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Donna didn't wanna be here. She really didn't wanna be here. But she was, in room BW10 standing right in front of Dean, who pridefully held a camera in his hand and a sheepish grin from ear to ear on his face.
Donna let out a sigh, there wasn't any backing out now, especially not with what Brady said.
"Alright," Donna grumbled, "What do I do?"
After about half an hour, Donna realized just how miserable being Dean's muse was. He was just as annoying as he looked, and considering she rarely got cross with anyone, one could only imagine how grueling it was.
Dean started fiddling with the camera, "Yeah, I'm telling you Don- can I call you Don?"
"No."
"Well anyways, I mean it when I say everyones been going nuts since prom," Dean chuckled, "all that alcohol Kenny smuggled in really left an impression on these guys. I mean just look at your brother dude!"
Donna immediately started heeding after her prolonged attempt to ignore him, "What? What about Ben?"
"You didn't see? Him and that Ricky guy got into this huge fight in the hallway on Monday, he had a ring in his hand that went flying right when they started throwing punches. I thought they were over that now or whatever but I guess not, Ben looked pissed!” Dean let out a faint giggle, recalling the situation.
"A ring? Why would he have a r-"
Donna wasn't sure what exactly made it click, but something in the air shifted. It was like all the pieces of a puzzle just fell into place when she didn't even know what the finished result was supposed to be. She couldn't identify what specifically made her realize what was going on, but when she did her mind exploded. All those unamused conversations he sat through at any mention their mother gave of a girl, the countless moments where he dodged Lola's affection, the infatuation with some random person Donna couldn't put her finger on, how he constantly ditched her, Lola, and Stuart to talk to Ricky, and every time he'd sneaken Ricky into his room, Ben was in fact in love with someone else, and Donna finally knew who,
It was Ricky.
Donna had never felt so triumphant in her life, "Okay, Dean, look I had a lovely time taking pictures with you (she didn't), but I'm starting to feel kinda sick, I think I'm gonna go... get some water, yeah my head is killing me! Modeling sure is tough, phe-yewf! I'll be right back, okay? Okay! Thanks, bye!"
And then she jolted out and ran. Faster than she'd ever ran, and she didn't stop until she made it right at the frame of Ben's bedroom door.
"Ben, open up. I know you're in there! You haven't left your room in days, can you at least let me in?" Donna called.
"No. If it's to complain about Brady go call Lola." Ben shouted, half annoyed and half devastated.
"It's not about Brady, and for god's sake Benjamin I'm for certain not calling your ex girlfriend to complain! I need to talk to you! ...And also if you don't let me in I'm- I'm telling mom how wasted you got at prom and how you spent all the money you were supposed to spend on snacks for us on Kenny's beer! Maybe I'll even say you were smoking his dope too!"
"Ughh alright, alright." Ben groaned and opened up the door hesitantly, his face was completely drained of any color, and his eyes were more bloodshot than Donna thought was possible, maybe he really was smoking Kenny's weed, "Make it quick."
"Oh I'll make it quick alright mister, as a matter of fact I'll keep it short and sweet. You're a liar! You lied to me about loving someone other than Lola, and I knew I was right— I'm always right about you! I can't believe I couldn't piece it together sooner, honestly I'm more mad at myself for not figuring you out than you not telling me before I could." Donna stopped hollering and looked into her twin brother's dead eyes, "Ben... Why didn't you just tell me?"
Ben would've shut the door right in her face, maybe even slammed it if he was his usual indifferent self. But he didn't, as a matter of fact he gave Donna that look, the look he only gave her when something was really wrong. The same exact one his eyes pierced her with that night he came home from Stuart's house in freshman year. And if that wasn't enough for Donna to know what's going on was going on, than it was definitely when he apologized to her, choking back tears.
"I'm sorry Donna. I'm sorry. I was- I would've told you." Ben started, but he couldn't finish. He couldn't think of what to say, what more was there to be said?
Donna didn't yell at him, she didn't even utter a word. Instead she hugged him, tighter than she ever had before, and then she cried with him. She sobbed. Not from anger like Lola would have, nor from disappointment like their mom would have, but sentimental tears. As if each tear to leave her brown eyes and roll down her face was a single emotion. Relief that she finally knew, for how proud she was of her brother, for the uncertainty of what to do next, and most of all for just to be here like this. To at last understand, to be able to try and help.
When they were finished, Donna gently cupped Ben's face, his eyes still red and puffy from all the sobbing, even from before just now.
"Ben, I meant it when I said you can be honest with me. You're my other half, there is nothing on this planet that would make me deny that. You mean more to me than anyone, you understand?" Donna held a tender smile, "I'll always be here, even if you're scared. I love you, Ben. So so much, and you're stupid if you think I'd let who you love affect us."
Donna sighed, still gently crying. It wasn't because of anything they'd said. It was because Ben believed her. And that was all she needed.