Purpose ❆ Benny Rodriguez

18 | christmas

12/25/2015

chapter eighteen ;
CHRISTMAS

♡

EVEN IF BENNY hadn't jumped on my bed at seven in the morning, I would have awoken early. Just not that early.

　"Stop," I grumbled, attempting to kick out at the boy – but he dodged my feet effortlessly, needless to say.

　All of a sudden, Benny dropped down to my side – my entire body nearly bounced off of the bed. Groaning, I flipped over and buried my face into my pillow. The groaning was incessant, even when he wrapped an arm around my waist.

　"Get up, Sleeping Beauty," Benny grinned, "it's Christmas! Jesus' birthday!"

　"I don't think Jesus will mind if I sleep for another hour," I said, my voice muffled by the pillow.

　"Oh, come on." Benny pressed his cheek between my shoulder blades, using his free hand to brush my hair aside. "Get in the Christmas spirit."

　"You know," I sighed, turning my head so that my voice was clear, "we are total opposites, aren't we? I guess it's true that opposites attract."

　"We're not total opposites," Benny insisted. "We both love baseball. And . . . our favorite color is blue. . . . We've got more in common than that. I just can't think of it right now."

　"The primary difference I was thinking of is that you'd be happy to get up at the crack of dawn. And I wouldn't. And it makes me want to kill you when you wake me up at the crack of dawn."

　Benny's shoulders shook with his silent laughter. It took a moment before he could respond. "It's not the crack of dawn, babe. The sun rose an hour ago."

　"That is no better!"

　"Oh, Kayla," Benny whined, "just get up with me now. Mom and Liz are awake, and we've got presents for you, too."

　"What?" I shrieked, suddenly alert. "Why would you have presents for me?"

　The boy straightened to lie directly at my side, his tall form parallel to mine. He pushed his face into the pillow beside my own face; his cold nose poked my cheek, and I groaned again.

　"Benjamin. Franklin. Rodriguez. Stop trying to wake me up."

　"You're already awake, silly."

　"Oh, my God."

　Benny burst into laughter. "Well, it's true! Now give me a kiss, at least."

　"If I give you a kiss, will you let me sleep for a while longer?"

　After a moment of thought, Benny sighed. "All right. Half an hour."

　Without another thought, I turned to face Benny and allowed him to connect his lips to mine. The kiss was brief, but the boy was satisfied. He smiled, rested his head onto the pillow, and stared at me with bright eyes.

　I didn't bother to turn my head away. My insecurities hardly brushed my mind. Benny had studied my imperfections before – he would not mind now.