DAY 'N' NITE — Kid Cudi

I awoke to the feeling of crisp air skimming my torso, scanning the atmosphere of the room I was currently placed in.

I noticed that a blanket I was previously entangled in was moved to the bottom of the sleeping bag I had slept upon; the scattered bits of the duvet intertwined between Benny's legs.

I studied him in his sleeping state—his hand still ravelled with mine as a tranquil expression painted his unconscious features.

The sun casted mellow glows upon his angelic features, his curled lashes orchestrating shadows that defined the subtle contrast and curves of his defined cheekbones and bronze skin.

A gust of ruby smeared upon my expression as he stirred awake slowly, his eyes cracking open to be locked on mine.

"Good morning," his voice groggily croaked, the sound almost engulfing me in a trance.

"Hi," I chuckled awkwardly, my torso still laid down next to his.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asked, heaving his upper body up to stretch.

"Sorta, how about you?" I replied nonchalantly.

"It was okay until I felt someone kick the blanket off me and your small crying every so often, other than that my sleep was spectacular," Benny declared, piercing my vision with a bright grin.

"I'm sorry about the. . . nightmares." I apologized, also sitting up to scan the atmosphere.

I looked around the room to see it empty, all of the other boys belongings scattered around messily.

"It's okay, I just wish you would've let me help you," he admitted.

"Trust me Benny, it's better off if you don't,"

A sigh exhaled from his twisted lips, "I've gotta disagree with you there, Canada."

I ignored his subtle protests at trying to talk to me about the haunting dreams that captured me at night. Instead, I stood up and shook my ruffled auburn curls and fixed my outfit, realizing that I forgot to change into the pyjamas I had brought with me last night.

I brushed the bottom of my charcoal jeans and shimmied in my madder stained hoodie so it would adjust to my torso properly.

Benny watched me through the process as I begun slipping my shoes on, not a single word trailing from his lips. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, it was calm and assisted me on getting dressed faster.

Eventually, Benny followed my actions as he stood up and retrieved his backpack, grabbing a change of clothing.

"Elena," he called out. "Do you mind if I change  here or are you gonna get weirded out?"

A chuckle vibrated from my lips, "no Benny, it's fine."

He proceeded to discard his clothing, leaving him shirtless and me breathless. I stared at his semi-toned body and brightly lit bronze skin which looked as though it were tinted in specs of gold.

My cheeks betrayed me of embarrassment as he turned to me with an amused expression dancing upon his features.

I couldn't contain my composure much longer. "I'm gonna g—wait in the backyard for you and see if I can find the block heads,"

"Alright, Canada." He laughed this time, slipping on a black hoodie slowly—almost teasing me as he gripped the bottoms in as slow as a pace as he could muster.

I groaned as I threw myself down the wooden ladder of the tree house, my thoughts spinning as I reached the ground.

I scanned the backyard to see it was also
empty—not a single boy in sight.

Proceeding to search for them, I knocked on the back door of the house to be greeted with an excited Yeah-Yeah, his lips plastered in drops of milk.

"Look who finally woke up," he shouted, alerting the rest of them of my arrival. "Where's Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez?"

"Getting dressed." I answered as I stepped foot into the brightly lit house, the walls coated in vibrant tones of yellow and white.

"What a shame, you could help him get
un-dressed but you can't help him get dressed?" Bertram chuckled from the dinning table he sat upon, the boys all divulging in laughter as they ate bowls of cereal.

"Shut up, Bertram," Kenny defended me, causing me to send him an appreciative smile.

Kenny gestured me to come sit next to him in the centre of the table as Timmy placed a bowl in front of me.

"What kind of cereal do you want?" Timmy asked, pulling out a box of Frosted Flakes and Cheerios.

"Can I mix them?" I asked, causing them all to stare at me weirdly.

"You mix your cereal?" He asked, his face scrunched in confusion. "You sure are a strange kid, Lina."

"Yeah yeah, who mixes their cereals?"
Yeah-Yeah piped up, causing them all to stare at me with curiosity.

Timmy placed both cereals in front of me with a carton of milk, allowing me to arrange my own creation of breakfast.

They all kept their gazes locked on me as I poured enough Frosted Flakes to fill half the bowl and Cheerios to fill the other half. I spilled my milk over it and began to devour the food with their piercing expressions still plastered upon their bewildered faces.

"So I take it that you've not only never seen a girl play baseball, but you've also never seen a girl eat her breakfast?" I spoke up, breaking the ice of the silent atmosphere.

"We've never seen a girl eat her breakfast in that way, but you do whatever," Squints commented, the boys easing back into their previous conversations.

The back door opened revealing a newly dressed Benny, a piercing smile engraved upon his features.

"Good morning, bird-brains," Benny greeted, taking the other available seat next to me.

"Someone's in a good mood, Elena must be real good at giving head," Bertram commented once again.

"Bertram, my man, do you gotta be so vulgar at such an early hour?" Benny asked his irritating friend, throwing a hand over his shoulder as he scooted him closer to the other unoccupied side next to him.

"Sorry Ben, I just really ship you guys, you're like my o.t.p," Bertram responded in an emphasized valley girl accent, mocking us.

Benny punched him in the shoulder, spilling the ounce of cereal that was contained in his mouth all over Squints and Yeah-Yeah—both boys seated across from him.

"Benny, I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Bertram shouted, shaking Benny's chair.

Benny erupted in fits of laughter as did the rest of us as Bertram placed countless assaults on him, punching and pinching him all over his body.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry Bertram, just shut the fuck up about Elena and I, kay?" Benny surrendered breathlessly.

"Ugh, fine, but when you guys end up together don't say I didn't call it," Bertram groaned, shaking his head at Benny.

We continued to devour our breakfasts as Tommy and Timmy pulled the television closer for us to see it from the dinning table, a re-run of Tom and Jerry engulfing our attentions.

As we all finished our food, we stood up and decided to plan the day ahead of us, Benny of course insisting to participate in his favourite pass time of baseball.

"Ugh, Benny, it's so early to play baseball," Timmy groaned as we began to walk to the sandlot.

"Yeah Benny, it's so early," followed Tommy.

Benny turned to the brothers with an irritated glance piercing his features, "shut up."

They all rolled their eyes at him as we strode to the sandlot in silence, whispers radiating from the boys as Benny steered the group ahead.

"Uh guys, I've gotta just go see if my moms home before I play, I also gotta change," I announced to the group as they were about to pass the cul-de-sac.

"Alright Lina, just meet us there." Ham called back to me as I exited the group to make my way to my house.

I ran down the street and carefully unlocked the door, my mom not in sight.

I exhaled powerfully as my nerves calmed down, my moms screeching being avoidable.

I ascended up the stairs abruptly to avoid any surprise attacks from my mother and ran straight into my room, locking the door.

I flipped through my clothing—trying to pick an article of clothing to wear—until I was interrupted by a small knock on my window.

I opened it, looking down at Benny throwing small rocks at my window. My face scrunched in confusion at the sight.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the sandlot?" I asked the boy who stood below my window, appearing like a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

"Uh, I kinda distracted them because Brandon called me," he explained. "He invited me to hang out with him and I actually want to go, I thought you'd be interested."

My eyebrows shot up in confusion once again, "but what about the guys, how'd you just leave them without telling them anything?"

"They think I feel sick, they just kept playing when I said I was going home,"

"So what do I tell them when I don't show up today?"

Benny rolled his eyes at my question, "just say your mom found you and kept you at home, simple."

I was utterly shocked at Benny's newfound interest in hanging out with the older kids, it was as though all of the negative comments and promises to everyone were just being thrown away; almost as though he didn't care.

"Benny, I promised your sister I wouldn't let you get badly influenced by me, I don't want your family to hate me," I reminded him. "And isn't your mom and dad coming home soon?"

He shook his head, "my mom and dad are coming tomorrow evening, I have to pick them up at the airport with my sister."

I felt my nerves twinge with fear. "But what about your sister? If she sees you aren't home she will know your with me."

"Elena, this is my decision, not yours, so shut the fuck up and lets go," he laughed. "I'm inviting you."

He had a valid point, but I still felt the beaming guilt radiate through my body as I realized what was happening. He was not only lying to his best friends, but assisting in me breaking my promise to his protective sister.

I knew it was wrong—deep down I didn't want to allow it to happen, but Benny's piercing caramel orbs managed to convince me somehow that it was just me spending time with him, my feelings speaking before my common sense as I agreed.

I let him in the house as I instructed him to sit on my bed to wait for me to get dressed, he stared at me as I rummaged through my closet for outfits in a frustrated manner.

"I don't know what to wear," I groaned.

He got up and took a look at my closet, grabbing a distressed Pink Floyd t-shirt and my overly ripped black jeans. I was astonished at how impressive his style was, especially for a guy.

"Wow, how did you even figure out an outfit that quick?" I asked with utter curiosity.

"I don't know, I like Pink Floyd and you look good in those uh. . . jeans," he complimented, scratching the back of his neck as tints of mahogany stained his cheeks.

"Thanks." I chuckled, proceeding to throw the clothes on the bed to change.

"One more thing," I said to myself, picking out a pair of fishnet tights to add to the outfit.

I grabbed the clothing items and began to remove my hoodie, completely forgetting Benny's presence.

"Uh, do you mind if I just uh. . ." I stuttered.

"Oh, ya, don't worry I won't like, look or anything," he assured me, placing his hands over his eyes.

I slipped my hoodie off as I strode around the room in my vibrant red bra, feeling overly exposed as I stared at him still seated on my bed.

I looked over at him and watched his hands fall with a flabbergasted expression pouring from his features, my face completely burning in a ruby tint.

"Benny, you said you wouldn't look!" I shouted at him, his eyes still glued to me in an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry, but you're really fucking beautiful Elena, I—I just, I'm—"

"You're so annoying," I groaned, slapping his temple with the palms of my clammy hands.

"Ouch!" He winced in pain, scrunching his eyes tightly.

I threw on my shirt as quickly as I could while he struggled with overcoming my aggressive assault on his cheek.

"I don't trust you anymore so I'm going to change in the bathroom," I announced.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a perv or anything, you're just really stunning, Jesus Christ," his words exhaling in a small whisper to himself.

"Shut up, now stop perving so I can actually get ready faster." I said, stomping away from my room to my bathroom, ignoring the loud pulse of my heartbeat as I played back his reaction.

✱✱✱

I managed to actually get dressed accordingly, exiting my house with Benny trailing behind me.

I still felt a beaming thought at the back of my mind as I realize he had seen me half naked.

What if he thought I was fat?

I couldn't contain the plaguing thoughts that racked through my brain, but attempted to brush them off as I dived into a small conversation with him.

"Brandon said to meet him at this diner," he explained to me, pointing at the map on his phone.

"Okay, sounds good, I'm just concerned at why he'd want to hang out at a diner?" I asked with curiosity.

"I have no idea, but it'll probably be fun." Benny smiled, his demeanour appearing carefree and uplifted in raging happiness.

"Uh Benny," I spoke up, his attention diverting back to me as we continued to walk in our designated direction. "I thought you didn't like that group, I mean during the party you seemed so nervous."

He had an unreadable expression painted upon his face, "I'm not nervous, I just want to be stupid and have fun."

His words sounded similar to mine, I thought as he continued the rest of the journey in silence.

The guilt from my previous actions took a toll on my senses as I watched Benny walk ahead of me, a shift in aura as we entered the small diner.

It resembled any classic 60's diner that served milkshakes I observed as we entered the diner. I scanned the atmosphere, staring at the red and white checkered flooring and large grey booths of teenagers and kids scattered everywhere.

A group of people called us from a large booth located at the back, the faces of Hailey, Zara, Adrianna, Charli, Adam, Peter, and Brandon gazing at us as we strode toward them.

"Hey Benny, good to see you man," Brandon greeted him with a grin. "You too, Elena."

We both smiled at him as they moved over to make space for us to sit, all of them divulging back into any previous conversations they were having before we arrived.

"I can't believe we haven't done anything fun this summer," Zara whined.

"Yes we did, we've been having parties for the last week, either at Brandon's or crashing someone else's," Adam piped up.

"What's the plan for tonight, can we do something entertaining?" Adrianna asked as she balanced her head upon her hand lazily, her elbow digging into the metal surface of the table.

"I don't know, any ideas idiots?" Brandon asked the group as they stared at him bored expressions. "How about you, Benny and Elena?"

Benny shook his head, "I've got nothing."

I also proceeded to say that I didn't have any ideas on what form of entertainment we could participate in.

"I have an idea actually," Charli spoke up.

"Spill it out, Santos," Brandon urged her to speak.

"You guys like to swim?" Her mischievous grin burning my vision as we all listened to her plan.

//////an\\\\\\

Un-edited chapter!

Hey silent readers and cool kids, I love you if you're reading this.

I think I'm just gonna make this book take place in present time instead of the 60's, I should've mentioned that before.

Any other questions, pls comment. I also want some feedback from you guys, even though a majority of my readers are silent readers looool.

Also, be on the lookout for my next Benny fanfic "why me" I'm working on it, I just wanted to put another chapter out of this because I really love writing this story, I always feel like I'm in a movie omg.

-nr