Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

"Ugh, I hate people," Bennett Fallon muttered under her breath as they made their way through the Phoenix airport weaving through masses of people, it was Thanksgiving Break after all. Matt chuckled holding tightly to his girlfriend's hand, who was practically yanking off his arm and swearing under her breath.

"Honey, are you okay? I've never seen you like this," Matt laughed before apologizing to the family she had just cut off. "Bennett Fallon, stop," He said sternly and she did, rolling her eyes before waiting to see what could possibly be this important. "Breathe, baby, I know you're nervous and excited, but breathe," Matt smiled kindly and Benny felt guilty for how she had been acting. He couldn't possibly know how nervous she was to be home with a brother who hated her and an ex-boyfriend she didn't know how she could face again.

"Matthew Burton, how did I get a guy like you," She blushed feeling insane, unable to fathom how he really did want her, she was impatient and liked to be alone and sometimes she could be unbelievably cold. Matt was sweet and seemed to have patience longer than the Nile, he would stop to find out what was wrong and bring her back down from her crazy. He was perfect.

"Ben, I should be asking you that question- well minus the guy part, I love you so much," He smiled and Benny couldn't help but laugh before her heart stopped at his last words. She had successfully avoided the subject with him and hoped he would let her drop it for now.

'"Let's go, I think Melissa is waiting for us down stairs," Benny said enthusiastically, before pulling his hand not waiting for his answer and they made their way to baggage claim until Benny found a blonde with a huge sign that read, BENNETT FALLON & BOYFRIEND on a cardboard sign with hearts decorated all over it.

"LISSA!" Benny called out excitedly before dropping her suitcase and tackled the familiar blonde who couldn't even get a word out. "Oh my god, you look so tan and perfect!" Benny noticed looking at the skinny girl wrapped around her arms laughing.

"BENNY!" Melissa called out tears brimming her eyes as she hugged her tightly back. "I missed you so, so much!" Melissa whispered and Benny felt tears brimming her own eyes, the girls that had been best friends since second grade and had always been there for each other tried to keep it together. Finally, they parted from each other and laughed at how emotional they got.

"Oh, you must be Matt," Melissa said politely after their embrace ended, trying to make the tall brunette feel less awkward, his blue eyes wide. "I'm the best friend," Melissa laughed extending her arm to the boy holding both their suitcases.

"You must be Melissa, Ben's told me all about you," He said putting down the suitcases to shake her hand smiling brightly. "I'm the boyfriend slash manservant," He joked loudly and they all laughed before making her way to Melissa's car. Benny looked around at the airport knowing she wouldn't see Tim or John anywhere, but she couldn't help but look. Her stomach tightening with the possibility.

"So, Matt," Melissa said with a mischievous smile on her lips, "Do you like to party?"

"Uh yeah, I'm actually in a frat so one might say, I love to party," He chuckled looking at Benny to make sure that he wasn't saying anything that might embarrass her, but she seemed preoccupied with things running through her mind.

"Oh, good answer. So there's a party at my house for Benny's homecoming and I will not have either of you miss it," Melissa told them, she had her mind set on them coming, for more reason than one.

"Perfect, we won't miss it," Matt chuckled, he noticed his girlfriend staring out the window with sad eyes as they drove into her neighborhood. He raised his eyebrows wondering why she had seemed so on edge lately. "Ben, you okay? Bennett?"

"What?" Benny finally snapped out of it with her eyes wide, she turned to see both Melissa and Matt staring at her expectantly. "I'm fine," Benny guess that was what they were talking about that because it seemed to always come up when she was zoning out. Benny's mind was swarming, worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong. What if she and John ran into each other and he hated her, or worse what if he loved her. What if she had to realize that she hadn't moved on at all and she was still the nine-year-old girl who fell in love on roller skates.

"Call me later, okay?" Melissa said skeptical that she was really okay, and Benny nodded as they hugged, before getting out of the car. Once they were in the driveway of the Fallon house, Bennett saw the absence of a white truck and immediately relaxed. They made their way to the front door before knocking, Benny taking a sharp breath hoping everything would go well.

"Benny boo!" Mr. Fallon opened the door with an oxford shirt and a sweater vest over black slacks, he looked so father-like she couldn't help, but laugh. He wrapped his arms around his youngest child tightly so she couldn't even breathe and she felt a happiness bubble up in her. She was home.

"Daddy, I can't breathe," Benny managed to let out in a fit of laughter loudly. He finally released her before turning to the tall boy at her side and Benny cleared her throat. "Daddy, this is my boyfriend Matthew Burton," She introduced the two most important me in her life, at least at the moment.

"Pleased to meet you sir," Matt said chuckling at the fact he had to drop suitcases to shake someone's hand for the second time that day. "Bennett has told me so much about you, it's nice to finally meet you," He added on quiet eloquently and Mr. Fallon let out laugh shaking his head.

"Boy, my little girl likes you enough to bring you home, you get a hug! Welcome to our home," Mr. Fallon laughed before giving him a "man hug" and inviting them in commenting on how cold the weather was and ushered them into the house. "Your mother is waiting for you in the kitchen," Mr. Fallon nodded towards the kitchen. "So Matthew, you're set up in the guest bedroom, I'll take Benny's suitcase up to her room," Mr. Fallon said sternly letting him know what the sleeping situation would be.

"Yes sir," Matt said smiling brightly to drop off his own suitcase in the guest bedroom on the complete opposite side of the Fallon house from Bennett's room. Of course, Benny thought smiling and waiting for him to rejoin her before he met the rest of her family.

"Sorry, my parents are pretty old fashioned," Benny explained about the bedroom situation. She grabbed his hand and gave him a smile before leading him into the kitchen hoping Max wouldn't be there. He hadn't said one nice word to her since she'd left and he probably wouldn't be nice to Matt either.

"Bennett Marie Fallon, my goodness you look wonderful, ugh you're so skinny! What people don't eat up North?" Mrs. Fallon rushed over to kiss her daughter's cheek and hug the boy at her side. "And you must be Matthew, I've heard so much about you. Oh, you two must be starving and dinner is ready right now, sit down next to her brothers," She said before bustling off to pull something out of the oven.

"Hey guys," Bennett hugged her older brother Taylor, who was basically identical to Max only older, tightly before sitting down next to him and giving Max an awkward smile. "This is my boyfriend Matt, Matt, these are my brothers Max and Taylor," She smiled. Taylor was about six years older than Max, so he had always done his own thing. Having him home for the holidays just made Bennett more excited.

"Hey, what's up guys?" Matt smiled before sitting at the vacant seat next to Benny and across from Max, who didn't even give the poor kid a chance. After Taylor waved hello, and Max just glared at him they all sat in silence as their mother put a fresh meat loaf down on the kitchen table.

"I'm actually not hungry, I'm going over to John's," Max said looking Benny straight in the eyes. She immediately felt a pang of sadness just at his name and opened her mouth to protest it, but he was gone too fast. Mr. and Mrs. Fallon exchanged look wondering about their son's erratic behavior.

"Don't mind him, he's just being a little moody," Taylor leaned over with a suit and tie. He was so much older than them that sometimes he was more of an uncle than a brother. They engaged in small talk until Benny excused herself and made her way up to her childhood room. It seemed so much smaller now and older, once the door was closed behind her she sank to the floor and didn't even bother to hold in her tears. She had no idea how hard it would be to just come home.