Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

John O'Callaghan woke up in his bed wondering where the girl who had been softly sleeping at his side had gone to, he felt the warmth of the sun pouring through his open windows and chuckled knowing Benny had opened them to wake him up. He stretched out and climbed out of his bed sighing knowing he couldn't go back to sleep at least not today. He saw the small little box on his dresser safely stowed away from where anyone else would notice it behind a picture frame of him and Benny smiling brightly at homecoming two years ago. He bit his lip wondering where the time had gone.

"Hey, you better get dressed we have to drive to school in like twenty minutes," Benny walked in as if right on cue holding a cup of coffee. He smiled adjusting his boxers nervous, which she noticed, "I've seen you in less babe," she winked before handing him the cup of coffee and kissing him on the lips. He felt her lips turn into a smile under his.

"I'll be right down," John smiled before stopping her from turning around to kiss her again. "Do you still want to go dinner before Jared's party?" He asked to make sure his plan would still work for later. She mouthed 'of course' before kissing his lips again and closing the door behind her. She fixed her fitted classic black dress with lace capped sleeves and smiled at him, he watched her leave, even when she was dressed like the first lady she was beautiful.

John dressed quickly in black slacks and a blue oxford shirt tucked in, but still struggled to fix his tie, he sighed admitting defeat leaving it around his neck before walking down the stairs and seeing his mom and Benny laughing over coffee, they both looked up and Benny sighed walking over to her boyfriend, her black pumps clacking against the hardwood floor.

"What would you do with out me," She sighed sarcastically tying his tie for him kissing his cheek before his mother walked to the master bedroom to check on his father. He smiled to himself knowing he probably wouldn't be half the man he was without her. "Hey, I have to go back home, but I'll see you there okay?" Benny smiled before kissing him one last time.

"Okay," He smiled before kissing her cheek. He never got sick of her lips on his and he watched her leave playing with his crisp tie. He waited for his parents to come out of their bedroom while his two brothers came down begrudgingly since they were up earlier than they wanted to be on the first day of summer.

"Hey, Johnny! Let's get to your graduation!" His dad came out with a big smile on his face his mother smiling filled with pride under his arm. John let out a warm chuckle realizing this was the end of a major era in his life. He wondered what exactly he was supposed to do, he had been accepted to ASU, but he wasn't particularly excited about college.

Graduation was exactly how a graduation was supposed to go, it was long and tedious, but when all the caps were thrown up into the air his whole graduating class cheered. John spotted his girlfriend standing and applauding with his family and hers. After they were ushered out of the stadium everyone gathered to take pictures, a couple of girls hunted down John and took pictures with him until he saw Max and Jared and their families talking to the O'Callaghans.

"Hey, bro!" Jared hugged John excitedly Max jumped on both of them joining the hug, which everyone laughed at. All their parents wanted pictures of the trio that had been friends forever. Eric Halvorsen snuck up and hugged Benny from behind scaring her half to death and of course Mrs. Fallon captured it. Eric joined into the pictures all of their graduation gowns still on.

"Benny, I want a picture of you and your brother!" Mrs. Fallon smiled and Benny smiled wrapping her arm around her brother who for once smiled brightly with his sister. Nothing could bring him down today, he was thinking about how much he was going to miss everyone going to the University of Arizona while everyone of his friends went to Arizona State University. "Oh honey, can I get one of y'all and John?" Mrs. Fallon requested.

They all smiled brightly with each other and John's brother's joined and they did some sort of musical chairs until it was just John and Benny left. He planted a kiss on her cheek and she let out a big laugh. That picture ended up printed and framed in both their rooms.

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"Babe, hurry up!" John whined facing the wall while his girlfriend changed into a short sky blue summer dress. She had insisted for whatever reason that he should turn around. She was completely confused as to why he was being so antsy, they had gone out to dinner lots of times. She flipped her straightened hair and pulled on her flats wondering where exactly they were going.

"Why are you so anxious, we've been out to dinner lots of times," She smiled planting a kiss on his cheek to let him know she was ready. He knew if she knew why he was anxious it would seem completely justified, but he wanted to keep this a surprise.

"Because, I wanna get to the party and get good and drunk," John laughed dismissing her. He pressed, his lips to her one more time before they made their way down stairs and out to his car. She stared out the window until they got to a familiar local diner, the one where their first date had been to be exact.

Once they had eaten and John paid the bill Benny looked at the boy who held onto her heart for so long and could sense something was.. off about him. "Okay, so you've got me where you want me with the whole cute thing, but where is it exactly that you want me, Mr. O'Callaghan?" Benny smiled raising her eyebrow. John felt his heart pounding so hard he was honestly afraid it might explode.

"Walk with me?" He asked holding out his hand, dismissing her question. She could feel his hands sweat in hers, which only raised her flags more. He was beginning to scare her with all the weird behavior, they walked down the block to a park where they made their way to the swings, the Arizona sunset had enough beauty to set the scene.

"John," she whispered honestly afraid of how different he was acting. They'd been together so long they had adapted to each other, they could see when something was wrong. It could get annoying, but times like these it was good skill, he looked up nervously as they both sat down on swings next to each other, "I love you."

"Bennett, please don't freak out on me, but," he smiled softly before standing from the swing only to get back down on his knee. She saw her eyes flare up in fear and excitement, but his eyes were probably filled with the same mix of emotions. "I love you so much, you keep me sane and you make me want to get up in the morning even if I know I won't see you. You make me want to be the best man I can be and when I'm with you I'm not scared about the world, the future or anything. I love you, and I want to love you for the rest of my life, so will you Bennett Marie Fallon, marry me?" He asked finally pulling out the little box that his friends had contributed a total of seventeen dollars to the rest was his hard work.

"John, we're so young, I'm only seventeen and you just graduated," she said her eyes filled with something John couldn't explain, her eyes stayed fixated on the diamond ring, it was simple and classic. It was safe to say she loved it, but what it meant terrified her.

"Benny, I know we're young, but think about your grandfather and your parents, hell even my parents we're twenty when they got engaged. I'm not saying we have to get married now, a year from now, or even ten years from now- all I know is I want to marry you, I want you to be mine forever," John smiled a confidence growing in his voice, he licked his lips nervously awaiting her answer.

She let out a small chuckle before mutter 'oh God' to herself which flared up an alarm in his veins, causing his heart to race again. Then she looked around noticing this was the park where John and her had played in when Max had gone to summer camp for the first time. She was reminded of their past, their long sordid past and a smile crept on her lips, "Yes, I'd love to marry you John!"

They both laughed nervously as John slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, which fit perfectly. He pressed his lips to hers and smiled looking down and knowing that his life for now was complete. They both walked back to his car hand in hand, not caring about what other people would say about this, because neither of them had been more sure about anything in their young lives.