Author's Note:

Hey guys! I hope you will enjoy this first chapter! I will try to update on Sundays, however, with school in the way, I will update randomly. Thank you for reading this far and please comment down below on how you're liking the story so far. See you in the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and/or some parts of the story.

A New Beginning

Quote/Poem of the Chapter:

"Love is a promise; love is a souvenir. Once given never forgotten, never let it disappear."

~ John Lennon

Mal and Evie were walking to Mal's apartment after working all day in the studio they had bought together. They both were just rambling on about life, well mostly Evie, and how their creations could be significant in the near future. When they arrived, Mal's dog, Flash, ran up the both of them, giving them a wet, sloppy greeting.

"Hey!" The girls both cried as they both gave him a hug.

"How are you guys?" Mal cooed as she scratched behind Flash's ear. They both played with the dog for a while before Mal asked Evie what she wanted for dinner.

"Well, right now I'm craving for lasagna," Evie answered.

"Alright, I'll get to it after I change," Mal said with a smile. She entered her room and changed into more comfortable and clean clothes, and put her purple silky hair into a top knot.

She then walked into her kitchen that was connected to the living room and gathered all the ingredients needed for the dish.

As she was cooking and preparing the table for dinner, Evie was in the living room, checking her social media and watching TV. While checking her phone, she got an unexpected message from Ben. Hmm, he doesn't usually text me, she thought.

When she opened the message and read it, her eyes were as big as saucers. How am I going to tell Mal, she thought again. Luckily, Mal told her the food was ready, which made her thoughts disappear. However, she was acting weird which was making Mal worried.

"Evie, are you alright?" Mal asked.

"Yeah, I'm just really hungry," Evie said with a nervous laugh.

"C'mon Evie," Mal begged.

"We'll just talk about it after; we should both just eat first."

"Alright then."

They both kept eating until they were full. Evie helped Mal clean up, even though Mal assisted that she wouldn't since she's a guest. However, Evie refused to. When they were done, they both settled onto the couch in the living room.

When Mal opened up her phone, Evie was expecting some kind of reaction from her; however, there was nothing. "Umm Mal?" Evie called her attention.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Did you get some kind of notification?"

"Uh nope. Why?"

"Well, I got a notification."

"Oh good for you; I'll probably get one in about a few minutes from now," Mal joked.

"But it's not just any notification. It's a message from Ben." The statement left Mal speechless. When the fuck did he text her, she thought. She looked up at her with her mouth hung open and her eyes wide open.

"Umm, have you been texting him behind my back?"

"Oh hell no!" Evie yelled.

"I don't know if you're going to get one, but I can tell you about it."

"Wait let me ask our group chat with Carlos and Jay," Mal said as she opened the text messaging app.

"Here, I'll just tell you. It's an invitation to his Grandad's Company 75th anniversary. It's a masquerade ball and yes you have to be formal, and yes you have to wear a dress and a mask, which I will create and design; if you are going. It's going to take place at the headquarters, from six pm to one am on January 31, which is a Saturday. However, since we haven't been catching up with each other, he's offering that we go to California three weeks earlier."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Mal questioned.

"He means our high school friends; you know Lonnie and Jane. I know that Jay and Carlos are invited also and I'm pretty sure he also has other friends he wants us to meet," she said stating the obvious.

"That is if I go," Mal pointed out. They both went back to what they were doing and after a moment Mal got a text message from Carlos and Jay. She opened it with them saying 'I got one', making Mal pissed off. "I'm so fucking done with exes, Carlos and Jay got one" she angrily said. Her normally calm and pleasant demeanor quickly changed and her face contorted in an all-consuming anger.

"Well, he probably accidentally missed you," Evie said with reason.

"Probably, but he could have done it purposely."

"Well, we'll have to see in two weeks time."

"Alright, I'm going to go take shower. You sleeping over?"

"Probably, I'm hella tired."

"You're always tired." Mal always offered Evie an opportunity if she would want to move in with her, but Evie insists that she doesn't. She doesn't want to be a burden to her all the time and all, but maybe she would want to one day.

Ben can now be the CEO at any time now. The pressure of keeping the company in control is hard for him. He most of the time has to travel out of the country to discuss or settle the business for his dad, which is also hard for his relationship with Audrey. Speaking of his relationship with Audrey, he always believed that he and Audrey were fine and that she was better than his last one. However, that is his brain, not his heart. He always thought and thinks that his brain was always both his brain and heart, but no; those two are completely different objects.

"Did you give my dad the guest list to the Gala?" Ben asked his secretary.

"Yes I did sir," his secretary, Amanda, said. She has been his secretary when he started. Audrey has been most wary of her since she's a girl and most girls would fall for Ben because of his good looks. She would confront her at times about him, but she would always say 'I don't like him', 'I have no interests in him', or 'I have no attraction towards him'. Audrey would leave it there but still thinks suspiciously of her.

"Is there anything I still need to do today?" he asked.

"Um yes, sir; you need to finalize your presentation for tomorrow's meeting," she answered.

"Oh! I actually finished that days ago. I've been meaning to tell you, but I've been distracted by the other things," Ben said.

He and his secretary were having a conversation, but then his dad was walking up to him and calling him. "Ben!" his dad yelled.

"I'll be right back," Ben declared.

He then walked up to his father. He was actually pretty nervous, but his father didn't seem to be angry at all. He hopes that all things will go well for him.

"Son, we need to talk in my office; privately," his dad informed.

"Alright. Let me just tell my secretary and I'll make my way up."

"Okay, son." Ben went to his secretary telling her that his dad needed him. She told him that it's fine and she'll go back to her office and if he needed anything, he would just text her. He then made his way up, feeling nervous; breathing shakily and sweat going down his regal, angelic face.

As the elevator's ding rang, he looked up and saw the elevator's doors opened. He walked out and walked up to his father's desk and sat in front of it. "So, I have been thinking that since I'm getting old and all, that I will be handing over the company into your hands. I've been seeing all the great choices and ideas you've been making, so I trust you very much," his father uttered.

Ben was left speechless. He couldn't believe it himself. Is this really happening? he thought. All that left his breath was a 'Really?' and his father nodded with a big grin. He and his father got up and walked beside the desk to hug each other. His father whispered to him about how he worked so hard for it all these years, making him feel so proud of himself.

His dad then broke the hug and told him,"I will announce this at the 75th-anniversary party and I know that you invited all your friends and our whole family will be there, so it's a great time to announce it."

"Alright, thanks dad," Ben said. He was so excited to be the new CEO, but also nervous because he doesn't want to let his dad down. But again he knows that deep down that he won't mess anything up. He's been training for this his whole life and now here it is; right in front of him.

At the end of the night, he celebrated with his Mom and Dad, and his girlfriend on his promotion. He still couldn't believe it; he felt so powerful that no one could make him weak. He was basically on cloud 9. He had everything he wanted, but does he really?