𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 - (𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐱𝐛𝐨𝐲)

Hundred Twenty Seven

a/n: it's not too late to update...right??

**

Zach had started hanging around more and becoming closer to Benjamin, like a father figure. He would stay over a lot more to the point he was practically moved in.

Benjamin walks into the house, setting his keys down on the table, a packet in his hands.

Zach was in the kitchen, a bunch of papers spread out as he was doing work, while Olivia was in the kitchen making dinner.

Zach looks over and smiles. "Hey, Benny!"

Benjamin looks up and smiles, walking over to them. "Hey. Oh damn, what's going on here?"

Zach looks down and chuckles. "Paperwork. Trying to get a girl removed from her home."

Benjamin slumps his shoulders, making a frustrated face.

Zach looks up, shrugging. "What?"

"Just...You don't think sometimes as a social worker you could be...Ruining kids' lives? I don't know if you're allowed to talk about it but..?"

Olivia looks over at the two, genuinely interested in the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"Like...If a mom is struggling, why not first help the mom instead of taking her kids away? I feel like you'd just put more stress onto the mother."

Zach nods. "In some instances, yes. In some no. In this case, the girl reached out to me. Her family had a cps visit and she said everything was fine, but told me that it was rehearsed. I just wanna do what's best for the kid."

Benjamin nods his head. "Oh...S-sorry...I didn't mean to assume."

Zach smiles nicely and shakes his head. "You're fine. I totally get it. The system is messed up, completely."

Benjamin hums and tilts his head to look at the paperwork. "So. Do you ever help kids plan their future? Like...college and stuff?"

"All the time. I try to help them look on the bright side of things, you know?"

Benjamin brings his packet up, showing it to Zach. "Think you could help me?"

Zach nods his head. "Sure. I could help you." He stacks his papers, setting them off to the side, grabbing the packet from Benjamin.

Benjamin takes a seat next to Zach. "So. What do you wanna study? Any schools in mind?"

"Engineering, definitely. My first choice is MIT but...I don't even know if I could make it in-."

Olivia shakes her head. "Are you kidding? Benny, you've had a 4.0 since freshman year, and you still do."

"I-I know but...Do you know how many applications go though?"

Zach smiles and looks over. "Any else?"

"Stanford, also not promising...Berkeley...Purdue University-."

"Woah...Woah. Okay."

"I know...Another thing is money...I don't know if we'll be able to pay tuition...B-but I could ask dad-?"

"I could try, Benjamin."

Zach reads through the list and nods. "Well, with your mom said, with your GPA, you'd be pretty successful. Plus all the work you've been doing, with your engineering class."

Benjamin nods. "Okay.."

"Have you taken your ACT and stuff yet?"

"I took it once this year and I'm taking it again next year. I got a 30."

Zach's eyes widen and he drops the packet. "You got a thirty and don't think you can get into MIT or Stanford? That's really good!? What is wrong with you, little man?!"

Benjamin blushes and shrugs. "I don't know...I'm scared."

"Why are you retesting?"

"See if I can get higher? I don't know I just wanna make sure everything is perfect."

Zach chuckles. "Perfect? Do you know what I got on my first act test? A seventeen. You think a thirty is bad? Get outta here."

Benjamin looks up and laughs. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry."

Olivia laughs as well. "Yeah, Mr.Overachiever."

Zach shakes his head. "Yeah...And genius too."

**
Benjamin was sitting on his bed, scrolling through the colleges he was interested in.

He hears his phone ringing, he looks over, seeing Noah's name on the screen. He smiles and grabs his phone, answering.

"Hello?"

"Hi, bebesita. You left your clothes here. Just wanted to remind you because you love to call this your favorite pink sweater."

Benjamin nods. "Oh my god. I was looking for that. Thank you for telling me."

"Of course. I'll bring it tomorrow. What're you doing right now?

"Uhm. Looking at colleges. I don't know...I was just thinking about how we're seniors next year and how I haven't even thought about my future."

"Oh damn. Me either. Where you thinking of going?"

"MIT. That's been my dream school since middle school."

"Oh. Where's that?"

"Massachusetts...Babe?," Benjamin sits up, furrowing his brows, "Why did your mood change? What's going on?"

"Nothing it's just...I haven't thought much about college, you know? We might...Be apart."

"Well...It's not like it's happening tomorrow, babe-."

"But we can avoid it...I mean...You want an engineering scholarship and...I want a sports scholarship. You think we're gonna go to the same school?"

Benjamin frowns and crosses his legs. "I...I don't know. I didn't mean to-."

"No, princesa. I-I'm sorry...I'm just...Not gonna be able to process the fact that we're probably gonna be apart after senior year."

**