One Game | Benny Watts

016

Benny sat himself down onto the plane, a chess magazine in hand. He knew he had to study for Paris but his mind was wandering to other places. He had thought a lot about Jennifer, the things she had said repeating in his head. He tried to distract himself with the magazine but he just couldn't... everything she had said that night felt so real just to be torn apart in the morning.

At first he felt first but as the day went on... his emotions began to shift. Shift into a anger, a hatred. How could she do that? Go against everything he asked of her. Fury began to fill his eyes slowly, he had a hatred towards Jennifer. A hatred he had never felt before towards anyone, but... he had never felt so hurt before by anyone either.

He couldn't picture her face without the cold look on her eyes or the pale look on her face. He couldn't imagine her as anything other than the woman who yelled at him in his doorway. He stopped himself when he looked down at his hands, red with blood but white where his rings were. "Can I get you anything,  sir?" A woman asked, he looked up at her.

"No thanks," he replied glancing back out at the window. Seeing the view of New York grow smaller and smaller, knowing somewhere down their was Jennifer. He shook his head letting the magazine take all of his attention... finally.

Jennifer was passed out, her body lounged across the sofa and the beer in her hand slipping slowly. She didn't see anything reason to not drink or smoke, she didn't have a job to attend to, she didn't have any family or friends to call, and there was absolutely nothing stopping her.

She jolted up, her eyes opening fast. She glanced down at the floor seeing the shattered beer bottle that slipped from her hand. "Oh," she mumbled, standing up. She wasn't sure how long she was passed out for, what time it was, nothing. All she knew is she was out of cigars. She groaned loudly before deciding to head to the shop to get some more... and maybe some beer.

***

She stumbled into the shop, receiving awful looks from people inside. "Jennifer?" He whispered looking at her with furrowed brows.

"Stanly?" She whispered looking at him.

"Look at yourself," he scoffed looking her up and down, she glanced down herself slowly before looking back up at him and grabbing a few boxes of cigars. "Jennifer stop," he ordered.

"Your not real," she slurred placing the cigars on the desk "And a few beers too," she added to the shop owner.

"Uh... age?" He asked slowly looking at the woman slowly.

"Old enough," she replied pulling a few 20s from her pocket.

"Will you be buying chess review with that?" He asked, holding up a copy of chess review. She looked at it squinting her eyes before they softened and her mind cleared. Sat on the front was a picture of Benny. Can't of been taken too long ago. She shook her head slowly glancing between the magazine and the man.

She suddenly felt a hard wave of guilt. Everything she had said wasn't right, she knew that. She also knew that it wasn't her... it was a withdrawal symptom.

"Fuck," she whispered

"What was that?" The man asked looking at the messy woman.

"I-" she stumbled backwards, leaving the store quickly. She headed back down her road a wobble to her step as he head rushed with emotions and thoughts. She felt guilty mostly, the things she had said to him in the heat of the moment. It wasn't his fault, none of this was his fault yet he suffered the consequences. Before taking the turn down to her road she glanced forward thinking hard before continuing her step past her road.

***

She trickled down the steps, taking in deep shaky breaths until she arrived at the door. She went to knock before taking a step back, deciphering if she should go home or not. She pulled her small bag to her side pulling out her almost empty bottle of water she bought of the way, taking in a deep swig and clearing her throat. She knocked once and waited. Then twice, and waited. Then thrice, silence. No answer.

"Uh..." she whispered "Benny... we need to uh, talk," she said louder. Dead silence. "Benny, please," her voice broke slightly, a small tear trickling down her face. "Well... uh- you know where I am... when your ready," she finished walking up a step waiting for a second just incase he came towards the door, but he didn't. She walked back home sadly, unsure if that made her feel any better or not.

She headed into her house slipping on a few letter on the way before kicking them to the side and taking in a swig of her beer... "Fuck," she mumbled as she switched on the tv and returned to her original slumped spot.

Benny ran a hand through his hair, shoving his suitcase to the side. He sat down and for the first time since the start of his flight he thought about Jennifer, this time about how she might be taking this. She was on her own... with none to stop her... immediately he knew she was drinking. He sighed deeply before pulling the phone in his hotel and punching in familiar number's. Ring one, nothing. Ring two, nothing. Ring, three. Silence. He was on voicemail.

"Jennifer?" He asked slowly "Jennifer, whatever the hell your doing... don't do anything stupid. I know you don't want to hear from me but- just... be carful..." he finished, placing the phone onto the side and leaning against the wall. This time two hands going through his hair. "Jennifer," he mumbled to himself in frustration.

Yet still... deep down underneath his slight worry was a pile of hatred and anger at her.

How could she?