YOU BELONG WITH ME , Ben Plunkett

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"I am so happy right now," I admitted to no one, as I walked by myself in the hallway. Some people stared, wondering who the hell I was talking to, but for once in my life—I didn't care who stared.

The only thing on my mind was Ben Plunkett.

My mom had dropped me off this morning, and I was smiling the entire way to school. I think I freaked her out.

When I saw Ben in the hallway, I smiled, and waved at him. He didn't return the gesture.

"LaToya," he said, as she passed him.

"Take the hint, No Nuts," Graham said.

I followed LaToya with a confused look.

"She's ignoring you?" I asked Ben as I made it to his side. He sighed, and moved away from me, slightly. I brushed it off, but my heart fell, slightly.

"Yeah, can you blame her? I left her alone in a restaurant and made her pay for dinner," he said.

"Hey. Let's get to class, okay? We'll think of ways that you can apologize," I told him.

"Okay," he nodded.

Ben and I hadn't spoken about the kiss we shared since it happened the other night. He was kind of avoiding it at all costs.

Part of me was confused about why he cared so much that LaToya forgave him. I was worried maybe he still liked her.

But Ben had always been one to care about everyone else's feelings—so I couldn't blame him. I just hoped I was right, and he was just being nice.

*

I was walking out to Ben's car when I saw him talking to LaToya Reynolds.

"Okay. I get it. I get it." LaToya said. "You're sorry. But these are all just words, Ben."

"I know. I know. I-I-I screwed up, and 'i'm sorry' is not enough. But...you never deserve to feel less than."  he said. I frowned at his flirtatious words.

"So can I please, please make it up to you? Let me take you somewhere nicer than the Olive Garden. How does Macaroni Grill sound?" he offered her. She smiled.

Did he just ask her on a date?

"Okay." she laughed.

"Okay." he said.

"But maybe instead of the Macaroni Grill, you and I go to Prom together," LaToya said.

"What?" Ben asked, his face falling.

"Ben Plunkett, will you go to prom with me?" she asked.

"Uh..." Ben breathed, shakily. His eyes widened, and he hesitated. Why did he hesitate?! "Look, LaToya—" he said, quietly.

"Let me guess." LaToya shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You're going with Mandy and Jasmine," she said, with a scoff, as she turned around and left him standing alone.

I took this as the moment to walk toward him, frowning. Hurt.

Ben and I exchanged a look. I shook my head. "Ben," I said, softly. "Why didn't you..tell her about me?" I asked, sadly.

"I love you, you know that?" Ben sighed, as he glanced down at me.

I threw my arms up. "Do you, Ben?"

"Jaz..what are you talking about?" he asked, shaking his head with confusion.

"You hesitated, Ben. Do you still like LaToya?" I asked him. He stayed silent. "You do, don't you?" I whispered. "Ben, it's like we're constantly going around in circles, here. And I can't keep doing this with you. We had an amazing, special moment on Saturday night—and you've been avoiding talking about it ever since then. I just want to know what the hell we are, Ben. I deserve that much," he opened his mouth to respond, but we were interrupted.

"Ben, Jaz...Graham just asked me to prom!" Mandy said, and I distanced myself from Ben as we looked at her.

We hadn't told her about us yet, as neither of us were even sure about the labels, obviously.

We hadn't been able to actually speak to Mandy as our friend in quite a while. She was too occupied with Graham and her letter of recommendation from his dad to even notice Ben's or my own true feelings.

Sure, she knew I liked Ben.

But Mandy didn't know that Ben reciprocated those feelings. Hell, I didn't even know for sure anymore. She didn't know that Ben was having a super hard time, keeping his loyalty to her and I...and how he was basically taking the fall for every bad idea Mandy had.

Ben was a true friend. He made a promise and he was going to keep it.

Ben sadly chuckled, and nodded his head. "Well, uh...LaToya just asked me to prom,"

"That's great!" Mandy said. Ben scoffed, and gave her a look. "Why isn't that great?"

"Well when she found out I was going with you two, she was pissed," Ben said, his eyebrows pulling together. "What did Graham say when you told him?" Ben asked her.

Mandy stared at us with wide, guilty eyes. "You didn't tell him?" Ben asked.

"What the hell, Mandy?" I snapped.

"Two nights ago you were crying in my car, telling me that Graham Lansing was using you and that he had a girl on the side." Ben said.

"I know. I know, but I was wrong about all of it. She was helping him plan the promposal. My promposal." Mandy said. "So just tell LaToya what happened."

"What, you want me to tell LaToya that you got a date, and now i'm free?" Ben yelled. I let the fact go that he would have considered LaToya's offer. It wasn't important right now.

"And what about me then, huh?" I asked her, angrily.

"What the hell, Mandy?" Ben snapped.

"Okay, calm down," Mandy said, softly.

"No! Don't tell us to calm down! Because of you, everything is all fucked up for the both of us!" I yelled at her. "This whole little scheme you've got going—"

"You asked us to prom!" he said.

"It was Jazzy's idea—" Mandy tried.

"That doesn't matter, Mandy! You still double tapped it!" Ben yelled. "We had a pact!"

"I-I know. I know, and I'm—I'm sorry." Mandy stammered.

"Oh! You're sorry? I—I did not realize you were sorry," Ben said. At this point, cameras were facing us, and my heart was hammering against my chest as I tried to breathe.

I hated this. I hated fighting with my friends—again.

"Well, then it's totally cool. Forget about it. I'll just push my feelings and everything else aside for you, like I always do." Ben told her.

"G-guys," I rasped.

"Mandy! We are supposed to be your best friends. And I am not some doormat for you to wipe your feet on when your life falls to crap. Do you even like Graham Lansing? Or is this all a part of your con to get a letter for Harvard from his father?" Ben asked her.

"Guys," I said again. "Please, can we just..."

"You know what—I—I don't even car. I don't—just," Ben sighed, "Have fun being an Everest, Mandy,"

"Ben," I said, I he finally took notice of my shaky figure. He led me to the car, and I got inside, as he did too.

We drove off.

*

Angelina Speaks:

There's so much happening rn. I'm gonna clear it up soon don't worry 😉