-KATIES POV-
*JUNE 9TH 1993*
it's 10:20 in the morning and my family just took the last boxes out of the house, we were living in Tennessee but my dad got a better job in California so we're moving there, all of my friends lived near so i walked to their houses and said bye to them individually, then i got to my boyfriends, well ex boyfriends house, i don't even know why i went to his house he's too controlling and he even told me "i'm not letting you go katie" which creeped me tf out.
i knocked on his door, already regretting it, then a few moments later there he was looking down at me, i looked at the ground too scared to face him but i could feel his eyes on me, he lifted my head up (aggressively) and told me "you're not leaving me" i move his hand away from my face and said "i don't really have a choice, johnathan" he then got more aggressive and said "you obviously don't care about us if you can just pack up and leave" i was starting to get angry and scared but i had to say something, i couldn't show him that i was weak, "i do care about us" i lied "but like i said i don't have a choice" at this point he was getting more mad for what reason? i have no idea, "fine then just go, i've been cheating on you anyways" i look up starting to tear up "really? we've been together for 2 years johnathan and you just cheat on me like i'm nothing?" "you are nothing katie" he then slammed the door in my face, with that i walked home, crying.
<AIRPORT>
*11 pm*
we got to the airport and waited for our plane to come and while we waited i talked to my big brother, andy, he's 3 years older than me and he knew how controlling johnathan was but i begged him not to say anything to mom and dad, they would've been more furious than andy was.
"katie i'm hungry" andy complained "that's not a surprise" i mumbled "i heard that, wanna go get some food" he asked "yea sure" we then asked mom for some money and walked around the airport looking for burger king, i wasn't that hungry so i just ordered fries but andy on the other hand ordered what he usually gets (basically the whole menu).
we then got our food and started walking back to our parents, "hey what'd that ugly rat say when you told him bye" andy asked "he said that i couldn't leave him and when i told him i had no choice he said he cheated on me" i said tearing up again, i'm not usually like this, i'm usually a tough girl but even tough girls break down once in a while, "that piece of shit" andy said getting mad "i know, 2 years, gone just like that, but maybe he's just joking you know? maybe he only said that cause he was mad" i said trying to give myself hope that i didn't get cheated on "hey you're gonna be okay katie, if he's joking about this, it's not funny, nobody deserves to go to sleep at night wondering why they weren't enough, he's just stupid either way and he's not worth your tears okay?" i nod and andy just hugs me, we weren't that far away from our parents so we just stayed quiet.
*3 HOURS LATER*
it's been 3 long hours and i started to fall asleep until i heard "plane for Tennessee to California boarding now" i've never been so happy hearing those words, me and my family waited to board and we finally got on the plane and i got seated next to my dad, we made a little conversation until the plane started to take off, California here we come.
<CALIFORNIA AIRPORT>
we finally landed and my dad fell asleep on my shoulder so i had to wake him up, "dad" i said slighty shaking his shoulder, no response, "dad" i said louder, still no response, then i quietly yelled, "DAD" he then got up so fast i started to laugh and he was so confused which made me laugh even harder.
<NEW HOUSE>
we finally got to our new house and let me say, it was huge, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a big living room, i was so happy when we first walked in the house, we all claimed our rooms, my parents get the master bedroom obviously, i got the second biggest bedroom with a bathroom connected to it, which i'm surprised about usually andy would want the better things, anyway andy got the third biggest bedroom with a bathroom connected to it, and we made the last room a guest room, my parents room was the only room without a bathroom connected to it but i don't think they cared, we had a lot to unpack but luckily the sun was gonna set in like an hour so we had time to situate everything in our already furnished house.
*2 HOURS LATER*
we finished unpacking everything an hour ago, the sun went down, it was drizzling, my parents were so exhausted they fell asleep, andy was probably asleep too, which is weird because it's early, and i'm still thinking about what johnathan said to me "i've been cheating on you anyways" replayed over and over in my head, i kept thinking "this has to me a joke, he only said because he was angry" but nope i was wrong, i got a text and it was a picture of johnathan kissing my enemy, skyler. i started crying and crying i put in my earbuds and put some music on while looking for a oversized hoodie, since it was pouring outside i wanted to go lay down in the rain, i didn't care about getting sick, that was the least of my worries right now, i found a oversized hoodie and put it on, i already had sweatpants on and before i went outside i texted johnathan making sure he knows it's over between us.
<OUTSIDE>
i put my phone in my pocket and walked in the middle of the road, i then lied down, the tears kept coming i could feel them but i didn't care, no one can see me, everyone's probably sleeping already, the only source of light is the street lights.
-BENNY'S POV-
i just got back from the sandlot and see this family unpacking their stuff and putting it into the house right across from mines, i spotted this cute girl who looks about my age, she also looked tired so did the rest of her family, i looked at her for a few more moments then walked inside of my house, "hey honey" my mom greeted me "hey mom" i said walking upstairs ready to take a shower, after my shower i went back downstairs, "where's dad and liz?" i asked my mom (liz is my older sister), "they went to pick up dinner" mom said flipping through her newspaper "okay, what'd they get?" i asked "mcdonald's" my mom laughed "ahh my favorite" i said joining her laugh "i'm gonna go in my room can you call me when they get back home?" i asked my mom "yea sure honey"
*15 MINUTES LATER*
"benny honey? they're back" i hear my mom yell, wow that was pretty fast, i went downstairs and grabbed my food and started to eat while talking and laughing with my family.
*1 HOUR LATER*
everyone's asleep and i usually go to sleep early so i can wake up early and go to the sandlot but tonight i can't sleep, i can't get that girl right across from my house out of my head, i look out me window and see her in the middle of the road with an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, crying. i didn't even know her but i had to check on her, so i looked for one of my hoodies i didn't care if got wet and put it on then as quiet as i could i walked downstairs, opened and shut the front door with ease. i then walked to the middle of the road and asked her "mind if i join?"
-KATIE'S POV-
"mind if i join?" i hear someone ask, i look up and see a boy with a hoodie, i couldn't really make out what he looked like because it was dark and my eyes were full of tears, "no" i said he then lied down next to me and introduced himself, "i'm Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, but everyone calls me benny" he said calmly, "i'm katie adams, but people call me kate or k" i said "that's a beautiful name" he said "thank you" it was silent for a moment until he spoke up, "if you don't mind me asking, why are you out here crying?" i sighed and decided to tell him, "before me and my family moved here i had a boyfriend named johnathan and he was controlling and when things wouldn't go his way he'd get abusive" i said trying my best to not cry in front of benny, "and today when i told him goodbye he told me that i couldn't leave him and when i said i had no choice, he snapped, he told me that he cheated on me and that i was nothing to him, i thought he was joking or he just said it out of anger, but i was wrong, someone sent me a picture of him kissing my ex bestfriend" he was silent for a moment until he spoke, "i'm so sorry katie, i know we haven't known each other for at least 15 minutes yet but i know you're a good person and you don't deserve someone like him, you deserve someone who will treat you like a queen, someone who will never cheat no matter how mad they are at you" he said looking at me, i turn to face him and smile "thank you benny, you don't know how much that means to me" i said hugging him, he hugged back and said "you're welcome katie" it was silent once again then benny spoke, "what're you listening to?" he asked "put your head on my shoulder by" i got cut off by benny, "paul anka" he said smiling "yea you know this song?" i asked smiling "uh duh, it's one of my favorites" he said "same, it's such a soothing song to listen too" i said still smiling "wanna dance?" he asked standing up and holding his hand out "sure" i said grabbing his hand, still smiling.
"put your head on my shoulderrrrr" we both sang while dancing, "hold me in your arms" i sang "baabyyyy" benny finished causing me to laugh, "squeeze me oh-so-tight" he sang "show me" i finished "that you love me toooooo" we both sang, we continued singing, laughing, and dancing until the song ended, we were both soaked so we said our goodnights and both went inside our houses, i got by my door and looked back at benny seeing him already waiting for me to go inside, i wave at him and smile, he does the same and i walk inside of my house, soaked and happy.
a/n: this is sooooo long i'm so sorry guys lmao😭, also i'm like really in love with this song so i put it, but here's the first chapter and this is only the first book so enjoy, love y'all 🤍.