A/N: Hey, Everybody! I'm back again with another update. Since today's Veteran's Day over in the US and I don't have school, it gave me the opportunity to stay up and finish the latest chapter that I've been dying to share with all of you. I'm not kidding when I say it either. You're in for a whole chapter consisting of nothing but that budding Ben and Kate romance. Some of you have also mentioned how much you love the slow burn between Ben and Kate instead of a rushed relationship, which is what I've been going for the whole time. But don't worry, I promise that things will start to escalate in the next few chapters. But for now, I'm going to stop talking and let you guys enjoy this newest chapter, named after one of my favorite Will Smith movies. Enjoy as always!

Chapter 13: The Pursuit of Happiness

It was amazing how fast the weekend had already ended. And now, it was already a typical Monday morning and the start of another new week at Blackwell. Kate had already begun her typical routine of waking up early as usual and was finishing up brushing her teeth. After she was finished in the girls' bathroom, she walked back to her room to change into her outfit for the day. As she began to fix her hair and apply her make-up, she removed the towel that she placed over her mirror from two weeks ago. While she looked in the mirror and began to tie her hair, her mind was completely thinking back on the fun filled Friday night she had spent with Ben, Max, Warren, and Chloe. It certainly was a night to remember and something made her hope that it would be the first of many. After going back to her room and changing into her outfit for the day, she threw her red bag over her shoulder and grabbed her books. Kate walked over to Alice's cage and smiled while seeing her pet rabbit taking sips of water.

"See you after school today, Alice." She said happily before walking out the door. As Kate walked down the hall and saw other girls on her floor, slowly leaving their rooms in a state of exhaustion to get ready, she could see Dana, who was wide awake and already dressed. She was standing by the floor's bulletin board where she appeared to be putting up several flyers. Curious as to what each one was about, Kate decided to make her way over and initiate a conversation with the bubbly cheerleader.

"Good morning, Dana!" Kate said in a cheerful tone.

"Oh, hey, Kate!" Dana replied as she briefly jolted. "I didn't even see you there." She said as she yawned.

"You're up pretty early today." Kate analyzed.

"Yeah, I'm just going around putting up some posters to spread the word about what's happening at Blackwell this week." She explained.

"What exactly is going on this week?" She questioned, almost sounding like she felt bad for not knowing.

"Well, for starters, the Drama Club's production of the Wizard of Oz is this weekend. Opening night is on Friday and tickets are only five bucks." She said.

"Aw, that was one of my favorite movies. I used to watch it all the time." Kate expressed.

"Well then that's even more of a reason for you and Ben to come see the show. Plus, I'm going to be playing the lead role of Dorothy." Dana said.

"Ben?" Kate questioned.

"Uh, yes Ben. I've seen you two hanging out together and I think it's great. Him and I have been friends since the first grade and he's been a sweetheart for as long as I can remember. Sometimes he can hang out with people that don't really suit him. Take some of the other jocks here for instance. But I'm glad that you two have become good friends lately. If you ask me, I think you bring out the best in him."

"Well, it is nice to be spend time with him." Kate admitted timidly. "What are the other posters for?"

"This other one is to let people know that auditions for the Club's spring musical starts today. We're doing Little Shop of Horrors this year."

"Auditions? That's great." Kate said enthusiastically.

"Kate, are you going to try out?" Dana asked with excitement.

"Oh no. Performing onstage isn't exactly my thing. But I do know that Ben wants to join the Drama Club."

"He does? Yes! Our Drama teacher, Sarah, always talks about how great Ben is in her class. She'll be so hyped when she finds out that he's going to audition." Dana shared. "Also there's one last thing." She added.

"Really? What's that?" Kate asked.

"Preparation for Homecoming!" She said cheerfully as she held up another flyer to show Kate. "The dance is next week Friday and we need all the help we can get. Would you possibly want to join the committee? I love your drawings and I think you'd be a great help with making decorations." She said.

"Well, thanks, Dana. I guess I wouldn't mind lending a hand. I'm sure Ben would be more than happy to help too." She suggested.

"Wait? Doesn't Ben have football practice after school?" Dana asked as she gave Kate a funny look.

"Well... not anymore." Kate said hoping that she wouldn't have to explain the whole situation.

"Oh, shit. I completely forgot about the whole incident with him and Nathan." She said. "In that case, I'll add both of your names to the list. Our first meeting is tomorrow, right after school in the gym." She added as she put the Homecoming poster on the bulletin board.

"I better go check on Juliet to see if she put up the other posters on the boys' floor. Hopefully she didn't make a pitstop at Zach's room." She commented. "I have to go know. Thanks so much, Kate. I'll talk to you later." She said before walking off.

Right after Dana had left. Kate pulled out her phone to take a picture of the posters on the board to show to Ben later. Just as she saved the pictures of them on her phone she saw an unread message from Ben. Though she was more surprised that he had texted her so early in the morning, which wasn't like him.

Ben:

Good morning Kate! Would you like to grab breakfast at the two whales with me before class? I'm at the pool doing some laps right now.

To Kate, seeing that message felt like the start to a great day. Getting to enjoy a big breakfast right before class and hanging out with Ben. Though she figured it would probably be the usual crew from the weekend besides the two of them. Either way, she just felt great that she would be spending more time with Ben outside of school. Excited to meet up with him, Kate walked down the end of the hallway to leave her dorm and head to the school's indoor swimming pool to see him, all while forgetting to respond to his text.

The morning sunshine was bright enough to illuminate through the windows of the school's athletic building, which housed the swimming pool. For an early Monday morning, the pool area was only occupied by two people. There was the lifeguard on duty, who was on her phone and trying not to look bored, and then there was Ben. He had taken it upon himself to go swimming in addition to his eight weeks of physical therapy to further recover from his injury. He had already swum about ten laps and was finishing one up. As he made his way to the end of the pool, he could see a figure standing at the edge while he was still submerged underwater. As he lifted up his head and reached the surface, he could see that Kate was standing above him.

"Hi, Ben!" Kate said happily.

"Hey!" Ben said.

"I got your text." She replied.

"Oh, yeah. I just finished my last lap anyway." He told her as he climbed out of the pool. "So, I'm guessing that's a yes since you're here." Ben stated.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry I forgot to reply to your text." Kate tried to explain. "I was just excited when I read it and I meant to..."

"It's okay. I'm just glad that you want to go." Ben reassured her.

"I am pretty hungry." She admitted. "Will Max, Warren, and Chloe be there too?"

"Actually, I doubt that any of them are up this early, so I figured that it would just be us." He said as he took his towel and dried his hair.

As Ben wiped his face next, Kate couldn't help but take a peek at his athletic appearance. As she looked over at his abs, she discovered something. Ben had a tattoo on his right side. It was what appeared to be three Chinese letters in black ink. It was as if Kate was just learning more about him each day.

"I'll be ready to drive us to the Two Whales after I shower and get dressed." Ben said as he looked over at Kate. Though she had a very doe-eyed look on her face and didn't respond.

"Um, Are you okay?" Ben asked as he noticed she was still staring at him.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I'm just a little... distracted this morning, that's all." She explained.

"Okay. I won't take long." Ben said as he walked over to the boys' locker room.

"I'll wait for you outside." Kate said before walking out the doors of the room.

After Kate had waited outside in the front for about ten minutes, Ben had walked out the front doors, already changed into his clothes he planned on wearing for the day. Kate turned around to see him with an eager look on his face.

"Ready to go?" He asked her.

"Ready if you are." She replied.

"Great, let's go grab some food." Ben said. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket and hit the unlock button. His car made a noise to let the two know where it was in the parking lot.

"Race you to your car!" Kate shouted with excitement as she ran down the parking lot to the red Mustang.

"Oh, you're on, Marsh!" Ben called out as he ran after her.

Kate jumped into the passenger seat and buckled up her seat-belt as Ben went into the driver's seat shortly after. He then started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, ready to head to the Two Whales.

As Ben and Kate arrived at the diner, the two walked in together and found an empty booth to sit at. They both sat across from each other and began to open their menus that were already laying on the table. Kate already knew what she wanted. Pancakes with two slices of bacon and a cup of tea, which was what she usually ordered whenever she went out for breakfast with Max, so there was no point in still scanning the menu. This meant that she would have to find something to talk about with Ben in order to start a conversation. She took a deep breath as she slowly poked her head out of her menu looked at the boy across, who was still looking through his menu, and hoped that she wouldn't make herself look awkward in front of him.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo." Kate brought up.

"What?" Ben asked as he lifted up his head and shifted his gaze to Kate.

"Your tattoo. I saw it when you were getting out of the pool." She stated.

"Oh, that?" He said as he chuckled to himself. I got it over the summer. Chloe talked me into getting one." He explained.

"What is it supposed to be?" Kate questioned.

"It's three Chinese letters. See?" He said as he slightly lifted his shirt so that she could see. "They say strength, passion, and life. It's kinda given me some extra motivation these past few months."

"Well I'm glad you have something to motivate you. Even if you did your lose your faith." She stated.

"So, do have any?" Ben asked her with curiosity.

"Have any what?" Kate asked in reply.

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Why else would you bring up my tat in the first place?" He teased as he had a smile on his face.

"Oh no. I would never get one. My mom would absolutely have a fit if I ever got one." Kate expressed as she shook her head.

"So?" He said in a playful manner. "Why should it matter what your parents think. You're an adult now, and that's what's great about being at Blackwell. Being able to make choices on your own, regardless of other people's opinions."

"I know, Ben. It's still somewhat of a learning experience for me since this is the first time I've ever been away from my family."

"You're not the only one. You, me, and pretty much everyone at Blackwell is still trying to find their selves and figure out who they really are now that we live a world with no parents." Ben expressed. "I've got a question for you though."

"And what would that be?" Kate said.

"If you could get a tattoo without anybody stopping you, what would it be.? He asked.

"Oh! Well, I'm not sure, I never really thought about that. Probably my favorite Bible verse if anything. Matthew 11:28.", She said just before she began to recite it. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened..."

"And I will give you rest." Ben finished.

"You still remember it." She said as she smiled with joy.

"Of course, I do. You said it was your favorite, so why would I forget something like that?" He replied while returning a smile.

Just as the two of them were admiring each other's company at that moment, a waitress had walked over to their table to take their orders.

"Mornin' you two." The waitress said happily. "You ready to order?"

"I'm all set." Ben confirmed. "How about you?" He said looking over to Kate.

"I'm ready too." Kate said.

"Alright then. Let's start with you, hon." She said as she smiled at Kate and pulled out a notepad and pen.

"I'll have the pancakes with two slices of bacon please." Kate said politely.

"And to drink?" The waitress replied.

"Spiced orange tea please." Kate added, to which the waitress all wrote down.

"And for you, darlin?" She said, turning her attention to Ben.

"I'll have the Belgian Waffles, with a side of scrambled eggs."

"Tea for you too?" She asked.

"Coffee for me, please." He said with a smile.

"I'll be right back." She said as she left their booth after collecting their orders.

"Tea, huh?" Ben commented as he looked back at Kate.

"It's always my favorite drink to have whenever I start the day. And I've never really been a big fan of coffee." Kate explained.

"You know, it's kinda funny how we've been spending a lot of time together lately, yet we're completely different from each other." He stated.

"You think so?" Kate asked.

"Well, yeah. You like tea, I like coffee. You prefer pancakes while I'm a waffles kinda guy. You're in the Bible Study Club while I'm in... used to be in the Vortex Club. Not that there's anything wrong with that though." He stated.

"I see what you mean. It's really interesting how much opposites can attract." Kate agreed. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you." she added.

"Tell me what?" Ben asked eagerly.

"Dana said that she needs people to join the Homecoming Committee and help get things ready since the dance is next Friday. So, I signed both of us up to help out." She explained.

"Oh." Ben said in a surprised tone. He seemed as if he didn't exactly care much for doing so.

"I know I should have asked you first before throwing your name in. I'm sorry that I..."

"No, Kate, it's okay. I'm glad that you signed us up for it. It'll be good to have something to do afterschool now that I don't have to worry about football anymore. And I'm glad that I already know someone else who's part of the committee." He expressed happily. "So, when do we start?"

"The first meeting is tomorrow after school. I'm not one for school dances, but I'm really excited about this for some reason."

"Yeah, me too." He replied.

"Also, I found out that auditions for the Drama Club's spring musical are being held today too." She mentioned.

"They are?" Ben asked with a bit of excitement in his voice.

"You bet! I even took a picture of the flyer, so you could see when and where they're being held." She said as she pulled her phone to show him the photo of the poster Dana had put up earlier that morning. "So are you going to try out?"

"I... I don't know really." He admitted in a tone that lacked confidence.

"What? But you said you wanted to join the Drama Club ever since you first came here." Kate said.

"I know. It's just that... I've never performed in front of an entire audience before, meaning that I have no experience in theatre whatsoever. What if I just make an ass out of myself up on stage."

"You shouldn't think like that. I know that it might seem a bit nerve-racking for you, but I believe in you." Kate stated. And besides, 'I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.' Philippians 4:13." She added.

"Thanks for the wisdom, Kate. I feel like you always know the right thing to say." Ben replied.

"You know, Ben, if you want, I could go to your audition in the auditorium with you if you're still feeling nervous."

"And stand on the stage with me?" He said with confusion.

Kate laughed upon hearing his question. "No, silly. I mean I'll sit in the audience while you're up on the stage and be kind of like your cheerleader I guess." She said to clarify herself.

"That could work. Maybe we could see if you can borrow Dana's cheer uniform to wear too." Ben teased.

"You wish, Ben Ferris." Kate said as she rolled her eyes and laughed at his suggestion.

The waitress had just returned with a pot of coffee and a pot of tea, pouring them into two white mugs for Ben and Kate.

"I'll be right back with your food, you two." The waitress told them.

"Thank you." They both said to her simultaneously as she went back behind the counter.

Eyeing her hot cup of tea, Kate grabbed the mug by its handle and slowly lifted it up towards her lips taking a sip. She then placed the cup back on the table and smiled.

"How's the tea?" Ben asked her before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Amazing." Kate replied. "How's your coffee?"

"So good." He said after taking a sip and placing it back down on the table.

It was now the end of the school day and classes came to an end. As Ben heard the bell ring like everybody else, this signified that he would no longer have to listen to Ms. Grant's lecture on Homogeneous and Heterogeneous mixtures. He got up from his desk and collected his books before walking to the door. But before he could leave the classroom, he heard a voice calling out for him from behind.

"Ben, wait up!" The person said eagerly. Ben had looked back to see that it was Juliet Watson coming to approach him.

"Oh, hey, Juliet. I completely forgot to get back to you on a time for when you could interview me for your story on the Vortex Club." He said.

"No, it's not that. It's just that I heard from Dana that you're trying out for the musical." She said as she left the classroom with him.

"Oh! Yeah, I am." He replied.

"You're going to have such a great time!" She said excitedly. "Dana and I have both been in the Drama Club since Freshmen year. Plus, this is Miss O'Dea's second year as Blackwell's newest Drama teacher after our last teacher, Mr. Keaton retired."

"Really? I didn't think Vortex Club members were actually into theatre." Ben admitted.

"You'd be surprised who else has been involved. Hayden's a natural onstage when he's not completely baked. Victoria's auditioned several times but only been an understudy or an ensemble role. Even Nathan's performed a few times, but he eventually quit. He just never seemed like he enjoyed it. And then there was also Rachel."

"Rachel Amber?" Ben asked.

"That's right. She was born to act, Ben. If you got the chance to meet her, you would believe that she was meant to be on Broadway."

"Actually, we kinda did meet once." He replied.

"Wait, how?" Juliet asked while looking over to him with a confused look.

"Chloe Price is a mutual friend, and because of her, I ended up meeting Rachel at some house party a few summers ago."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot how close those two were. To be honest, you don't seem like the type of person to hang out with Chloe." She said.

"Yeah well, looks can be deceiving." He said. Ben was pretty sure that he didn't even seem like the kind of person to hang out with Kate. But why should it even matter after all.

The two of them were now at the doors leading to the auditorium. Ben had immediately stopped in his tracks and took a good look around the hallway. There were several people still hanging around and talking, but Kate was nowhere to be seen. She promised that she would come to the audition with Ben. It wasn't like her to just bail on him. Surely, she must have had a good reason for not being there.

'Where is she? She said she would be here.' Ben thought as he looked around one more time.

Juliet had opened the door and was about to walk in, but she looked behind her to see Ben standing there and scanning the hallway. "Are you coming?" She asked him with a bit of concern in her voice.

Ben turned to face Juliet who was still standing by the door. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just looking for someone." he said nervously as he walked into the auditorium right after her.

'Okay, Ben. Even if she couldn't make it, you've still got this.' He thought to himself while walking towards the stage. As he got closer to the stage, Ben saw his drama teacher, Miss O'Dea, or Sarah as she always preferred, greeting Juliet.

"Hi, Juliet. I'm so glad that you're coming back to be cast in Little Shop of Horrors." She said happily.

"Me too, Sarah. And I brought someone who might be a new addition to the production." Juliet stated while pointing to Ben behind her.

"Ben, you're auditioning too? Oh, this is so exciting!" Sarah said energetically. "Here, we're having everyone read a couple of lines before they sing. Why don't we have you read for Seymour." She said while handing Ben a copy of the script. "Dana, could you read for the part of Audrey, please?"

"Sure thing, Sarah." Dana said as she walked up the stage. Ben also made his way onto the stage while immediately being called out by a group of his friends on the football team.

"Stick to football, Ferris!" Logan shouted mockingly while sitting from the audience.

"Too soon, bro!" Zach replied, who was sitting next to him.

Dana only sighed as she saw Ben fix his attention on the immature athletes while also being able to tell that he was nervous. "It's okay. Just ignore them. They only come here just to heckle everyone." She said. "I've got the first line, so I'll start."

"Okay, lead on." He stated.

Dana had cleared her throat before reading her first line out loud. "I'll bet you've got alotta dates now huh?" She read in her best imitation of Audrey.

"Not dates exactly." Ben read from the script very nervously. "But alotta garden clubs have been calling... asking me to give lectures."

"Ben, could you please speak up a bit when reading your lines?" Sarah asked politely as she found it hard to hear him.

As Ben looked over to Sarah, he could see the door of the auditorium open, to which Kate had walked in. She was trying to discretly find an empty chair to sit in while trying not to disrupt the audition that was currently taking place. As soon as he saw the dirty blonde enter the room, it was as if he felt a sudden boost of confidence hit him.

"Sure thing, Sarah." Ben replied. He took a deep breath and looked at the script again before reading out his line. "Not dates exactly. But alotta garden clubs have been calling... asking me to give lectures." He repeated, this time having more confidence in his voice.

"Gee." Dana read from the script.

"Imagine me, giving lectures. I never even finished grade school." Ben read next in his best voice of what he would imagine someone like Seymour to sound like.

"That doesn't matter. You have life experience." She replied.

"Some experience. I don't even know what it's like to fly in an airplane."

"Me neither."

"Or eat at a fancy dinner at Howard Johnson's"

"Me neither."

"Or ride a motorcycle."

"Oh, it's no big deal. And besides, it's dangerous."

"It is?"

"Extremely dangerous. Gee, I'd better go fix my face. My date'll be here any minute." Dana read.

"And scene." Sarah called out before everyone else let out a round of applause.

"You did great." Dana said to Ben before they walked off the stage.

"Thanks." He said.

"Next, can I have Juliet and Hayden up on stage please." Sarah asked while looking at her list of students auditioning.

An hour had passed, and everyone interested in being a part of the production had auditioned for a role. As soon as every student was seated, Sarah began to speak.

"Thank you so much to everyone who came out to audition today." Sarah said in her naturally excited voice. "I'll have the full casting list up by tomorrow night and I'll text everyone individually to let them know their part. Have a good rest of the day, everyone. I'm looking forward to working with all of you."

Once she was done delivering her final words, everyone got out of their seats to leave the auditorium and go on about their days. As Ben got up he looked behind him to immediately find Kate, who was sitting in the back of the auditorium. But before he could reach her, he was held up by several of his friends complimenting him.

"Someone call security because you killed it up there, dude." Hayden said as he playfully shook Ben.

"You were so good! I still can't believe you've never acted before." Juliet stated while walking up next to him.

As they all left the auditorium, Ben saw Kate who patiently waited for him in the hallway. He began to walk over to her to thank her for showing her support.

"Hey you!" Ben said happily.

"Hey! Sorry that I showed up late. I got caught up helping Mr. Jefferson with something after class." Kate tried to explain.

"Don't sweat it. You just being there was enough to make that audition less nerve-wracking for me. Thank you!" He replied as stretched out his arms and hugged her.

Kate was caught off guard by his gesture but couldn't help hugging him back and smiling. "You're welcome." She said.

"Hey, Ben!" Dana called from behind them, causing Ben to immediately let go of Kate.

"Um, yeah?" He asked with a hand on the back of his head.

"We're all going to the Two Whales for some milkshakes. Wanna come too?" She asked.

"I think I'm all set, Dana." Ben said politely.

"Are you sure? It'll just be everyone who auditioned today. Which means no Victoria or Nathan." She said.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the invite though." He said.

Dana looked over Ben's shoulder to see Kate standing behind him and smiled before she replied. "Okay, see you around then. Good job today!" She said before she walked off to rejoin her other friends.

"You too." Ben replied. He then turned his attention back to Kate.

"You could have gone with them you know. I wouldn't have felt bad if you left." Kate said.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to go with them." He told her.

"Why not?"

"Because, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the park with me." Ben said.

"The park?" Kate questioned.

"Yeah, why not? It's a nice day out anyway." He stated.

"I know, it's just... what would we do exactly?" She asked.

"Well, like my mom always says, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. So I'll guess we'll just have to find out when we get there." He said as he began to walk to the doors leading outside before turning around to look at Kate. "You coming?" He asked.

Kate smiled while holding her books and walked along with him, waiting to see what would await them at the park.

As Kate and Ben both arrived at Arcadia Bay's park, the two walked along a trail that stretched out between a mass of trees. The fresh autumn air was just the perfect touch to spend a peaceful afternoon in such a beautiful place.

"Are you excited about being a part of the show?" Kate chimed in to start a conversation.

"Yeah. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable knowing that I'm already friends with some of the other members." Ben replied as they kept walking.

"I hope that you get casted. You really deserve it." She stated.

"Thanks Kate, that means a lot." He said.

"So, why are we here anyway?" Kate questioned. After all she still never got an answer as to why she got dragged all the way out to the park.

"Come on, I'll show you." He said confidently while walking the trail. Kate walked behind him, eager to see what he would show her.

"We can take a shortcut if we cut through these trees." He said as he ducked underneath a branch and walked into a woodsy area. Kate trailed behind, hoping that her clothes wouldn't get dirtied or scratched while walking through the trees. Though she had to admit that it was a beautiful scenery, seeing the mass of maple trees around her, some with birds resting atop their branches. She was no more than five feet away from Ben while admiring the atmosphere and happened to see a chipmunk scurrying across a log. While she looked at the small animal, she was unaware of her footing and tripped over a rock. Kate placed her hands out in case she was going to fall, luckily, Ben had caught her by placing both his hands underneath her arms and helped her up.

"I got you." Ben stated as he helped her stand on her feet.

"Thank you." Kate said as she smiled and moved a strand of her hair out of her face.

Still following Ben, she stopped walking as she noticed that he stopped in his tracks and moved a couple of branches in front of him. "This is it." He said with excitement. "Ladies first." He stated as he held out an arm to usher her into the area.

Kate trusted him and walked past the branches, which now lead to an open area. The first thing that she noticed was a playground that included a jungle gym with a slide, a see saw, a sandbox and a swing set. There were even a couple of park benches around too.

"A playground? Kate questioned.

"That's right. This place used to be one of my favorite things about going to the park." He shared. "Let's sit over at the swings." He suggested. Ben and Kate both walked over to the swing set and sat on two empty swings.

"I have to admit, being here does feel peaceful." She said while grasping onto the metal chains of the swing.

"I know right. It really takes me back to happier times too. He'd sometimes take me here to get out of the house whenever our parents started to fight. We'd play catch with each other using his football and he'd even push me while I sat on the swing." He reminisced.

"What was he like?" Kate asked with curiosity. She only hoped that she wouldn't get too personal by asking that question.

Ben hesitated for a few seconds after hearing Kate's question followed by a short sigh. "Honestly, he was everything you could ever want in an older brother. Caring, protective, and always knew how to make you laugh. I'm sure he would have loved to meet you."

"You really think so?" Kate asked while looking over to him.

"Oh, yeah. He was always good at making friends. Knowing him he probably would've been thrilled to meet you since we're both friends, and he probably would've called you his ''lil sis'." Ben shared. "I remember times where I would always follow him around whenever he was with his own friends. I even wore his football Jersey for Halloween one year because I wanted to be like him one day. Sure it drove him crazy, but to me, I did all that because I idolized him."

"I kind of know what that feels like." Kate said. "When my younger sisters, Lynn and Emma where little, they would always try to put on my makeup or even wear some of my dresses. It annoyed me at first, but I just didn't realize that they looked up to me."

"Wow. I guess we're not so different after all." Ben replied.

"I guess not." Kate said as she smiled.

"You know, there's one more thing I want to show you while we're here.

"Really? What is it." Kate asked.

"Well, it's kind of a surprise." He answered. "But first, why don't I give a push on the swing first."

"Alright! Whenever you're ready." Kate said excitedly as she tightened her grip on the two metal chains.

Ben began to give her a gentle push the first few times while he could hear her laugh.

"Come on Ben. I thought that football players where supposed to be strong." Kate teased as he continued to push her on the swing.

"Alright, you asked for it." He replied as he pushed a bit harder, this time having her fly a bit higher into the air. There was no denying that two of them were having fun at this moment. Anyone who would have walked by them would have been confused seeing two eighteen year-olds playing on a swing set, something that seemed a bit too childish for the two of them. But for Ben and Kate, they didn't care at all, because they felt exactly like kids again at that very moment.

As the sun was beginning to set, the two friends both walked along a wooden boardwalk after taking a shortcut that lead them straight to the beach.

"Here we are." Ben stated proudly as he and Kate continued to walk down the boardwalk together.

"We're at the beach. So what was it that you wanted to show me here?" Kate questioned while looking over to him.

"Don't worry. You'll see." Ben reassured her as he walked with both his hands in his jacket pocket. He suddenly stopped as he saw an ice cream vendor to his left. "Hey, do you like ice cream?" He asked.

"Well, yes. Everyone does?" Kate answered.

"What's your favorite flavor?" He asked.

"I guess I'd have to go with mint chocolate chip." She stated.

"Seriously? That's my favorite flavor too." He replied. "Wait right here. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Kate asked. She didn't need an answer however, as she saw him walking over to the ice cream cart and talking to the man standing behind it.

"Excuse me, sir? Can I get two cones with one scoop of mint chocolate chip on both please?" Ben asked the man politely.

"Sure thing, kid." The man happily replied. He pulled out two waffle cones and grabbed a scoop to collect a serving of ice cream for the two cones. "That'll be five dollars." He said.

"Here you go." Ben said as he handed him the five-dollar bill. The man then exchanged the two cones with Ben.

"Thank you." Ben said before walking back to Kate. Kate was perplexed by Ben's actions as he didn't even have to buy her an ice cream in the first place. But at the same time, she couldn't turn down free food, especially if it was her favorite kind of ice cream.

"One mint chocolate chip for you and one for me. Well, I guess if it's one thing we both have in common, it's ice cream flavors."

"I guess you're right. Thank you!" Kate said as she accepted the cone from Ben and took a taste of it.

"This is it. We're right on time too." Ben said as he pointed to the sunset that was out in the distance, hovering right above the ocean.

"Oh, wow. I've never seen a sunset so close before." She mentioned while taking in its alluring appearance.

"Isn't it amazing?" Ben asked. This spot right here is one of my favorite places of Arcadia Bay. Every now and then, I come down here just to watch this sunset. There's just something about it that always makes me come back to it. Even when I'm having a really shitty day, I just take in this view and I get feeling that everything will be alright in the end." He sated.

"Thank you, Ben." Kate expressed.

"It's no problem. I just wanted us to make the most of our time while we're still here." Ben mentioned.

"No, I mean... for everything you've done." She said. "That day when I was on the roof, I couldn't see my own future. I thought there was nothing left for me here." She confessed as she looked out into the sunset.

Ben looked over at her as she noticed she was thinking back to that rainy afternoon again. He thought it wasn't good for her to be revisiting an event like that, but he decided to let her finish what she had to say.

"But I'm glad I didn't jump. Because I wouldn't have gotten to watch movies, eat french fries on pizza, or even have my favorite kind of ice cream with you, the person who cares about me the most." She confessed.

"I'm glad that you're happy, Kate." Ben replied.

"I really am. I know that you might not be as religious as me, but I feel that God sent you to be here for me when I needed you the most."

"Actually, Kate, I think we were meant to find each other." Ben expressed.

The two of them were already done with their ice cream and continued to look out into the sunset while still standing next to each other. At one-point Ben's right hand had lightly brushed against Kate's left hand, but he didn't even realize it. When Kate felt his hand briefly touch hers, it had interrupted her thoughts of how much she enjoyed being in Ben's company. But instead of thinking back to these thoughts, she now realized that she actually wanted to hold his hand. She looked down, seeing how the back of his hand was brushing against hers again, without him even noticing. She had discreetly wrapped her fingers around Ben's hand while trying to act casual about it as best as she could. However, she immediately began to blush and felt her heart nearly stop when she felt the soft palm of his hand. Kate knew for quite some time now that she had a tiny microscopic crush on Ben, but at this very moment, it was growing. Ben had looked over to see that Kate had her head turned away from him, though it was only to hide her blushing cheeks from him. Ben had developed a goofy smile on his face when he noticed that she was holding his hand. He knew that he was happy being around Kate and that he was in love with her. The only problem was that he just didn't know how to tell her how he felt about her. How he truly felt about her.

"Kate, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Ben said.

"Yes, Ben?" Kate said as she looked over at him and let go of his hand.

"Well, it's just that tomorrow night is opening night for the annual Arcadia Bay County Fair."

"They have a County Fair?" She asked.

"Yeah, it always happens this time of the year too. I used to go with my family all the time when I was little, but I haven't been able to go in years after I moved to San Francisco with my Mom." He explained. "Anyway, there's gonna be a ton of rides, games, and fried food that can't be good for anyone. But I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"Do you mean like... a date?" Kate questioned.

"Well, Max and Chloe said they're both going and Warren said he'll be there too when I asked him in class today. So, I figured it would be the five of us hanging out together again." Ben clarified.

"Oh, right." Kate said. 'What was I thinking? He would never ask me out anyway.' She thought to herself.

"So? Do you wanna go?" He asked, still hoping to get an answer from her.

"Oh. Yes, it sounds like it would be a lot of fun." Kate answered.

"Great! So, I'll pick you up at around six tomorrow. Then, we can head downtown for the fair." He said.

"Okay, then." She said while looking out at the sunset.

"Are you ready to head back to Blackwell now?" He asked.

"Not yet, actually. I was hoping that we could stay here just a little longer. The sunset is so beautiful." Kate said.

"Yeah, just like you." Ben said to himself.

Little did he know that Kate heard those exact words come from his mouth, which she had never heard any other boy at Blackwell say about her. At that brief moment, he had just given her confidence in herself, just like how she gave him confidence at his audition earlier today. Each day, Ben and Kate started to realize how inseparable they were, and as long as they were together, no force could tear them apart. The two of them continued to stand right next to each other on the boardwalk, taking in the view that was in front of them.

A/N: And there you have it guys! Another chapter complete. I was extremely happy with the ending scene of this chapter since I recently had the idea of trying to find a way to reference the cover image and tie it into the story. I hope it worked. Another thing about this chapter was how I had created Sarah, the drama teacher, in the earlier chapters which was before BtS had come out. So, I simply decided to just explain in the dialogue that she was new to teaching at Blackwell and that Mr.K had just left. That way, there can be some continuity kept. Also, Little Shop of Horrors is my second favorite musical. I originally thought about having the production be Hairspray, my all time favorite, but let's just say that Blackwell doesn't have a very "diverse" student body to start with. And to be honest, that was what kind of gave me some inspiration when creating Ben as an OC. Compared to other fics I've read with OCs in them, I wanted to go for something new and creative by introducing a character of color as well as exploring the theme of an interracial relationship in the world of LiS. And so far, it seems to have really worked!

I feel like some of you might be a bit confused as to why a ladies man like Ben hasn't made a move on Kate yet, but to put it simply, he enjoys being friends with her while having a crush on her at the same time. He feels that if he tried something on Kate right now, it would most likely tarnish their friendship. Which was what gave me some inspiration to come up with the part where Kate was the one who took the initiative to grab Ben's hand as a little plot twist. And as for that one scene where Kate checks out Ben at the pool, yes I know that it would contradict her faith but come on, it is a bit humorous if even the purest girl at Blackwell couldn't resist looking at his rockin' bod. I'm always available to answer any questions you might have after reading a chapter, so you guys can always PM me. Aside from that, feel free to leave a comment and favorite or follow if you haven't already. I'm hoping to get the next chapter to you guys as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and Happy Veteran's Day if you have any family members of friends who have served.