Much Ado About Ben and Trix

Prologue

   'Here you may see Benedick the married man.'  -  Act 1 Scene 1

"How long do you think the happy couple will last?" The sardonic boy, next to Beatrix asked.

"I was hoping till death do us part still has some meaning in today's society," she said, crossing her legs, pulling down the red dress which all of a sudden felt too tight.

Beatrix fiddled with their metal cutlery that she'd put together on the porcelain plate, clinking them together. The boy's eyes followed her, causing her to fidget and lock eyes with her cousin. Averting her eyes to the lace white table cloth, she tapped her heeled foot against the floor, as a slow waltz started up. The bride and groom took to the dancefloor.

The boy snorted and rolled his eyes. Beatrix nudged him in the ribs. "It's a wedding, could you be a little less awful?"

"Sorry, I'm love sceptic," he said dryly.

"It's a wedding. What are you doing here?"

"I'm the best friend of the groom's brother, he left to go flirt with a bridesmaid. I'm also to young to go get drunk with his uncles over at the bar," he said with a shrug.

Beatrix let her eyes drift over to the newly married couple, with their arms wrapped around each other, both smiling. The disapproval radiated off her aunts, all staring at their beautiful Chinese niece marrying a sports obsessed Springboks fan. The same murmuring - Beatrix expected - her mother had been on the receiving end of, for the past twenty years.

The rest of the wedding guests, took their dates by the hand and pulled them onto the dancefloor. Beatrix sat there - knowing full well that her cousin would try to rope her in for babysitting while she flirted with the bartender.

"I'm Ben Aragon," the boy said.

"Ah, of course you can't find love, your name makes you pretentious," she said.

"And your name is?"

"Beatrix Hsu."

"People in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones, Trixie," he said, raising a glass of sparkling water to his lips.

Opening her mouth in protest, she stood up, as her cousin made her way over to the table. Wrapping her fist in the fabric of Ben Aragon's plaid dress shirt, forcing him to stand up. Taking his hand and entwining their fingers together, she pulled him onto the dancefloor.

"I am not babysitting, I've been forced the past three weddings to listen to Alex talk about her new iPhone after she destroyed her last one. She's eight. And I thought my little brother was annoying," Beatrix said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm an only child," he said with a shrug.

"No wondering you aren't very socialised." Arranging his arms around her waist, they began to sway to Whitney Houston. "You don't have to be so awkward Ben, I didn't think I was that repulsive." She pulled him closer with a laugh.

"No you're not...repulsive, at all really," he said, moving his hands down to her hips.

Two and a half hours later, Beatrix finally released him from her stronghold.

"Thanks, from saving me from a bunch of bratty six year olds." She removed her hands from his shoulders, flexing out her stiff wrists.

"It wasn't half bad, it was...fun," he said with a shrug.

Turning on the heel of her court shoe, she threw a quick smile over her shoulder, her straight black hair tickling her back.

Ben reached out and caught her hand, causing her to turn around. "Hey Beatrix would it be alright if I got your number?" he asked, slipping his other hand into the pocket of his pinstriped pants.

"The love sceptic is asking for a girl's number, I think I broke you." Beatrix reached out taking his smashed phone and typing her number in it. "I'll look forward to your call." She turned again, the brocade dress material caressing her thighs. She walked over to her family, cuffing her brother around the back of the head after he'd opened his mouth.

Leaving the blushing boy behind on the dance floor. 

A/N: Welcome to a new story, it is a Much Ado About Nothing modernisation and retelling (so I hope I don't butcher one of my favourite plays) and the rest of the story will follow the structure of the play yet in narrative form. If you find any mistakes let me know. I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with me, it's a new direction and I'm excited. Please vote and let me know what you think :)