Love Isn't Complicated, People Are

Chapter Seven

My phone alarm goes off at six a.m. and I groan, groggily turning it off. I forgot. I have school today. I sit up and realize . . . I'm not in my bedroom.

Ben. Damn, I forgot about last night. My lips tingle from the memory. I kissed Ben. And he kissed me back. Before storming upstairs. I get up hurriedly and go to the bathroom. When I'm finished, I wash my hands and then go and pull my jeans on. I grab my socks and my bag. I shove my phone in my bra and open the door. Ben's door is open. It's empty.

I slowly make my way downstairs, my heart racing and my fingers shaking. I take a deep breath and go into the living room. He's not there. Um, okay? Where is he? I walk over to the doorway to the kitchen. There he is. His back to me. He's eating something and he's staring at something. I take a minute to admire him. He's in a big t-shirt and some white checkered pajama pants, his feet are bare. And his hair. I hold back a giggle. It's messy, sticking up in random places.

I clear my throat. "Morning, Bennie. How's it going?" I smile at him as he turns toward me. Please, let's just pretend this never happened. I still want to be friends.

"Morning, Aden." My heart jumps. He called me Hayden last night. He's never called me that before. I like it when he calls me Aden. "How did you sleep?"

"Really good, that bed is comfortable." I walk toward him, slowly. I cross my arms over my chest when I'm standing in front of him.

"That's good." He looks up at me. "You know, my first class doesn't start until 10:30. You're lucky I woke up, or you wouldn't have a ride to school this morning."

I scoff. "Well, thanks. You're my life savor. I wouldn't be anywhere with out you."

The awkwardness disappears. "Whatever," He smiles. "When did you wanna leave?"

"Unlike college, high school starts at 7:30. Suh whenever. Can I have breakfast here? I hate having breakfast in the caf because Violet is always late. Well, unless I sleep over the night before." I go to the fridge as he nods. "Do you have any cereal?"

"Only the best cereal in the word." I can hear the smile in his voice.

I cock my head at him. "And that is?"

"Marshmallow Matey's."

"No way! You know that's my favorite!" I hold my hand out. "What are you waiting for? I'd like breakfast soon."

He gets up and goes into the pantry. He tosses me the box of Matey's and I grin at him. When my dad was tutoring, Ben would be at my house early in the mornings on Saturday and I was always eating Matey's. My all time favorite cereal.

After cereal, he dresses and I wait by the front door. He comes down in jeans and a button up t-shirt. So. Gorgeous. "Ready?" I ask.

Ben nods, grabbing his keys off a hook by the front door. Then we're heading out to his car. I can see it more clearly; It's a convertible of some kind---Never been good with makes and models. I get in and so does he. He presses a button and the top recedes, hooking to the back of the car. I smile as he loops around and heads to the gate. "Did I say that your house is huge?" I say, twisting in my seat to look back at his house.

He laughs. "Only a couple of times."

"Well its huge. I might live in something like that when I get older." I turn back around and smile at him.

"Well, then get a maid. That place was so hard to clean when we first moved in. Finally we couldn't take it, so we hired a maid. She comes Monday through Thursday. So if we have a party on the weekends, we're screwed." Ben flicks the blinker before turning. "So how is school?"

I groan. "Which one?" Two schools. Kinda sucks.

Ben looks sideways at me. "Whichever you wanna tell me about."

"Eyes on the road, mister." I smile. "Well, high school is high school. And it's too early to tell with college. I hear the teachers a dick, though."

"That's what I heard too. I also heard he's stuck up and annoying." Is it just me or is he driving slowly?

"You're really hard on him. What'd he ever do to you?" I twist my torso to face him, pressing my back up against the door.

"He abuses me." He almost seems to be slowing down even more.

"Is your evidence base on an educational guess or are you jealous?" I raise my eyebrows and Ben laughs.

"I give up, you win." He's turning again. The school is straight. But I don't say anything.

"What's my prize?" I ask, propping my elbow up on the car door and leaning my head against my hand.

"I'll tell you when I figure it out." He turns again and the school comes into view. I sigh, not wanting to leave.

"Thanks for the ride, Ben. I'll see you in class." I smile at him and get out, hooking my messenger bag onto my shoulder. I close to the door and walk away.

"Aden," Ben calls. I turn back around and he offers me a smile. "Thanks for the kiss." And then he's zooming out of the parking lot. I stare, dumbfounded. Did he . . . What just happened?