September 2011

'Dear Miss Ridley Denvers,

Thank you for submitting your short story 'Nobody's Juliet' to be published in our latest issue of YOUmagazine but we regret to inform you we do not have a place for your story at the moment. However, please do not be discouraged by this. Keep writing!

Yours,

Judith Pemberly

Assistant Editor of YOUmagazine'

"Ugh!" Ridley says, shoving the piece of paper away, "They didn't even bother giving me any constructive criticism. Happy writing. Not after reading your letter I won't."

Benjamin swipes the letter off the table and reads it with a frown on his face. It vanishes as his eyes land on the words 'Nobody's Juliet' and his lips tug slightly, but he bites them down, as if he is resisting the urge to smile. Ridley notices this and narrows her eyes at him.

"What?" she snaps, snatching the paper out of his hands. Ben shrugs.

"What?" he replies semi-innocently.

"Why're you laughing?" Ridley demands.

Ben can't help but let a little giggle escape. This infuriates Ridley and she immediately jumps up.

"What's wrong with it?" she asks, her simmering eyes now looking more embarrassed than furious. "What is it, Ben? What's wrong?"

Ben cracks up. "Nobody's Juliet?" he chokes. "With a title like that, it's no wonder they rejected it."

Ridley's cheeks flush, and she can feel a distinct lump growing on her throat. Don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry. Ben, clearly understanding he's upset her, suddenly puts a hand gently on Ridley's shoulder. "Hey," he says, and his eyes look apologetic. "I'm sorry okay? Look, I'll even stop calling you carrots for a week, as punishment."

Ridley looks up and sighs. "You're right though," she says. "The title's rubbish. Cheesy. God, but I need some money right now. This story was my only chance. I need a living, Ben."

"Hey, hey," Ben lifts Ridley's chin up so that she's looking directly in to his baby blue eyes. "You're only seventeen, sweetheart. And, besides, your job at Aroma's fine. It'll keep you guys going for a few years."

"A few." Ridley's voice goes hard. "A few years isn't enough. I need a long-term support and—"

"Ridley." Ben's voice is quite low now, and he puts his hand on her cheek. Ridley flinches, not used to such an affectionate touch from Ben, but she doesn't try to shake it off. She puts her hand over his, basking in the warmth of it, the comfort she feels from it. "Ridley, it's going to be okay," Ben continues. "Marcy's at that job interview today, isn't she? She'll get it, I'm sure she will and – you guys are going to be fine. And, if you aren't, I'm always here to help."

Ridley knows he means it.

And right now, she wants to kiss him, hard on his mouth, and she doesn't even know why. They're only just a few inches apart, really. Just a miniscule movement and their lips would connect. But Ridley doesn't move. Neither does Ben. All they do is stare right back at each other, wanting, longing to do what they've wanted to do for months now. Ridley cannot deny it anymore. She...she – could it really be? No. But a single touch of his is electric – yes. She--

"Am I interrupting something?"

Ridley and Ben literally push each other away, causing both to stumble and nearly fall to the floor. Marcy Denvers stifles a huge urge to laugh. Ridley looks at her sister with flaming cheeks; as if she's just been caught doing the dirty deed with Ben – not that she would ever do the do with him...what she means is that –

"How was the interview?" Ridley says in an awfully high-pitched voice one would expect a 5 year old to have when they've been caught being a troublemaker. Marcy grins.

"Oh, it was fine," she says, her eyes going from Ben to Ridley and to Ben again. "How has your day been, guys? Fun?"

"Yes," Ridley and Ben say together. They look at each other, then quickly look away.

"I mean no," both say, again, simultaneously.

Marcy nods. "Oh?" she asks, delicately raising her eyebrow, like a detective who's just figured the entire crime out. "It's just when I walked in it seemed as if you two were simply having the time of your lives. Like, you were very close and red-cheeked and speaking in low, husky voices...seemed like an absolutely enthralling moment there, I really—"

"WOW, IS THAT THE TIME. HM, HOW IT FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN. LET'S GO HOME."

"You have half an hour of duty left, Rids."

"Marcy," Ridley says with gritted teeth. She motions towards the door. "HOME NOW."

Marcy shrugs. "Oh well, I suppose we might as well leave then. It's not like we get any customers anyway."

Ridley, blowing out a huge sigh, marches towards Marcy and grabs he arm. "Let's go," she says. It's not an option. Marcy, however, seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself and ignores the flashes of fury in Ridley's big, green eyes.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Benjamin's not coming along Marcy," Ridley replies irritably, avoiding the puzzled expressions Ben is trying to throw at her. Marcy chuckles.

"I wasn't referring to Gil—Ben, I mean." She winks. "Your coat, Rids. Your coat."

"Oh." Ridley rolls her eyes. "Well why didn't you just say so."

➜➜➜

Sawyer

Hello again

You

You??? Why are you suddenly talking to me again? I thought you'd gotten tired of me and disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Sawyer

Aw, gorgeous, don't be mad. I told you my mum's business kind of forces us to move in and out of towns a lot. We went to Spain for a bit, this time. It's not my fault, please don't be mad :( I tried to contact you but I was so busy.

You

So busy swapping spit with hot Spanish girls?

Sawyer

Ah, Ridley. I forgot how jealous you can be ;) I missed you though, honest. And zero spit was swapped with both genders. I can fully assure you of that. I'm back in town again so I thought you might want to see me again? Back in our sweet little café...like old times? ;)

"And then they... you're not even listening to me, are you?" Ben looks at Ridley as she sits staring at the screen of her phone, her facial expression a cross between hesitant and hopeful. "Rids?" Benjamin repeats, looking carefully at her. "I found a unicorn the other day," he says, raising his voice as loudly as possible. "And they gave me some of their unicorn pee, so I think I can make my own rainbows now."

"Mm, yeah, sounds nice," Ridley murmurs robotically. However, a momentary pause later, her head snaps up and she looks at Ben as if he were a mad man. "A unicorn?" she says. "Pee? What're you talking about?"

He sighs and shakes his head.

"Just trying to get your attention."

Ridley's eyes suddenly look apologetic, and she places her phone on the table and pushes it away. "I...I'm sorry," she says as she starts to rub her temple slowly, "I've...I'm sorry, Ben. He just messaged me out of the blue and—"

"He?" Ben sits up straight. "Sawyer contacted you again?"

Ridley doesn't understand why he sounds so angry.

"Yeah...he did. What's wrong?"

Ben sits back with a large scowl on his face. For a moment Ridley can't help but feel a rush of affection towards him. She's always found it so adorable when he pouted; it reminds her of herself when she was younger, when she got angry when things didn't go her way.

"Nothing's wrong," says Ben grumpily. "I just thought you two weren't...together anymore."

"We aren't," replies Ridley. "I mean...oh, I don't know. It's so muddled up, isn't it? One minute he wants to take it slow and the next he wants to meet up with me again. I...I don't know with Sawyer."

"Which is exactly why you should drop him," Ben says with anger. "He isn't...he isn't...good enough – He plays games with you, and he's obviously seeing other girls, and...and...he isn't good enough for you." He shakes his head. "You deserve...better."

Ridley throws her head back and laughs.

"Oh, gosh, you really crack me up sometimes." She shakes her head at Ben. "And since when did you get a degree in the field of romance?"

"Since I realised," Ben murmurs softly. Ridley frowns.

"Huh?"

He shakes his head at her, as if explaining it to her would be pointless.

"Never mind."

"Whatever," Ridley says and she gets up. "Well, thanks for the advice but I think I should give it one last go, yeah? Maybe go on one date with him, and if I don't feel anything I'll...well, I'll think of something then. Meanwhile, you really need to get a new girlfriend. I think your break up with Cara's turned you a bit...soppy."

Ben does not reply. Not a chuckle, nor a smile...not even a sarcastic retort. Ridley sits back down and forces Ben to look at her. When his startling blue eyes, so very ocean-like, look into her own green ones, Ridley feels something at the pit of her stomach, something she can't quite place...it's happened before...although not so recently...

"Are you OK?" she asks and she places her hand on top of his own. Ben flinches, as if he wasn't quite expecting it and he quickly averts his gaze, as if he can't stand to look at her. Ridley bites her lip. Does Ben hate her now?

"You don't hate me for this, do you?" she blurts out. He looks back at her and there it is, that sunny, winning smile of his.

"I wouldn't hate you even if you stabbed me in the chest with a knife," he says seriously.

"Oh, is that an invitation?" jokes Ridley. They both laugh.

"So...what's wrong then?" Ridley presses on. Ben shrugs.

"My diarrhoea's been acting up again, is all."

Ridley punches Ben playfully on the shoulder. "Oh shut up," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Alright, if you won't tell me then, I should probably just go call Sawyer." She gets up once more.

"Yeah, you do that," Ben whispers as he watches her retreating figure dial Sawyer's number on her phone.

➜➜➜