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Ben has four tickets for his college graduation ceremony.
He’s already finished all his exams and passed his classes—he checked to make sure he would be completely done with school work before starting the new show at King Falls AM—but he’s yet to actually graduate. And he has four tickets and isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do with them.
His mom will take one, obviously. She’s proud of him, and Ben always loves to make her proud. But he doesn’t have any other family in town. He has friends, but none his age who aren’t graduating with him. He could ask Ron, but that would be a little embarrassing and awkward.
Ben continues to consider this while he spends his evenings on the air with Sammy Stevens, slowly being forced into talking live instead of just working the soundboard. During a break, he takes his headphones off one ear and says “Sammy, how old are you?”
Sammy looks taken aback, but laughs and says “Who’s asking?”
Ben flushes. “Sorry. That sounds like a stalker question, I guess.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Sammy says. “I’m twenty-nine. Almost at the decade, I guess, which feels weird.”
Ben nods. “So you graduated college a while ago, right?”
Sammy raises an eyebrow. “Yeah? I don’t know where this is going, Ben.”
“I’m graduating this week and I know this is weird and that I met you like a few days ago but… They like, give you tickets? And I don’t know who to invite.”
Sammy blinks. “Oh,” he says. “Is this- are you inviting me to your high-school graduation?”
“I- wait, what? Sammy, I’m graduating college. I’m twenty-two.”
“You’re twenty-two?” Sammy says, half-laughing. “Jesus. I thought you were like, nineteen, tops.”
“Haha. Very funny. Yes, I’m twenty-two.” Ben rolls his eyes. “Do you want to come or not?”
Sammy collects himself and stops laughing, fixing his hair under the headphones. “I mean, sure. That’s really sweet, Ben. I’d love to come. When is it?”
“Day after tomorrow,” Ben says. “And, thanks. I don’t want to waste tickets but I really don’t have anyone else to ask.”
“Who’s coming besides me?”
“Oh, just my mom.”
“Ben, you’ve lived in King Falls your whole life. Surely you have other friends who you should ask! I don’t need a ticket!”
Ben shrugs and makes an I-don’t-know noise. “I mean—there’s some people but anyone my age is graduating with me or has moved from King Falls. And my mom’s the only family in town. So it just… I don’t really have anyone else to invite.”
Sammy nods like he understands, which doesn’t make sense because the guy comes from a big city where he was a radio star. Surely he knows loads of people. “Well then, I’ll come,” he says. “I can’t believe I’m meeting your parents already. Ben, this relationship is moving so fast.”
Ben knows he’s still blushing, but he says, “Whatever. Thanks for agreeing to come, dude,” and then he hears the end of the commercial jingle and says, “Shoot, we gotta go back on the air.”
“Awesome,” Sammy says, and puts his headphones back on. “Welcome back to King Falls AM dear listeners, and it’s me, Sammy Stevens, and my co-host Ben Arnold-“
“Producer, not co-host, Sammy-“
“And tonight, we’re discussing King Falls weather. I know how boring it is, but I’ve never lived in Washington before and I don’t know how the seasons change here. Ben, care to explain things to me?”
That night at dinner, at three in the afternoon because of Ben’s fucked up sleep schedule due to the show, Ben says, “So, a friend is going to be sitting with you at my graduation.”
His mom looks up from her plate at Rose’s with a huge smile. “Really? Who is it? Do I know them, Benny?”
He shrugs. “Just the guy I’m on the air with. Sammy Stevens?”
She raises her eyebrows. “The new big city guy? He sounds like a smart-ass on the air, you know.”
“Mom, he’s not that bad, really,” Ben promises. “He’s a little… yeah, a bit of a smart-ass on the air, but when you’re really talking to him he’s actually really nice. And I don’t think- I think you’ll like him, honest.”
She nods sagely. “Alright kiddo,” she says. “I trust your judgement of people. You know I do. I’m just excited to meet him. Where’s he from again?”
“LA. He did Saturday night shows there a lot, from what I’ve heard. Apparently he was a pretty big deal.”
“Have you googled him? Made sure that he’s not making it all up to get fame?”
Ben laughs. “Mom, who comes to King Falls to get fame? And I haven’t googled him because I respect his privacy, jeez. But people call in sometimes and are like ‘Oh my God, Sammy Stevens, I’ve followed you all the way from LA!’ but he always clams up really fast about it.”
“Hm,” his mom says, and Ben sees her eyes light up.
“Mom,” he says, “please do not google my co-host.” But Betty Arnold is relentless, and Ben’s sure she’s going to. So he corrects himself: “Mom, please do not google my co-host before you meet him tomorrow night.”
She sighs. “Alright, I won’t be nosy,” she agrees, and Ben lets out a sigh of relief. “At least until after I meet the kid.”
“He’s twenty-nine. He’s hardly a kid.”
She makes a face. “Twenty-nine with no family or girlfriend and leaving his hometown? Interesting.”
“Mom! Do not give him the third degree, please. God,” Ben reaches across the table to grab Betty’s hands. “Just… be chill.”
“You know I will, Benny,” she says, smiling. “I’m not that bad. I’m cool. I’m a cool mom.”
“You’re not from Mean Girls either,” he says, but he’s smiling too. He’s sort of terrified that his mom and Sammy will hate each other, but it’ll be fine. Probably.
Ben finds himself wringing his hands pacing back and forth in the living room. “Wringing” might not be the right word—he’s picking at his cuticles, and pacing in a perfect path. He doesn’t know why he’s so anxious about it. He’s already finished college.
Sammy should be there soon, and then they’ll head out to go to the school. After the graduation, Ben knows that his mom will make all three of them go out to Rose’s and get pancakes late in the evening. Sammy doesn’t know that, and technically Ben hasn’t even been told that they’re going out after, but he knows.
“Ben, stop pacing, you’re going to screw up your cords,” his mom calls from the kitchen, where she’s very calmly scrolling through Twitter. “Did you know that one of your classmates is going to be working up at the Beauregard’s house after he graduates? He posted about it online.”
“Who?” Ben asks absentmindedly.
“Uh, Pete something? Pete Myers, it says. Oh, I know his mother, Marigold.”
Ben freezes in his tracks. “Yeah, I know him,” he says. “I knew him in high school, Mom.”
“Small world,” she comments.
“Especially in King Falls,” Ben says wryly. He tries to shove images of Pete Myers out of his mind. He’s a bitch.
Finally—finally—the doorbell rings. Ben unfreezes and runs to open it.
“Hey Ben,” Sammy says, grinning. He’s dressed—far nicer than Ben’s ever seen him dress before, with a button-up and a blazer. He’s wearing jeans still, but he looks really nice. “Happy graduation!”
“Thanks,” he says, trying to look like he isn’t checking out Sammy’s outfit, and says, “here, come in. We’re going to leave in just a few.”
“Hi,” Ben’s mom says, getting up from the table. “It’s so nice to meet you. Betty Arnold.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Arnold,” Sammy says formally, and he shakes her hand. “I’m sure you know my name from the many, many times I say it on the air each night.”
“And I know you from my son, of course,” she says brightly. “Please, call me Betty.”
“Betty,” Sammy says. “It’s so nice to meet you in person. Ben talks about you all the time. From what I’ve gathered, you’re the coolest person in town. Second to Ben himself, of course.”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course he says that about me. He’s a mama’s boy.”
Sammy nods. “Well, you’re a fantastic person, I’m sure. Ben is a good judge of character.”
“That he is,” she agrees. “I’m sorry I don’t have any food here for you, but we’re going to go out to eat afterwards at Rose’s, so you’ll come along with us for that.”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” Sammy stammers, but no one stands between Betty Arnold and her plans, so she shushes him.
“It’s no worries at all,” she says. “Now, it’s about time to leave, I think. Right Ben?”
Ben, who’s been standing and watching his mom and co-host meet without introducing them at all, like he probably should have done, says, “Oh, yeah, probably. Sammy, you can have shotgun.” Ben grins.
Sammy snickers. “Shotgun Sammy indeed,” he says, and Ben laughs.
Graduation goes well. Ben goes up and accepts his diploma and finally sees his mom and Sammy sitting and cheering for him. Ben is happy. He did the college thing, even if it’s just the King Falls Community College.
He’s wondered over time if he should have left King Falls and gone out to see the world. No better time to do it than college is what everyone says. But honestly, Ben can’t imagine himself anywhere but here. He doesn’t want to leave King Falls.
And now he’s got a friend who came to see his graduation even though they’ve only known each other for a week and a half.
Graduation seems to go on forever after he gets his diploma, which makes sense because his last name starts with an A, but at the same time it’s all a blur. And at the end, everyone around him throws their caps in the air and cheers. Ben does not, because he’s sure he would lose his cap forever if he did. But he cheers all the same.
Sammy and his mom find him after the ruckus has died down. “I love you so much Benny,” his mom says, and pulls him into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
Ben determinedly does not cry. He refuses to cry in front of his new friend. His eyes water, that’s all.
After his mom lets him go, he leans down and kisses her on the cheek. “You know I couldn’t have done it without you, Mom,” he says, and she smiles at him, teary.
“Thanks for coming, Sammy,” Ben says. “It means a lot. I’m really glad you came.”
“Of course, Ben,” Sammy says. “I’m honored that you invited me. I wish I could have had more friends at my graduation, so I’m glad I could be there for someone else.” Then Sammy reaches out and shakes Ben’s hand, which is possibly the funniest thing Sammy has ever done. Ben laughs at him for it.
“Really? Are we that professional?” Ben snickers, and Sammy flushes a little, which is the most real emotion Ben has seen from him since they met. Ben’s mom shakes her head at them. “C’mon boys,” she says. “Let’s go get some food. I’m sure Rose will want to celebrate you, Ben!”
They pile into her car and drive down the street to Rose’s. Sammy puts on “We Are the Champions” by Queen, and Ben laughs his ass of from the backseat. His mom thinks it’s charming. “Good taste,” she tells Sammy. “The classics are always good.”
“I’m not that young,” he says. “I’m almost thirty.”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course you’re not,” she says. Ben grins. He can tell that his mom likes him.
When they get to Rose’s and Rose sees him in his cap and gown, she gasps and runs around the counter to give him a hug. “Food is on the house for you tonight,” she promises.
Like Ben expected, they get pancakes. Sammy is awkward but then starts joking around the way he does while they’re off the air, and Ben eases into it, and he’s delighted. Everything went well. And sure, he’ll have to go to work at two in the morning with very little sleep, but so will Sammy and it’ll be fine. Maybe he’ll invite Chet to take a few hours.
“I’m glad you’re getting him on the air,” Ben’s mom says, “he really needs to step out of his comfort zone more often.”
“Mom!” Ben protests, but he’s smiling and Sammy laughs.
“He’s a natural,” Sammy says. “You raised a good kid, Mrs. Arnold.”
“Betty.”
“Betty.”
Ben takes another bite of his almost-soggy pancake. He’s a college graduate, now. That’s crazy to think about.
Rose comes over and gives them each a refill. Sammy raises his glass. “A toast,” he says. “To Ben Arnold.”
His mom raises her glass immediately, and Ben holds up his cup of coffee while rolling his eyes. “To Ben Arnold,” they all say.
“May his post-college life be great,” Betty says.
“Agreed,” Sammy says.
“Thanks guys,” Ben says, trying to hide his blush. It’s a good night.
That night, while Ben is on the air, Betty Arnold opens google on her computer and types in the name Sammy Stevens.
The first results are all social media accounts that have been inactive for several months. She scrolls past them. The first result after those is a reference from some podcaster’s Wikipedia page, which she scrolls past. The next result is about Shotgun Saturday Nights in LA, which Betty looks at and is mildly horrified by.
Apparently Sammy has not always been a nice young man, she realizes, because this show is not something that small town late night night hosts work on.
She goes back to her original search, and the third link is about a missing persons case. Some guy named Jack Wright, a producer for Shotgun Saturday Nights. Sammy apparently had been living with him at the time.
The article is only a few months old. The poor kid. He’s lost a friend, and recently, too. And now he’s living alone in a new town.
Betty closes the tab. It’s really none of her business, like Ben said, but it’s her son’s new friend, and she’s nothing if not nosy.
She decides that she’ll watch over Sammy Stevens. Betty knows that Mary Jensen’s taken a liking to him since her husband disappeared. Something clearly has happened that Betty doesn’t fully know the extent of, but he seems nice enough. And Ben’s a good judge of character.
Sammy Stevens is her son’s friend, which basically makes him her extended family. So, Betty decides that she’ll take care of him as such.
She turns the radio on and hears Ben and Sammy making fun of the Beauregard mansion up the hill and wondering about its inhabitants. They both sound mildly exhausted.
Betty smiles. Ben will be moving out soon, but she’ll be sure to check up on the both of them.