𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, benj nielsen x reader

10 | when the moonlight hits

Y/N

-

The bell rings for first period, and the usual hustle of students fills the hallway. It's a Monday, and yet the week already feels heavy. I see Alexia out of the corner of my eye, but I refuse to acknowledge her presence. The image of her and Matthew kissing is burned into my mind, making my stomach twist with every passing second. She's probably waiting for me to talk to her, to let her off the hook with some weak excuse, but I'm not ready to forgive. Not today.

As I walk down the hall, I spot Benj standing near the lockers with Eddie. They're in the middle of some conversation, but it's like the moment I notice him, I'm drawn in.

Maybe it's the way he stands out—awkward, a bit out of place in the sea of students who all seem to know exactly where they belong. Or maybe it's because talking to him openly feels like a quiet rebellion against the chaos of everything else.

I take a deep breath, straighten my posture, and head towards them. Benj looks up, and the confusion on his face is immediate. His eyes flicker to Eddie, who's equally baffled. I know they're both wondering why on earth I'm walking up to them like this, in front of everyone.

"Hi," I say, throwing in my most innocent smile. Benj blinks at me, his eyes wide with confusion.

"[Y/N]... hey," he finally says, looking around nervously as if expecting someone to pop out and tell him this is a prank. "What are you doing?"

"Talking to my friends, of course," I reply, still smiling. It feels strange, but a good kind of strange, like I'm crossing an invisible line and there's no going back.

Eddie clears his throat, his eyes darting between us. "Okay, well, we'll see you later," he mutters, clearly uncomfortable with the situation as he walks off, leaving me alone with Benj. I wave at Eddie as he goes, but it's hard to miss the stares burning into my back. It's a sight no one expected.

I turn slightly, catching Alexia watching me from across the hall. Her face is clouded with guilt, but I can't find it in me to care. I scoff, breaking our eye contact, and head off to homeroom, leaving a trail of whispers behind me.

Classes drag on, each more boring than the last, and by the time lunch rolls around, I'm relieved to get out of the stuffy classrooms. I grab my tray of food, navigating through the cafeteria filled with clusters of students, each in their own social circles.

The stares continue, some subtle, others blatant, as I walk past the tables. I spot Alexia at our usual spot, raising her eyebrows when she sees me approaching, but I don't give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I breeze right past her, heading towards the outside section of the cafeteria.

Benj and his friends are sitting at their usual table, huddled together, laughing about something. Connor is in the middle of a rant, gesturing wildly with his hands. As I approach, their conversation halts. I drop my tray onto the table, sliding into the seat between Eddie and Benj. Connor stops mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he looks at me.

"Continue," I say, taking a bite of my food and motioning for him to go on.

Connor blinks, clearly surprised, but after a beat, he picks up where he left off. The story he's telling is ridiculous, something about a failed experiment in chemistry class, but his way of narrating it has me laughing in seconds.

I find myself easing into the group, feeling more comfortable by the minute. Even Koosh, who I usually find to be a bit of a weirdo, manages to make me laugh with his odd comments.

As the conversation flows, Benj picks up a French fry and sticks it against his top lip, mimicking a mustache. I giggle at the sight, reaching for my phone. "Hold still," I say, bringing up Snapchat and seizing a pic. He leans closer to me, watching the screen. We both laugh as I quickly post it to my story.