Guardian

Chapter 6

"Are you going to the Halloween party next weekend?" he asked.

I shrugged. I had thought about it, but it wasn't sure it was for me. "Maybe. I haven't thought about it." It was quiet for a little while again.

"Can I ask you something?" he said after a few awkward minutes of rocking back and forth.

"Sure," I agreed.

"Its about things you don't normally like to talk about," he warned. "You don't have to."

"If I don't want to talk about it, I'll tell you. Ask."

He took in a breath. "It's just that, you seem to be doing a lot better. I know you don't like to talk about it but you actually said the word earlier and I guess I'm wondering how it's getting better."

"Oh," I paused. How do I tell him that it's Holden who's helping me? "You're right. I don't really want to talk about this." I looked at my feet again. He lifted my chin with his finger to gaze into his ocean eyes.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." The music stopped abruptly and a voice overhead said that the race would be starting soon. Ben hopped down from the bed of the truck and reached out his hand to help me down. I didn't need it, but I took it anyway and stepped off the edge. I latched the tailgate back up and handed Ben his last bottle. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and popped the cap off. We met up with the others in line at the ticket booth. It looked like they had finished off most of the case while we were separated.

Ben insisted on paying for my ticket inside and we somehow found some space on the bleachers in the front row and squeezed into it. "Hey, bro," Lenny called over my head. "It's bike night."

"Nice," Ben said, giving Lenny a high five before resting his arm back around my shoulders. A few minutes later, the bikes came out. Most of them were dirt bikes and probably wouldn't fair well on the pavement. There were a couple cruisers that were built for comfort, not speed. The only two that would probably have a chance at winning were the crotch rockets. One was neon green and the other dark blue.

A dark blue that I recognized from my driveway yesterday.

"Y'all wanna go to the Halloween party at Beta Sigma next weekend?" Ava asked, looking down to us. I was next to Lenny and Ava was on the very end.

I shrugged about it again. "We should go," Ben said, looking to me. I curled my shoulders into myself.

The bikes rounded the track in a group and then stopped at a line. There were only around ten of them in total. "I wonder who's on the crotch rockets," Sarah said. Lenny had wrapped his arm over her shoulder. The guy on the blue one seemed to be looking towards us.

"I think it's Holden," I said. Ava leaned forward to look at me.

"How do you know? It's not like you can see his face," she said.

"I don't have to. That's his bike," I replied. Ben's arm tensed around me. I looked up at him and his face was red as he took a long pull of his beer. The bikes revved and the sound bounced off any available surface back to us.

"Give me another," he said, looking over my head to Lenny. He passed the bottle to me and I handed it to Ben. He popped it open with his tooth and chugged half of it in one go, his arm tensing more around me. It was almost around my neck. The bikes took off under the green flag.

"What's your deal?" I asked, wrapping my hands around his arm and pulling it away from me. "Let go," I said when his arm didn't budge. He loosened his grip and I pulled away, standing up.

"Why is he here?" he demanded, motioning to the bikes zooming around the track.

"How should I know? Contrary to your belief, I not involved in every decision he makes. Why are you even worried about him? I'm here with you, aren't I?" I spat at Ben. He didn't say anything. I rolled my eyes and turned, intending to sit next to Ava, but Been caught my wrist before I could take a step.