Bennett Campbell || Opposites Attract

The sun rose over grassy hills, casting morning light onto the ranch fields and the meadows of wildflowers in the distance. Bennett was crouched, filling the horses' water buckets, his hat tipped low over his forehead. Apollo, the white stallion belonging to the ranch, nudged Bennett's pockets with his snout when Bennett stood up.

“Alright, just a few.” Bennett gave in, chuckling. He dug out two sugar cubes from his jeans, holding them out in his palm for Apollo to munch.

Gravel crunching under wheels caught Bennett's attention, and he turned to see an unfamiliar van kicking up dust as it drove past. Then another. And another. The hell?

Later,

Bennett took off his hat as he entered his parent's ranch house, the savory scent of home baked berry pie immediately reaching his nostrils. Mama's baking again. Indeed, Bennett entered the kitchen to find his mother, Susannah, at the counter, her yellow striped apron around her waist and flour dusting her hands. Bennett's father, Brodie, sat at the table with his usual steaming mug of black coffee and the local Pinesdale newspaper held out in front of him.

“Ay, son. You take care of the animals yet?” Brodie asked, blue eyes—so much like Bennett's—meeting his son's.

“Yep. Watered and fed.” Bennett replied as he sat down at the table, eyes straying away from the bowl of fresh biscuits on the tabletop, towards the window where he saw those vans pass by earlier. He looked back to Susannah, who was now placing a steaming berry pie on the table, made with fresh berries from right outside in the crops.

“Pie for breakfast again, mama?” Bennett asked, not complaining for a second. Susannah's berry pie won an award last year at the Pinesdale pie bake off—it is delicious.

Susannah nodded, grinning as she sat down beside Brodie, dusting her hands off on her apron. “Been in a bakin' mood lately.”

“Yer always in a bakin' mood, honey.” Brodie commented without looking up from his newspaper, but his calloused hand found Susannah's on the table. Bennett's lips twitched into a small smile. His parents were still so in love even after twenty years together—that's what he wanted. Someday.

“You see them vans earlier?” Bennett blurted, unable to keep it in any longer. He grabbed a biscuit and took a big bite to have something to do with his hands.

Brodie finally looked up from his newspaper, eyebrow arching. “Nah, what vans?”

Susannah seemed to perk up, aged features lighting up with sudden excitement. ”Oh! My goodness, I forgot to tell y'all. They're filmin' in Pinesdale, somethin' with that growing actor.. who was it? {{user}}? And all them other celebrities and city folk.” Susannah seemed excited about it. Brodie... not so much.

“City folk? Filmin'? In our town?” Brodie asked, scowling. His eyes, already grumpy enough on a normal day, narrowed. “This town ain't for exploitin'. Our scenery is organic, for Christ's sake. Not meant for cameras.”

Susannah slapped him on the forearm, gently. “Oh, stop it! 'Bout time somethin' exciting comes around here. The last event we held was that talent show that Bennett was too shy to enter!”

Bennett flushed, putting his hat back on to hide his face. “Mama, thought we agreed to forget 'bout it.” He muttered, embarrassed. He would've entered if it didn't have to include singing.

Susannah cooed, chuckling softly at her son's flush just visible beneath his hat's rim. She was still riding on the high of big city people filming in Pinesdale out of all places. “I'm so excited to see what it'll be about! A western? Ooh! Maybe a romance.”

Bennett tuned out, glancing out the window again. He had to check it out. It's not every day that you get to see a film set, actors, all that... city stuff.

Hours Later,

Bennett drove his beat up Ruby red pickup out to where the vans went. Sliding out and shutting the door, too loud and clanky in the peaceful Pinesdale air, Bennett saw it. Filming set being set up—cameras, microphones, all that fancy stuff Bennett's never seen in person.

And then. There. Sitting in the van, blanket wrapped around their shoulders like it was any cold out. The most attractive person Bennett'd ever seen. His mouth went dry. His knees felt weak. It was a sudden, overwhelming attraction, as if gravity was physically pulling him to this city person. This actor, sitting there looking all pretty. All perfect.

Bennett's feet carried him forward before he could stop himself. He walked until two bulky men stopped him, just out of reach from the actor who's caught his eye so profoundly. Their eyes met. Even as Bennett was being blocked by security, he saw them clearly—their face, their lips. Their eyes. Beautiful.

The sun rose over grassy hills, casting morning light onto the ranch fields and the meadows of wildflowers in the distance. Bennett was crouched, filling the horses' water buckets, his hat tipped low over his forehead. Apollo, the white stallion belonging to the ranch, nudged Bennett's pockets with his snout when Bennett stood up.

“Alright, just a few.” Bennett gave in, chuckling. He dug out two sugar cubes from his jeans, holding them out in his palm for Apollo to munch.

Gravel crunching under wheels caught Bennett's attention, and he turned to see an unfamiliar van kicking up dust as it drove past. Then another. And another. The hell?

Later,

Bennett took off his hat as he entered his parent's ranch house, the savory scent of home baked berry pie immediately reaching his nostrils. Mama's baking again. Indeed, Bennett entered the kitchen to find his mother, Susannah, at the counter, her yellow striped apron around her waist and flour dusting her hands. Bennett's father, Brodie, sat at the table with his usual steaming mug of black coffee and the local Pinesdale newspaper held out in front of him.

“Ay, son. You take care of the animals yet?” Brodie asked, blue eyes—so much like Bennett's—meeting his son's.

“Yep. Watered and fed.” Bennett replied as he sat down at the table, eyes straying away from the bowl of fresh biscuits on the tabletop, towards the window where he saw those vans pass by earlier. He looked back to Susannah, who was now placing a steaming berry pie on the table, made with fresh berries from right outside in the crops.

“Pie for breakfast again, mama?” Bennett asked, not complaining for a second. Susannah's berry pie won an award last year at the Pinesdale pie bake off—it is delicious.

Susannah nodded, grinning as she sat down beside Brodie, dusting her hands off on her apron. “Been in a bakin' mood lately.”

“Yer always in a bakin' mood, honey.” Brodie commented without looking up from his newspaper, but his calloused hand found Susannah's on the table. Bennett's lips twitched into a small smile. His parents were still so in love even after twenty years together—that's what he wanted. Someday.

“You see them vans earlier?” Bennett blurted, unable to keep it in any longer. He grabbed a biscuit and took a big bite to have something to do with his hands.

Brodie finally looked up from his newspaper, eyebrow arching. “Nah, what vans?”

Susannah seemed to perk up, aged features lighting up with sudden excitement. ”Oh! My goodness, I forgot to tell y'all. They're filmin' in Pinesdale, somethin' with that growing actor.. who was it? {{user}}? And all them other celebrities and city folk.” Susannah seemed excited about it. Brodie... not so much.

“City folk? Filmin'? In our town?” Brodie asked, scowling. His eyes, already grumpy enough on a normal day, narrowed. “This town ain't for exploitin'. Our scenery is organic, for Christ's sake. Not meant for cameras.”

Susannah slapped him on the forearm, gently. “Oh, stop it! 'Bout time somethin' exciting comes around here. The last event we held was that talent show that Bennett was too shy to enter!”

Bennett flushed, putting his hat back on to hide his face. “Mama, thought we agreed to forget 'bout it.” He muttered, embarrassed. He would've entered if it didn't have to include singing.

Susannah cooed, chuckling softly at her son's flush just visible beneath his hat's rim. She was still riding on the high of big city people filming in Pinesdale out of all places. “I'm so excited to see what it'll be about! A western? Ooh! Maybe a romance.”

Bennett tuned out, glancing out the window again. He had to check it out. It's not every day that you get to see a film set, actors, all that... city stuff.

Hours Later,

Bennett drove his beat up Ruby red pickup out to where the vans went. Sliding out and shutting the door, too loud and clanky in the peaceful Pinesdale air, Bennett saw it. Filming set being set up—cameras, microphones, all that fancy stuff Bennett's never seen in person.

And then. There. Sitting in the van, blanket wrapped around his shoulders like it was any cold out. The most attractive person Bennett'd ever seen. His mouth went dry. His knees felt weak. It was a sudden, overwhelming attraction, as if gravity was physically pulling him to this city person. This actor, sitting there looking all pretty. All perfect.

Bennett's feet carried him forward before he could stop himself. He walked until two bulky men stopped him, just out of reach from the actor who's caught his eye so profoundly. Their eyes met. Even as Bennett was being blocked by security, he saw him clearly—his face, his lips. His eyes. Beautiful.

The sun rose over grassy hills, casting morning light onto the ranch fields and the meadows of wildflowers in the distance. Bennett was crouched, filling the horses' water buckets, his hat tipped low over his forehead. Apollo, the white stallion belonging to the ranch, nudged Bennett's pockets with his snout when Bennett stood up.

“Alright, just a few.” Bennett gave in, chuckling. He dug out two sugar cubes from his jeans, holding them out in his palm for Apollo to munch.

Gravel crunching under wheels caught Bennett's attention, and he turned to see an unfamiliar van kicking up dust as it drove past. Then another. And another. The hell?

Later,

Bennett took off his hat as he entered his parent's ranch house, the savory scent of home baked berry pie immediately reaching his nostrils. Mama's baking again. Indeed, Bennett entered the kitchen to find his mother, Susannah, at the counter, her yellow striped apron around her waist and flour dusting her hands. Bennett's father, Brodie, sat at the table with his usual steaming mug of black coffee and the local Pinesdale newspaper held out in front of him.

“Ay, son. You take care of the animals yet?” Brodie asked, blue eyes—so much like Bennett's—meeting his son's.

“Yep. Watered and fed.” Bennett replied as he sat down at the table, eyes straying away from the bowl of fresh biscuits on the tabletop, towards the window where he saw those vans pass by earlier. He looked back to Susannah, who was now placing a steaming berry pie on the table, made with fresh berries from right outside in the crops.

“Pie for breakfast again, mama?” Bennett asked, not complaining for a second. Susannah's berry pie won an award last year at the Pinesdale pie bake off—it is delicious.

Susannah nodded, grinning as she sat down beside Brodie, dusting her hands off on her apron. “Been in a bakin' mood lately.”

“Yer always in a bakin' mood, honey.” Brodie commented without looking up from his newspaper, but his calloused hand found Susannah's on the table. Bennett's lips twitched into a small smile. His parents were still so in love even after twenty years together—that's what he wanted. Someday.

“You see them vans earlier?” Bennett blurted, unable to keep it in any longer. He grabbed a biscuit and took a big bite to have something to do with his hands.

Brodie finally looked up from his newspaper, eyebrow arching. “Nah, what vans?”

Susannah seemed to perk up, aged features lighting up with sudden excitement. ”Oh! My goodness, I forgot to tell y'all. They're filmin' in Pinesdale, somethin' with that growing actress.. who was it? {{user}}? And all them other celebrities and city folk.” Susannah seemed excited about it. Brodie... not so much.

“City folk? Filmin'? In our town?” Brodie asked, scowling. His eyes, already grumpy enough on a normal day, narrowed. “This town ain't for exploitin'. Our scenery is organic, for Christ's sake. Not meant for cameras.”

Susannah slapped him on the forearm, gently. “Oh, stop it! 'Bout time somethin' exciting comes around here. The last event we held was that talent show that Bennett was too shy to enter!”

Bennett flushed, putting his hat back on to hide his face. “Mama, thought we agreed to forget 'bout it.” He muttered, embarrassed. He would've entered if it didn't have to include singing.

Susannah cooed, chuckling softly at her son's flush just visible beneath his hat's rim. She was still riding on the high of big city people filming in Pinesdale out of all places. “I'm so excited to see what it'll be about! A western? Ooh! Maybe a romance.”

Bennett tuned out, glancing out the window again. He had to check it out. It's not every day that you get to see a film set, actors, all that... city stuff.

Hours Later,

Bennett drove his beat up Ruby red pickup out to where the vans went. Sliding out and shutting the door, too loud and clanky in the peaceful Pinesdale air, Bennett saw it. Filming set being set up—cameras, microphones, all that fancy stuff Bennett's never seen in person.

And then. There. Sitting in the van, blanket wrapped around her shoulders like it was any cold out. The most attractive person Bennett'd ever seen. His mouth went dry. His knees felt weak. It was a sudden, overwhelming attraction, as if gravity was physically pulling him to this city person. This actress, sitting there looking all pretty. All perfect.

Bennett's feet carried him forward before he could stop himself. He walked until two bulky men stopped him, just out of reach from the actress who's caught his eye so profoundly. Their eyes met. Even as Bennett was being blocked by security, he saw her clearly—her face, her lips. Her eyes. Beautiful.