YOU BELONG WITH ME , Ben Plunkett

mandy, jaz, and ben's friday night

"Hey, you two," Mandy sang as she slithered herself into the back seat. "How was work?"

"Work was, uh—I don't wanna talk about it," Ben replied.

While we drove, Mandy kept glancing at the two of us. "Was it that little skid mark, Kyle?" I nodded, but Ben stayed silent. "What'd he say?"

"It wasn't just him, I—look, I said I didn't want to talk about it, okay? So can you just stop talking about it, please?" Ben asked. Mandy jumped back, surprised at his tone.

I reached over, mindlessly grabbing his free hand, and holding it. He didn't seem to mind.

Mandy reached in between us, grabbing Ben's phone.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked, he tried to glance at the phone. "Imagine Dragons, really? They were my favorite band freshman year. I haven't listened to them in forever. Why are you even doing this right now? It's not like it's gonna magically make me—"

I grinned, knowingly, and let go of his hand.

The three of us thrashed around,
dancing to the song and singing loudly.

"Whoo!" Ben whooped.

I was cracking up, feeling so free and happy for once.

Ben's smile was contagious.

*

The bookstore was my favorite part of our Friday nights together.

"One day, one of my books will be on these shelves, and we will come here on Friday nights—and I'll sign them all." I sighed, dreamily.

Ben smiled, as he leaned against a book case, where he towered over me. He glanced down at the spine of the book I was holding, and threw his head back, laughing.

"What? It's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck," I shrugged. "It sounds intriguing,"

"Indeed," he said. "Hey, I better get a dedication in one of your books—"

"Ben, all of my books are dedicated to you," I said, immediately. He looked down at me, confused.

"I was—wait, are you being serious, Jasmine?" he asked, knowing about the books I had finished, and just needed to get edited.

"Ben, you're the only person who even believes I can write a book," I told him. "You are the reason I haven't given up."

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and pulled me against him.

The feeling was indescribable.

*

After the movie, we went to our favorite place for waffles. Deacon's Corner.

The waitress dropped off menus, and we thanked her.

I was sitting with Mandy when I noticed the Promposal out the window.

I smiled, softly, ignoring Ben's lingering stare. Mandy was asking about whether or not we wanted chocolate chips on our waffle, but neither Ben nor myself were paying attention.

"Hey, do you ever feel like we have wasted our youth on the sidelines judging people?" Ben asked the two of us, and I nodded in agreement.

"So no chocolate chips?" Mandy laughed.

"Look at us. We—we've spent every Friday night sitting at a diner debating whether or not we wanna put chocolate on a waffle," Ben explained.

"What do you want us to be doing? Kegs with the Everests?" Mandy asked and Ben scoffed.

"No." he said. "Maybe. I don't know. You know, it's like, even Charles and Zenobia do stuff, you know? Like they go to games, and they do to parties and dances."

"He's right—I mean, I'm not a fan of social settings, but sometimes I do wonder if maybe I was a bit more social...maybe I wouldn't be so...like this, you know?" I shrugged. "Sometimes I feel like...I don't know, maybe a few dances and parties could be fun!"

"Who cares about that stuff?" Mandy asked the two of us. "We all know the truth. None of that matters," she said. "Okay, real life starts once we get out of here and go to college," I winced. "where we get to make a real difference,"

"Yeah, but not all of us are going to Harvard. Okay?" he looked at me. "Some of us aren't even decided if we're going to college or not.." he said, and I nodded in thanks. "Some of us are going to an in-state college, like 20 minutes down the road, with half the Everests for the next four years, where we're gonna have to listen to them wax nostalgic about their high school glory days—"

"Because high school is all they have! Their lives have peaked. That's why we call them Everests," Mandy reasoned.

"But don't you wanna, just for once,
feel like...like.." Ben couldn't find the words.

"Like what?" Mandy asked.

"What if this is my peak?" Ben asked. "I don't have any glory days to look back on."

"Ben," I frowned.

"Okay, that's a little dramatic." Mandy laughed.

"That's easy for you to say. You're not No Nuts Plunkett," he shouted. Mandy looked at him, surprised. "Forget it. I will order us a waffle,"

He got up and walked to the register.

"What was that about?" Mandy asked.

"Mandy, you know I love you..." I sighed. "But come on," I told her. "That's Ben. Our best friend. And he wants to be a normal high school kid for once. We need to support him."

"How?" Mandy asked. I smiled.

"I'm so glad you asked." I reached for the ketchup bottle, and flipped over a placemat. I wrote the word PROM with the ketchup, and turned it toward him as he sat back down in the booth.

"Prom?" he asked, unfazed. "Ha ha. Very funny," he said.

"Ben." I said, shyly. "It's not a joke,"

"Why is this not a joke?" he asked.

"You want trite, we give you trite," Mandy smiled. "But only because you two are my best friends. Okay?"

Ben grinned.

"But no limos. I'm not paying for hair and makeup, okay? This is it." she said.

Ben and I smiled at each other, excitedly.

"And no slow dancing for me," she said. "The only thing I hate more that slow dancing in the gender wage gap,"

"Wow. You really know how to make a boy feel special," he said. I hit Mandy's arm lightly. She sent me a sneaky grin, and I laughed at the realization.

Ben chuckled. "I will slow dance," I volunteered. "But only if it's with you. My anxiety can't handle making more friends—let alone guy friends," I laughed.

"So! Benjamin Walter Plunkett, do you accept the terms and conditions of our promposal, and agree to this prom pact?" Mandy said, holding her hand up backwards for him.

"Mandy Elizabeth Yang," he said. "And Jasmine Maria Ortiz, it would be my honor," he laughed.

He and Mandy high fived as he reached for my hand to squeeze as well.

Our waffle arrived. "Thank you. Yes." Ben said.

"There's no chocolate chips in that," Mandy frowned.

"Yeah, well, I was mad at you when I put in the order, so.." he chuckled. "Sorry,"

"Hey! It's a celebratory waffle. We're going to prom," I said, smiling at my friends.

*

Angelina Speaks:

They're going to Prom! Also, we love a supportive BFF like Mandy 😏

Hope you guys enjoyed the few little Jasben moments 🫶