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"No, never. What are these.. mozzarella cheese sticks?" Lorabelle asked excitedly, her usual demeanor taking over at the prospect of more new food.
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"They're sticks of cheese that are are coated with breadcrumbs and fried." Ben explained as he grinned down at Lora. "I think you'll like them." He said as the waitress returned with the order of mozzarella sticks and placed them in the middle of the table.
"They are delicious." Jessica said as she dipped a stick into the tomato sauce beside it before taking a bite. |
"What's this.. red stuff that you're dipping them in?" Lorabelle asked as she picked up one of the mozzarella sticks and studied it in her fingertips.
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"Its tomato sauce." Ben said, ignoring his friends' strange glances.
"Haven't you ever had mozzarella sticks before, Lora?" Kevin asked curiously. "Oh now don't embarress her with rude questions. They're probably just a specialty." Jessica nodded before taking another bite of her own cheese stick. |
Lorabelle blushed a deep scarlet as she stammered, "N-No, this is my first time ever seeing one.. Where I come from we don't have this sort of thing.."
Taking a small bite of the stick, Lorabelle's blush deepened as she thought about how stupid she must look in front of Ben's friends. 'This cannot look good for Ben.. I am embarrassing him something awful... What am I to do now?' |
"Its alright." Jessica said politely to Lora, sensing her unease. "We're perfectly alright with corrupting you with pizza and cheesesticks." She grinned happily before returning to her own.
Ben smiled at the girl beside him, perfectly content with having her by his side. She was utterly different then any girl he knew and it was strange and refreshing all at the same time but in a good way of course. Besides, she looked absolutely stunning. |
Lorabelle blushed even deeper as she caught Ben's gaze at her, finding her heart fluttering. Finishing the cheese stick, Lorabelle too a sip of her water with a warm smile at Jessica, "Thank you. I assure you, I am very much corrupted."
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"Good." Jessica grinned happily, clapping her hands together. "So if you're from Nevada how'd you meet Ben here?" She asked as Greg rolled his eyes.
"He obviously went to Vegas for a wild weekend and thought he'd rescue her from a prostitution ring." Greg explained before Ben smacked him in the arm. "That's not what happened." Ben glared though his friend's strange story was to foolish to take seriously. "Honestly, Greg. You're the worst." Jessica sighed before looking over at Ben and Lora. "Lora flew into town to visit relatives. We just ran into each other when I was getting coffee." Ben lied smoothly, before looking over at Lora. |
Lorabelle smiled as she thought about how nearly all of that statement was true. "I guess you could say he was stuck with me after that, and I with him," Lorabelle added softly, her warm gaze never leaving Ben's face. It was strange, but Lorabelle couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have Ben around all the time, and she didn't like the thought of it.
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"That's really sweet." Jessica sighed as she looked at Ben with a bit of a glare. "You never mentioned you two were together. I feel like that's something friends should know." She said, trying her best to be upset looking but a small smile tugged at her lips.
"We're not. We're friends." Ben insisted with a shrug before taking a long drink of water just as the waitress reappeared with the check. "Oh, I'm sorry." Jessica blushed as the four of them dug into their wallets and placed their share of money on the table. "Ready to go, Lora?" Ben asked with a warm smile. |
"Yes, I am ready." Lorabelle blushed a deep scarlet as she nodded. "I am sorry for the confusion, Jessica. I did not mean to it to sound like more than what we were," Lorabelle apologized softly as she looked over at Jessica, "We are only friends, not lovers."
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Ben blushed at the word lovers and put a chaste hand on Lora's back. "I'll see you guys tomorrow in class." He said with a wave before leading Lora through the throng of people crowding the small pizzaria.
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"I'm very sorry your friends got the wrong idea about us, and I'm very sorry for having repeatedly embarrassed yoyu.. But I thank you for coming to my rescue about my human past and the reason why I am here," Lorbelle added softly with a small smile once they were safely away from the pizzeria and on their way home.
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"You aren't an embarrassment, Lora. I don't like you thinking that." Ben frowned as they walked. "I enjoy having you at my home and my friends adored you, I promise. So no more apologizing." He encouraged with a warm smile.
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"A mozzarella stick must be so common on Earth.. I must have looked so silly not knowing what it was, nor what the sauce was.." Lorabelle disagreed softly as she looked up at him.
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"You worry to much." Ben assured her as they entered the lobby and led her to the elevator to bring her back up to his apartment. "Its okay not to know everything." He assured her as he unlocked his door and brought her back into the apartment.
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"I know.. But.." Lorabelle sighed as she leaned back against the closed door, "I feel so silly and as if I am a hindrance due to my not being very knowledgeable about this world.. I cannot even read.."
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"Lora." Ben sighed as he set his coat aside and stepped closer to the foreign girl in his apartment. "I can teach you how to read. I can help you become knowledgable if that's what you want but you shouldn't feel ashamed. Everyone has to learn these things at some point." He reminded her.
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"But not at my age, however old that may be," Lorabelle reminded him, her hands on her hips, "I thought I was so prepared when I met you.. Now I'm just finding out how much of a curse this truly is.. I'm absolutely terrible at being a human," Lorabelle whispered with a sigh. Holding her arms out, Lorabelle looked down at herself, "I still can't even stress myself without messing everything up and needing help.."
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"You're not horrible at being human." Ben said softly as he took one of her hands. "You're just new at it and I know its not easy but if you beat yourself over it then its not going to get any better." He told her.
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"I know.. I just. I feel so useless and so helpless," Lorabelle said with a sigh. "Does it ever get better?"
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"Of course. I wouldn't feed you false hope." Ben promised as he led Lora into the living room. "Do you want to watch a movie?" He asked as he looked through the small movie collection he had.
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"Sure," Lorabelle said with a small smile before curling up on the couch, "What movie?"
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"Hmm I have Peter Pan. Maybe then you'll understand the Never, Neverland reference." Ben said as he slid the DVD out of the box and put it into the player before sitting back on the couch. "I think you'll like this one." He smiled at Lora as he hit play from the DVD menu.
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Curling up beside Ben, Lora smiled as she watched the magic box. "So, what is the movie about?" Lora asked as she rested her chin on Ben's shoulder, her eyes a little heavy, showing how tired she was.
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