Who Would I Be Without You? //Ben Cook fanfic// *FINISHED*

One: Studying and Vandalism

"Listening to the Hamilton soundtrack does not count as studying Olivia." my Mom laughs from the doorway of my bedroom.

I clicked the space bar on my computer and swivelled my desk chair around to face her, "no, but it's better than actual studying." she rolled her eyes at me, smiling as she came over to my desk and kissed my forehead. 

"Anyway, how do you even know what Hamilton is? The last time I played this you thought I was talking about the race car driver LEWIS Hamilton!" I ask, inserting my earphones into the headphone jack and shuffling through my index cards for the test I had in 2 weeks.

Mom shrugged, sitting down on the end of my bed, "I picked up your IPod instead of my own by accident and may or may not have listened to the whole soundtrack on my way to and from work last week..." I gave her a look, folding my arms, "yeah, by 'accident' Mom." I smiled, air quoting the word accident before swivelling my chair back round to my desk and continued highlighting keywords, thinking the conversation was over.

I was very wrong.

"Honey?" Mom begins, wringing her hands in her lap,

"Yeah?" I ask, not looking up from my work,

She took a deep breath, sighing, "I got a call from your principal this morning..."

I freeze at her words, slowly lowering my highlighter and adjusting my glasses on my nose, "really? What did he say?" I ask, trying to keep my voice as level as possible. Whenever the principal calls, it's usually for something not so good.

I'm not a terrible kid, I promise, I never do anything intentionally to get in trouble, it just kind of...happens!

"He called up to ask me why you keep scribbling graffiti all over the desks and on the walls...is this true?" Mom explained, standing from the  bed and walking around the desk to look at me directly. 

I huffed out a long breath, turning to her fully and looking up into her eyes.

"They cut the budget for the art department, it was a political statement-" I began explaining but she groaned, rubbing circles into her temples, "really? You call this a political statement?" she asks, holding her phone up so I can see, displayed on the black and green lockers (black for boys, green for girls) the words 'Principal Green' written in big bold red spray painted letters with an arrow pointing to a painting of a monkey wearing a suit and glasses, sticking his tongue out.

I smirk, covering my mouth with hand as I try to hold back my giggles, "y-yeah...it shows how much of a performing monkey Mr. Green  is for the school board and kisses up to the athletics department."

 Mom sighed deeply, crouching down next to me and taking my hands in hers, "sweetheart, I know you're passionate about this but is painting this mural in the girls AND boys locker rooms really the right way to go about it?"

I frown, going silent as I avoid her eye contact.

"honey you're almost 18, you're going to college soon, I don't want this hotheadedness ruining your chances-" the anger I am keeping down simmers to the surface and I blurt out,

"I'm sorry okay, but it was wrong of them to do that to the art kids, to ME! It's like we don't exist or matter and it's NOT FAIR!"

Mom scowls, scrunching up her nose the way she did when she was about to go off on a lecture, which I am assuming is about to happen any minute now.

"I know you're upset sweetheart, but this was a terrible way of handling it."

She tries to catch my eye but I refuse to give it to her, so she places a hand on my cheek and turns my head so I am looking her directly in the eye, "this really isn't like you honey..."

I huff again, nudging her hand away and staring back down at her hands, practically forcing the next words out of my mouth, "I know it was wrong to do what I did, I feel awful for it and I will take any punishment they see fit." I say, still thinking this is completely unfair, but also hoping they won't expel me months away from graduation.

Mom nods, standing up, squeezing my hands as she did, "good, there's the Via I know and love. You'll have afternoon detention for a month, or at least for however long it takes for you to scrub the lockers clean." she explains, turning to leave, I grumble slightly but it's not as bad as expulsion.

'This is bullshit!' is what I want to say but instead I go for a mumbled, "yeah, I guess that's fair..."

Mom nods again, "you're a smart girl Via, very talented and caring, a lot of passion and fire in that small body of yours...you just need to remember the right ways of using it."

I smile lightly, nodding stiffly, turning back to my work silently.

She pauses in the doorway, "oh, also, Ben and Emma are coming home on Saturday for Christmas break, isn't that great?"

Oh fuck.

The lead snaps on the end of my pencil, "what? I thought they couldn't get home until New year?" I ask and Mom's eyes widen, biting her lip as she backed out of the room. I don't think she was supposed to tell me that. I drop the pencil on the desk and scramble for my phone which is charging next to my bed.

I quickly unlock it and open up WhatsApp.

I click on the group chat between me, Ben, Emma, Nick and Kate (Originally named 'Sibling Chat Room') and start typing, but stopped myself, do I really wanna pour my heart out about everything to them ALL?

I exit the group chat and go to the single one I had with Emma:

Me: Emma, why didn't you tell me you were coming home early?

Emma: What?! How'd you find out? Did Mom blab?

Me: Who else?? XD

Emma: It was supposed to be a surprise! That's the last time I tell Mom a secret.

Me: Don't be too hard on her, atleast now I'm prepared

Emma: What do you mean?

Me: Whenever you and Ben come home, I have to mentally prepare myself.

Emma: Why would you need to prepare mentally? It's just us.

Me: It's not so much with you I have to prepare for, it's mostly Ben.

Emma: Oh boy, what's he done now?

Me: Nothing, he's just...better.

Emma: Better? At what?

Me: Most things, same with you.

Emma: Pfft! Come on Via! You're talented too!

Me: Tell that to every single one of our extended family members?

Emma: Oh my god V! Please don't tell me you're still bitter about what happened with Grandma and Aunt Mona are you?

Me: They didn't want to hear about me! Just asked me how Ben was doing! Constantly comparing me to him and you! I mean did either of them talk to you about Ben at all.

Emma: ...

Me: Emma...?

Emma: ...Once or twice, but no, not the whole time we talked.

Me: Do you see my point now??

Emma: come on! It won't be like that this year!

Me: Promise?

Emma: Promise.

Me: Okay, I trust you. See you in a few days.

Emma: Love youuu <3

Me: Love you tooo <3

A/N: Hello there! Hope you enjoyed the first part to my story. Next chapter tomorrow hopefully! I appreciate feedback so please send <3