A Get Together (II) (Update)
Ashley stops reading and only stares at her book without moving an inch. The car then sinks into a tense silence. Veronica turns her head to the window again.
Not long before Ashley can no longer stand the tension. She digresses the topic and points out of the window. "Look! All the people have crossed by, so we can go now!"
"Oh," David looks up and realizes the lights were green. He gently steps on the gas pedal and continues on his way to Ben's house.
---
David gives a deep sigh, while driving the car to Ben's house remembering his childhood past.
I had just moved to a new neighborhood and school with his family. Just thinking about what happened to my old place in Oklahoma after I almost turned 10. Only some good, and mostly bad memories resurface.
Then again, alone and being new to this strange environment made me feel out of place, too. I heard something or someone behind my back and turned around to see a chubby kid holding a red playground ball on one side and a game console on the other.
'Aren't we friends, Ben? I thought we had a stronger bond than this? We've been friends for eight-years, eight-years…' David heaves another sigh.
Veronica turns around to the front to check David and asks, "Are you okay, David?"
"I am okay, Vee," as David snaps out of his thoughts.
"No, you're not," Veronica says, while she grasps his hand. "You must be thinking about Ben, right?"
"Yes… you're right."
"But you shouldn't be too worried, okay? We're going to show a piece of our minds when we arrive at his home! That will show him who he's messing with!"
"Okay, okay. We'll show him who's boss, Vee!"
"That's the spirit, David!"
---
The Eternal sports car made its way up the hill, Mapz Assistant told David, "Now turn to your right on Diamond Street in a hundred feet and you will arrive at your destination," and Mapz turns off.
David looks around for the correct house and groans, "Can you two help me find the house? The number of the house is 1817. There's like at least two dozen houses here and I think Mapz needs to be more accurate for my taste."
"Okay, David."
"I will help, but only for a short moment." Ashley said when she tried to get back into the mood of reading. "Actually thirty seconds or so as I'm reading a good part of the book."
"Thank you Vee and…you too, Ashe."
David drives the car along the neighborhood slowly and the gang looks at each of the houses' numbers.
---
Ashley points and shouts, "Look! Is that the house!" David sees where Ashley was pointing and quickly drives over to park the car near the curbs. After Ashley finishes her mission, she sits back down on her seat and opens her book to read once again.
David turns back to ask Ashley, "Ashe, you do know that we are already here, right?"
"D-don't disturb me David! I'm just getting into the good part of this book", Ashley groans. "Give another minute, then I'll be satisfied to find out what happens between the male and female lead!"
"Forget that I asked," then he opens the door to stretch outside and breathes in the sea breeze. "Ah, it's good to be back here."
Veronica also has Ashley in tow with her as well. Though Ashley is in low spirits as she couldn't read the best part of her book as she was interrupted once again.
Veronica lets go of Ashley so that she can finish reading her book just a bit. Veronica even heard Ashley give a loud whisper, "freedom" and a small, crazy laugh.
She shakes her head and comes over to David. She copies him with his stretches and holds his arm afterwards. "Finally! It took ages to get to this house, huh David?"
"Yeah, it did," David said and gave her a small smile. "But you chose to leave around 7 o'clock in the morning to go to Ben's house didn't you? Now it's 10:11, if we left a little bit later than the traffic would have been even worse than it is now, so thank you Vee."
"Then I want a small reward from you, David," Veronica said as she blinked her eyes.
He gives her a kiss on the forehead, but Veronica pouts at David that she didn't get what she wanted from him. He understands that she wants a kiss on the lips, but brushes her hair and tucks it behind her ear.
He reminds her with a soft voice. "Not now Vee, we have to meet Ben first, okay?"
"Fine," Veronica said with unconcealed disappointment. She looks up at David's eyes and whispers into his ears. "But you have to give me one soon, David."
Veronica loosens her grip and goes to Ashley to see what was so great about the book's best part that she was into. While David shakes his head and heads straight to Ben's doorsteps with the girls lagging right behind him and rings the doorbell.
There was no answer and David went to ring the doorbell again. The same result happens then David tries to knock and call out for Benjamin's name to get his attention. "Ben! Are you there!? It's me, David! I have Ashley and Veronica here with me!"
It works and the gang heard a loud thud on the second floor of the house. Soon after there were quick, but loud stomps of a person heading down the house's stairs.
The door opens to reveal Ben's plump face with no facial hair. His eyes were the shape of lychees. His jet black hair had a greasy look when shined in the sun, but upon closer inspection he used pomade to style his hair. All he wore was a tank top with his glasses hanging on his shirt and short jogger pants.
"What are you all doing here," Ben asks in doubt. "I didn't tell you all my address or anything yet?"
"I'm not ready yet," Ben mutters underneath his breath. Just as David is going to say something to Ben, Ben looks at him in the eye and cuts him off. "Wait, it must be my mom isn't it?"
"Yeah, your mom gave us the address to meet you. But wait, wait! We're getting off topic here, Ben. Why didn't you let us know what was happening to you? Six years, Ben. Six long years of not hearing from you."
"Take off your shoes," Benjamin sighs. He looks down a bit before gesturing to his friends to come inside of his house. "Looks like I have a lot of explaining to do, huh?"
David walks inside along with Veronica, while Ashley slows down and stares into Benjamin's eyes.
"Yeah you do." Ashley scoffs and walks inside of the house. Benjamin scratches his head and sighs once more before closing the door.
Everyone can see the inside of the house and it was styled with modern traditional decor. Ben guides them to the living room and passes by one of the portraits that had Ben, his mom, and an unfamiliar girl taken together. The gang has a lot of questions within their minds, but holds back while they are being seated by Ben.
"Does anyone want any drinks or snacks," Ben offers.
"I would love some water, Ben. Same thing goes for Vee. Well, I don't know about Ashley and what she wants?"
"I would love some lemonade if you have any. If not then something nice and cold of a beverage, not soda nor iced coffee. They make me feel jittery and hyper."
"You got it, but I don't have any lemonade for you, Ashley. I do have some carrots in the fridge and I can whip up a freshly made carrot juice for you, Ashley? If that's fine with you?"
"Okay, I'm fine with that. Thanks Ben."
---
"Here is your carrot juice, Ashe."
"Thank you, Ben."
"Now where do I begin," as Ben sits down next to Ashley with some distance in-between. "Since, David and the rest wanted to know why I left during the end of high-school. Then I'll begin from there."
"I had planned for a long time back in high school what I wanted to do," Ben answers with a sigh and distant look.
I had told my friends about my dream and passion to become a game developer during freshman year before. However, no one had a clue how or what coding is and even half of the other stuff he had told them. I sighed with disappointment and was discouraged that I began to believe what my mom told me was right: other jobs had more support, a better salary and future than games alone.
"I wanted to be a game developer. So, I don't think anyone could help with that, right? I had to do everything on my own and research anything I could get my hands on coding."
Everyone remembers that event a little bit too well. So they look in different directions and fiddles with their hands, fingers or feet. Then they hear Ben's voice shake and stutter when he talks to them.
"Long story short, I just wanted to be independent rather than relying on my mom and friends for everything as well."
"Especially m-my mom. I wanted to prove to her that being a game developer wasn't a wrong choice too."
"Otherwise, how else would I be a-able to stand on my own feet if I were to stay within a glass dome all the time?"
"So, I left without saying anything… it was better that way."
"Looking at what I did, I-I know and understand that I've hurted a lot of people dear to me." Tears welled up in his eyes and his nose congested. "I don't expect to be forgiven easily, so tell me, what do you all want me to do to get back the lost time we've lost?"
"I'm not as ready as I wanted to be, but I did prepare a schedule we can do today even if it's a short notice," he said with a tissue in his face.
"Oh, and I even prepared a few gifts for everyone, too."
David and the rest look at each other communicating with their eyes, they don't remember Ben being this emotional.
They all look at Ben, while the first one to move was David: David stands up and gives Ben a bear hug. "It's good to have you back, Ben!"
"Me too, David." Both David and Ben hugged for a long time before letting go.
"Well, Ben," Veronica giggles and looks at both of them. "If David forgives you, so I forgive you too."
"Thank you, Vee."
Ben looks at Ashley expectantly. Her long silence gives Ben the answer.
David and Veronica wanted to break the tension between Ashley and Ben, but Ben beat them to it. He headed up the stairs before anyone could say anything.
---
"Ashe, you shouldn't be too hard on Ben," Veronica holds her hand. "Don't you see how hard he was trying?"
Ashley grumbles towards Veronica, "I know, but he was a jerk to me-- I mean all of us."
Veronica laughs it off. "What you actually mean is both you and David. I don't really mind as David has already forgiven him."
Ashley sips her carrot juice while paying attention to the stairs.
Ben rushes down the stairs with all the gifts he mentioned before. He hands a gift bag to David, a fancy gift bag to Veronica, and a clear box with books inside to Ashley, respectively:
"Here is a 2-in-1, old edition Galaxy Warfare set that you always wanted David. I know that you couldn't buy it because of how expensive and discontinued the set is."
"Here you go Vee. I made this purse and shoes with some great teachers to guide me. But I don't know if you like them or not?"
"And this is for you, Ashe. I got two full, first edition sets of White Sands and Separated and Lost in Time. A total of 10 books, 3 from White Sands and 7 from Separated. Both of these collection sets have the authors' signature in each and every book as well."
Their eyes widened and words stuck inside their throats. They couldn't believe what they're holding. David breaks the silence, "Ben how did you get this?! T-this is a collector's item that would cost about $12,000 or more!"
"Well, didn't I tell you already?" Ben only gives him a small chuckle as he continues to wipe his tears with a tissue. "This is nothing for me now and I wanted to make up for the lost time."
While Veronica and Ashley talked about their gifts with a big smile on their faces, too.
---
"Well, look at the time. I think we've been talking about these gifts a bit enthusiastically, huh?" Ben's eyes are still red. He chuckles and looks at his friends with relief. "Did you all have any other questions for me?"
David and Veronica shake their heads and turn their heads to Ashley. Ashley twirls her hair. "Ben, who is that girl in that portrait with you?"
"Oh, that is my adopted sister, Yan Lingyun." Ben says as he looks at her. "When I left for two years on my own, my mom went back to China to ease her heart for the same amount of time as me."
"But sooner or later-- she found Ling and took a liking to her. She then wanted to adopt her, and after that mom told me the news via a video call app."
"I was pretty shocked when I found out that mom adopted someone, but at the same time I always wanted to have a sibling."
Ashley breathes out and places her hand on her chest. Ben smiles knowing that Ashley must've been worried for no reason.
"Any more questions?" Ben asks and looks at his friends once more.
"You said that you became a game developer, right? Did you create a successful game, Ben?"
"Yes, I did, but I didn't do it alone." Ben reminisced as he looked at the table in between themselves. "It was me and nine other people who created an indie game called The Old Days: Medieval Times, Ashley." ((1))
Veronica covers her mouth while Ashley looks confused as she hurries to look up the game on her phone.
"Really?!" David opens his mouth so that it could fit a whole egg inside. "You were a part of Joy's Solutions and created that game everyone's been talking about for three years straight! Even Vee, who doesn't play video games, talked about it as well."
"Yup, we created the game with all of our hearts." Ben said with a proud, but wistful smile. "But I think we should end with this last question, since we should enjoy the festival."
"We can talk along the way rather than being cooped up in the house, too."
The gang looked at the clock near the living room's window. It was already 11:34 AM.
((1)) - Info dump about Ben's video game, The Old Days: Medieval Times.