The Final Choice

64 Colby's POV

A/N: Hiii!! I'm back! I don't know how often I will be able to post because of personal family issues, BUT I'm going to do my best to stay with it. If you're new here, welcome, if you're not, welcome back! If you don't follow me, you should! I write decent things sometimes :) Don't forget to like and comment, pleeeease. I hope I don't disappoint. I'm a little rusty, but here we go!

For some reason, there was a warmth filling up my chest, just from the kid telling me "thanks." "Yeah, man, any time," I replied, smiling back at him. "Hey, wanna hear the system in this thing?" I rapped on the top of the rental with my knuckles. "It's only the factory model, but it's not bad. Especially with the equalizer that I installed on my phone." 

Ben's grin grew bigger, as he nodded his head. "Hell yeah!" he exclaimed, with his hand already on the car door handle. I unlocked the car and we both ducked inside of it. "Ooooh, this is sweet!" he murmured, running his hands over the sleek dash and interior. I just chuckled and pressed the button to start the engine. 

I pulled out my phone and went to my playlist, choosing to just hit shuffle. When the music blasted through the speakers, I turned my head to look at Ben. "What do you think?" I basically yelled. The music was really loud. 

He cocked an eyebrow at me, causing me to freeze for just a second with how much he looked like Callie, in that moment. Yeah, they were related, but I didn't realize that he looked that much like her, until right then.

"I mean, it's a good system, but it would sound better if you weren't playing this old shit," he replied, with a small smirk on his lips. My mouth fell open in shock. "Did you just call my music OLD?" I exclaimed. "How DARE you!" When the fuck had my music turned old?! 

The kid had the audacity to just laugh in my face, while I was having an existential crisis. Was I old now? I was only 25! Okay, almost 26, but still! I still had...only 4 more years before I hit the big 3-0. Oh, God...what was I supposed to do with that information? 

"Yep, face it. You're no longer in style, old man," Ben snickered, enjoying my pain. I grabbed my chest, not needing to pretend like I felt the pain. I really did. "You really know how to kick a man when he's down," I sighed, still not at terms with my realization. 

"Just think," he continued. "I'm almost 18. When you were that age, you were just moving out to LA. Feels like forever ago, huh?" He was really trying to torture me! Callie was right. He was a little shit. "Stop talking!" I exclaimed, fully feeling the effect of his words. "I thought we were boys, dude. This isn't how you treat your boy."

I knew he was joking, and so was I. Mostly, anyway. It really was getting to me, a little, realizing just how close I was to 30 now. I was about to be over the halfway mark. 30 had always seemed so old to me when I was a teenager. So far away. Now, it was like I blinked and I was over halfway there. 

Well shit.

I shook my head, pushing it from my mind. I had mostly overcome my fear of growing old, but sometimes, it still liked to rear it's ugly head. That mental battle was for another day. 

"Well, I was going to offer to let you hook up your phone to play YOUR music, but since you're just gonna be mean," I teased him. "No, what?! I take it back!" he exclaimed. "You're so young! Not at all old." I laughed and hit the bluetooth on the car. 

"Hook her up then. Let's see what your music taste is like. I bet it sucks," I replied, sitting back in my seat. "Please," he scoffed, staring at his phone, with a smirk on his face. "My music taste is awesome, because I'm awesome." I chuckled and shook my head. The kid had confidence, I had to give him that.

I thought that I was up to date on most music, but a rock song started playing that I didn't recognize. Ben started singing along with it, using his hands as the drums and guitar. I smiled, watching him.