Uninterested (Benny Rodriguez)

Chapter Fourteen

I walked Rowan all the way to her house, but she told me her mom isn't home and I didn't want to leave her alone. Especially after the fact she's having a bad reaction from Percocet's. So I brought her to my house.

"Hey Benny." My mom smiled as I walked in the door, "What's Rowan doing here?"

"Just gonna hang out." I answered, leading Rowan to my room. My mom didn't ask anymore questions.

"I feel like I'ma throw up." Said Rowan as I shut the door to my bedroom. I quickly led her to the bathroom in my room and let her do her thing.

I lied down on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. How the hell am I supposed to help someone stop doing drugs when they don't even want to be helped?

After Rowan came back out of the bathroom she got on the opposite side of my bed that I wasn't on. She lied down, facing away from me. "You okay Rowan?"

"I'm fine Benny." She said with attitude under her breath.

I decided to ask some, some what deep questions because when she's high, is the only time she opens up to me.

"Do you even wanna be helped?" I turned around to lie on my stomach, with my face facing toward her.

She did the same, "With what?"

"With your...addiction."

"I don't know anymore. I feel shitty right now, so yeah, but later I most likely wont."

"Why do you even do it in the first place? I know the real reason isn't because it's calming."

"It's an escape from reality idiot. I told you that in the bathroom."

"What if you had a reason to stay in-tune with reality?"

Rowan began smiling, then bursted out in laughter. She buried her face into my pillow, continuing laughing. I rolled my eyes and went back to lying on my back. She can irritate me sometimes with how laid back & careless she is, but I'm sure the feeling is mutual to her.

After she stopped laughing she sat up, "So what in hell makes you think I could find a reason?" She still continued smiling.

"Life can bring you a lot of good things." I said.

"Like what?"

"You're so stubborn."

"I'm just asking."

This was hopeless, I can't help her. Rowan lied back down and knocked out quickly.

*    *    *    *

Rowan's Pov:

I opened my eyes to once again be in Benny's room. Benny was still asleep and it's obviously still night time. I looked at the clock that was hung up on Benny's wall. It was one in the morning. I felt like shit still, very groggy and lightheaded.

I wanted to go home so I got up quietly, not waking Benny up. I grabbed my backpack and left the house. I saw a tall figure pretty close up the street.

"Rowan, is that you?" They whispered.

Shit, it was Cameron.

"No." My dumb ass answered. Cameron got closer to me and I could vividly see his figure through Benny's porch light. "What the hell do you want Cameron?" I spat, folding my arms.

"I want to apologize, I wasn't thinking straight that day at the diner." He explained.

"You think I'm stupid?"

"No I don't." He shook his head, "I was high."

I rolled my eyes, "Being high isn't an excuse because that shit reveals who you truly are on the inside." I looked Cameron in the eyes, he seemed intimidated, "Plus what the hell are you doing out here at one in the fucking morning?"

"I went for a walk, I could ask you the same question."

Benny's Pov:

I woke up to see that Rowan wasn't next to me, which made me realize something must've been wrong. I got up and looked around a bit, when I went into the kitchen I heard Rowan outside, "Plus what the hell are you doing out here at the one in the fucking morning?"

I opened the door slowly, I didn't wanna wake my mom up. I saw fucking Cameron taking a step toward her, but once I shut the door behind me, they both quickly turned around to look at me.

I knew I looked stupid right now because I was wearing a purple t-shirt & the same jeans from school earlier. "The fuck is going on?" I asked taking a step off of the porch.

Cameron rolled his eyes, "Relax Rodriguez, wait a minute." Cameron looked at Rowan then at me, "The fuck are you two doing in the same house?"

My heart dropped, holy shit what were we supposed to say? The both of us already knew what this looked like.

"Our families are very close together." Rowan lied with ease, "So I was hanging out and I accidentally crashed here."

"Likely story. You're a slut." Said Cameron, "No wonder you gave Rodriguez that look at the diner."

"The hell did you just call her?" I pushed Rowan lightly out of the way.

"First of all!" Yelled Rowan, "I never gave Benny any sort of look! Second of all! I'm not a slut!"

"Yes you are." Cameron continued to ignore the fact that I was standing right in front of him. So I punched him in the face. Cameron then swung at me, but Rowan got in the way and fell backward due to the impact.

"Holy shit!" I knelt down to Rowan, to see she had a bloody nose. I got up and was about to swing, but Cameron got to first. I'm pretty sure my nose bleeding, but I didn't care. I continued to fight until Rowan got up and swung at him. Since she's smaller than he is, she didn't do too much damage, but when she kneed him...in that one spot. He fell to the ground.

"Lay in the street and die you piece of shit!" She yelled, she grabbed my upper arm and led me inside my own house. I was surprised that my mom hadn't woken up.

She led me into my own bathroom, "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Shut up." She spat as she wet a rag in the sink and began to wipe the blood off my face. She was still holding onto my upper arm as I leaned against the wall.

"Rowan maybe you should help yourself instead of-"

"Shut. Up." She demanded, "Where's your first aid kit?"

"The cabinet." I pointed at the cabinet that was right above the toilet. She stood on the lid and grabbed it, then fumbled through it. I looked in the mirror, I had more than just a bloody nose. I had a very small gash on my forehead, and a bruise on my cheek bone too.

Rowan got some bandages and an alcohol wipe, "This is gonna sting." She said opening the packet, "You should probably sit down."

I listened to her and sat down on the toilet lid, she held my face, making me look at her, she wiped the small gash and I winced at the pain. After she finished, she put the bandage on.

I stood up, "Rowan let me-"

"Go back to bed Benny." She demanded, facing the mirror. Her voice was full of irritation, I couldn't tell if I was being annoying or something was wrong.

"Rowan seriously-"

"Just go back to bed." She said more quietly.

I put my hand on her shoulder, "Rowan."

"What?" She turned around.

"Why were you talking to Cameron outside?"

"I don't know." She answered, "I was leaving, then I just saw him outside and he was trying to apologize to me. Thanks for sticking up for me though."

I shrugged, "No, thank you."

"For what?"

"Helping me."

She half smiled, "Go to bed nerd."

Word Count: 1299