A MINI Ben story aka, the time Ben Gross thought he burst his appendix and had to go to the hospital when he was really full of shit (literally) and had to have surgery to get that said shit out of his body.

He woke up post surgery with Paxton who had been the one to drive him their.

The two talked for a short while before there was a knock on his door. The duo looked up and saw Kalani standing at the doorframe with a small bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"I'll leave you two alone." Paxton said, taking his laptop with him and left them room.

"What are you doing here?" Ben asked.

Kalani entered the room, sitting on the edge of Ben's hospital, placing the flowers on his bedside table.

"Paxton texted me and told me you busted your appendix."

Ben felt a wave of of relief when heard that. That Paxton had embarrassed him by telling Kalani the truth.

"How are you feeling?" Kalani asked.

Ben smiled, holding his head down, "Like I'm full of shit, but better."

Kalani smiled, playing with her fingers as Ben watched her with careful eyes. She was thinking. He could tell. She would hold knit brows and twitch her lips from side to side.

"Hey, about that night in your car-"

"You remember?" Ben questioned.

"Yeah." Kalani chuckled, "I was tipsy, Ben. I wasn't completely out of it."

That fact that Kalani remembered that she initiated the almost kiss between her and Ben made him feel some sort of relief.

Kalani continued, "I just wanted to say, thank you. You know, for not taking it any further."

"No problem."

"It's just..." She paused, "I feel like I'm going through some sort of not major, but major crisis in my life and it just means a lot that you didn't take things further when you could've."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"While you're recovering from a ruptured appendix? Not really." She smiled.

Another moment of silence passed and Ben made the major step of grabbing out to hold Kalani's hand.

She was a worried and when Paxton had called her about this "ruptured appendix" she was quick to make her way to the hospital.

"I'm fine, Lani. Really."

Kalani gave him a small smile and leaned forward, placing a small kiss onto Ben's forehead.

"I figured." She said, "I should get going, but if you need anything, I'm just a phone call away."

She untangled her hands from Ben's and left his hospital room and found Paxton sitting outside the room.

"Did you keep up with appendix lie?" He asked.

"Of course. If he found I that I knew that he was actually full of shit for two weeks he might've shit the bed."

"He probably needs to." Paxton joked.

The two held a small conversation before Kalani left his said and Paxton when back into the room with Ben.

Kalani sat in her car for a moment, resting her head on the steering wheel.

SCHOOL PEERED it's head around the corner and the girls gathered themselves in the quad.

"Good morning, you beautiful bitches." Eleanor smiled.

"Wow, someone's in a chipper mood." Devi said.

"Yes, I am a because a talent agent just emailed me about auditioning for her." Eleanor said, "Seems like the commercials I did really showcased my craft. Can anyone help me tape it this weekend?"

Fabiola exhaled, "Sorry, El. Devi and I have our debate tournament."

"That's okay. I'll have Trent do it."

Everyone in Kalani's friend group had been in a relationship. Devi with Des (the boy who she called her cousin at the party), Eleanor with Trent, and Fabiola with Anessa.

Kalani was the lone wolf in her friend group, but it wasn't a bad thing, right? She didn't need a boyfriend... she would like to have one... but she didn't need one.

But to ensure that Ben Gross was Kalani's it man, she needed to kiss someone that wasn't Ben. Just to make sure she wasn't just missing out on something.

Kalani peaked her head out and finally saw Jacob walking down the hallways and once he was close enough she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the classroom.

"What the hell, Wang!" Jacob called, "What are you doing?"

"I need you to kiss me."

Jacob raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "What?"

"Just to make sure I'm actually head over heels in love with Ben and not just playing games with myself." She explained, "Does that make sense?"

"I've never had a conversation with you that has made sense."

"Look, I don't wanna be hung up in Ben if he's not the one I want to be with and maybe if I kiss someone I'll know if what I'm feeling is real or if Jodie Sweetin is lying to my face."

"Jodie Sweetin? As in Michelle Tanner in Full House?"

"She was Stephanie, but yes, her."

Jacob smiled down at the girl, "Fine, I'll kiss you, but we're still friends after this. Nothing awkward?"

"Nothing awkward."

Kalani turned and sat on top of the chemistry table because Jacob was way too tall and she wasn't going to step on her tiptoes for a kiss that she might've hated.

Jacob followed behind her, placing his backpack on the floor and stood in between Kalani's legs.

"Are you sure about this?"

"No, but I need to do this for my sanity."

Jacob pushed his glasses up and rested his hands on Kalani's waist.

He made the first move, connecting his lips with her. His lips were pillowy-soft. His lips moved against hers, slowly but with some firm-his lips slightly dry but not chapped.

Kalani was the first to pull away and Jacob brushed the hair out of her face before backing up.

"So?"

"I think I'm in love with Ben."

"Glad I could be of assistance."

Kalani hopped down from the table and quickly left the classroom.

Jacob sighed, "Never again."

LATER THAT night, Kalani had been invited to Devi's for a game night with Fabiola, Eleanor, and Anessa. This was promptly for Devi to get horizontal with Des.

"Well, I don't think Devi's the only person who's gonna have a spicy evening 'cause I brought Brain Cranker." Fabiola smiled.

"Oh, Fab, that game takes, like, four hours, and the instructions are so complicated." Anessa said, "What if we played, like, spin the bottle?"

"Well, there's also a spinner in Brain Cranker, and it tells you whether you have to act out a historical event or do long division."

There was a sudden knock on the door and Dez and his friends allowed themselves inside and immediately bored by the idea that there was an actual game night and would only agree to stay if they had booze... which they didn't.

Eleanor decided to text Trent in order to get the booze which failed because his fake was taken and all seemed lost for Devi.

But then Paxton showed up with Trent in tow and Paxton was able to get the booze for the group.

To make a long story short; Des left that party after finding Devi and Paxton alone in her room, Fabiola and Anessa broke up, and Eleanor and Kalani got drunk with Trent and ate cereal outside Trent's house.

Pretty solid night.

- lucy has something to say !!

um... maybe one or two chapters left of this act and it's done until season 4 🧍

bye :))))