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I REUNITE WITH BEN in front of Steven's house, where Katy's kidnapper is handcuffed in the back of a cop car. As a rule, we're not supposed to judge humans too harshly, but how can you not judge a man like Steven? I'd be lying if I said his arrest didn't make me happy. I'm glad to see him go.
“You did well, Ben.” My praise sounds weak, but I genuinely think he did a good job with this mission. He was clever, level-headed, and devoted to rescuing Katy. I couldn't have asked for a better partner—but I wouldn't say that to him.
“Whoa. Was that actually a compliment?”
“Well... yes. You were a decent partner, and you handled the pressure fairly well.” I know I'm watering down my compliments, but I can't help it. I don't like to be too nice. “Also... you no longer have a zero rating. That's something to celebrate.”
The lights on the cop car flicker as they leave the driveway, and I catch a final glimpse of Steven's sneering face. That's one face I hope I never see again.
“We should celebrate... together,” Ben proposes. “Why don't we go out for ice cream or something?”
Before I can accept or decline, I get a message on my LightTab. It's another update on Isaiah. He's ordered groceries from FoodGo yet again, presumably to see Angelica.
When I share my message with Ben, he says, “Either that guy needs a lot of groceries... or he has an unhealthy obsession with the girl who delivers them.”
“This proves we're on the right track with the Isaiah mission,” I reply. “He doesn't want some random girl. He wants Angelica.”
“So, you support his unhealthy obsession?” Ben asks.
“You're the one who thinks it's unhealthy. I think it's cute.” As I argue my point, I warp us to Isaiah's familiar living room. “He keeps buying groceries because he wants to see her again. I think it's romantic.”
“Sure... if you think stalkers are romantic.”
I land a right hook on Ben's arm. It was the softest punch in the world, but he still whimpers about it. “Isaiah is not a stalker! It's not like he's following her around!”
Ben holds up his LightTab, showing me the definition of the word stalker.
“A person who harasses someone with unwanted and obsessive attention,” he reads aloud. “You don't think he's obsessive?”
“No. I think you think he's obsessive,” I reply. “And he's hardly harassing her! Geez.”
Our argument is put on hold when Isaiah's FoodGo shopper shows up with two heaping bags of groceries. It's not Angelica. It's a middle-aged woman with apple cheeks and graying hair.
“That is the kind of woman Isaiah should be with,” Ben argues. “She's not a supermodel, and they're probably closer in age. Hey... Isaiah? Why don't you ask out this girl?”
I smack Ben's arm again, earning me another whimper from him. “Will you stop that?” I squeal at him. “Stop trying to mess with the mission!”
“I'll stop doing it when I think you're right and I'm wrong... which is never,” Ben says. “Don't spirit guides ever disagree?”
“Yes. But a student should listen to the instructions of his veteran partner.”
For once, Ben stops whining, which gives me a chance to listen to Isaiah's thoughts.
“Angelica's not here today. That's a shame. Am I crazy for liking her? Probably. A girl like that could never like a guy like me.”
Ugh. If he thinks Angelica could never like him, it's probably Ben's fault. He's been disparaging our poor charge since we started this mission.
As Isaiah collects his groceries from the new delivery girl, I say, “Ben... you've made him doubt himself.”
“No, I gave him a reality check. Sometimes people need one.”
“I don't agree with you. I think people need encouragement and support. They need to believe they're worthy of love. They need to believe they're good enough to do anything.”
“Would you say the same thing about Steven?” Ben asks. “Did he need encouragement and support?”
“No! That was different, and you know it.”
Ben flops down on the couch and clasps his hands behind his head, making himself comfortable in Isaiah's house. “Can you imagine being that guy's spirit guide?” Ben asks. “Would you have to help him kidnap a little girl?”
“No. A good guide would try to talk sense into him, and if he refused to back down, his intentions would be reported to an Archangel.”
“Really? But I thought we weren't supposed to judge people?”
Sometimes, I think Ben starts arguments because he enjoys it. He likes to banter because he's bored and it gives him something to do. To be fair, I haven't done much to end our debate, and I'm probably stirring up more trouble when I ask, “Do you really hate Isaiah that much?”
“No, I don't hate him. What gave you that idea?”
“You're comparing him to Steven!”
“Not really.” Ben scoffs. “You must have pulled off some impressive mental gymnastics to arrive at that conclusion.”
I take a breath and try to bring some sense to the discussion. “I just don't think someone's physical appearance should determine who they should be with. Everyone is beautiful in their own way.”
“Sure... if you live on Sesame Street,” Ben says. “Look, I'm not trying to be an asshole, I'm just keeping it real.”
“You're not trying to be an asshole. You are an asshole.” Ouch. That was probably a bit too harsh. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to faze him.
“You know, you look cute when you're angry,” Ben says. “It makes me want to go out for that ice cream even more. Isaiah's probably not going to order more groceries until tomorrow, so... why don't we go out? I'll even let you call it a date.”
I don't think anyone's made me cringe so many times in just a few short sentences. First of all, he's making fun of the frequency of Isaiah's FoodGo orders. Secondly... he has the audacity to think I want a date with him?
“You're really full of yourself, aren't you?” I ask him.
Ben says, “Only a little. How could I not be full of myself when I've got hair like this?” I must look pretty disgusted, because he quickly adds, “I'm kidding!”
I actually think he's not kidding. Ben looks cute, he knows it, and he has no idea how to be humble about it.
“You do have nice hair,” I admit, which has him looking pleasantly surprised. “But... I think I'll pass on a date. I need to focus on my training.”
“Then I'll wait until your training is over,” Ben says, leaning back on the sofa even more. Winking, he adds, “I think it'll be worth it.”