More Than Friends (Book 2)

Ben's News

"Let's go! Let's go!" Eliza was cheering as Harry threw the bowling ball.

"Woo!" Harry clapped his hands with Eliza.

"Alright Doug it's your turn." Evie told him.

"Okay." Doug took a breath. "Wish me luck."

"Okay." Evie said and kissed his cheek before he stood up.

After Doug's turn Ben stood up.

"Do I get a good luck kiss?" Ben smirked at Mal.

"Sure." Mal smiled and stood up and held his face and kissed him on the lips.

Ben walked up and took the bowling ball, then throw it. They all watched as all the bowling pins went down.

"Yeah! Woo! That's my boyfriend!" Mal was cheering in everyone's faces.

"Yeah. Yeah. Way to rub it in." Carlos said with his arm around Jane.

"So what should we do now?" Harry Doug wondered.

"I have an idea." Harry answered with a smirk.

(Minutes later)

"Harry are you sure this is a good idea?" Ben checked as they walked out of their cars towards an empty dirt hill.

Don't be a baby Ben." Harry teased.

He took Eliza's hand and the ran up to the top of the hill. Evie and Doug walked up holding hands. Then Carlos and Jane did the same. It was just Ben and Mal standing there.

"You want to go up there?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. Race you!" Mal yelled, then started running up.

"Hey! Not fair!" Ben called after her and ran after her.

"Oh shoot! I totally forgot it." Harry realized, then ran back down his car.

A few minutes later he came back with a couple bags.

"Drink up everyone." Harry told them as he put he bags down.

"Harry? What are you doing?" Ben looked at the bags, then at Harry.

"What? No one is here. No one is gonna find out. Come on Ben live a little." Harry responded.

"Yeah he's got a point." Eliza nodded and opened a drink and took a sip.

(A few minutes later)

They were all drinking, dancing while listening to music. The only three that weren't drinking were Carlos, Jane, and Ben.

"You guys aren't drinking?" Ben questioned sitting beside them.

"No." Jane answered. "My mom would kill me. And Carlos is a good boyfriend and won't drink if I'm not."

"How about you, Ben? Why aren't you drinking?" Carlos leaned and asked Ben.

"Designated driver, I drove Mal here. So I gotta make sure she gets home okay." Ben explained.

He looked over and saw Mal and Eliza dancing next to each other.

"Hey! This where the party is?!" Jay called to them as him, Chad, Audrey, and Aaron were walking up.

"Hey! You made it!" Harry ran to them with a drink in his hand.

"Eliza? Is that you?" Aaron wondered, then walked over to her. "Are you drunk?"

"What....? Definitely not." Eliza was answering, then almost fell on Aaron.

"I think you should sit down and stop drinking." Aaron sat her down and took her drink away.

"Ben! Come on! Have something to drink!" Mal ran up to him with a drink.

"No Mal. I'm good. I think we should get you home before your parents get worried." Ben explained.

He brought her to his car. When they got back he parked in his driveway, then brought Mal over to her house. He tucked her into bed.

"Good night Mal." Ben whispered and kissed her forehead before leaving.

(The next night)

"Mal... Mal... Mal!" Ben said and Mal woke up in her bed.

"B-Ben?" She said with her eyes slightly opened.

"Yeah it's me. You're mom let me in and said I could go upstairs to your room. Are you okay? You look a little freaked out?" Ben was telling her and also checked.

"Y-yeah. Bad dream that's all." Mal answered with a smile.

"Okay. Well you want to go out with a few others since we don't have school tomorrow?" Ben suggested.

"Uh... Sure. I just gotta get ready." Mal replied.

Ben was standing there smiling. Then Mal immediately stood up and hugged him

"Mal are you sure you're okay?" Ben checked again.

"Yep. I'm just really happy to have you in my life. I love you, Ben." Mal responded and kissed Ben. Then she closed the door, but didn't lock it.

"Mal what are you doing?" Ben asked with a little nervous laugh.

"Nothing. I got something." Mal walked over to the other side of her bed and pulled out a drink.

"Mal! Where did you get that?" Ben questioned.

"I found it downstairs. My parents won't miss one. Now you want to split it?" Mal offered.

"No! Mal!" Ben denied. "There's something I need to tell you. I wan going to wait till after we hang out with our friends, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea anymore so I'll do it now."

"Wait. You're not breaking up with me are you? I should've known. I should've known it's hard dating your best friend." Mal was panicking.

"No Mal. I'm not breaking up with you." Ben assured her. "It's something else.

"Okay. So what is it?" Mal wondered sitting on the bed facing him.

Ben sighed, then sat down next to her. "I got a letter from a very high class college. And they are giving me one month to decide whether I want to go or not."

"So are you gonna go?" Mal asked.

"Well if I do we're gonna be far apart." Ben told Mal.

"So? We can handle it. Ben look at me." Mal held his face in her hands as she talked. "If this is somewhere you really want to go, then go for it. Don't think about the negatives. Think about the positives. We'll figure something out, okay?"

Ben nodded with a slight smile.

"Okay." Mal smiled back and kissed him while she was still holding his face in her hands. "Now? Are we gonna go out and have fun?"

"Okay." Ben agreed, but I'm not drinking."

"What? No. You might be leaving soon for college where there is going to be so much drinking. We need to get you ready. Look Carlos never drinks. We can have him drive us there and back and we don't have to worry about getting into an accident."

"Fine okay." Ben gave in.

"Yay! Okay I'll text Carlos. Then I'm gonna find something to wear. You can help me decide between a few outfits."

"Sure." Ben smiled.

Mal smiled back, then turned to face her closet. When her back was turned Ben took out the letter her received.

In the letter it said that Ben only had one week to decide not one month. Ben was staring at letter, till he heard Mal's voice.

"Ben?" She said.

He shoved the letter back in his pocket and looked up at her. "Y-yeah?"

"Turn around so I can try this outfit on and you can see if you like it or not." Mal told him.

Ben nodded, then did as he was told and turned the other way facing her door.