YOU BELONG WITH ME , Ben Plunkett

ben, jaz and latoya's movie night

"Hey!" Mandy shouted as Ben and I walked out of the school the following day. We were laughing about a TikTok he'd seen. Mandy jumped on Ben, and he turned to look at her.

She was grinning widely.

"Why are you so smiley?" I asked her, as I laughed at her.

"I am tutoring Graham Lansing at his house on Friday night. Where he lives with Senator Lansing," Mandy said, excitedly.

Ben looked at her confused. "Wait, Friday night as is Mandy, Ben, and Jazzy's bookstore-movie-waffle night?" he asked.

"Yeah, I know. It sucks. We're gonna have to skip the bookstore and push back the movie—unless..." she grinned, and looked at me. "You two go to the bookstore without me, and we can meet up for the movie after?" she asked.

My eyes widened, but I kept my composure. Ben and I, alone, at my favorite spot? Yes, please.

"Are you mad I can't come?" she asked.

"No. I mean, as long as we can make it to the movie, it's fine. It's better than fine. It's good. I'm sure Jaz and I will be okay at the bookstore without you," Ben said.

"We'll miss you, though," I frowned.

"The Harvard Gods have given you a sign. You can't ignore them, or they might smite you and make you go to Brown," Ben joked.

"Ugh. Don't even joke about that," Mandy said, as the three of us walked toward Ben's car.

*

Friday came quicker than I thought, and to say I was nervous was an understatement.

Ben and I hadn't really gotten around to talking about what had happened in the bathroom that day in school. When he'd said he "loved" me, or whatever.

We also hadn't gotten to talk about my feelings any further—and if I'm being honest, I don't really want to bring it up tonight. I just want to have a good time with my best friend.

When Ben picked me up, he'd beeped his horn twice, and I rushed outside and into the car.

"Hi," I grinned. Ben's glance lingered on me, as a smile smile tugged at his lips.

"We can spend as much time in the bookstore as you want, tonight," he said.

"I still kinda feel bad that Mandy isn't with us," I frowned.

"That's okay," he shrugged. "It gives us time to talk,"

"T-talk about what?" I questioned, nervously.

"Come on, Jasmine. We have to address the elephant in the room at some point," he told me as he drove away from my house.

I looked over at him. "Ben, I seriously don't know what you're talking about," I lied, laughing, lightly. "I already told you how I felt,"

"Yeah...but we didn't talk about how I felt. And after what happened in the bathroom—" I cut him off.

"Ben, I get it, okay? You were trying to help me. You said whatever I needed to hear. I know it isn't true, though. It's okay," I said, smiling weakly. Ben quickly looked at me, and then back on the road.

"Right, yeah. I—I just didn't want you to think.."

"Yeah, I know." I told him. "Now, can I please play some music?"

He handed me the auxiliary cord. "Go for it,"

I put Taylor Swift on shuffle.

*

After the bookstore, Ben and I waited in line at the movie theater. Ben had texted Mandy, letting her know he'd gotten the tickets.

His face contorted into one of betrayal as he looked at me. "She's not coming," he frowned. "Now, I have an extra ticket,"

"Oh, it's okay—I can see if we can return it," I told him.

"That's what Mandy said. It's okay, though if we can't. It'll just be the two of us. It'll be like a da—" Ben was glancing at the line in front of us, when his eyes grew wide. "LaToya Reynolds!" he screamed, and the poor girl jumped, holding her heart as she spun to face us.

I wish he'd finished his sentence.

"Holy shit, Ben," I shouted, holding my own heart. I laughed, half-heartedly at our failed moment.

LaToya smiled, "Ben Plunkett, you scared me," she giggled.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. So sorry," he said. "I'm just—I'm surprised to see you here."

"Because I'm not going to Cory Eckhart's party?" she asked.

"Yeah, yes, cause I am definitely aware of that party," he said. "So, why aren't you going?"

"Every once in a while I just need a break from that scene," she replied.

"Yeah, I mean, same. Right, Jaz?" Ben asked me.

"Yeah, totally," I piped in.

"Thought you could relate," she smiled.

"Uh—what are you here to see?" Ben inquired. LaToya pointed to a poster.

"Infinite Doom," Oh. Joy. The same movie we're seeing. "Scary movies are not my thing, but where Michael B. Jordan goes, I follow," she said.

"Well, I'm here to see that, too. Do you wanna go together?" he suggested to LaToya.

"What?" I asked, suddenly, quietly.

Wasn't Ben just insinuating that this had been a date? And now he was inviting LaToya to join our date?

I shook my head, and scoffed to myself. They were both too caught in each other's gazes to even notice.

"Not together, of course! Obviously not together. I just meant, like, would you—would you wanna go as friends? Or you know what? Now that I say it out loud, friends may be presumptuous. I can totally hear that now. What I mean to say is that I have this extra ticket, and you can totally have it if you want it. And it would just be, like, one classmate helping out a fellow classmate. Nothing more than that. And you know what? We don't even need to sit next to each other if you don't want to, so..." Ben stopped rambling, out of breath, and my heart was beating so fast with anger that I needed to walk away.

Did he even notice me standing right beside him? I had been with him this entire night, and it was like he forgot I even existed.

"I'd be happy to help out my fellow classmates," LaToya said, emphasizing that there were indeed two of us. That's when Ben's eyes widened. "And we can sit next to each other," she said, snatching the ticket with a grin.

She walked toward the doors, and Ben spun around to face me.

"Jaz—"

"Just forget about it, Ben," I sighed. "I didn't wanna see this stupid movie, anyway," I shook my head with exhaustion. "I just don't understand you, Ben. Why are you making this thing I have for you, worse? I'm trying to forget about it, and you just keep leading me on with the silly things you say."

"Jasmine," he whispered, face dropping.

"Have fun with LaToya," I told him. "I've got a speech to write, anyway," I handed him my ticket to return, and walked in the direction of home.

*

Angelina Speaks:

They were so close. 😔