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Benjamin had planned to make one final trip to East High. He simply wanted to collect his remaining few desk ornaments, one of which included a Rubix cube his therapist had given him in their last session. It was meant to help him relax, but the thing stressed him out. He thought it would be simple, just matching colors.
But as it turns out, simple tasks are hard sometimes. Cleaning out his desk, for good, was one of the hardest things he could do. He had taken three separate trips to collect his things, all of which could’ve fit snuggly in a large FedEx box. He didn’t know why.
Okay, that’s a lie.
Benjamin knew what- no, who he was stuck thinking about.
He couldn’t get her off his mind.
It had been a week since he told Jennifer about CalTech (and simultaneously admitted he had feelings for her), and he hadn’t heard a word.
He had given up hope, especially when she saw him speaking to Mike Bowen after EJ’s graduation ceremony.
So, he had decided that today was the day he would pick up his Rubix cube, and the Robotics team’s gift to him (a little Funko figurine that Ashlyn had helped them custom paint). The last two things keeping him tied to East High.
What he didn’t expect to find when he opened his office door, was for her to be there.
“Jennifer…?” He gasps, raising his eyebrows curiously.
“Benjamin, thank god I caught you before you left.” She pants. She was visibly sweaty and dressed in a soft pink sweatshirt, but her hair was still falling in waves around her face.
“Did you,” he questioned slowly, circling her as if he was interrogating her, “did you run here?!”
“Of course I did!” She manages to get out as she dramatically slides to the floor.
Benjamin chuckles and slid down next to her, handing her his water bottle, not caring about the dust that would definitely cling to his pants and be a pain to deal with later on. His only focus is her.
“You could’ve just called me, this was completely unnecessar-”
“I choose you, Benjamin!” She blurts out after fiercely gulping water.
“What did you just say?” He struggles to hide his grin from her.
“Mike… he was what I thought I wanted. He wasn’t a risk. He’s got a stable job, a loving son. He was a for sure thing, I thought.” She starts to run her fingers through the ends of her hair nervously.
“But I’m not going to let you get away because I’m afraid of taking a risk! Because I’m afraid that you might be what I want AND what I need. You handle me when I feel like I’ve lost my mind, and when I feel at peace (both of which appear very similar). And I’m terrified, I am. But, I’m also ready, if you are?” Jennifer reaches for his hand as he pulls her in for a kiss. Her lips are soft and tender, especially as she relaxes into his arms.
“Wait a second,” she says as she pulls away from him briefly. She walks to his desk and picks up his jumbled up Rubix cube. “I need to fix this. My nephew taught me how to solve them a few weeks back.” She twists it a few times, matching each color with ease. “There! Good as new.”
Benjamin smiles to himself and stood up, taking his hand in hers. “Well, I suppose I need to unpack. Care to accompany me on three more trips from here to my house?”
“As long as I don’t have to help carry anything or get out of the car, count me in.” She jokes (and he later discovered she wasn’t joking at all. She claimed the two miles she ran from Mike’s place to the school had taken at least a year off her life).
But even so, the task of relocating his items didn’t seem too difficult anymore.
With the right person, simple tasks can stay simple.