Mackie

"You guys are going to die once you see my dress" Brooke pulls up the picture on her phone, "I'm gonna get rid of the straps and definitely cut it shorter" she shows her dress off and Ali is gawking but Ben isn't looking. Distracted by the sound of the loud motorcycle approaching he watches as Mackie pulls off his helmet and climbs off the bike.


The nice morning breeze blows by as their eyes meet, Ben and Mackie have never spoken a word to each other, their worlds are too different, but all of that is about to change. As he's walking Mackie fixates on Ben "what are you looking at, Creep?" Ali barks at Mackie who just smiles and keeps walking

"That guy's such a creep" Brooke comments "right... Ben?" Snapping out of it "huh? Yeah..."

"Anyways back to spring fling, did Jeremy ask you yet?" Ben shakes his head "what's he waiting for it's this Friday?"


"I don't know but I'm not worried I can just tag along with you guys, right?"

"What? No!" Ali answers "you have to have a date for spring fling Ben what will people think?" "She's right, if he won't ask you then you have to ask him"


"And if he says no?" Ben asks

"Then he's not the right guy for you."

The three friends go inside heading to their first period, as he's walking Ben is joined by Jeremy "hey babe."

"Babe?" Ben questions

"Yeah, you're my babe right?"

"Am I?" He stops walking turning to Jeremy "why haven't you asked me to spring fling?"

Jeremy scoffs "because you were the one saying how pointless it was, Ben you said it wasn't interesting." Annoyed Ben walks away and Jeremy chases him "wait ok, ok fine" he stops Ben "you want to go to spring fling then we'll go to the stupid thing."

"This is why I didn't want to go, it's not special Jeremy and you're only agreeing because I'm pissed off!" Shoving him Ben walks away.

All alone he walks around school helmet in hand and book bag in the other, Mackie Denver doesn't care about anything and he's one of those bad boys who's way too cool to make friends. His friends are biker types like him and although he ignores the judgments he knows outside these school walls, none of those kids would dare step to him.

"All right before the bell rings let me tell you who your partners are for the project," the teacher picks up his notebook as Ben and Mackie sit in the class far from each other. "Dennis and Kira, Samantha and Laura, Billy and Jessica A., Ben and Mackenzie-"

"Who's that?" Ben asks cutting his teacher off, pointing to a seat in the back of the class Ben turns to see Mackie staring right at him with a smile. "Wait -" the bell rings

"If your name wasn't called yet please stay back."

Everyone else packs up and Ben waits for Mackie to leave before he approaches the teacher "Mr. Merrill can I please get a different partner?"

"Why what's wrong with Mackenzie?"

"I don't know him, it'll be hard to work with someone you don't know." "Welcome to life Ben, just give it a chance he might surprise you."

Feeling dismissed Ben walks away leaving class, soon as he hits the hall he sees Mackie waiting outside the door "how'd it go?" His deep voice stuns Ben

"How'd what go?" Ben walks and Mackie follows "Trying to ditch me, did he bite?"

"Look we obviously don't know each other and that can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be. Let's just get this stupid project done and never speak to each other again" Ben already feels embarrassed standing in the hallway talking to him where anyone could see.

"Benjamin Henderson" Ben hears his name and looks past Mackie to see Jeremy holding a sign and flowers. "Will you be my date to spring fling?" He asks confidently

Mackie chuckles and Ben stares at Jeremy smiling "I'd love to" he nods. Jeremy walks closer hugging him and handing him the flowers

"Thanks"

"Did I do good?"

"Yes you did great" they walk away arms around each other.

Completely forgetting Mackie "cool guess I'll go jump off a fucking bridge then."

After school, Ben huddles outside with his friends. "Took him long enough! Have you picked out your suit yet?"

"Yes you guys should come over later and check it out"

As he's leaving Mackie sees Ben and decides to walk to him "1510 Sierra street" "What?" Ben asks as the girls stare at Mackie with disgust

"My address for whenever you're ready to do this thing" he leaves.

"What the hell was that?" Ali asks

"Ugh I got partnered with him in science class for a project" "Ew that's awful did you ask to switch?"

"Yeah, but nothing happened I'm stuck with him."

"I feel so bad for you, I heard he's killed someone before." "What?" Ben questions "that can't be true"

"I don't know but anyone who wears a dirty leather jacket like that is probably capable of anything, so be careful going into whatever neighborhood he crawls out of every morning."

"Hey ready to go?" Jeremy walks over to Ben

"Yeah. I'll see you guys later" he waves to his friends then leave with Jeremy. Unable to stop thinking about Mackie as Jeremy drives him home, Ben asks "so do you know anything about that kid Mackenzie?"

"Who?"

"You know dark hair, rides a bike" "Oh Dirty Denver?"

"People call him that?"

"Yeah, he always looks greasy and shit... what about him?" "Nothing" Ben drops the conversation.

It's not weird that no one knows who Mackie Denver is he actually prefers it that way, the less you

know about someone like him the better.

Getting home Ben's in his room on his phone, going to the search bar on Facebook he types in Mackenzie Denver. Clicking on the first page he finds, Ben sees a motorcycle as a profile picture and assumes it's him. There isn't much to stalk on his page, he barely posts anything and when he does they're about motorcycles.