Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

"Bennett! Are you ready yet? Dinner's ready and everyone's down stairs!" Mrs. Fallon yelled from the bottom of the stairs and Benny looked at her reflection once more, adjusting her cardigan over her white tank top with a high waisted skirt. She swiped on some more mascara and stood up slipping on a pair of black pumps before making her way down the stairs.

As she turned the corner she ran into John who chuckled awkwardly. "Your mom sent me to make sure you were okay," He said with a slight rasp to his voice. He studied her and she looked just a beautiful, he felt his heart racing wildly like the first time girls went from icky to wow. He didn't see girls though, he saw her. She glanced up and saw a bruise forming around his left eye complete with scab and she knew what happened, a small smirk curled up her lips.

"I'm fine," Benny smiled curtly before walking around him and seeing Matt helping dispense napkins as Mr. Fallon started carving the ticket. "Hey y'all," Bennett smiled before hugging Mr. and Mrs. O'Callaghan tightly before taking her seat next to Matt, he kissed her cheek. After apologizing last night he had dropped the subject for now. She took a sip of her water before placing it back down and smiled seeing Max taking the seat next to her and John the seat across from him.

"Alright kids, let's say grace then eat till we're all stuffed, not unlike the turkey," Mr. Fallon joked and he got a couple of laughs, but Benny had a smile on her face. She had no idea when she left she would miss her dad's bad jokes or his laugh. She had no idea she would miss home so much. "Oh Matt, so what we do is usually say grace and go around the table and say what we're grateful for," Mr. Fallon said before joining hands with Taylor and Mrs. Fallon.

"Lord, please bless these bounties we are about to receive, we thank you for our health, our lives and our little girl back home safe, and for all the gifts you give us every single day, that's why they call it the present," Mr. Fallon sang jokingly before everyone let out an 'amen'. "I am thankful, for my beautiful family, my best friends and a big fat twenty-two pound turkey."

"I am thankful for everything that we have in this life, we are truly blessed to have such wonderful children and wonderful friends right next door to us," Mrs. Fallon gushed giving Mrs. O'Callaghan's hand a squeeze. Benny knew that everyone's would be cliche and some form of the same words, so she loosened Matt and Max's hands and zoned out staring at her plate.

"I'm thankful for my best friend who beat my ass, with good cause and always keeps me in check, and my family and the one girl who always knew how to make me smile," John muttered quietly look into Bennett's eyes making everyone feel uncomfortable, especially Matt, who raised a suspicious eyebrow. Benny blushed and instinctually reached for the diamond ring that used to always hang around her next. John smiled seeing her disappointment at the invisible ring.

"I'm thankful for my X-BOX and my smoking hot girlfriend," John's youngest brother said, evoking a couple of laughs from everyone, but earning a slap to the back of the head from Mr. O'Callaghan who was trying suppress a smile on his own lips. Benny laughed and felt her stomach growled smelling all the home cooked food and wished she could just eat already.

"I'm thankful for my beautiful girlfriend, who means everything to me," Matt started wrapping his arm around Bennett tightly, kissing her cheek which seemed to create more tension around the table. "And her family for being so hospitable and the coolest family I've met," He added on meekly before unwrapping his arm to grab her hand.

"I'm thankful for all of you guys for making home the best place in the world and this delicious food," Benny smiled after forgetting to think of something to be thankful for. Once everyone went around the table it was decided they could eat Benny shoveled food onto her plate and her stomach let out a huge roar.

"You really are thankful for food, huh Ben?" Taylor laughed calling out from across the table and she mouthed 'fuck you' until he placed a hand over his heart. "Damn, Ben, so rude at thanksgiving table none the less." All the kids let out chuckles while the adults small-talked on their side of the table.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Taylor, I was simply mouthing 'vacuum' so that you could help Mom clean up after because aren't you thankful for the most wonderful mother in the whole wide world?" Benny snapped back before she took a huge bite of her roll. Mrs. Fallon jumped at the chance to get help cleaning and guilt tripped into cleaning, so Bennett got exactly what she wanted.

"So Matt, I'm sure you know by now Benny is basically our little girl so you're like family now, tell us about yourself," Mrs. O'Callaghan smiled before putting her famous pies in the oven. John's eyes grew wide wondering what the hell his mother was doing. Bennett was his girl, not Matt's and she was supposed to be on his side and hate him.

"Oh, well I'm a senior at Columbia, about to put myself through Harvard Law and hopefully I'll be a criminal attorney soon, so if any of you guys get into legal trouble, I'll hook you guys up," Matt joked evoking a couple of laughs. He didn't really know what to say about himself, he was essentially the new kid at school sitting with friends who had known each other forever.

"And he's gonna be the best lawyer ever," Benny laughed grabbing on his hand that was going up her thigh and kissing his cheek. It was still awkward, she just decided to keep eating while everyone talked amongst each other, there seemed to be less laughter than the previous year. Last thanksgiving had been the best and happiest thanksgiving of her life, but lots of things changed from last year. She couldn't pay attention to anything at the moment, she just finished her meal and asked to be excused.

"Ben, hon, are you sure you don't want any pie?" Mrs. O'Callaghan asked after her father nodded his head. She stared at the familiar faces staring at her, Matt still working on his third or fourth plate.

"Just come get me when the pie's getting served, there's no way I'm missing out on the best homemade pies in the world," Benny laughed before putting her dish in the sink and grabbing her coat making her way out of the house. She felt the cool night air and sighed, she really did just want to be alone. Both John and Matt's words were making her mind spin before she saw someone coming and stood up deciding to go for a walk.

"Hey, honey, desert's ready," Matt called out after her before she sighed loudly and faked a smile before walking back into the house. Mrs. O'Callghan and Mrs. Fallon were serving pie and ice cream before starting on the dishes. Bennett had started helping them since the boys never wanted her to play with her.

"I'll have my slice later," Benny smiled before putting the place with apple pie down on the counter and grabbed the dish towel to wipe the dishes Mrs. O'Callaghan her before putting them back in the cabinet. She liked listening to the mothers gossip about random people at the gym or at PTA meetings and things like that, usually just sitting on the counter.

"So Bennett," Mrs. O'Callaghan said once all the boys had successfully been moved out of the house to play football, a Thanksgiving tradition. "You and Matt, how is that going?" She winked at her before handing her a plate. Benny's cheeks flushed up, she never wanted to ruin their parents hopes of being a big family by marriage when John and Bennett got married because that's what their mothers had talked about since their first date.

"It's going," Benny said hesitantly, "He's perfect, I mean, he has his life together, he's going to be a lawyer and everything, but he's rushing me into this serious relationship. He told me he loved me." Bennett admitted quietly as both mothers gasped seeming to be more excited than she ever could be.

"Honey, you look like the saddest girl in the world. You have a strapping young man who loves you, why so blue?" Mrs. Fallon asked her daughter, everyone had noticed how Benny had changed, she used to smile like everyday was Christmas, now she was reserved and withdrawn. Her eyes seemed broken, they weren't the same eyes that used to be the brightest, happiest eyes her mother had ever seen.

"I don't love him," Benny whispered feeling a weight lifted off her chest. She felt a guilt wrapping around her, wondering what exactly she had been doing with Matt for the past six months. At the same time, finally saying it out loud after all the time liberated her. Both the mothers wrapped their arms around her as she started softly sobbing, "I don't know what I'm doing, I just don't love him," She repeated over and over.

"Hey baby, just go ahead and go to sleep you have an early flight tomorrow, but just sleep on it before you do or say anything to him," Mrs. Fallon hugged tightly kissing her daughter's forehead and Benny nodded solemnly before hugging both her mother and the woman who had basically been her mother. Her mind spinning with the realization she had just had.