Purpose ❆ Benny Rodriguez

03 | forty years

08/25/2015

chapter three ;
FORTY YEARS

♡

THE DAY AFTER we went to Santa Monica, we repeated the trip; that time, my parents came along. Monday was all right, aside from Hannah's snide remarks. Plenty of people felt the need to speak to me, attempting to be my "friend", though I was sure they were only interested in getting closer to Benny.

　Tuesday rolled around, and I woke with a headache and cramps. The initial anxiety I felt on the first day had dulled, but it was still there, nevertheless.

　The one great thing about my new school was that we could wear practically anything, even shorts. The amount of girls I saw wearing booty shorts surprised me. I liked to keep it simple – jeans, a TØP T-shirt and black Converse, hair straightened and left loose.

　Walking into school, I received the same looks from people. The girls would cover their mouths and giggle, and I would stare at them, daring them, until they quickly turned their heads. Benny was perfectly happy to walk with me everywhere, to hold my hand until he was forced to let go.

　I felt sort of bad about not noticing it on the first day, but Leah was in a few of my classes. She was the quiet type, though, and she always sat in the back. Of course, I offered her many seats near me and Benny or DeNunez or Bertram, or we would take seats near her.

　Bertram never would have admitted it, but I knew he liked her.

　During lunch, we decided to sit outside. The air was scorching, but, to my immense surprise, there were fans outside.

　Leah followed me and the boys into the open air, and I took a deep breath of the fresh air. More people ate outside than inside; some just sat around and chilled, some made out with their boyfriends/girlfriends, and some even kicked a soccer ball around. Needless to say, some students treated lunch as a free period.

　"Benny," I groaned, laying my head onto his shoulder.

　"What?" he chuckled, his arm closing tightly around my waist.

　"I'm dying," I grumbled.

　"I have chocolate in my backpack," he informed me. "I meant to give it to you earlier."

　"For real?" I jumped up, my bright eyes meeting his. He laughed loudly and nodded in confirmation. "Oh, I love you."

　Before he could take a bite out of his roll, I pressed a kiss to his warm cheek. In the distance, I heard the sound of gagging. I looked over to find Hannah staring at us from another table, acting as though she were sticking her finger down her throat.

　"Choke on it!" I shouted, smirking. "And don't think of me while you do."

　Leah gasped, her hand flying over her mouth to obscure her smile. DeNunez nearly choked on his food, and Bertram actually spit his water out. Benny simply laughed, tightening his grip on my waist.

　Everyone around us either gasped or laughed, aside from Hannah and her crew. They threw us dirty looks left and right, but it wasn't like I cared.

　"Not my fault you couldn't get him!" I added. "Jealousy's the ugliest trait." Thanks, Keri Hilson.

　Hannah grimaced and whipped around to face her friends again. I was absolutely certain that she was talking trash about me. Oh, well. One day, I predicted, she would eat her words. As for now, I was determined to stay out of trouble.