Best Friends (Prequel)

That's What Friends Are For

(Monday Morning)

Ben and Mal walked into school. Audrey was standing by lockers with her friends, then she saw Ben.

"I'll be right back." Audrey told them, then walked over to Ben and Mal. "Hey Ben." 

"Hi." Ben slightly smiled.

Audrey looked over at Mal, who had her arms crossed and was giving Audrey a look. "We haven't talked in a while." 

"Yeah well you have a boyfriend so..." Ben responded.

"Right..." Audrey nodded. "Well I guess I'll see you guys around." Then she walked back over to her friends.

"Come on Ben." Mal grabbed his hand and walked past Audrey and her friends. 

(After school)

"Like does she not know how rude that was? Wouldn't you say that it doesn't matter? That we can still be friends?" Mal was ranting to Evie about Audrey.

"Can I ask you something?" Evie asked sitting up on Mal's bed.

"Sure." Mal nodded.

"Who do you think is more mad about it? You or Ben?" Evie questioned.

"Obviously Ben." Mal answered.

"Really?" Evie raised her eyebrows and looked at Mal not believing her.

"Me? You think I'm more mad about it?" Mal was asking.

"Well to be fair the girl that the guy you have a crush on likes did really hurt him." Evie explained. 

"Yeah. Or I'm just a good friend and side with my best friend." Mal corrected her.

"Sure, but I still think what I said is true." Evie replied.

"Whatever." Mal said and started walking out her door. 

"Wait!" Evie jumped up off Mal's bed. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to Ben. I'm being a good best friend." Mal stopped and told her.

"What about me?" Evie questioned.

"I don't know. Go home I guess." Mal suggested and shrugged. 

Then she ran down the stairs and out the door. She ran up to Ben's front door and started knocking on the door.

A couple seconds later the door opened with Ben's mom standing there.

"Hey Mal. You need something?" She asked.

"I need to talk to Ben." Mal told her.

"Oh yes of course. Come right in." She moved out of the way and let Mal in. 

"Thank you." Mal said right before she ran up the stairs to Ben's room. 

She knocked slightly on his door before pushing it open. 

"Hey you." Mal smiled as she walked in.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Ben replied asking.

"I wanted to talk to you." Mal answered.

"Sure. About what?" Ben wondered.

"About today. With Audrey." Mal stated.

"Oh... There's nothing really to talk about." Ben tried shrugging it off. 

"But you really like her don't you?" Mal checked.

"Well yeah, but if she wants to be with Chad that's her decision." Ben said.

"You're right about that. But imagine if a girl liked you, but you started dating someone, but that girl still wanted to be friends and you dismissed it. Wouldn't you feel bad?" Mal was saying. 

"Well yeah, but how would I know if someone liked me? Or if I hurt their feelings? Just like Audrey." Ben responded.

"Okay true, but maybe Audrey did know you like her." Mal said.

"What are you saying?" Ben questioned.

"I'm saying that maybe you should try talking to her and maybe you two can become friends." Mal suggested.

"Thanks Mal. That's some good advice." Ben told her.

"That's what friends are for." Mal gave him a smile.

Ben was smiling at her too, but then he said. "But I'm not gonna do that." 

"W-what? Why not?" Mal was asking.

"Because if she really wanted to be my friend she would say so." Ben explained. "And I'm not saying I don't like her anymore. I still really do. And maybe one day I'll be lucky enough and she'll want to go out with me. But for now I have my best friend." 

"Right." Mal slightly nodded. "Well that was all I really wanted to talk to you about. I'm gonna head out." 

"Oh okay. Well I'll see you tomorrow morning then." Ben replied.

"Y-yeah." Mal put on a smile and nodded, then walked out and slightly closed Ben's door. 

Mal reached the front door and was about to open it.

"Leaving so soon?" Ben's mom asked fro behind Mal.

Mal pulled her hand away from the doorknob and turned around to her. "Y-yeah. I still have a lot of homework I gotta finish."

"Oh. Well have a good night honey." She said.

"Yeah you too." Mal replied, then turned back around and left. 

She quickly walked into her house and ran up the stairs to her room. She shut the door behind her and laid on her bed with her head in her pillow.

A couple seconds later there was a knock on her door, then it opened.

"Honey? You okay?" She heard her mom's voice ask.

"What?" Mal turned her head to look at her.

"You seem upset about something. Is everything okay?" Her mom told her and checked.

"It's just stressful." Mal answered.

"What is?" Her mom questioned.

"You wouldn't get it." Mal said.

"Mal, you forget I was your age once." Her mom reminded her. She sat down on the end of Mal's bed. "Honey tell me what's wrong."

"Fine." Mal complained, then sat up and faced her. "It's just there's this boy I like, but he likes this other girl. And that girl is dating someone, but she doesn't even know she hurt him. And I just want to tell him how I feel."

"Then why don't you?" Her mom asked.

"Because I know he doesn't feel the same way." Mal answered.

"Well sometimes you gotta do things that you son't want to do, but after you do it you feel so much better." Her mom explained. "Just something to think about." 

Her mom stood up and walked out and she closed the door a little. Leaving Mal sitting on her bed thinking about what her mom told her and what she should do.