Seven Minutes in Hell

Chapter 33 ~ Stay Like This

Katherine held the phone close to her ear, the muffled voice coming through a small static. "Hold on... You're glitching out-Where are you?" Katherine called out over the noise, squinting her eyes to hear her friend's voice come through.

"I'm at a party!" Alex exclaimed a bit drunkenly in return. Slurring her next bit of words, "I'm with Desmond and his friends right now-"

Katherine's face went emotionless, jaw clenching out of anger, "Alex!" she scolded, pacing the length of her bedroom, glancing over to her bed to see Benji, one knee to his chest, other straightened on the comforter on her bed. He was preoccupied with his phone, barley paying any bit of attention to her. Katherine felt light years away, feeling so distant and only absorbed in the conversation she shared with Alex through the phone. "If Frankie finds out-"

"God!" Alex groaned into the phone. "She won't. Besides, we're not doing anything..."

Katherine waited for the 'yet.'

 Through a heaved exhale, Katherine's eyes shut, "Lemme pick you up and drive you back to your house-"
Alex's lungs practically collapsed from how hard she gasped, "God no! Can't you be happy that I'm having fun," she fought back. Katherine could get the sense they were on a brim of a fight. She was hesitant to answer. Alex had a point, but at the same time, Katherine had reasons.

"It's not that. This is another girl's man-"

Benji perked up, shifting his head to Katherine's direction at her sentence, but her eyes avoided his, pretending to not feel his observant stare. Alex groaned through the phone, "Goodbye, Katherine."

"Wait, lemme-" The three beeps had Katherine's hand falling to her side, the phone being loosely held. She shook her head with defeat, wandering back to her nightstand and placing her phone down, "Do you ever feel that people could be changing literally in front of your eyes?"

"Nearly all the time," he brushed off, eyes drifting back up to meet her sorrowful expression. "Why? Is this about Alex?"

He knew his answer, given little to no explanation following, Katherine planted a seat beside him, her stare zoned out on the door straight ahead. "I don't know, maybe I'm over exaggerating the whole situation, but for some reason, Alex has been a bit distant lately." 

"Maybe you should hang with Amber and Bianca? Didn't your girls want to do something altogether?" he reminded, a smirk raising on his lips at the suggestion.

Katherine nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but we've also become a bit distant. Besides, how can I face Bianca after becoming friends with benefits with her sort of ex?" she went on, then jumped from the bubbling tension inside of her, the need of a release to confide to anybody willing to listen. "And Amber is really nice, but I don't think we hit it off that well-I just I don't know, not to mention the situation with Indy still hasn't settled right-"

"Breathe," Benji laughed softly, straightening his posture, "It's a bit simpler than that."

"How so?" Katherine's voice dropped in an octave, sounding more tired and drowsy than before.

"We're here, right now. Going to Spencer's house in a little while, gonna break the law, and hopefully then we could figure out what Shay thinking. That sounds pretty promising to me," Benji smile grew wider, to a more relaxed manor. He motioned her to come closer, she did as followed allowing his fingers to graze Kat's chin, "I love you."

"I love you too," she expressed. Leaning forward and pressing her lips onto his. It had only lasted a second, a small tingle following at the feather-like touch. But it was the most friendliest gesture for two people to do, ones who had loved each other so much because one person brought them together, the love of their lives. Katherine gently laid along beside him, cuddling up close. He'd warped his hand around her and she felt safe. She felt as if he could look through a crystal ball and form a bright future, one to look forward too. That's what every person needs, a best friend that could make it seem like life was simpler than all the nonsense that seemed to cloud the sunny day.