-:- 9 -:-

Betas: ZanessaGaily and GetDrunkOnVictory

Summary: For the past three years, Angela took the same bus to school as Ben. They were once really close, best friends, but now? They barely speak to one another. Angela, however, has had a hard time dealing with her feelings. Can one little encounter change anything?

-:- Her guy next door -:-

Everyday, Angela had to endure the stinking bus to school for about half an hour. She occupied herself with studying, listening to music and stealing glances at that one guy who had taken up every rational thought in her mind: Ben. He was her boy next door, they grew up together, where you saw one, the other wasn't far behind. But then Ben's parents decided to send him to an all boys school. Ben started dating some girl named Jessica, and the beautiful friendship that once was, vanished.

Angela felt the sting in her heart every time she looked at him. She had always sort of liked him, but seeing him every day didn't make it easier to forget him. Or at least try to forget him. For the past few weeks, after hearing that Ben and Jessica broke up, she had been thinking about some sort of plan to catch his attention. She didn't dare just walk up to him and start talking. She could only imagine the awkward silence that would follow.

Another school day passed with Angela daydreaming about Ben, yet still no plan by the time she got home She let herself fall onto her bed.

"What should I do?" she mumbled to her blue monkey, a sixth birthday present from Ben that she still kept close. She couldn't just go over there and ring the doorbell like she used to. Angela thought about the time when they were best friends, how they would have sleepovers, how they shared their first kiss because they each wanted to have it out of the way, how they went running in the forest behind their houses, how they used to communicate with papers before their windows...all of that was gone. Angela looked out of the window, but instead of seeing a message, she was met with closed curtains.

The next day was one of the warmest they had had this year and Angela was sweating her ass off waiting for the bus to come. When it finally arrived, the doors opened and her ears almost popped with the loudest cackles ever. The bus was filled with screaming toddlers.

"Fantastic," she grumbled as she tried to make her way to the empty seat at the back, trying not to fall over dozens of backpacks and toys. Angela felt bad for the young teacher, who was desperately trying to control her zoo of wild animals.

Angela sat herself at the empty seat and took out one of her books to study. She needed to ace her English test.

"Would you mind?" someone asked beside her.

Startled, she looked up.

Ben was asking to sit next to her?

"Sure." She smiled, a bit reluctant. She turned her head and looked out of the window. She could still see his reflection, though. It had been three years since she had been this close to him.

"I feel like a sardine in a box." She heard him chuckle beside her and she had to muffle a laugh as well.

"Well, it's definitely something else," she added and Ben nodded.

"How are you?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said hastily. Crap this was awkward. "Long time no see?"

Ben looked embarrassed and fumbled with the zipper of his bag.

"I know," he replied after a while, "It's not like it used to be, is it? I miss it sometimes. I was thinking about those little papers the other day. Crazy, wasn't it?"

Angela had a hard time ignoring the little jumps her heart was making. He still thought about her? And just like that, they started talking again as if nothing ever happened.

For the rest of the day, Angela had a hard time concentrating. Her mind constantly flew back to her conversation with Ben. He had told her he was going to Mike's party tonight. Maybe she could go too...

"Bella!" she yelled when she saw her best friend in the hallway.

"What's up?" Bella's brown waves flew in her face when she turned around.

"You up for a party tonight?" Angela asked with a big smile on her face.

"Well party-pooper, where is this coming from?" Bella replied, her eyebrows raised, but a smile was playing on her lips. Angela couldn't blame her. Bella had been begging her to go to parties since...well, ever. She always said no.

"A certain someone might be going to Mike's and I was thinking about checking it out."

Angela covered her ears when Bella started to scream. "No way! He finally talked to you again? Thank the Lord! I have been waiting for this day for the past three years." She was almost jumping around. She definitely hung out too much with Alice these days.

"Well, yes, I mean–"

"This is perfect!" Bella hugged her friend sideways. "I'll come over at eight and we'll get ready. Ben won't know what hit him once he sees you."

In the evening, Angela took a bath and relaxed before Bella came over. She wanted to look her absolute best tonight. When she finally opened her closest, she sighed: what to wear?

A black skirt, a red strapless dress, a blue sweater...oh, this was going to be hard, but Ben's favourite colour was red. She threw the red dress on and looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, this would work just fine.

Her eyes fell on the clock: 8:30pm. Where was Bella?

She was about to call when her friend's name appeared on her screen.

Not a minute later, Angela sat down on her bed, defeated, pouting and sad. Bella was sick. The flu had been going around, but did it really have to pick today of all days to knock out her best friend?

Angela was upset; her entire plan was falling apart. She angrily threw her phone on her bed and looked out her window. The light in Ben's room caught her attention and she walked toward the window sill.

Ben was casually sitting on his, a smug grin on his face when he saw Angela. He held up his notebook.

You going to the party?

Angela smiled, remembering the time when they did this on a daily basis. She grabbed the first paper she could find and wrote down: nope, Bella bailed on me.

Ben jumped off his window sill and disappeared into his room. Before Angela could see what he was doing, her phone went off.

"I'm not going either," Ben said as soon as she picked up. "I've been thinking about our conversation earlier, and I was wondering if you would want to come over instead?"

Angela couldn't believe what she heard and she bit her lip to keep herself from squealing. That tingly feeling in her stomach didn't make it any better either.

"Be right there," she managed to get out before she did a little happy dance in her room. A minute later, she crossed the garden and saw that Ben was already waiting for her on his porch.

"Wow," he said breathlessly. Angela hadn't taken off the red dress. She smiled, and noticed that Ben was looking awfully nervous. Her heart was pumping hard.

"Angie, I-" he started. He took a deep breath and then said: "Angie, I like you. I have for a long time and that thing with Jessica...I can't get you out of my head."

"Excuse me?" She gasped, not believing what she just heard.

"I know it is sudden." He held up his hands. "But I've always liked you and I never wanted to say anything. I was too afraid it would ruin our friendship. Then I went to another school and we grew apart and I never had the guts to talk to you until this morning. Thanks to those little toddlers." He smiled sheepishly, while Angela was still watching him, at loss for words herself. Then, Ben took something out of his pocket.

"I don't want to lose you again, Angie, so that's why I would like to ask you something." He seemed shy when he folded out the paper.

It read: Do you want to go out with me?

Angela smiled brightly, threw her arms around her guy next door, and whispered a quiet yes into his ear.