Another lil Benley collection

Out of State

AN: But wait there's more. That finale GOT ME STIRRED. Know I had to do my 1,2, and 3. With these storylines 

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Tuck nudged Joey, stirring him from his slumber. "Joey, wake up, man," he whispered urgently, shaking him gently.

Joey groaned and rolled over, squinting at Tuck through half-opened eyes. "What could possibly be so important at this ungodly hour?"

"It's about college," Tuck replied, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Joey's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "College? Dude, it's way too early to be stressing about that stuff."

"I know, but I've been thinking," Tuck began, pacing back and forth across the room, his mind racing with all the possible reactions his mom might have. "I've been thinking about going to college out of state," he confessed in a rush.

Joey frowned, trying to wrap his still-sleepy brain around what his brother was saying. "Wait, you want to go to college out of state? Like, far away from here?"

Tuck nodded, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. "Yeah, exactly. But I'm scared to talk to Mom about it. I'm afraid she'll freak out."

Joey sighed, sitting up in bed and running a hand through his messy hair before swinging his legs out of bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Alright, fine. But why wake me up for this? Mom's going to be cranky if we wake her up too."

Tuck hesitated, chewing on his lip. "I just needed someone to talk to before I talk to Mom. You know how she gets when we bring up big stuff like this. I needed some moral support."

Joey chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine, fine. We can talk about college. But next time, can we do it at a more reasonable hour?"

Tuck grinned back at his brother, relief flooding through him. "Deal. Thanks, Joey."

Joey raised an eyebrow, a look of concern flickering across his face. "Before we talk to Mom, you gotta have a solid reason for wanting to go out of state, Tuck. What's your pitch?"

Tuck paused, considering his response carefully. "Well, for one, I think it would be a great opportunity to experience life in a different place, you know? I've lived here my whole life, and while I love it, I feel like there's so much more out there to see and explore. Broaden my horizons."

Joey nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can see that. And what about the academic side of things?"

"I've thought about that too. And some of the schools I'm looking at out of state have really strong programs in my field of interest. And besides, stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself in a new environment might actually be beneficial in the long run."

Joey nodded again, seeming to understand where Tuck was coming from. "Okay, fair enough. Just make sure you can articulate all of this to Mom when you talk to her. She's gonna want to know that you've thought this through."

Joey gave Tuck a reassuring pat on the back. "Stay calm, cool, and collected. Mom can be intense, but you're a man now, and this is about your future. You got this.""

Tuck took a deep breath, nodding in agreement. "Got it. Thanks, Joey."

With Joey's words echoing in his mind, Tuck squared his shoulders and prepared himself mentally for the upcoming conversation.

Ben, hearing murmurs coming from his sons' bedroom, approached the door with a mix of curiosity and concern. He gently pushed it open, peering inside to find Tuck and Joey engaged in what seemed like a serious conversation.