a song (for you) // Ben Gross x OC

13 ~ missing you

"I, I heard a song on the radio
Try to tell me I'm not alone
But I feel like it today"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This weekend is going to be hell.

Jezalyn was already swamped with homework, but on top of that, Ben was going away for the weekend! How dare her best friend abandon her. For something he'd been preparing for since before they were best friends. Rude.

Jez's other option for friendship, Devi, was actually going too! And though she adored Fabiola and Eleanor from afar, she didn't feel comfortable enough to interact with them outside of a school setting just yet.

All Jez could do was try to write. And resist the urge to text Ben every time she got bored. But mostly write.

~

Jez sat on the carpet in her room, her notebook flipped to an open page and nestled her pen behind her ear.

She hummed a melody to herself, the blank lines of her notebook staring back at her, taunting her.

"Ugh! I can't do this." She exclaimed, tossing her notebook aside. "I wonder what Ben's doing..."

KNOCK KNOCK

"Hey... Jez... since you're home on a weekend for the first time in a few weeks... could we talk?" Carlos cracked open the door and tilted his head and stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with his sister.

She shrugged. She was so exhausted from ignoring her brother. Maybe it would bring a little more peace to her sleepless nights. She hadn't had a good nights sleep since... well since Ben spent the night.

"I guess so, why not?"

~

Ben nervously shifted his hands, rocking slightly on his bus seat. He hadn't spent the weekends alone in a while. And though he was surrounded by his peers, he knew that none of them cared about his presence. They just wanted him around to win.

It was Jezalyn he couldn't stop thinking about.

Even with his arch-nemesis seated nearby and a huge tournament, he couldn't stop thinking about his neighbor, and how her hair always got stuck in her eyelashes when she walked against the wind.

Instead of texting the girl, he decided to hunt for the perfect Reddit post to send her, probably about music.

He scrolled for the perfect image to send her the majority of the time he was on the bus. This was the only way Ben could think of to check in on her without being too clingy. I mean, he hadn't had close friends in a long time. He didn't want to mess this one up.

"Yes!" He cheered, muttering to himself as he found the perfect post to send to Jezalyn.

Message to : J 🎶

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadwaymemes/comments/fymsqc/when_your_teacher_assigns_a_book_to_a_theatre_kid/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

thought of you.

~

"Jez, I am sorry. I never meant to make you feel like you didn't have choices and I- I should've been a better brother to you. But I'm here now to ask what I can do to help patch this up?" Carlos sighed, sitting on his sister's bed while his head collapsed into his hands.

Jezalyn sat next to him a few inches away, breathing in deeply before responding.

"Carlos, all I really need from you is space every now and then, and for you to stop making fun of my friends just because they're 'dorky.' I happened to like these people you wouldn't let me be friends with before!" She cleared her throat before continuing in an attempt to calm herself down.

"And you need to be nicer to everyone. Including Ben." Carlos scoffed, letting a scowl fall on his face.
"For me, please Los Los?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

He stared back, stunned a bit by the use of his childhood nickname. Jezalyn couldn't pronounce his name growing up, so she called him Los Los instead. He hadn't heard her say that in years.

"Hermana, you know I'd do anything to make this right. Even if, I have to be nice to that stupid Ben dude and weird Devi too." He rolled his eyes, nudging her slightly. Her lips broke into a smile as she nudged him back.

"Te amo Los Los."

"Ah Te amo más."

~

The Next Day

"Jez, it's all over social media," Carlos exclaimed while the two sat at their kitchen table, scrolling through Twitter.

She stared at her phone, scrolling through numerous private and anonymous posts about Paxton. And Devi.

Paxton and Devi??

I mean, it wasn't the most shocking news Jez could've heard. She'd seen them talking a lot, but the whole hospital thing? But, if even Carlos was surprised, then something was up.

Paxton usually owns up when he's slept with someone, something isn't right here. Maybe someone mixed up Devi's name?

"Sis, I love you and all, but I gotta go check on my boy and see what's up. I'll see you at home." He patted her head before running out the door.

Message to : Ben ☀️
Hey! Hope MUN went well. We also have a lot to catch up on! My house, tonight?
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Hi friends!!! I was getting tired of carlos being a total dick so I thought this could be a fun plot fjfjc I hope u all enjoy!! Back to more with Ben in the next, fully Ben lead chapter!!! Sending love to you all and stay safe!! Vote and comment <3