It was funny, how growing up with someone could keep things so similar, yet change them so drastically at the same time. Ben was hardly foolish. A part of the reason his attraction to Charlie existed was because she’d gone from an adorably awkward kid to an attractive woman. This, of course, did next to nothing to help Ben’s problem, because above all, he was a teenage boy.
To be honest, the potential problems with this situation were staggering in how they outweighed the benefits. Calvin, as much as Ben adored his best friend, was one of them. How would he feel if he knew that Ben was harboring feelings for his sister? He didn’t know, nor did he really want to find out. Though moments like this, that last part was a little less true. Ben simply chuckled and smiled a little bit when Charlie mentioned divas, nodding his agreement.
“Or they might have changed the show to appease the masses,” he added, shrugging a shoulder and turning his eyes to the TV again. “It’s what happens to a lot of classics. They try and alter what works to make the public happy and end up ruining everything.” He listened as she continued to speak her mind about it and chuckled a little at her little quip at the end. “I would ask no less, Charlie. If I become a master physicist and change the world, but I do it for the wrong reasons, I would actually appreciate a good smack in the head. And if you start to get all bigheaded about your brilliant, concerto-style cello play, I’ll use my physicists salary to hire a girl to smack you. Since I know for a fact that I can’t do it myself.”
At the last question, Ben’s eyes followed Charlie’s over to the clock and he realized that even though his mom didn’t expect him home, he’d still stayed there later than he’d expected. That was what always happened when he spent time with Calvin or Charlie. Jacen too, though not quite so often. “I don’t see why not,” he nodded his head and smiled a little when she mentioned cleaning off the top bunk. “Am I going to find some archaic computer pieces in there? Or will there be rats that jump out and bite me?”