A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you're all having a great 2018 so far. I'm sorry I that I haven't updated in over three months. It's been hard to bang out chapters while being in school and working compared to over the summer when I easily wrote the first eleven chapters. I don't mean to make excuses but I just want you all to know that everything's okay where I am and I love you all if your still reading this fic. Be sure to check my notes at the end also. I have some pretty exciting news to share if any of you are interested. As always, enjoy the latest chapter.
Chapter 14: It's Kind of Like a Date
"Kate?" A voice had called.
"Kate!" The voice had spoke louder, this time causing Kate to become startled. She was in deep thought about everything that had happened with her and Ben after school yesterday, from watching him at his audition to venturing to the beach together. She hadn't even realized that her photography class had ended and that Max was now hovering over her table.
"You were daydreaming." Max observed.
"Oh. I didn't mean to I was just thinking, that's all." Kate tried to explain.
"What are those doodles you've got there?" Max said as she looked over and pointed at Kate's notepad. The page was open contained doodles of two people holding hands along with a ton of hearts everywhere.
"It's nothing, really. They're just... some ideas that I had for an art project coming up." She said, not wanting to admit to Max who they were really intended for.
"Okay? Are you ready to go?" Max asked.
"Sure." Kate replied as she got up and collected her notepad, handbag, and other belongings on the table.
Most of the students left the classroom, but some of them like Victoria stayed back to converse with Mr. Jefferson as usual. After Kate was all set, she and Max left the room and walked through the halls together.
"Are you up for our weekly tea date, today? We missed yesterday because I didn't know where you were." Max said.
"Actually, I think we might have to aim for tomorrow." I have a meeting for Homecoming preparation today. Sorry about that." Kate explained.
"It's no problem, Kate. I didn't even know you signed up for that. I guess you just keep finding ways to stay busy aside from Meals on Wheels and Bible Study." She said.
"I guess so. I decided to join since Dana said that my drawings could probably be used for decorations. Also, Ben is in the committee too." She said.
"So, has he asked you out yet?" Max asked nonchalantly.
"Who?" Kate questioned.
"Aw, come on. You know who." Max teased as she playfully nudged Kate with her elbow.
"Oh, I don't think Ben would. We're just friends. And knowing him, he would probably want to go with someone like Victoria anyway."
"You really think so? After the whole screaming match those two had in the lunchroom last week Friday?"
"I don't know, Max. Ben is really sweet, and I can see why a lot of people here really like him and all, but... why would a guy like him want to go to Homecoming with someone like me?" Kate said doubtfully.
"Because you're sweet, caring, and pretty. In other words, anything a guy could ever want in a girl. Ben might just be another popular face at Blackwell, but he doesn't have his head up his ass like everyone else. He's someone who knows that beauty is more than just someone's face and clothes." Max stated in an attempt to bolster her best friend.
"I guess you're right." Kate said as she smiled and brushed a lock of her hair from her face. "Are you and Warren going? I'm sure the two of you would look cute together." She asked.
"I honestly have no idea, considering the fact he hasn't even asked me out yet. But if neither of the boys ask us out, then I guess we could always go to the dance together." Max said.
"I suppose so. Although I'm not sure if you would want to dance with someone like me though. I'd probably just step on your toes by accident." Kate said. "I have to go get ready for the meeting now. Maybe we could plan a trip to the mall to do some dress shopping before the dance." She suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. See you at the fair tonight!" Max said as she walked towards the main doors of the building.
As Kate continued to walk down the halls, she entered through the big doors of the school gym. As she walked in she, she saw the other members of the committee, who all happened to be members of the Vortex Club. It did make sense that they would be involved since they probably wanted to help their friend Dana. There was something that made Kate feel a bit uneasy about being around these people, the ones who caused her much pain since the beginning of the school year. However, Kate did see that Taylor looked over at her and gave her a friendly smile while waving over at her. Kate slowly walked over to the group while keeping her distance at the same time. All she was wondering right now was where Ben could be."
"Boo!" She heard someone shout loudly behind her, which made her jolt. She quickly turned around to see that it was Ben.
"Geez Louise! Ben!" Kate said sounding slightly mad at him as she lightly punched his arm.
"Ah come on! You gotta admit, I got you pretty good." Ben said playfully.
"Yes, you did." She admitted as she smiled at him. "I wonder what exactly we'll be doing to help put the dance together."
"Yeah me too. I guess where about to find out right now." Ben replied as he pointed over at Dana who was walking up to face the entire group.
"Hey guys! Welcome to the first official Homecoming Committee meeting." Dana said. "As some of you already know, this year's theme is Happily Ever After. As a committee of ten, it'll be our job to work together as a team to create a magical night where every student at Blackwell can feel like a prince or princess. And of course, there's going to be the crowning of this year's King and Queen, which will take place before the clock strikes at midnight, so we can all attend the after-party." She explained. "Unfortunately, Mr. Jefferson, our faculty advisor who will be overseeing the committee, said that he couldn't make it due to another commitment he has this afternoon. But he left me with a list of roles that he assigned to each person." Dana went on to say as she pulled a piece of paper out of her jeans pocket and began to read what was on it. "Juliet and I will oversee publicity, Courtney and Hayden will be designing and selling tickets, lights will be taken care of by Trevor and Justin, Victoria and Taylor, you two will be in charge of the ballot for King and Queen votes, and finally..." Dana briefly paused for a split second before continuing "Oh wow. Ben and Kate, you two have one of the most important roles."
"We do?" Ben questioned in a surprised tone.
"Oh, yes." Dana replied. "It says here that you two will be making the banner, which will be hung up on the night of the dance."
"Oh, Ben, that sounds exciting." Kate said enthusiastically as she looked over to him.
"Alright, guys, you all know your roles. Now let's all have our best attitudes and work hard to transform this gym into something straight out of a story book. Or Disney movie if you prefer." Dana said.
And just like that everyone, went to meet with their partner and get to work in order to put on the dance that was only a week away.
"Alright then, let's go make ourselves a banner." Ben said confidently as he and Kate both walked up to the front of the gym. They both saw the banner lying before them on the gym floor. A complete white canvas, just waiting for the two of them to transmit their creative ideas to it.
"Since you're the artist, I'll leave the drawings up to you. I could work on the font if you'd like me too." Ben suggested as he took a marker and handed another to Kate.
"Actually, I was thinking that maybe we should brainstorm some ideas first. You know, before we put anything to paper just yet." Kate recommended as she politely refused to accept the marker from Ben.
"Oh, right. So, what did you have in mind?" He asked.
"Well, since the theme is Happily Ever After, I was thinking that maybe we could include some stuff from Disney since most people here grew up watching those movies. I could draw a couple of the princesses like maybe Cinderella, or even Ariel, and maybe Jasmine.
"And don't forget about Belle!" Ben stated eagerly while pointing at Kate.
"Oh, I guess someone else knows their Disney princesses too." Kate teased with a little smirk.
"Hey, Beauty and the Beast was my favorite Disney movie as a kid, sue me." Ben playfully argued in his defense.
"Fair enough. Have you seen Brave yet?" Kate replied.
"You mean the one about the curly red-haired girl with the bow and arrow? No, I haven't. Is it any good?" He asked.
"It's more than good, it's amazing! I think we might be due for another movie night."
"We could work something out. I've got no plans this weekend anyway?"
"Me neither." Kate replied.
"So, are you going?" Ben questioned.
"Going where?" Kate asked, sounding confused.
"You know, Homecoming. It's next Friday after all." Ben reminded.
"Oh, right. I don't know yet. I was never too fond of school dances in high school." Kate admitted.
"Same here. The last time I actually had fun at a school dance was my high school prom, just before I found my date making out with my best friend by the end of the night."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Kate said.
"Don't be. My friend apparently got her pregnant that night, so I guess you could say that it was karma."
"I guess you're right. I hope you have a much better time if you do go the dance."
"Thanks, Kate. You should go to, you know. I'm sure that Homecoming is something a lot of students here partake in, not just the Vortex Club."
"I'm not sure, Ben. Besides, every time when I do go to a dance, things always get kind of awkward when it's time for everyone to slow dance." Kate mentioned. "I'm pretty sure we were supposed to be brainstorming stuff to put on the banner before we got side tracked. I just got a couple of ideas too." She said.
"Okay, let's hear it." Ben said.
"So, I was thinking that it would be really neat if we drew Blackwell as a castle and had all of the Disney princesses doing different things around it. You know as if they went here." Kate stated."
"Really?" Ben replied.
"Just as a few examples, we could have Belle reading a book, Aurora sleeping in the dormitory, Tiana cooking something in the lunchroom, and maybe even Cinderella running late to class just for laughs." Kate proposed with a bright smile on her face.
Ben was surprised to see how Kate was giving so many ideas. Before he had even met her he was able to tell that she was generally timid just by looking at her. He had never imagined her to be so talkative for once. He began to believe that he was part of the reason she began to come out of her shell. Still speechless by how much input she was giving into designing this banner, Ben only smiled at her before he gave her feedback on her ideas.
"I like it!" He simply said to her.
After the Homecoming meeting had ended, Ben somehow managed to find himself at Chloe's house. The two of them took part in favorite pastime of theirs that had bonded over and were currently taking turns smoking out of Chloe's bong.
"Thanks again for letting me come here to toke up with you, Chloe." Ben said as he inhaled the contents and begin to cough a couple times afterwards.
"Anytime, dude. I know you're exciting about all the food that'll be at the fair, so I figured that you wanted to get a case of the munchies before you get there."
"Damn straight! To be honest, this actually might be my last time 'medicating' with you." He said in a sad tone.
"Why? You gotta drug test coming up or something?" Chloe asked.
"No, it's not that. It's just that this is... something I don't want to be around if I'm gonna be hanging out with Kate more often." He answered.
"Aww, you're so cute when you care." Chloe said teasingly as she reached her arm out to Ben and playfully pinched one of his cheeks.
"Hey, quit it! I just don't want her to know that I used to partake in this kind of stuff, that's all." He explained
"I completely understand, dude. So when are you gonna make a move on Kate at the fair tonight? When you two ride the Tunnel of Love together? Chloe mocked as she made kissing noises after.
"Oh haha, you're hilarious. You know, I think Max said that she still doesn't have a date for the dance next week Friday. You should be her knight in shining armor and go with her even if you did get expelled from that place. You'd basically be giving Principal Wells the finger just by showing up." Ben suggested.
"Tempting, but there's no way I'm wearing a dress and heels there. Not my style." Chloe said.
"Fair enough. I'd love to continue our conversation, but I still need to shower and pick up Kate. I'll catch you later tonight Chloe." Ben said as he made his way towards her door.
"Hold up!" Chloe shouted as she began running after him.
"What's up?" He asked.
Chloe began digging in one of her drawers and pulled out a can of spray deodorant just before she began to spray him with it like crazy.
"Chloe, what the fuck?" Ben said angrily before he began to cough uncontrollably in reaction to the fumes.
"Sorry, dude. My step-furher's home and he'll freak if he catches you smelling like bud.
"Good call. I'm pretty sure he's still got it out for me after that whole pissing contest I had with him the other week." Ben theorized.
"Well, I mean you did call him Hillbilly Joe and tell him to shave his mustache, which earns you two more points in my book. See you tonight dude." Chloe said.
Ben walked out of Chloe's room and down the stairs leading to the front door. He could hear the TV going on from the living room. Just as he reached for the door knob, he heard a gravelly voice calling for him from the living room.
"Ben, could I talk to you?" The person said, only for Ben to turn around and see that it was David.
"Uh, sure." Ben replied nervously. He began to walk over to the room to where David was sitting down, with a can of beer in his hand while watching a game of college football on the TV.
"Have a seat." He instructed in a calm voice. Ben did as he was told sitting in a chair a few feet away from the couch David sat in. "Can I get you a beer or anything?" He asked.
"No thanks, I don't drink." Ben said as he tried to play things cool.
"Good answer." David replied even though he knew Ben was lying.
"So, what's going on? Am I in trouble or something?" Ben asked.
"I can't say that you are since I'm off duty right now. But I can say that you've been stirring up the hornet's nest lately." He told Ben.
"You mean with what happened last week in the boys' dorm? I was only trying to do the right thing. It's not like I wanted to make a name for myself by beating down Nathan Prescott." Ben argued.
"Slow it down a bit, kid. Even I think that it was way overdue for that rich little brat to get the crap kicked of him. But you do realize that you just messed with the wealthiest family in Arcadia Bay by doing so right?" David mentioned.
"Yeah, but I'm so sick of the Prescotts always thinking that they can just push people around and get away with it. I worked my ass off over the summer to become captain of the football team and my dad cut me just because Sean Prescott threatened to stop funding the team if he didn't. Do you have any idea how messed up that is?" He argued.
"Look, I get it, you're pissed. You've got every right to be after losing something you valued so much just for helping someone. But you have to understand the position that Nathan's in right in. He wasn't kicked out of the dormitory as a disciplinary action. It was for his own protection since Principal Wells thinks that you and other potential students might try to come after him after he confessed to drugging Kate."
"I don't see anything wrong with that. We'd probably be doing Blackwell a favor."
"The thing is we have done that for the past few years and the boys working security have gotten numerous complaints of him being picked on to the point where he's just snapped and severely harmed other students. And now that there's this whole thing about him with a gun and all I... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm somewhat concerned for you. I see you walking around campus acting like a bigshot and all but I'm worried you may be in over your head on this one."
"Relax, Mad-Dawg... I mean... Mr. Madsen. I took on Nathan Prescott once, and I can take him again if I have too."
"That's what worries me, Ben. What if you can't. One student almost died this year and it was because I wasn't careful at doing my job. I don't want another one to just because they didn't listen to my advice." David said while shaking his head.
"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. I've been looking out for myself for a long time." Ben got up from the chair and proceeded to walk towards the front door, remembering that he still needed to get ready for the night at the fair.
Kate Diary Entry, October 22nd, 2013
This is turning out to be such a great week so far. Yesterday, Ben and I got breakfast at the two whales and after school, he took me to the park and showed me an amazing sunset by the boardwalk at the beach. It was just so breathtakingly beautiful that I may have to go back their sometime and bring a book with me. I just finished getting ready to go to the county fair tonight. Ben asked me to go and he said there's going to be a ton of food, rides, and games there. It sounds like it will be so much fun.
I found out today that he's also my partner in the Homecoming Committee. We're going to be making the banner for the night of the dance. I kind of want to go so I can see what people will think of the banner, but I'm not sure how I would feel if I went without a date. It's not that I want to go with someone, it's just that I've heard that some girls have already been asked out by some of the boys. I would like to go with Ben as a friend, but he just doesn't seem that excited about it either. I hope he'll at least make an appearance. It might be fun if he's there too.
Kate wrapped up her most recent entry and placed her diary back into one of her desk drawers. She got up and walked over to her mirror to take one more look at herself before leaving. She looked perfectly fine, however, it was more of the outfit she was wearing that she tried to feel more confident about.
For tonight, Kate was wearing a tan-colored dress with an orange cardigan over it, and a pair of black flats. She also had her hair tied back into a ponytail instead of tying it into a bun. Just as she felt that she was perfectly dolled up, she heard a knock on her door followed by Ben's voice.
"Hey, it's me!" Ben called out from the other side of the door
"Coming!" Kate yelled as she walked over to the door to open it. To her surprise, Kate saw that Ben was dressed a bit peppier than usual. He had on a blue flannel shirt, black slim jeans, and a pair of wingtips.
"Wow! You look really nice." Ben said in reaction to Kate's new look.
"Thanks! So do you. And you smell good too." Kate replied as she picked up on Ben's scent.
"Oh, thanks. It's a new cologne that I wanted to try out." He said. Though it was more to hide the scent of marijuana that was on him from earlier. "So, you ready to go?"
"I am. Just let me grab my bag." She said as she walked over and grabbed her purse hanging on her chair.
"I hope you worked up an appetite because the first thing we're doing is hitting the food tents when we get there." Ben said excitingly.
"I actually haven't eaten since lunch today, and that's because you told me there'd be a ton of food at the fair." Kate said as she closed her door behind her. The two walked down the hall of the girls' dorm together as they approached the exit, both ready to head to downtown Arcadia Bay.
They left the dorm and made their way down to the student parking lot to get into Ben's car. Once they walked over to his car, Ben hit the unlock button on his car keys and opened the passenger door of his Mustang first.
"After you m'lady." Ben said in a playful upper-class accent.
"Why think you, kind sir." Kate said while giggling at his gesture. "I can't believe they still say that chivalry is dead." She remarked.
"Well, if you ask me, I think that it just needs to be..." Before he even finished his sentence, Ben caught a glimpse of his own dad standing at the rear of Ben's car. He had his arms crossed and a look of disappointment on his face.
"Where have you been?." His dad questioned sternly while eyeing him.
"Around." Ben answered in an annoyed tone.
"Really? Is that why you've been ignoring my texts and calls these past few days? Tryouts for the basketball team were yesterday after school and I heard you weren't there. Why is that?" He asked Ben.
Ben sighed instead of even answering, he knew exactly where this conversation was going to go.
"No, you didn't know because you're constantly revolving your life around that girl. He shouted, putting an emphasis on the word "girl" to refer to Kate.
"Could you say that any louder? She's in the car, you know." Ben said in frustration. "And you don't even know Kate. Not like I do."
"All I'm saying, Ben, is that if you just spent a little bit of time away from her, you could have joined the basketball team. They had tryouts after school yesterday and I heard that you weren't there. You could have had the chance to get on the team and keep your scholarship instead of being so head over heels for..."
"I auditioned for the musical!" Ben yelled, interrupting his father's rant.
"You did what?" He asked in confusion.
"I said I auditioned. You knew that I wanted to do it, but you never encouraged me, even when you knew it was my dream. Kate was the only one who showed up to support me." He defended.
Even Kate heard those exact words and it made her feel good about herself, yet bad for Ben at the same time. She had no idea that he and his father had such a dysfunctional relationship. It somehow made her think about the hard times she would occasionally have with her mother or her aunt, but the thought of standing up to them had never crossed her mind.
"I have to go, dad. Kate and I are going to the fair tonight." Ben said as he marched over to the car.
"Ben?" His father said in a more concerned tone as he grabbed onto his own son's arm. "You can talk to me. What's going on between you and Kate? Is she blackmailing you? Is she pressuring you into doing drugs? Why are you always around her? You've changed since the beginning of the year."
"It's because I like her, Dad. And I wish you could see what she's really like. But you just can't." Ben said sounding sad. He shook his arm free of his dad's grasp, opened the car door, and slammed it after he sat down in the driver's seat. He let out a sigh of frustration and Kate looked over at him with a sad look on her face.
"Is everything okay?" She asked as she placed a hand on Ben's shoulder.
"Yeah, just... daddy issues, as most people would call it." He said .
"Ben, if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here." Kate reminded him.
"I know. And that's why I'm glad I met you." He replied while giving Kate a smile. "Let's hit the road, he said as he placed the key into the ignition. He shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the parking spot, leaving Blackwell and heading to the downtown part of Arcadia Bay.
The drive to Arcadia Bay's downtown part wasn't a long one at all. Ben and Kate made it there in roughly fifteen minutes. As they drove down the road, they both caught a glimpse of the sunset along the shore and the Lighthouse, just before they turned their attention to the actual fair right in front of them. There were a large number of tents set up, which either contained food or games. A few different kinds of rides, some of which looked like they could break down at any moment, were already populated with people ready to get on them.
It had been a long time since Ben had been to this fair. He knew how it was a way to bring families and friends together. However, things had changed about this annual event over the years. There was a small parade that involved groups like the Blackwell football team, cheerleaders, and marching band. There was a few of the more important faces of Arcadia Bay that made an appearance, including the mayor and even the Prescott family.
As he and Kate both stepped out of the car, they were completely mesmerized by the sight of the bright lights.
"Okay?" Ben said out loud.
"What's wrong?" Kate asked as she walked up next to Ben.
"Nothing. It's just... this all looks a lot different from what I remember."
"It looks so pretty." Kate stated as she observed. "Do you smell that?" She asked while looking over at Ben.
"Yeah, I do. Whatever it is, it smells really good." Ben said.
"I think that's our cue to go get some food." Kate insisted.
"Sounds like a plan." Ben happily replied. The two of them began to walk towards the fair together, trying to find the nearest source of food possible.
On their walk, they could see many familiar faces of other students at Blackwell as well as families with younger children. There was even a local band playing that could be heard as well. Suddenly Ben and Kate both noticed that they had entered a large area filled with picnic tables and a tent with a large line in front of it.
"Ben, look! Food." Kate said with excitement as she pointed at the tent.
"Yeah, I see it too. What do you want? I'll go get us something to eat." He replied.
"Ben, you don't have to. You already paid for my breakfast yesterday." Kate said as she grabbed Ben's arm before he could walk off.
"Ah come on, Kate. I don't expect you to buy the food for both of us." Ben argued.
"Well, I guess there is one way we can settle who buys the food." Kate suggested.
"Really? How?" Ben questioned with a confused look on his face.
"We'll play each other for it." Kate said confidently.
"Play each other? Like one on one? Right now?" Ben chuckled.
"Sure, we'll just play a game of rock, paper, scissors. This is how my sisters and I would always decide who did which chores to do. The loser has to buy the food." She said.
"Okay. Let's settle this, then." Ben said as he placed out his hand.
"Ready?" Kate asked him.
"I'm ready when you are." Ben stated.
"ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, SHOOT!" They shouted together with enthusiasm like two children who were best friends. And at the sound of the word shoot, they both revealed what they decided to draw. Ben drew rock but Kate on the other hand, drew scissors.
"Aw shucks! You beat me. Looks like I have to buy the food." Kate said in a sarcastic tone. "So, what do you want me to get you?" She asked while smiling at him.
Ben sighed and gave in before answering her. "Two corn dogs and a pepsi please." He said politely.
"I'll be right back. You can find somewhere for us to sit together though." Kate said before she left to get into the line.
"You got it." Ben said. He saw a few empty tables and walked over to the one that looked the cleanest. He sat down and watched Kate standing in the line and observed how beautiful she looked. He wanted to surprise her be dressing up nicely for a change, but had no idea that she would dress up too for an event like tonight, not that she wasn't always dressed nicely in everyday.
"Oh, look who it is." A voice called out, which Ben had recognized. He didn't want to look around to find where the voice came from, but his curiosity got the best of him and he then wished that he hadn't looked.
Before he could turn his head to see who was behind him, Ben was already surrounded by Victoria, along with Taylor and Courtney on both of her sides. 'aw shit!' Ben thought to himself as he now felt like he was circled by three vultures eager to have a snack in front of them.
"Hey, Ben!" Victoria said as she sat on the table right in front of Ben and crossed her legs. You look good in plaid." She commented while slurring her words. It was clearly obvious that she was drunk.
"Hey, Vic." Ben replied in a completely disinterested tone as he tried to avoid making eye contact with her.
"You're still not mad at me, are you?" Victoria questioned as she picked up on Ben's body language. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you last week at lunch. I just hate it when people hurt Nathan. You of all people should know that he's like a brother to me." She stated.
"Apology accepted." He replied quickly. "You've been at the beer tent, haven't you?" He observed as he saw her swaying on the table and holding a clear cup filled with a brown liquid in it.
"Well obvi! That's what my fake ID is for, silly. Have some." She said while holding her cup toward Ben's face.
"No thanks. I'm driving tonight." Ben said as refused her offer.
"Isn't he cute when he tries to act responsible?" Victoria teased as she looked over at Taylor and Courtney.
"If you ask me, I think it's because he's trying to be a good boy for someone in particular." Courtney chimed in.
"Oh yeah, why else would he be wearing cologne to a fair." Taylor added.
"Ben Ferris, do you have a little crush on Kate Marsh?" Victoria asked dramatically in her intoxicated state. "I thought you were still chasing after me all this time." She said as she playfully booped Ben's nose. "Didn't I ever tell you guys about Ben's little love letter that he wrote me?"
"You didn't, but I want to know now." Taylor answered.
"Sure, let me just pull it out, then." Victoria said as she pulled out her phone and searched through her older messages.
"Come on, Victoria!" Ben said to her a bothered tone. He was clearly not in the mood for any of her games, especially on a night for tonight.
"Oh, no. You're not getting yourself out of this tough guy. Here it is she said excitedly just before she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and cleared her throat. "Victoria, we've known each other for a couple of weeks now and there's something I've wanted to tell you for a while. I want you to know that I think you're gorgeous and amazing. I know this sounds so corny and I hate myself for not working up the courage to tell you this in person, but that night that when I met you changed everything for me. You didn't just convince me to join the Vortex Club, but you made my first time so special. All I want is to spend as much time as I can with you at Blackwell." Victoria finished reading.
"First time? You mean Ben, the player, was a virgin before he even set foot at Blackwell. Now that is scandalous." Courtney said.
"He could have fooled me when we hooked up after one of the Vortex parties. I guess you really made sure he was fully experienced before us other girls got to him, Victoria." Taylor commented giving a flirty glare over at Ben.
"You know, Ben. I know how you feel about Kate and all, but if you ask me, I think you need more of woman's touch. I'll reconsider it and give you a chance if you do me a little favor. And by that, I mean you'll take me to Homecoming, so you can boost my chances of getting crowned Queen. I mean, I've only wanted to win it since my freshman year."
"No!" Ben answered.
"What?" Victoria slurred as she sounded offended.
"The way I felt about you in that text was a while ago. Before I even got the chance to meet Kate. And a lot's happened these past few weeks. Sorry, Victoria, but I think you should find someone else to take you."
"Fine, Ben, be that way." Victoria hissed. "But you should know by now that I always get what I want." She warned.
Just then, Kate had returned with a full tray of food containing four corn dogs, a large order of fries, and two large sodas. As she approached the table, she was confused as to why the three girls were hovering over Ben.
"Oh, hey, Katie." Victoria greeted in a more pleasant tone.
"Hi, Victoria. Are you okay, you don't look so good?" Kate replied as she observed Victoria's state of intoxication.
"Who? Me? I'm perfectly fine. Enjoy your date, you two. And Ben, remember what I said." Victoria said before walking off with her two followers.
"What was that all about?" Kate asked.
"They just came over to give me a headache." Ben remarked. "Thanks for the food though." He said.
"You're welcome. Now come on, let's dig in." She said as she handed a corn dog and soda to him.
"You're the boss." Ben said as he accepted the food from her.
As the two of them had just about finished up their meal of fried food and felt stuffed, they were approached by Max and Chloe who finally made it.
"What's up you two?" Chloe asked as she plopped down and went for some of the remaining fries.
"We just finished eating, actually." Ben stated. "No Warren tonight?" He asked noticing that one particular person from the friend group.
"He couldn't make it. He got held up with a lab report for his physics class." Max replied.
"Ouch! A moment of silence for our dear friend Warren. Hopefully he's got Brooke to keep him company." Ben joked.
"So, do you guys want to go venture around with us?" Max asked.
"Yeah, Max and I were thinking of riding the Sky Plunge. They say you can see all of Arcadia Bay just before you make the epic 300 feet drop." Chloe said.
"I'm not sure. I'm not really too big into those kinds of rides." Kate admitted.
"I actually might be out on this one too. Considering I just ate two corn dogs a large soda, and split a large order of fries with Kate, it could be puke central for me."
"Ew, Ben!" Kate said in a grossed-out manner.
"What? It's true." Ben argued.
"Suit your selves. We'll catch you guys after then. Come on Max." Chloe said.
"See you two later." Max said before walking off to catch up to Chloe.
"So now what do we do?" Kate asked as she looked back over to Ben.
"Well, I did hear there was a petting zoo around here. If you're up to do some exploring." Ben mentioned
"A petting zoo? Really?" Kate said with excitement as her eyes lit up.
"Yeah, I'm not sure exactly where it is but we could go find it together." He said.
"Okay, let's go." She said as they both got up together to venture off into the fair.
"Chloe seems a lot happier than usual." Ben brought up.
"She does. I think it's because she's been keeping herself in good company lately." Kate replied.
"Actually, I think it's because Max is back in Arcadia Bay. Those two go way back, you know." Ben mentioned.
"Oh, that's right. I remember her telling me about how they were best friends before she moved to Seattle. Either way, Chloe deserves to be happy." She said.
"Doesn't everybody?" Ben asked rhetorically to agree with Kate.
"And what about you, Ben. When was the last time you felt happy?"
Ben knew what he wanted to say, but he had to pause and smile at Kate before answering her. "Yesterday." He told her. "And you?"
"Ben, you don't have to worry about me. Whenever, I'm around you, I feel so alive." She shared.
"I'm glad you feel that way. I love seeing you smile." He said as he reached for Kate's hand, and held it for as long as he could.
The two of them were already at the makeshift petting zoo, which was mostly accompanied by small children. The pens contained a variety of animals from sheep and goats to chickens and hens.
"Hey, Ben?" Kate asked.
"Yeah?" He replied.
"Will you take my picture with that goat over there please?" She asked shyly.
"Of course. It's an honor to take a picture of the amazingly beautiful Kate Marsh." Ben said as he took her phone for her. He watched her as she walked over to the wooden fence that separated her from a baby goat. She reached out her hand to pet him on the head as she looked back to Ben, who was holding her phone and ready to take her picture.
"And smile!" He said just before taking a picture of her. "Is this the first time you've had someone take your picture before? Because you seem like a natural." He complimented.
"Actually, I don't think I ever have." She answered as she took her phone back from Ben. "There's one more that I'd like to take."
"Do you want me to take it for you?" He asked.
"That's alright. I've got this one." Kate said as she extended her arm out to the sky with her phone in her hand. The camera of the phone was now facing her and Ben as they both smiled for a selfie together. "We look cute together." She said happily.
"Yeah, we really do!" Ben agreed. "So where do you want to go next?" He asked.
"I'm not sure. I'm just glad to be walking around while we burn some calories from our greasy dinner." Kate mentioned.
"Step right up folks and test your aim!" A voice nearby shouted.
Ben and Kate both looked around to see that the voice was coming from a man at a tent. He was trying to get the attention of people at the fair to come over to his game tent to play a game that resembled some sort of shooting gallery.
"That's right shoot the cans off the shelf and win a prize of your choice." The man announced proudly.
"I forgot about these games they use to have here. There such a rip-off though. My dad practically spent twenty bucks to win me a stuffed bear when I was little." Ben told Kate.
"How about you there, young man? Test your aim and win a prize for your lady." He said as he pointed at Ben and noticed Kate with him.
"Me? She's not my... well we're together, but..." Ben tried to explain.
"Just try it, Ben. Who knows you might be a pro at it." Kate encouraged.
"I guess so." Ben said as he walked up towards the tent. "How much to play?" He asked the man.
"That'll be five dollars, sir!" He said.
'It's the least I can do after Kate bought my food.' Ben thought to himself as he pulled a crinkled five-dollar bill out from his wallet and handed it to the man over the counter. "So know what?" He asked.
"All you have to do is shoot those five cans on that shelf." He explained as he handed an airsoft rifle to Ben and pointed to the cans for him to shoot. "If you hit each of them, then you get to choose any prize of your liking."
"Alright, sounds easy enough." Ben said as he took aim at the first can. He had his right eye closed and his grip tightened on the gun. Ready to shoot, he slowly pulled the trigger and heard the sharp bang from the gun while watching the tin can fall over.
"Nice shot, Ben." Kate called out while standing behind him.
"Thanks" He replied while looking back at her.
"Only four more to go." The man said.
'You've got this, Ben.' He thought as he focused on the next can. He lined up his shot as neatly as he could. Another direct hit. Onto the next can. Bang! A clean shot. The fourth can was nowhere to be seen shortly after Ben pulled the trigger, and the same could be said for the final can after Ben had it in his sights.
"You win!" The man shouted with excitement. "So, what'll your prize be?"
"I think I'll let her decide." Ben said as he looked over at Kate.
"Right!" What'll it be miss?" He asked Kate, who was eyeing the selection of prizes hanging from the tent's ceiling. The prizes ranged from giant stuffed animals and "Hot Dawg Man" plushies to inflatable baseball bats and footballs. But Kate knew exactly which prize she wanted the moment she set her eyes on it.
"I'll take the rabbit, please." Kate said as she pointed to a life-sized stuffed rabbit. The man reached for the toy and handed it to Kate who wrapped it around her arms. "Thank you, sir!" Kate said with a wide smile of joy on her face.
"You're very welcome, miss! Enjoy the rest of your night you two!" He called out as the two of them began to walk off.
"Looks like Alice will have another roommate now." Ben joked as he poked the head of Kate's new stuffed animal.
"I suppose so. And Lewis here owes it all to you." Kate said.
"Lewis? Is that what you're naming him?" Ben asked.
"Of course, after Lewis Carroll. You know, the author of Alice in Wonderland." She said.
"Oh, right!" He said.
"Anyway, I was surprised at how good you could shoot." Kate brought up.
"Yeah, about that, my Dad and I use to go hunting with my Grandpa every now and then."
"You didn't kill any animals, did you?" Kate asked with worry in her voice.
"Actually... I shot a baby deer once." Ben admitted while not sounding proud.
"What?" She questioned while sounding offended.
"I didn't want to do it. My Grandpa kept yelling at me to shoot it. Trust me, Bambi was my favorite movie growing up so you know that I cried for weeks after it happened." Ben protested.
"Then why did you do it?" She asked.
"Trust me, Kate, when your Grandad's a Vietnam War veteran who earned an honorable discharge, it's probably best to do what he says." Ben tried to explain.
"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry you were forced to do something like that." Kate expressed.
"You don't have to be sorry for me. I feel like things will finally be different for me now." Ben said confidently. "You know, Kate, this might seem kind of last minute but I was wondering if..."
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER YOU CREEP!" A female voice shouted that was loud enough to be heard from the entire downtown portion of Arcadia Bay.
"Who was that?" Kate asked.
"I don't know. That didn't sound good though." Ben said.
"Ben, look over there." Kate said as she pointed at what appeared to be two girls confronting Nathan Prescott.
"I was just getting her a soda that's all." Nathan explained in an apologetic voice.
"So you can drug her like you did to Kate? Is that It?" one of the girls questioned him.
"No! I'm only trying to..."
"Save it, Nathan! Everyone knows it's why Ben Ferris beat the ever-living shit out of you in the first place. You're just the same spineless loser you were from Freshman year. Come on, Morgan let's go." She spat at Nathan before grabbing her best friend's hand and storming off.
Nathan was left in a state of confusion which soon transformed into rage the second he saw Ben and Kate standing at a safe distance from him.
"You!" Nathan shouted as he began approaching them.
"Kate, get behind me." Ben instructed for her own safety.
"You did this to me, Ferris!"
"I didn't do anything to you."
"Bullshit, you backstabbing motherfucker! You humiliated me and now everybody hates me. They all hate me and it's your fault!" Nathan said as he lifted up the cup of soda that was meant for the girl and hurled its contents straight into Ben's face.
Ben was obviously furious now that he was doused in soda, but something told him not to fight back. Not in front of Kate and everyone else attending the fair.
"What? You can't fight back all of a sudden. Probably because the virgin Mary has you on a leash right now." He taunted, which resulted in Ben grabbing him by his white dress shirt and pulling him close to his face.
"I thought I told you to leave Kate out of this." He reminded him as he stared deep into his eyes.
"Take your hands off my son this instant!" A more older and stern voice called out from behind Nathan.
Ben only had to look up to see that this man was obviously Sean Prescott, Arcadia Bay's wealthiest benefactor, owner of the Prescott Foundation, and Nathan's father. Ben did as he was told and released his grip of the arrogant rich brat as he could see the cold look of Mr. Prescott's face.
"Nathan, go to the car. You've already caused a scene and embarrassed me in public with another one of your so-called tantrums." Nathan's father instructed him.
"Dad, I can handle this. He's gonna pay for what he did to me..."
"Get to the car now and wait for me. And don't ever speak to me like that again." He said as he raised his voice at his son.
"Yes, sir." He said in a faint voice. Before walking away, he glared at Ben with a menacing "I'm going to kill you!" look in his eyes.
"So, you're Benjamin Michael Ferris." He observed. "I've heard your name come up more than enough times these past few weeks." He said.
"It is a catchy name after all." Ben joked.
"I'm not sure what you find so funny about this. I'm sure you'd like to know the situation you're in after you had the audacity to beat my son to an inch of his life." He stated. "And you?" He said as he turned his attention over to Kate. "I'm quite familiar with you as well, Ms. Marsh. Thinking that you can accuse my son of such heinous acts only because you can't hold yourself accountable for your own actions." He said as he began to approach her.
"No, I was telling the truth." Kate said nervously.
"The truth? My son has no intentions of harming other students. Now I expect you to admit the truth." He told Kate in a stern demeanor. However, Ben shifted over to block his view of her before speaking out against the man.
"Why don't you get your fat ass away from her! This is between you and me, Scrooge." Ben warned him.
"Is this how you speak to betters, boy? Is this how you speak to a man of my position?" Sean Prescott shouted at him.
"Man, screw your position. I'm so sick of you and Nathan thinking that you can push people around whenever you please. Like my Dad, who kicked me off the football and caused me to lose my athletic scholarship I worked my ass for, all because of you. You act like you want to have a positive impact on Arcadia Bay, but you're just lying to everyone. In fact, you're no better than Nathan!" Ben shouted as he faced Sean Prescott. This only caused Ben to meet Mr. Prescott's backhand, as his arm violently swung into Ben's face, causing him to wince.
Being an athlete, Ben had taken harder hits, but Sean Prescott wore a ring on the hand which he struck him with. It had split open part of Ben's bottom lip, causing him to draw blood.
"I suggest you learn to watch your tone when speaking to me. And don't ever compare me to my spineless embarrassment of a son ever again. He'll never amount to the type of man I am if he continues to allow a worthless bastard like you to walk all over him." He said. "I'm not done with either of you. I'll be seeing the two of you very soon for your inevitable expulsion from Blackwell." He warned the two of them just before walking away.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked with concern as she walked over to look at his face.
"Yeah, it's only just a cut." He reassured her as he felt the wound with his finger.
"I can't believe he would do that to you." She said with a hint of anger in her voice.
"You mean when I got 7up thrown on me by the asshole or when I got pimp slapped by the bigger asshole?" Ben said which made Kate giggle.
"Come on, let's find something to dry you off." Kate suggested as he grabbed Ben's hand and lead him to a table of condiments which also contained some napkins.
"That was really brave of you to stand up to someone like Sean Prescott. I heard that he funds the school's arts program." Kate brought up while taking a handful of napkins from the holder.
"Yeah, and most of the school's athletics program too. But that doesn't change the fact that he's just a bully who abuses his power. At least we both know where Nathan gets it now." Ben said as took some napkins from Kate and used them to dry off his face.
"Ben, do you really think we'll both get expelled. The Prescott family has so much influence and after what just happened..."
"We won't get expelled. He's just saying that to get us worried. And even if we do, I guess we could live our lives as two dropouts who wrote a bestselling kids' book."
"It sounds tempting, but let's not test our luck." She said as she lightly dabbed a wad of napkins on his bottom lip where the cut was. "I know you and Nathan haven't been on good terms in a while, but why did he call you a backstabber of all things?" She asked.
"It's... it's because he looked up to me when we first became friends. He practically confided in me." Ben answered. "We're both kinda similar considering that both of our parents are divorced." He stated.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I never knew that about him." Kate said.
"No one really does. He's dealt with abandonment issues along with all of his other problems. The worst part is that his dad blames him for his mom leaving them." Ben explained.
"That's awful." Kate added.
"You're telling me. Even if we've both been through our own personal hells when growing up, I learned how to show love and compassion for everyone. Not to bully and hurt people." He stated.
"And I've seen that about you. And even if someone like Nathan will keep pushing you away and attacking you, there's only so much you can do for him." She said,
"That's alright, I've actually given up on him a while ago. The way I see it, he just can't redeem himself."
"You don't know that about someone, Ben. You told me your story about how reckless you were in high school before you even came here. And now you've changed so much. I'm not trying to sound like I'm against you, but just promise me that you wont stoop down to Nathan's level. You had me worried with how you man handled him."
"I promise." He said just before looking up. "Hey check it out. They've got a Ferris Wheel."
"Wow, Ben. I didn't know that they named a ride after you." Kate playfully teased.
"Wait, did you just make a joke? I knew I was becoming a good influence on you." Ben replied.
"Let's go ride it. There's barely a line anyway." Kate said as she grabbed Ben's hand and tried to get to the ride quickly as possible. Being the first ones in line, they were welcomed by a less than enthusiastic ride attendant who opened the gate for them. The two of them approached the next car of the Ferris wheel that had lowered down. It was one of those old-fashioned Ferris wheel cars that looked like a bench with a bar that was lowered down to make sure people riding it were safely harnessed.
Kate sat down on the far end and placed her stuffed animal Lewis next to her as Ben sat down on the other end. The ride attendant walked over and lowered the bar for them.
"Enjoy the ride." The attendant mumbled under his breath before walking away.
After a few seconds, Ben and Kate both felt the car they were sitting in begin to move backwards and shortly after, they were ascending to the very top of the ride. Once they were up in the air, they were able to get a complete Birdseye view of all of Arcadia Bay. The town wasn't famous for having amazing nightlife to that of cities like Seattle or Los Angeles, but a night like tonight made it all worth coming to this annual event, just to experience this exact moment.
"What do you think?" Ben asked as he looked over at Kate.
"This is amazing! We should do this next year." Kate replied.
"Yeah... Yeah, we should." Ben said in a voice that made him sound uncertain.
"You'll still be in Arcadia Bay after you finish school at Blackwell, right?" Kate asked him. "I'm still not sure what my parents' final decision will be on letting me come back after the whole 'you know what', but Max and I are both applying to get into Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland. I just sent out my application today. What about you? Have you applied to any schools with Drama programs?"
"No, I haven't. I'm still not really sure what I want to do after graduating from Blackwell." He told her.
"Oh, I didn't know you were still undecided. I'm sure you still have time to decide though." Kate said.
Ben knew exactly what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. The problem was that he didn't want to admit to Kate that he wanted to go to a school like Carnegie or NYU after she said that she planned to go to an art school in Portland. The instant thought of being so far away from Kate after all the time they had spent so far was enough to make his stomach churn. He then thought about taking a year off from school and working at his uncle's carpentry company year-round while possibly looking for a second job to work part-time. Then he could possibly drive up to Portland on some weekends to visit Kate. Either way, this was all beginning to make him flustered and he figured that for now, it was just best to enjoy the moment that he was currently in with Kate, along with Lewis being the third wheel, and see how the rest of their night would play out.
After their ride on the Ferris Wheel together, Ben and Kate were now taking a walk around the fair together while sharing a large helping of cotton candy that Ben volunteered to buy for the two of them, in return for Kate buying their dinner. As they were walking they were also playing a friendly game of "Would you Rather" together.
"Okay, so life without the internet or life without AC or heating. What's it gonna be." Ben asked.
"Well, I don't really spend a lot of time on the web as is so life without the internet would be okay for me." Kate answered as she grabbed a small piece of cotton candy from Ben. "My turn. Would you rather have the ability to fly or talk to animals?" She asked before she ate her cotton candy.
"That's easy, talk to animals. Then Alice and I could have some pretty neat conversations. I could always be a translator for the two of you also." He answered.
"Wow, good thinking." She said.
"There you guys are." Said Max, who was with Chloe. "Chloe and I were wondering where you two went."
"We've just been exploring and eating our own weight in food." Kate said as she took another piece of cotton candy for herself.
"And winning some prizes too. That's a hella big rabbit." Chloe observed as she eyed the stuffed animal Kate held in her right arm.
"Oh, this? Ben won it for me at the shooting range." Kate said.
"Well if they're giving away prizes like a giant bunny, I wonder what else there is to win. Come on, Max, let's see if I can win you something." Chloe stated.
"Sure thing, maybe you can try the 'Test Your Might' game they have and see how close you can get to hitting the bell." Max teased.
"Hey, I may not have guns like Ben over here, but these arms can still do some wonders. Kate, Ben, you two wanna come with and watch me impress Max or make a fool of myself in front of her?"
"Actually, I was thinking about heading back to Blackwell now if that's okay with Kate." Ben said.
"Sure, Max and I can give you some space to figure things out. I can always give you a ride back to 'Blackhell' with Max if you want to stay with us Kate." Chloe said.
"Thanks, Chloe." Kate said. "Is everything okay?" She asked looking over to Ben."
"Yeah, I wanted to go to back to Blackwell for a reason." He said.
"Really? What for?" Kate asked.
"Well, to be honest it's kind of a surprise for when we get back. You do trust me right?" He asked.
"Ben, I've known you long enough to know that you're kind, caring, and protective. You've already earned my trust." She stated.
"Thanks, Kate." He replied.
"You're welcome. And besides I'd say that tonight felt a bit like a date judging how everything went." She added.
"Oh, well I..." Ben said nervously.
"It's alright, Ben. I had a great time and I'd like to do something like this with you again." Kate said.
"You got it!" He said.
"So, lead the way." She said.
And just like that, they were on their way back to Ben's car, so that they could drive back to Blackwell in order for Kate to see this surprise Ben had for her.
A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. I don't mean to leave you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger,but I hope to have the next chapter released much sooner than this one was. I at least hope that I left you guys shocked with some secrets revealed about the characters. As for the one thing that Ben and Nathan share in common, I figured that Nathan's parents also being divorced could work since we never see his mother in LiS or BtS and she could have left since Sean Prescott is just a dick anyway. But keep this in mind, it will play a much bigger role in the next several chapters. Outside of my FF writing life, I'm proud to annouce that I'm going to college! I'll be attending Fairfield University in the fall to major in Elementary Education & English and minor in Creative Writing. I just figured that I would share that with you guys just to show how much writing this story combined with your wonderful feedback and support has motivated me to further my passion of writing. As always be sure to favorite, follow, leave a review, and be on the lookout for chapter 15 coming soon!