Saint Palisade's

[ 9 ]

BEN stood in front of his bedroom door, hesitating on whether to knock. He didn't want to wake Veronica up. He also didn't want her to attack him thinking that he kidnapped her last night.

He tapped his knuckles at the door. "Veronica? It's me, Ben. Um, it's 10 AM, I don't know what time you usually get up... but I made breakfast and coffee... and you can come down if you want some."

He stared at the door, waiting for a response. He decided he would go into his room. He opened the door and saw that Veronica had bunched up the covers and hugged them.

"Veronica?" He tapped her shoulder. He tapped her shoulder harder.

Still no response. Did he have Narcan? Somewhere in his medicine cabinet, second shelf, behind his CeraVe. Somewhere where it wouldn't remind him of his mom. 

He grabbed her shoulder and shook her. "Veronica?"

"What~?" She groaned, covered her face with the comforter.

"I made breakfast." Ben stood over her, trying to pull the blanket away from her face. He was relieved that she was alive. "I thought you were dead."

"Since when do you make breakfast, Isa—" Veronica cut herself off. "You're not Isaiah, are you?"

"6' 4", curly hair, broad shoulders, male model, face sculpted from the likes of the Greek gods? No, sadly. It's Ben."

"Right... I slept here last night." She pushed the blanket away from her face and looked at Ben's face. "Stop smiling. It's too early in the morning to smile."

"Sorry, princess, but you must really like my blanket." He motioned to her position. Her legs were still wrapped around the bunched-up blanket.

"Shut up." She sat up on his bed. "How do you sleep on this? It's rock hard."

"You slept pretty well on it last night." Ben had a smug look on face and crossed his arms.

They held eye contact for a while. Ben's teasing green irises met Veronica's newly vulnerable earthy ones. Vulnerability was the one trait Veronica absolutely despised. Anything that could make her look less strong was ultimately locked away somewhere deep, dark. And every time it tried to resurface, she employed her façade full time. 

"Do you have a bathroom...?"

Ben tried to draw a map with his index finger like one would solve those mazes printed on kid's menus from restaurants. "Across the hall. There's breakfast downstairs. You can borrow some of my clothes if you want to shower."

"Would you mind if I showered? I genuinely can't stand not showering every night." Veronica scratched herself in an exaggerated manner.

Ben shrugged. "You can look through my closet or drawers for some clothes to change into, there's nothing weird in there. Everything's clean and folded. I'll grab you a towel."

Veronica nodded and her lips curled upward a bit. "Thanks, Ben."

He came back a few seconds later, towel in hand. "You know, not to be all in your business or anything, but what's the point of taking a shower if you didn't bring a change of clothes... like underwear and stuff."

Veronica crossed her arms and smirked. "What kind of girl would I be if I didn't tote an extra thong around in my clutch?"

Ben gave a dry laugh. "Nevermind."

Veronica decided to assert her dominance and peeled her ensemble from last night off in front of Ben. She watched his face turn red and his eyes suddenly enter a staring match with the burbur carpet.