Best Friends (Prequel)

Mistakes

(A couple weeks later)

"Hey how was rehearsals?" Ben asked as him and Mal were walking out of school. 

"It was fine." Mal responded. "How was practice?"

"Pretty good actually." Ben said.

"Well that's good to hear." Mal added.

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow." Derek said to Evie as they came out of the school.

"Bye." Evie smiled and was blushing.

Ben and Mal stopped and were watching. Then Evie looked over and ran up to them. 

"Hey guys." Evie greeted them.

"Hey." Ben replied and Mal just smiled. 

"So you know how I've been dating Derek for a couple weeks now?" Evie questioned. 

"Yeah." Mal answered.

"Well I'm gonna tell him." Evie stated.

"Tell him what? You already told him you don't like drama. What else is there to tell him?" Mal wondered.

"No I mean I'm gonna tell him I love him." Evie told them.

"Oh... Boy." Ben was saying.

"Evie, do you really think that's a good idea?" Mal asked. "I mean you two just started dating a couple weeks ago." 

"I know, but I can't help how I feel." Evie responded. 

"I just feel it's too soon." Mal mentioned.

Evie looked over at Ben and he was nodding.

"Alright fine. I won't tell him." Evie gave in.

"Good." Mal said. "Now we should all get home."

(The next day)

"Mal!" Evie yelled running up to her.

"Is everything okay?" Mal checked.

"Derek wants to go out tonight." Evie told her.

"Okay?" Mal replied.

"What if I slip up and tell him I love him?" Evie questioned.

"Then don't slip up." Mal instructed. 

"Yeah, but what if it's an accident?" Evie wondered.

"I don't know. Don't hang out with him?" Mal suggested with a shrug.

"I don't get why I can't just tell him I love him." Evie said.

"Because what if it freaks him out?" Mal asked. "Then he breaks up with you."

"Yeah I guess you're right. I'll figure something out." Evie nodded. 

(Later)

"Ben!" Mal waved him over.

"Hey." Ben walked over to her.

"I need a favor." Mal told him.

"Of course." Ben agreed.

"I need your help rehearsing. We've only had a couple weeks of practicing because it's not that bring of a play, but I really need help." Mal was telling Ben.

"Of course I'll help. Just let me know when." Ben responded and Mal smiled.

(After school)

"Ben it's about time you got here." Chad said running up to Ben.

"Yeah I'm not staying. I came to tell coach I can't. I'm helping Mal rehearse for her play." Ben explained.

"What? No dude you can't." Chad shook his head. "Coach needs..."

"Coach needs you to play in the big game!" Jay announced cutting Chad off.

"Wait what?" Ben wondered.

"Dude I was gonna tell him." Chad said looking at Jay annoyed.

"But I'm a freshman. Freshman don't play in the big games." Ben reminded them.

"Yeah, but one of the seniors are out. So coach needed someone to put it and he chose you." Jay told him.

"Now come on." Chad pushed Ben towards the field.

Mal was waiting outside of the school and kept checking her phone to see if Ben ever responded, but there was nothing. So she decided to just start heading home. 

(After)

"Great job out there King!" The coach said to Ben as the senior and juniors patted Ben's back and high fived him.

"Thanks Coach." Ben smiled out of breath.

"You play like that in the big game, then you'll get to play in more actual games." The coach added.

After they were done Ben walked over to the bench to grab his water. He picked up his phone and saw a bunch of texts from Mal.

"Shoot!" Ben said to himself, then grabbed his bag and ran off. 

(At Mal's house)

Ben ran up to Mal's front door and rang the doorbell and was knocking. Then Mal's mom answered the phone. 

"Oh hey Ben." She greeted him with a smile.

"Hi um is Mal here?" Ben wondered. 

"Yeah she's in her room." Mal's mom answered.

"Cool um can I go talk to her?" Ben checked.

"Oh yeah of course. But she did she was a bit busy." Her mom said and added.

"I know." Ben replied as he ran up the stairs. 

He walked up to her door and knocked on it.

"Mom I told you I'm busy!" Mal called out.

Then Ben opened the door. "It's not your mom."

"What are you doing here?" Mal looked at him annoyed.

"Look Mal I'm really sorry." Ben started to apologize. "It's just they needed me to practice because I'm playing in the big game." 

"And that was more important than helping your best friend?" Mal checked.

"Look Mal I'm sorry. We can rehearse now." Ben responded.

"No I wanted to rehearse earlier so I could get a lot of practice. But I can see that doesn't matter to you." Mal told him.

"You know what? That's it. Look Mal I'm sorry, but I have things going on in my life too. I'm not always gonna drop what I'm doing just to help you." Ben was saying. "So I'm sorry I bailed on you, but I'm not sorry I stayed and practiced because this is big for me."

"Alright then..." Mal was about to say, then her phone started ringing. "Hello?"

"Mal I made a really big mistake." Evie said on the other end of the phone.

"What do you mean?" Mal questioned.

"It slipped it." Evie stated.

"What slipped out?" Mal asked.

"I told Derek." Evie added.

"Told him what?" Mal asked basically demanding for an answer.

"I told him that I love him." Evie answered.

Mal was holding the phone up and just looked at Ben shocked.