face.
"Yeah, it's a funny story how they came up with that topping. Last summer Chloe and I were both high and decided to order from Vito's. We asked them if we could get a side of fries to go with the pizza. But they told us that they didn't serve fries since they were a pizza place. So, Chloe and I ended up getting these two large fries from Burger King and we pour them all over this large cheese pizza that we ordered. I took a picture of it and posted it on my Instagram while including hashtag 'take notes Vito's' and it got over a hundred likes. Apparently, Vito's decided to give it a try and it's become a fan favorite topping to this day."
"And they owe it all to you and Chloe. In that case, I'm looking forward to trying a slice of it tonight." Kate said. She stood up and placed her bag over her shoulder. "I think I'm going to go to my room now. I know it's nice out but I feel like playing my violin since I haven't in a while. What time should I be ready to go?"
"Probably around five if anything. I still need to head to the boy's locker room and clean out my football locker anyway." He said
"Do you think I could get a ride to your house? I don't have a car on campus." Kate asked shyly.
"Sure thing! You can meet me in the parking lot when you're ready. Just make sure to bring five dollars with you to chip in for the pizza."
"Okay, I will. See you later, Ben!" Kate said as she began to walk over to the doors of the dorm building in front of her.
Now that Ben was alone again, he had to focus on the task at hand, which was to clean out his locker as he was no longer a member of the team. He knew that it wouldn't be easy and it was why he enjoyed his talk with Kate. Because it was a way of stalling from doing the inevitable.
As he entered the boys' locker room, Ben had come to the realization that he was the only person in there. The entire team was already getting ready to take off for their away game. He walked over to the back corner of the room, holding an empty cardboard box to place his belongings. As he now stood in front of the locker that was labeled "Ferris, #17", it was becoming a harder task for him as he opened the door of the locker. He took a deep sigh as he placed his gloves inside the box, followed by his cleats, then his mouth guard, and finally his shoulder pads. He still couldn't believe that this moment was happening. Why was it that he had to lose the position that he worked so hard over the summer to earn just for doing the right thing? The only thing left in Ben's locker was know his jersey and his helmet, which he would have to return to his dad. This would be the absolute hardest thing for him to do as he would have to face both the look and feeling of disappointment his father would show.
As Ben was now outside in the parking lot, he walked over to his car and opened the backseat door to place the box of his football gear onto the floor. As he stood up and was about to close the door, he could see a yellow school bus and the entire football team lining up to enter the two buses and place their equipment inside. As he continued to look, Ben could see his dad and former coach standing in front of the first bus. While he had the chance to get into his car and drive away, Ben decided to grab his helmet and jersey instead and face his father. He felt his nerves begin to tense up as he was getting closer to the bus.
"Hey, Dad." Ben greeted in a deadpan tone.
Coach Ferris was completely caught off guard by hearing the sound of Ben's voice and turned around to see his own son behind him.
"Ben. I'm surprised to see you here." He said.
"Why would you be? You wanted me to clean out my locker since I'm not on the team anymore." Ben replied.
Ben's dad sighed as he picked up on his son's flippant manner. "I know this is hard for you, but Principal Wells and I both agreed that something had to be done to address the way you've been behaving recently. That was your second fight this month. I thought by coming to a new school, you'd be done with getting into."
"I was, Dad. I've been trying to change, I really have. It's just hard to not do anything when people are always try to hurt Kate." Ben defended.
"See, that's the thing. Each of these fights you got into, the one with Nathan, Logan, and even Mr. Madsen all have something in common. They have to do with that Kate girl. I think you might be hanging out with the wrong people sometimes."
"The wrong people?" Ben repeated nearly sounding offended.
"It just seems like she's taking advantage of you to solve her own problems. To be honest, I don't think that girl's right for you."
"So what? You expected me to just sit on my ass the other night when I heard Kate in trouble. If I hadn't left my room and stopped Nathan, he could have done God knows what to her. She needed my help, Dad!" Ben argued.
"But you didn't have to beat the crap out of Nathan!" His father shouted, causing Ben to freeze. "I'm sorry. It's just that you only you made matters worse after what you did to him."
"What are talking about?" Ben asked.
"You wouldn't understand, Ben." He said calmly.
"Just tell me, Dad! Please." Ben yelled.
"Okay, then. Last week, I got an email and a phone call from Sean Prescott, Nathan's father. He told me that you got Nathan suspended because you accused him of drugging your friend, Kate at some party. Mr. Prescott wasn't happy that someone was telling tales about his son." Coach Ferris explained.
"But I didn't make it up. Nathan confessed to drugging Kate that night after... after I hit him. Everyone on my floor even heard him admit to it. Kate can press charges against him at this point."
"This isn't about Kate. I know what happened to her last week, but right now this is about the Prescotts. They're a very powerful family."
"So what? Are they gonna evict us from our house just for messing with their spoiled brat son." Ben taunted. "Or let me guess, hire some hitman to take us both out and make it look like an... "
"Ben, this is serious!" His father said strictly. "Nathan has always had trouble with ... trying to fit in at Blackwell."
"What?" Ben snarked.
His father only sighed as he knew Ben was going to have a hard time believing it. But something was telling Ben that his father knew what he was saying. "Before you even came here, he used to be on the football team." Coach Ferris admitted.
"Nathan Prescott? A Blackwell Bigfoot? Now you're totally messing with me." Ben laughed.
"It's true. Just ask Zach, Logan, or any of the other old timers on this team." He reassured. "Nathan didn't earn his spot on the team like everyone else. His father bribed me to get him on the team halfway through the season. He thought that being on the team would help his son make friends and get people to like him."
"He shouldn't have to pretend to be an athlete to get people to like him. Was it that hard for him to just be himself?" Ben stated.
"You don't get it, Ben. Nathan's father isn't exactly a good man. Over the years he's taken people's jobs and their homes to profit his own business. Those people's kids would take their frustration out on Nathan at school. The football team was even worse to him. In all my twenty years of coaching this team, Nathan was the only person who had ever been hazed by other kids on the team."
"How bad?" He asked.
"To the point where I sat down with him and told him it would be best if he quit the team. He didn't even finish the season with us. I still see him walking around campus every now and then. I really worry about him sometimes, Ben. Seeing people treat him like that reminded me of... of your brother." He said while struggling to finish that last sentence.
Ben gritted his teeth as he heard his father finish that sentence. "Don't ever say that, Dad! Nathan Prescott may have been bullied from what your telling me, but he's nothing like Ronnie." He said angrily. "So did Nathan have to do with me being off the team?"
"I didn't have a choice." Coach answered.
"What do you mean you didn't have a choice?" Ben asked.
"I just need you to understand the position that I was in, Ben." His dad said.
"Sure." He replied.
"I got a call on Wednesday night from Sean Prescott. He claimed that you assaulted Nathan in the hall of the boys' dorm and sent him to the hospital. He said his son looked like he got into a fight with a damn grizzly bear. When Mr. Prescott found out about the video of you attacking Nathan, he remembered that you also got him suspended last week. He wasn't happy about it."
"So then what?"
"Nathan's father threatened to stop funding the team if I didn't take any kind of disciplinary action against you. That's why I had you kicked you off the team. I'm sorry, Ben." His father said sadly.
"You mean you sold me out just so you could have the money to buy the best equipment for your team?"
"Ben, I know that you're mad but just let me explain everything..."
"No, Dad! I already let you explain everything." Ben shouted furiously. "I've been trying so hard to please you since this season started but you've only been doing a better job at being a coach than a father. That's why mom left you in the first place."
"Ben, don't start!" His father said in a strict tone.
"Actually, I think I have every right to start. Because I can't think of any other fathers out there who would screw their own son over just to benefit themselves. I was wrong to have joined this team from the start. I hate you!" Ben yelled, which lead to complete silence between the two. "You know what? I think I'm gonna go to San Francisco for Thanksgiving this year. You never get to see me that time of the year anyway, so why would it even matter to you? Let me know when you actually care about me." Ben said.
He dropped the helmet and jersey on the ground before storming back to his car. As he opened the door and entered the driver's seat, he slammed the door shut and pulled out of the parking spot, driving back to the student parking lot on the other side of campus as fast as he could. As he reached his stop, Ben had parked his car into an empty space and stopped everything he was doing. He had a tight grip on his steering wheel with both hands and placed his head closer to the wheel. Deep down, he felt awful for what he said to his own father. For as long as he remembered, his parents had done right by him that the thought of speaking out to them had never crossed his mind. But things started to feel different between him and his dad ever since he attended Blackwell and joined the team. Each day at practice, it always seemed like Ben and his dad's strong father son relationship was straining and becoming more of an athlete and coach connection and nothing else. He remembered hearing over the summer about the donation he received from Sean Prescott and felt happy for his Dad. It meant that after all those years of hard work and commitment to leading and mentoring so many young men on the team, the Bigfoots now had the money to buy the new uniforms and equipment, and have the entire field remodeled, which they deserved. But sometimes he wondered if his dad made a beneficial choice or just a deal with the devil by accepting a donation from the Prescotts. And speaking of the Prescotts, Ben still didn't want to believe what he heard from his own father about Nathan once being bullied. How was it possible that someone who started to become the biggest jerk at Blackwell to him, was once picked on by everyone at school because of his family. Was it possible that he was once like Kate or even Ronnie. Did all of the harassment finally wear him down and turn him into someone worse. Even if that was the case, he had already done enough damage.
'I don't even care if Nathan was bullied.' Ben thought to himself. 'What he's done to me, to Kate, and my other friends can't be undone. People like Kate might believe in forgiveness for everyone but he doesn't deserve my forgiveness. I thought he was my friend. I thought I could trust him. But he just thinks that he can do as he pleases without facing any consequences. If it were anyone else, they'd be kicked out of this school by know. But not him. Well then fuck you too, Nathan Prescott. You're dead to me and I'm better off without you.' He declared. 'Why did it have to be this way between us? Things were so much different until I met Kate. But whenever I'm around her, I just feel like... like I'm really happy. Could it be that I... like Kate?'
As Ben began to think to himself more on this, he was startled at the sound of someone knocking on the window of his car, only to see that it was Kate. As she waved at him from outside, Ben rolled down his window to talk to her.
"Hey." Ben said. "Ready to go?"
"I'm ready if you are." Kate answered.
"Sweet! Hop in and I'll get us to my house in about ten minutes."
"Okay, then." Kate happily replied as she walked to the other side of Ben's car and opened the door.
As the two of them both buckled up, Ben pulled out of the parking spot and drove off. The two of them were now leaving Blackwell, a place that both of them just needed to get away from for a while, and were off to have a night of fun with other friends.
"You can put something on the radio if you want." Ben said as he looked at the road ahead.
"Me?" Kate questioned as she looked over at Ben.
"Yeah. First rule of riding shotgun is that you get to pick the tunes." He stated. "Unfortunately, this car was made before aux cords even existed, so you'll just have switch between radio stations."
"Okay, then. I'm not too familiar with the stations, but I'll try my best to find something that we'll both enjoy." She said. As Kate fiddled around with the radio stations for a few seconds and heard nothing but advertisements or commentaries, she had finally stopped as a song finally came on. It was called Hey, Hey, Hey, (It's Gonna Be Okay) by stephaniesid.
"I've actually never heard this one before." Ben commented.
"Me neither. It's kind of catchy though." Kate replied.
As the song continued to play, Ben drove steadily along the road while Kate looked out the window of the passenger seat and admired the sunset. Her dirty blonde hair being blown by the wind as both of the car's front windows were rolled down to let in some fresh air. As they drove down the roads of Arcadia Bay, Ben had shifted his eyes between the road and Kate who sat next to him. He could see her still looking out the window while the breeze blew through her hair. He smiled upon gazing at her and caught himself looking back at her several times during the drive. As they were now arriving at his house, Ben had noticed that Chloe's rust pickup truck was parked in the drive way.
"Looks like Chloe's already here. But where is she?" Ben observed as he pulled over on the curb right near his house. He got out and walked over on the other side to open Kate's door for her.
"Thanks." Kate said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. "So, is this where you live?"
"For as long as I can remember. My dad is the one who actually pays the bills though." He said.
The two of them went up to the steps of the porch and approached the front door of the house. Ben pulled out his lanyard, which had his essential keys connected to them, and reached for his house key. As he unlocked the front door, he and Kate both walked inside the house and made their way to the living room, only to meet an unexpected surprise as Ben turned on the light switch.
"I've been expecting you." Chloe said in a mischievous voice as she sat in the chair of the living room.
"Chloe, how did you even get in here?" Ben asked confusedly.
"I used the spare key you and your dad keep under the mat. You know, the one you told me to use if I ever needed a place to crash?" She stated.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Anyway, I'm glad you're already here. You've met Kate before, right?"
"Only briefly when you were at the hospital on Monday. What's up?" Chloe said as she put her hand out.
"It's good to finally meet you, Chloe." Kate said as she reached her arm out and gently shook Chloe's hand.
"Max and her bitch, Warren, are on their way. They should be here any minute now. And I already called Vito's and told them what we want."
"So, what did you order for us?" Ben asked.
"Two large pizzas. One with half cheese and half pepperoni and one with French fry toppings." Chloe said confidently.
"You never fail to amaze, Chloe." Ben said.
"Damn straight I don't! I made the order, so that means you have to answer the door and get the food." She told him.
"Glad we're still going by our delivery rules from day one." Ben said.
"Hey, Ben. May I use your bathroom?" Kate asked politely.
"Yeah. It's the last door on your left upstairs." He replied.
"Thanks. I'll be right back." Kate said as she turned around and left the living room to go up the stairs.
Ben watched as Kate walked away and Chloe observed him doing this for a couple of seconds.
"So, Kate's kinda cute." Chloe stated.
"Um, yeah, she is. Why? You want to me to put in a good word for you or something?" Ben asked.
"Relax, Casanova? I was actually gonna do that for you." Chloe teased.
"What?" Ben asked, almost sounding embarrassed.
"Oh come on, dude. I saw the way you two were looking at each other at the hospital. And besides, why would she even agree to come here and watch a movie with us in the first place? Face it, tough guy. You're hella falling for Kate Marsh."
"It hasn't crossed my mind once." Ben said in his defense.
"You're not as cute when you lie, you know." Chloe mocked.
"Alright, alright! The truth is... I like her. But I just don't think it would work out between us. To be honest, I think we're just better off as friends."
"Ben Ferris has trouble trying to get a girlfriend? Know that's the understatement of the year." She said while snickering.
"It's just complicated, Chloe." He stated.
"Try me." Chloe retorted.
Ben sighed as he knew that Chloe wasn't going to give up. "It's just that Kate and I are completely different from each other. She goes to bible study every Tuesday and leads an abstinence campaign at Blackwell. Meanwhile, she already knows about my reputation as a partier, not to mention how many girls on campus I've even slept around with."
"True. But if Kate's been around you for this long then she has to know that you're really a sensitive muscular teddy-bear." Chloe poked. "If she spends more time with you, she might get to know you better than anyone else."
"You really think so? My dad doesn't seem to like her. He thinks she's been a bad influence on me ever since I started getting into trouble."
"Your dad doesn't like anything besides winning." She said, which made Ben laugh. "Seriously, Ben, it doesn't matter how different you two are. Just look at me and Max. And besides, who gives a fuck about what people think of you and Kate? I'm not really good at these kind of things, but I guess what I'm trying to say is, just do whatever makes you happy."
"I guess you're right, Chloe. Right now, I'm still trying to figure out what it means to be happy though." Ben replied. "So, about you and Max." He said while grinning at Chloe.
"Why did I even say anything?" Chloe said as she rolled her eyes.
"Hey, it's okay. If you feel a certain way about her, then your secret's safe with me." He reassured. "Then again, Warren might be a bit of a competition for you."
"Please, those two will be in a nursing home together before he even makes a move on Max." She said.
"By the way, I've got something for you." Ben brought up as he reached into his back pocket.
"Okay. What is it exactly." Chloe asked.
Ben pulled out the cellphone he took from Nathan's room and showed it to Chloe. "I found it in Nathan's room the other night. Hopefully he won't miss it. He had it kept away, meaning he didn't want anyone to find it. It might give us a clue of the last place Rachel was at before she disappeared."
"Good thinking, Ben. This better help us find out where she went." Chloe said as she looked at the phone as it was still wrapped in the plastic zip lock bag.
"Hey. We'll find her. I promise." He told her as he placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
"I'm back." Kate said from behind the two as she stood at the door frame of the living room. "So, what movie are we going to watch?"
"We're not sure yet." Chloe said. "We have to figure that out as soon as..." The sound of the doorbell had interrupted Chloe, which instead brought a look of excitement to her face. "Sweet. That's either Max and Warren, or our pizza. I'm not sure which I'm more excited about." She said.
"I'll go see who it is. Both of you have your money?" Ben asked.
"Right here." Chloe said, proudly holding up her five-dollar bill.
"Here you go." Kate said happily as she handed her five dollars to Ben.
"Thanks, you two. I'll be right back." He said as he walked over to the front door.
As Ben opened the door, he was welcomed by both Max and Warren and could also see the pizza delivery car parked outside.
"Hey guys!" Ben said as he greeted the two.
"What's up Ben? Nice place." Warren stated.
"Thanks again for inviting us, Ben." Max said.
"No problem, guys. Kate and Chloe are already inside. I'll take care of the pizza guy." Ben said.
"Cool. Here's my five." Warren said, handing his money to Ben.
"Mine too." Max said as she did the same. The two of them both went inside the house while Ben waited for the delivery man to come to the porch.
"How's it going, man?" Ben asked in a friendly tone.
"Doing alright. Two large pizzas, one cheese and pepperoni and one French fry, right?" The delivery man replied.
"That's right." He said.
"Great. That'll be $18.25." He told Ben.
"Alright, here you go." Ben said as he handed the cash to the man and took the two boxes from him. "Keep the change."
"Thanks." The man said before he walked back to his car.
"Have a good night." He called out as the man walked away.
Ben walked back inside the house and closed the door behind him. He was eager to open the box of pizza and take a slice as the smell was hitting against his face.
"It's pizza time ,you guys! We got a large pepperoni and cheese and my personal favorite, the French Fry." He shouted with excitement just before he heard bickering in the living room.
"No way are we watching that one, Max. We practically watched it to death when we were younger." Chloe said
"What movie?" Ben asked.
"Night at the Museum." Kate answered. "I've actually never seen any of them before."
"What? See, Kate hasn't seen it. Now that means we have to watch it." Max argued playfully.
"You don't get to choose though." Chloe said.
"Chloe, that is so unfair. Warren, back me up." Max said.
"I can't. We saw it so many times together that I was ready to delete the movie from my flash drive and say it was lost." Warren said.
"You guys are the worst." Max said.
"What's everyone else thinking about watching." Ben asked.
"I'm not very picky." Kate insisted.
"Same." Warren said.
"I was kinda thinking something sci-fi. How about Blade Runner?" Chloe suggested.
"Back to the Future?" Ben proposed.
"Independence Day?" Warren mentioned.
"Oohh, good pick, Warren. Will Smith is the man!" Chloe complemented.
"What about one of the Marvel movies? I've always wanted to see one of those." Kate suggested.
"Yes, Kate! Avengers anyone?" Warren said.
"I'd be cool with the Avengers." Max said.
"It's been a while since I've seen Blade Runner, so that one's got my pick." Ben said.
"Well, that just leaves Kate as our tie breaker." Chloe stated, resulting in everyone looking at her.
"To be honest, I actually haven't seen either before." Kate admitted. "I guess I'll have to go with... Blade Runner?"
"You've chosen wisely, young Kate." Chloe said. "It's only a quarter after six right now anyway, which means we've got hella time to have a double feature night."
"Sounds good to me. I'll start the movie." Ben said as he searched for Blade Runner through the Netflix menu.
"Wait!" Max called out. "Before we start the movie, I want to get a picture of all of us. You know, to capture this moment." She said as she began to reach into her bag to find her camera.
"Good idea, Max. This will be great for us to look back at some day." Kate said.
"Why don't we take the picture on the couch? I'm sure it can fit all of us." Ben suggested.
"That works. Let me just set the timer on my camera and we'll be all set." Max said as she placed the camera underneath the wide screen television, a perfect angle to get a picture of the five of them on the couch.
"Quick Max, get over here before the picture gets taken without you." Chloe said impatiently.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She replied as she rushed over the couch and plopped down on the end of the left side, sitting next to Chloe.
Right next to Chloe on her other side was Kate, who sat in the middle of the couch and Ben, who sat on the other end of the couch next to her. And while there was still room for Warren, he decided to lay across the four who were sitting to add a more humorous tone to the photo.
"Alright, smiles you guys!" Max said. The group cheerfully smiled together just before the flash of Max's camera appeared before them. Max immediately ran back to the camera to see the picture and shake it.
"We look awesome together you guys." Max said as she studied the photo and held it up to show everyone else.
"That's definitely a keeper for sure." Ben said. "I'll start the movie now."
"You sure seem pretty eager to be having this movie night with us, Ben." Kate mentioned.
"Well, I guess it's cause I'm keeping myself in good company for a change." Ben said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Kate only smiled after hearing this.
As Ben hit the play button, he walked back over to the couch and sat right next to Kate while grabbing a slice of pizza from one of the boxes.
"Hey, Ben?" Kate whispered next to him.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Can you hand me one of the slices of the French fry pizza, please? I'm really interested in trying it." She said, sounding a bit more enthusiastic.
"Sure. Here you go." He said as he opened the box and handed a slice to her.
Kate took her first bite of the warm slice of the pizza, topped with several fries, pieces of bacon and ranch dressing drizzled on top of it. It was delicious enough to make her smile.
"It's really good." she whispered as she smiled at Ben.
"See, what did I tell you?" He said while smiling back at her.
As Chloe could hear the two of them whispering, she turned her head to see Ben and Kate exchanging smiles and fixing their eyes on each other instead of the screen. She could only just roll her eyes and smile at what she was seeing. Even if the two of them weren't paying attention to the movie, that didn't change the fact that they were both in the company of their friends who cared so much about them.
Nathan Prescott began to walk down a set of stairs leading to a giant vault door with a keypad on its left side. He punched in the numbers on the pad while looking over both of his shoulders in a paranoid state, as if he was being followed. As he heard a beeping sound, he then opened the door quickly and shut it behind him. As Nathan entered a storage room that was stocked with canned and boxed nonperishable foods such as cereal and mushroom soup along with plastic bottles of water, he walked past the room and went through a curtain. He was now in a bright room filled with studio and photography equipment. He stopped right where he was and looked at the only dimly lit corner of this room that had a desk with a computer and a shadowy figure standing behind the desk with his back facing Nathan.
"About time you showed up. I was wondering when they were going to let you out of the hospital. I've heard a broken jaw can take some time to recover from. Especially when it was given to you by someone you once called a 'friend'." The man said as he turned to face Nathan and looked at face which was still badly bruised.
Nathan didn't speak as he had just recently had his jaw reset. He only looked down at the floor sadly in response to the man's remarks.
"The secret's already out you know. Everybody knows you drugged her because he beat the truth out of you." He said to Nathan with a sound of disappointment in his voice. "Did you tell him anything else?"
Nathan only shook his head in response.
"Good. We need to make sure it stays that way. But I know that he won't stop trying to find out what really happened that night. We both saw how suspicious he was last week in the Principal's office. And it only makes matters worse now that he's spending more time with her. I hope you understand what I'll have to do to him if he actually does find out." He continued. He noticed that Nathan had a sad look on his face and picked up on this.
"Look, I get it. You and Ben used to be close, and then that little church mouse stepped into his life and ruined everything you two had. But you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. Instead, you should be mad at him if anything. He thinks he doesn't need you anymore." He said. "And it didn't take long for him to replace you either." He added as he placed a photograph on the desk and showed it to Nathan. It was a photo of Ben and Kate talking and sitting next to each other on a bench at Blackwell near their dorm building. The photo had been taken earlier today.
Nathan only pushed the photo away before he finally spoke. "When do I get to make him suffer?" He questioned with anger in his voice.
"Easy now, kiddo!" The man said as he chuckled. "I want him left unharmed, for now that is. There's just something about Ben Ferris that I admire. So for now, we'll be keeping an eye on him. Both of them, to be exact." He said as he pointed to the photograph.
I told you the Dark Room would make it's appearance sooner or later. That was just a short little snippet I came up with earlier in the week while I was finishing up this chapter. I know, the man talking to Nathan is obviously Jefferson but you guys know how foreshadowing works. Overall, I really enjoyed building up the BenxKate ship in this chapter as well as how you learn more about Ben's backstory whenever he's around Kate. And for those of you wondering after reading this, pizza on French Fries is actually a real thing. My older brother introduced me to it when I went to visit his college one time and it's actually fricking amazing! I've got plans to have my next chapter posted in another week or two and maybe it'll be a miracle if I can get it to you guys before Episode 2 of Before the Storm even comes out. In the meantime, be sure to leave a comment, follow and favorite if you haven't yet, and be sure to PM me if you have any questions about the title or synopsis change in particular. I'd be happy to answer them for you. Until Chapter 13 you guys :)