KALANI WANG finally felt some sort of peace in her life. She was calm, cool, and collected.

At least, that's what she told herself in the mirror at night.

After finding out that Ben had received her for their match making quiz... well it was all she could think about.

She needed... according to Eleanor, kiss someone.

In order to get over someone, you needed to kiss someone. And it lowkey made sense.

Kalani hadn't kissed anyone since Ben and maybe, just maybe if she could find someone to kiss she would be over him.

Eleanor had invited the girls to an event at the coffeehouse where they could all (expect Eleanor) would be kissing someone in order to get over the person they needed to be over.

There was a mission at hand and Kalani knew what she had to do. She had to kiss someone. She had to do it naturally... but of course, there was a catch.

She had to work the event tonight.

Kalani stood by the table as Jacob scouted an audience for Kalani.

"Gonna be honest here, Lani Wang. There aren't many kissable guys here for you."

"How do you know that." She asked, smiling down at the group of boys and placed their coffees down.

"Because I know you." He scoffed, "You have a type."

"I do not."

"Lanky, white guys are your thing. I bet you've found me attractive before you knew me."

"Now that I know you, I almost want nothing to do with you." She smiled, "Isn't that crazy."

"All I'm saying, is that you don't wanna kiss just anyone. You wanna kiss Ben."

"I do not."

"Then why didn't you ask me? I would've kissed you no questions asked."

"Like you said, I have a type and tall white boys who play football aren't it."

Jacob continued his rant and the duo passed Devi who was also scouting her target.

"All right, David." Ben said, approaching Devi, "You picked your victim yet?"

"I've got my sights set on flannel and denim at table three."

"Mmm, Damian and Lucas? They're together. As in boyfriends."

"What about the third one? He seems kind of straight."

"He's wearing a feather boa."

"I did not see that."

"David, let me save you some time. Most guys at drama club events are either dragged here by their girlfriends or are looking for boyfriends. The only exceptions I see are Alejandro and Jacob."

"Aren't Kalani and Jacob together?" Devi questioned.

"She's your best friend? Shouldn't you know?"

"And you're her favorite ex. Doesn't she still talk to you?"

"Look, David, if you want to call it quits, we can save you further embarrassment and just say that I won."

"You didn't win. You're doing just as badly as I am."

"That's because I haven't even tried yet. Drama club may not have a lot of options for you, but I am swimming in possibilities."

"Like who? Gonna weigh your options?"

"Maybe."

Ben 100% knew that deep down that Kalani wasn't in a relationship with Jacob. If she was they would've been a little more coupley in his eyes.

Ben would've thought that Kalani would've made him jealous with Jacob. But Kalani had always been a bigger person.

It didn't matter. Devi was 0-1 with Ben as she had kissed Alejandro.

Ben had less than 10 minutes to figure out who he wanted to kiss and his eyes had been locked and loaded on Kalani Wang.

He left the cafeteria and found Kalani sitting in the hallway by herself. Her back pressed against her locker and he soon joined her side.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She sighed, "I think I had higher expectations for tonight."

"Care to share?"

"Eleanor said that Devi and I are losing our "sexiness" and kissing someone tonight would build our radar or something." She laughed.

"And Jacob wasn't an option?"

"Jacob's weird. I start hanging out with him and my friends think we're dating." She smiled, facing him, "We're just friends."

Ben felt so much relief pull from his shoulders when Kalani continued to laugh at that fact that people thought that her and Jacob were together. But he soon drew concerned as she continued laughing as she pulled her knees closer to her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." She laughed, "There's this guy, I think he's name is Lucas I think, who snuck into the chem lab with his boyfriend and started giving out shots to people who wanted to spike their coffee."

"They were?"

"I've only had like... 5 or 6 shots. I thought maybe if I loosened up some I would be more confident. But here I am, sitting by some lockers and slowly heading down drunk town U.S.A., population, me."

Their conversation was broke up by the sound of their Principal breaking the coffeehouse down due to a "orgy" rising and Ben offered to take Kalani home.

Ben stood to his feet, holding his hands out for Kalani to grab and once she did, he helped her to his care.

It was no secret that Kalani was the type of person to have a drink and be drunk off that one drink. It wasn't her fault by any means, it was her body and how to held it's alcohol.

And thought Ben wanted to kiss Kalani tonight (and prove to Devi that he still had some sort of power but mainly the first one), he wouldn't take advantage of her drunken state.

In fact, Ben went to go look for Jacob so he could take Kalani home, but he was also drunk and was riding home with Eleanor and Devi.

Ben helped Kalani into his car and drove her home. She began talking to herself seemingly (but in her mind Jodie was scolding her in the backseat) and he knew that she was way past tipsy town.

Ben finally pulled into Kalani's driveway and waited for her to make a move.

She sat slumped in Ben's passenger seat and looked over at him, blinking slowly.

Jodie had practically gripped the passenger's seat and leaned forward.

"Don't you dare. You're stronger than that, even when drunk."

"Thanks for the ride, Ben." Kalani softly smiled, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Anytime."

Kalani stretched, resting her head in her hands for a moment before looking over and resting her elbows on the center console.

"Don't do it." Jodie spoke, "I can only tell you what to do. I can't control your actions."

Kalani leaned forward and Ben began doing the same.

And he really wanted to kiss her. He really did, but not this way. Not while she was drunk and possibly wouldn't remember... or even worse, possibly regret it.

"Kalani."

She fluttered her eyes open, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm sorry. I can't."

Kalani only smiled, resting her hand on his cheek and caressed it slowly, "Thanks, Ben. You can be a good person sometimes."

She exited the car, waving Ben one last goodbye before siege entered her household.

Though she didn't kiss anyone that night, she did get an answer to a lingering question in her mind.

Ben did have some care for Kalani. He drove her home and he didn't take advantage of her while she was under the influence.

Ben Gross could be a good person and Kalani knew that.

Only time could tell and maybe that time would come sooner than they think.

- lucy has something to say !!

boyfriend readers are my favorite because y'all don't ask for much and i love it

thank you all for being patient with me i do love this story and i appreciate you all not rushing me to update *kiss kiss hug hug*

bye :))))