Chapter 26: Here We Are Again
Ben returns to the Masons' house, he goes up to his room to pack his bags.
When he puts his suitcase on the bed he looks at the reflection in the bedroom dresser and sees a tear running down his face.
He wipes the tear "Oh stop it" Ben says irritably to himself.
Ben swallows his tears with a serious look and begins to pack his clothes in the suitcase, in silence in the empty house.
After packing all his clothes, he misses one of his shirts.
He frowns and looks back in the closet, then on the floor and even under the bed and doesn't find anything.
He thinks about where he could have left that shirt, he sighs and looks at Stella's room in front of his.
Ben goes to Stella's room, he enters the room and looks around, when he notices something under her pillow.
He picks up the pillow and finds the perfectly folded shirt that she had hidden under the pillow.
It was the shirt he threw at her that day in the pool, he never received it, nor did he ask for the shirt back but Stella kept it.
Maybe she was going to give it back to him maybe not, he didn't know, he looks at the shirt for a second he takes the shirt and puts it on top of the pillow, instead of underneath.
He leaves the room, leaving his shirt there, he closes the door and sighs, closing his eyes.
He finishes packing his suitcase and starts heading towards the car, but when he gets to the garage he remembers that he lent the car to Charlie and Marni to go on their honeymoon.
Ben grits his teeth, staring at the "just married" sign on his car and he lets out an indignant laugh.
He puts his suitcase on the floor, and sits down and takes out his cell phone thinking about what to do.
Suddenly he notices a rain drop on his cell phone screen, Ben looks up and it soon starts raining on him.
"Oh come on!" Ben says indignantly, he lets the rain run down his face, he lowers his head.
Marni and Charlie approach and see Ben in this situation.
"Ben!?" Marni says while Charlie holds the umbrella for them, Ben slowly, already all wet from the rain, looks at her upset.
"What are you doing!?" Marni says "as soon as life allows me I'll go home!" Ben says irritated.
Marni looks at Charlie, who knows exactly what happened, and has already told her "I'm not going to leave him like this" Marni says "Neither do I, he doesn't deserve to be like this" Charlie says.
"Ben, come with us" Marni holds out her hand "what!?" Ben asks "We're not going to leave you here like that, come on and we'll take you home, it's the same way" Marni says.
"No, I don't want to ruin your night, you just got married" Ben says "But it's your car" Charlie says "I know, it's okay, I can take care of myself" Ben says.
"You can do it?" Marni says, Ben glares at her "come on man, I'm not leaving a brother behind like that" Charlie says, Marni smiles at him.
Ben takes a deep breath "Okay" Ben says "I'll get you a towel" Marni says and enters the house.
Charlie and Ben come out of the rain, Ben runs his hand through his wet hair and looks at the rain.
Charlie sighs "Do you love her?" Charlie asks, Ben looks at him worried "what!?" Ben says "Do you love Stella?" Charlie says.
Ben tries but doesn't hold back a slight smile "I love her so much, I'm crazy about her, I've never loved anyone as much as I love her" Ben says and for the first time the words come out without weight, in a light and delicate way.
Charlie smiles and puts his hand on his shoulder while Marni comes back with a towel "so let's figure it out" Charlie says, Ben takes a deep breath and lets it out with a smile of relief.
Even though he finds it difficult that Stella will forgive him this time.
"Okay, here it is, let's go!?" Marni says "okay" Ben says softly and the three get into the car.
......................................................................
Already in Ridgefield, California.
Ben looks out the car window thoughtfully, Charlie looks at him in the rearview mirror and then at Marni.
"Are you sure?" Charlie says "I kind of owe him that" Marni smiles, she looks at Ben "almost there!" Marni smiles gently, Ben smiles forced a smile to please her.
He was silent the entire trip, just reflecting on everything he had experienced in the last week, good and bad times.
Ben frowns when he sees the street they're on, "Uh Charlie, man, my apartment is toward downtown" Ben says "I know, but Marni wants to do something first" Charlie says.
Ben looks at Marni confused, she smiles in the rearview mirror.
Charlie stops in front of the Ridgefield school.
"Let's go!" Marni gets out of the car, Charlie looks at Ben waiting for him to leave, Marni takes a bag from the trunk.
"What the...?" Ben says "man, you know your sister, just go whit it" Charlie shrugs and Marni opens Ben's door.
Ben looks at her confused "We have to go!" Marni says "Woah, we!?" Ben asks, Marni rolls her eyes and pulls him by the sleeve.
She closes the car door and pulls Ben into the middle of the lawn in front of the school.
"Stella doesn't trust you, maybe because you don't know how to open up" Marni says, Ben rolls his eyes "he brought me to school to teach me how not to be a jerk, I loved the metaphor, I didn't know you were one of those" Ben rolls his eyes sarcastically.
"What am I saying, she lost trust in you a long time ago, but she doesn't know the whole story, she doesn't believe you but maybe..." Marni drops the bag on the floor and opens it.
"she's going to have a hard time not believing her own eyes" Marni says taking a shovel out of her bag.
That's when Ben realizes they're standing next to the 2010 students' time capsule.
"Oh seriously!?" Ben says "Yeah, can you believe it? Here we are again!" Marni smiles and insists he pick up the shovel.
"That's ridiculous" Ben says "Will told me what happened at that dance, and Charlie told me what happened to you and her, so I know both versions of the story..." Marni says.
"and I know it's time for you to prove, and show this girl in every possible way that you love her and have always loved her" Marni says.
Ben looks at himself thoughtfully "it's time for you to make up for the 13 years you spent lying to yourself" Marni says.
Ben sighs "this is the love of a lifetime Ben, don't let it slip away for some nonsense" Marni says firmly.
Ben looks at the Time capsule, and then at the shovel in Marni's hand, he rolls his eyes and takes the shovel.
Marni smiles proudly and picks up another shovel.
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