Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty-Three

At around 6:30 that afternoon, the group decided it was about time to head home. Like they did on their first night of freedom, they walked each other home. The first one to leave was Fleur, as her neighborhood was the closest to the mall. She gave friendly hugs to everyone and left after saying her goodbyes. They continued on until they reached Magnolia's neighborhood next; she said goodbye to everyone and gave the girls tight hugs before leaving. After that, they engaged in shallow conversation, mainly the girls doing all the talking. Eventually, it was Angelita's turn to go.

"Bye, traitor," Crybaby said before they parted, bringing her into a hug even though she was still pretty damp.

Angelita grinned, "I was distracted," she defended herself again.

Crybaby laughed, "You're a cute traitor."

Angelita rolled her eyes and gave Crybaby a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, guys," she waved, making sure to give Ben an individual grin. He returned one, still not used to the warmth from her. She and Crybaby shared one last look, then Angelita turned and left. Only Crybaby, Ben and Celeste were left now. Crybaby went back up to them and they kept walking, continuing their conversation as they all tried to ignore the elephant in the room. 'Fuck this tension', Crybaby thought to herself. Soon, they approached a neighborhood with a sign that read Pellesen Point.

"Ben, isn't this your place?" Celeste asked as she stopped in front of the entrance.

Ben came up with something quickly, "Yeah, but I'm spending the night at my uncle's. His neighborhood is far down that way," he said, flicking his head in the direction they'd been walking. He didn't want to go home just yet.

"Oh, okay," Celeste nodded and continued walking. In just a couple minutes, it was time for her to leave. She sighed and gave Crybaby a short hug goodbye, then approached Ben and gave his shoulder a light pat, "See you around," she smiled a bit.

"Tomorrow," He responded with a soft smile before she separated from them. Finally, it was just Ben and Crybaby. He had been patiently waiting.

"Why are you spending the night away from home?" Crybaby asked him.

"I'm not," he said. Crybaby tilted her head in confusion.

He grinned and took her hand in both of his, "I just didn't want to leave you yet."

Crybaby's heart skipped a beat. She let out a giggle and bashfully turned her head away from Ben. He watched her and chuckled. "How far away is your neighborhood again?" he asked.

"Uh, it's just straight down. We have a bit more walking to do," Crybaby answered and pointed ahead.

"Good," He grinned. Crybaby smiled.

"How's the situation with Angelita?" Ben asked in a few minutes.

"Oh... You saw, she's good. We're good. I think she feels pretty safe now," Crybaby nodded as she spoke.

"No, I mean, how are you with the situation?"

Crybaby found herself at a loss for words as she thought, and soon gave up on trying to answer. Ben sighed softly, "I want you to be honest with me. Say how you feel out loud, it might be good for you. Or you might feel like an asshole for it. I get it, but I want you to know that no matter what you say, it stays between us. I won't tell anyone, and I won't judge you for it," he comforted, holding her hand tighter.

She processed everything he had said in a mix of emotions. "I hate it. Not just what her and I have, but also how quickly it all changed. Somehow, I don't see it like everyone else does; like I'm gaining a new side of her, or how sweet it is that she has feelings for me. It's not like that," she vented, tilting her head back and looking up at the dark blue sky, "I feel like I lost the best friend I had for years. And I was so oblivious, I didn't even get a chance to watch it happen. I'm pressured and scared, and I can't even be with who I want freely anymore." She turned to him and exhaled sharply, "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

Ben stopped in his tracks and hugged her tightly. She was taken by surprise, but she hugged him back while she used all her strength to stop herself from crying.

"I know you'll be fine. But I'm still going to be here for you," he said softly, stroking her hair which had been forming into its natural waves.

"Thank you," Crybaby sighed. They didn't say another word until she saw the sign marking her neighborhood, Indigo Meadows. He looked at her when they reached the entrance and she hugged him again, "Really, thank you so much for being there for me. I know it hasn't been the longest time, but you've done more for me than any other guy has," she smiled.

"And I plan on staying. Even if we don't have a relationship, we'll always have a friendship," he said.

Crybaby's heart began to beat a little faster and her vocabulary started fading, but she remembered three words. "I love you," she looked up at him while their arms were still loosely wrapped around one another. He grinned, "I love you."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Ben gently put his hands on her face and leaned in. Crybaby leaned in as well, and their lips touched. They kissed and held onto each other for a bit, neither of them wanting the perfect moment to end. Soon enough, Crybaby pulled back and just gazed lovingly at him. Ben looked back at her, his mind whirling. A single tear fell from Crybaby's eye as she couldn't contain all her emotions.

"Aw, baby," Ben smiled and wiped her face with his thumb. He picked up a few flakes of her mascara from under her eye.

Crybaby smiled, "Sorry," she sniffled.

Ben shook his head, "Do you want me to walk you the rest of the way?" he asked softly. Crybaby wanted to accept the offer but also didn't want to come off as clingy. She could use some time to wind down after all. "I think I'll be alright," she nodded.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," She was about to step back and say her goodbye, but Ben had one last question. "Wait, uh..." he paused, trying to think of what words to use. Crybaby stood in front of him and waited for a moment.

"My dad will be out of town on Friday night for work. He'll be back late Saturday or early Sunday morning," He explained while Crybaby nodded along, "So, I was wondering if you'd want to come over to my house? Maybe even spend the night? If your mom is okay with that too, of course."

Crybaby shook her head, "First of all, don't worry about my mom's approval. She doesn't really care where I go," she chuckled, "And I'd love to. Would your dad mind?"

"I could ask him, but he might say no. So, I was thinking he doesn't have to know," he smiled slyly. Crybaby giggled, "Yeah, sure. Just give me a call and tell me when to come over."

"Huh?" Ben laughed, "No, you're not 'coming over'. You're getting picked up. You're a lady. My lady," Ben said, gently playing with her hair.

"What do you mean? Are you just going to walk here and back with me or something?"

"Nope. I'll drive you."

"You drive?" Crybaby asked with wide eyes. Ben nodded. She blushed at the thought of it, him going out of his way to pick her up and drive her to his house. "Well... I can't wait," She grinned.

"Me neither. But for now, I think it's time to go." He chuckled, looking up at dark sky.

"Okay," She hugged him once more, "Bye, I love you," she said as she pulled back.

"I love you too. Be safe," he said as he turned around. The two of them then parted ways from each other. As they walked, they both turned around and glanced back at each other at the same time, making them laugh once more.