Terrible Fates (BEN Drowned story)

Chapter 12

"How long have you been in here?" he inquired.

I adjusted the gloves on my hands as I answered, "About twenty minutes..."

He nodded. "I say you should take a break. You're sweating like a porosenok."

Even though I didn't want to stop, I knew it was better to listen to Artem. So, with a harrumph, I sat down on the floor in front of Artem, tossing off my gloves to the side. Now that I faced him, I could see his analyzing gaze on me.

"You seem angrier than usual," he said. "What's bothering you?"

I shrugged. "Nothing."

"It can't be nothing if you go so far as to disobey one of my most important rules, soplyak," he remarked. "Are you troubled because you were suspended from school?"

I stifled a wry chuckle and replied, "No, that's hardly a problem."

"Then?" He leaned back on his hands, giving me a scrutinizing look.

"It's nothing," I repeated.

He shook his head. "If there's one thing I've learned from you it's that I can tell when you're lying."

I groaned and brushed a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. Scratching at my head, I looked down to the floor and murmured, "Artem...are you my friend?"

He blinked at me and answered, "I'm your boss."

"Art, please," I grumbled.

He tapped his fingers on the floor and said, "I suppose I am."

I started messing with the cuff of my jogger pants as I admitted, "There is something that's bothering me, but it'd be too complicated to explain."

"You are nothing but complicated," the brunet stated bluntly.

"Thanks, ruski," I muttered sarcastically. After gazing around, trying to think of a way to tell him my troubles, I finally came up with something.

"So, I made a friend a few weeks ago," I started. "He was pretty cool, I guess. He was respectful and funny, and sometimes a dork. Actually, he was a dork all of the time. But, uh...he was involved with dangerous stuff." When I glanced at Artem, I quickly added, "Don't worry, I didn't get in on it. I don't think I'll ever get involved now."

"Why?" the ruski asked.

Remembering yesterday's incident, I sighed and responded, "He decided to leave me for my own sake. Said I'd get in trouble eventually. Basically, he isn't my friend anymore; he left like all the others have. Except, this time, I didn't ruin anything, though I still feel like I did. I wasn't exactly polite during our last moments together."

"What you're saying is that you're upset because you lost a friend?" Artem questioned.

I nodded. "It sounds stupid and childish, I know."

He furrowed his brow. "How come you're more affected by this incident than others?"

That question stumped me for a few moments. He has a point; I don't usually get so upset when shit goes wrong with friends, even if I'm relapsing. I always felt that if they didn't like me, then they didn't like me. It shouldn't be my obligation to make others like the kind of person I am, same as no one should be obligated to make me like them. If things don't work out, then that's that.

But with Ben... It felt different. Was it the fact that I had a responsibility to his game cartridge? Having someone like him entrust me with something so simple yet important felt surreal. His existence is surreal, and maybe that's why I grew closer to him than I have with anyone else I've made friends with. He's already done so much with me that I wouldn't be able to do within a year. And he saved my life.