ASLKDFJSLFH I AM SO VERY SORRY. I really hope this makes up for it. It isn't the longest chapter ever, but I really wanted to give you guys a Valentine's day present. Benjamin is up for being anyone's Valentine (So are Grace, Emily, and Becky, if you are so inclined.) in return for not updating.
I figure now is as good a time as any to give you guys a link to my tumblr, because that's where I spend most of my time online- my url is youdidntseenanything . tumblr . com, without the spaces, of course. You guys can spam my ask box there whenever I get lazy with updating. Anon is on, so you don't even need an account!
So, please enjoy this (very fluffy, sort of too short) Valentine's day chapter!
WARNING: This chapter is horrendously unproofread. I apologize, but I really wanted to get this chapter out!
You know those days where it seems like the world is sort of completely against you, and you just want to spend your entire day under your covers listening to angsty music and poking your head out every now and then so you can breathe?
Yeah. So that's my life right now.
And while I would be more than content to do just that all day, I cannot. Would you like to know why? There are three reasons.
I like Benjamin (which I don't particularly want to say out loud very often, so that'll be the last time.)
Emily is freaking gorgeous, and finally;
Becky is an ass.
Of course, I'm sure that warrants more explanation, so I'll go on.
I called Becky this morning to make sure we were still on for our meeting with Benjamin and Emily (and no, I totally didn't hiss in my head when I thought her name. No siree.) And as soon as I called her she started acting really weird. Not lovably weird, either. Like, padded-cell-have-you-met-my-friends-in-the-long-white-coats-yet? Kind of weird. I asked her if she wanted me to pick her up or if we were just going to meet at the park that we had arranged (via the MCMT, of course. That thing is quickly becoming my new best friend.) with Benjamin to meet at, and she started acting really strangely. She came up with a half-assed excuse about a doctor's appointment, apologizing profusely and hanging up before I could even say good bye.
It's not like I'm not an independent person, okay? I am totally capable of finding an outfit to wear, brushing my teeth, finding a flattering way to do both my hair and my makeup, and transporting myself to the park. I'm fine with that. But is it so wrong that I would have liked it a lot more if Becky was with me? Someone to give me an opinion before I left the door? I could look so awful right now and not even know it (which, oh my god, I don't even want to think about that. I'm going to give myself a panic attack.)
Really, I mean I know I've never had one before, but is it too much to ask for a friend?
...
Becky felt bad.
That is a massive understatement, She thought bitterly. She felt awful about this whole thing. She wanted this, wanted to be Grace's friend. She wanted to be able to go to Grace's house so they can talk about boys and school and makeup and for the love of God she wanted to be normal.
It was hard to be normal when your father was still towering over your head, glowering down at you.
"So we're throwing this away now?" He asked calmly, "Just going to throw away all this preparation?"
Becky hung her head silently.
"If I had gone, it would have thrown everything away anyway. At least now my cover still hasn't been blown." She said quietly. She hated having to come up with things like that. She wanted to go hang out with Grace- but because of the company she was keeping today, that was an impossibility.
"What do you mean?" Her father asked, only slightly calmer.
"She's hanging out with Benjamin Kabra today. He knows me- for Christ's sakes, he was at Christmas dinner last year! He'll take one look at me and it'll all be over." Becky elected for a firmer voice, showing that she had control over her emotions, and the current situation.
She almost smiled at the look her father gave her- an oh crap, she's right, look.
"I would hate to see all of this hard work go to hell, Rebecca. I hope you understand at least that much."
"I understand." Becky mumbled.
...
If there was one thing Benjamin Kabra could count on, it was the fact that there was never a dull moment in his life when Emily was around.
If there was every any doubt surrounding Emily's branch, he thought now, that was certainly cleared right up.
"Are you almost ready? We're supposed to leave soon." He asked the closed bathroom door, which Emily was on the other side of.
The door swung open then, revealing the girl in question standing in the doorway.
"Well shit, Em. Cleavage much?"
Emily was wearing a dress that left very, very little to the imagination. Her thick hair was curled to perfection and piled on top of her head, and she looked very proud of herself.
"You do realize," Benjamin continued, "That we're going to a park, right? A park. With children."
"Well that's why I brought a sweater." Emily said, as if that should have been obvious from the start.
"Does it cover your entire body?" Benjamin asked, "Because I have to be honest with you, love, I'm having some serious big-brother-bear reactions to this, and I feel the need to cover you up. Preferably in something very baggy."
"Aww, aren't you a dear." Emily said condescendingly, patting Benjamin's cheek. "Besides, this is for your best interest, darling, you know that."
"For the best interest of all the perverts in that park, too." Benjamin grumbled.
Emily smiled, and Benjamin wasn't sure if it was meant to be menacing or sweet.
"It's either this or that shirt that I know you hate, dear."
"... The red one?"
Emily nodded, "The red one."
Benjamin grumbled incoherently.
"Fine. But when you get hit on by every guy in that park, don't expect me to help you."
"Oh, but you will anyway."
Benjamin smiled, "You know me too well."
Emily smiled again, but this time Benjamin knew it was genuine.
...
Benjamin had questioned Emily's sanity many times, but never had he done it as much as yesterday.
The two of them were talking, already well on their way to falling back into their comfortable routine, when Emily stood up out of nowhere, wrapped an arm around Benjamin's head, and downright attacked his mouth. Benjamin, of course, was more confused than he could ever remember being, especially since Emily's eyes were open too, making it twice as awkward as it already was. He felt Emily's lips turn up into a smile before she pulled away, looking calmly and expectantly at him.
"I'm sorry Em, excuse my French here, but what the actual fuck was that?"
Emily merely smirked.
"I'm just saving your love life, Kabra, you can thank me at any time."
"Saving... What?" Benjamin glared down at her.
"I know you like her. You obviously really like her. I can't say I'm exactly thrilled about it, because she can only come with baggage like woah, being Amy Cahill's daughter, but I'll be happy if you're happy, Benj."
Benjamin felt his face heat up, much to Emily's amusement.
"You didn't answer my question." He said, in a vain attempt to change the subject.
"Please, Ben, if there's one thing I know, it's what goes on in a Madrigal's head. It's been drilled in my head since the day I was born. I knew that if she liked you, she wouldn't just leave me alone in here with you. Which is why it was so great to see her on that balcony over there." She gestured causally towards the window.
"What?" Benjamin demanded, rushing over to the balcony.
"Oh, she's long gone, now." Emily said, now lounging on the hotel bed.
"So what was... That?" Benjamin's arms were waving all over the place. Emily chuckled.
"You should have seen her face. It was glorious, Ben, really. If I could have taped it, I would have. But more importantly, it proves that your Grace is just as smitten with you as you are with her. It's rather adorable, really. Cavity- inducing, even."
"So you just... Raped my mouth... To see if Grace likes me?"
"Yes, that just about sums it up, actually." Emily nodded brightly.
Benjamin burst out laughing, sitting beside Emily on the bed and swinging an arm around her.
"Well then, thank you."
"Oh, don't start thanking me just yet." Emily said, "We've only just begun."
Three hours later and Emily was sitting at her usual spot in the Kabra's attic, like she had never left. Benjamin caught himself smiling at her. It always made him happy to think that, no matter what kind of craziness that went on in his life, Emily would always be the constant to his variable.
"What's that?" She asked suddenly, pointing at a corner of the room that seemed, somehow, to be less dusty than the rest of it.
Benjamin tilted his head. "I'm not actually sure." He said.
"Looks like an old Morse Code machine."
"Is that the technical term?" Benjamin asked bemusedly.
"Yes." Emily replied haughtily, walking over to inspect it further.
As if on que, the machine started beeping, transmitting a message.
.. .- -. ..-.. .. - .-. ... -. .-. .- -.-. . .-.-.- Ian? It's Grace.
"Huh." Emily said, "Well this is interesting."
Before Benjamin could stop her, she had typed out a response.
-.- . ... ..-.. Yes?
.. - - .-.. -.. ... . .-. .-.-.- - . .-.. .-.. -... . -. .- .- - .. -. - - ... . -. -.. - . .- - . ... ... .- -. . .- ... . -. ... . -.-. .- -. .-.-.- I told her. Tell Benjamin to send me a message when he can.
Emily looked up at Benjamin curiously.
"Well, I do believe I just came up with a plan, darling."
...
They aren't going to stand me up, are they?
Oh God, they wouldn't. They wouldn't.
Wait. Let me rephrase that.
Benjamin wouldn't. Emily? I don't doubt it for a second.
Crap crap crap crap.
I started pacing back and forth, my boots crunching in the snow. After about the third lap, I crashed into a prostitute.
Oy Vey, my life is so seriously screwed up.
The hooker in question was wearing the tightest dress I have ever seen. I swear, I think she melted herself and poured that into her dress. I'm not even trying to be mean here, I honestly thought she was a prostitute.
That is, until I realized she was latched onto the arm of none other than Benjamin Kabra.
Oh god, here we go.
...
"That's a... really nice dress, Emily. Where'd you get it?"
This trying to be polite thing is going to kill me. I honestly kind of want to rip her lips off.
Emily smiled. Goddamn smile.
"Oh, just this little place. You've probably never heard of it."
Okay, resisting the urge to cut a bitch. Resist, resist, resist.
"Yeah, I guess we don't really shop at the same places." You filthy whore. Oh crap, that was mean. Like, more mean than usual. I take that back.
"I guess not. I mean, I have more... expensive taste." I take back taking that back.
Emily was practically sitting in Benjamin's lap, calling him sweetheart and darling and Benj, which Benjamin doesn`t seem to mind at all.
"Oh, hey. Look at my nonexistent watch, I have to go." I intoned, and got up to leave. I'm not just going to sit there while these two are all but making out in front of me. (which they've already done.)
Emily smirked, and oh god how I want to smack her.
"Then that's my que to leave. Good luck, Benjy. You know what to do." And with that, she kissed Benjamin on the cheek and skipped out of the Starbucks that we were in.
"Walk with me?" Benjamin asked, almost-but-not-quite stumbling on his words.
I nodded silently.
...
I pretty much figured that this would be the kind of walk where Benjamin starts by explaining about Emily, goes on about how amazing she is, and leaves me in the dust to eat full cartons of Ben and Jerry's.
So I was surprised as hell when he took my hand.
I looked at him, my face heating despite the cold. He raised an eyebrow, as if he was saying, "are you okay with this?"
I kept walking and squeezed his hand slightly, hoping that was answer enough.