60 Days with Ben (Completed)

Chapter 27

Already on the 52nd Day

My mom released my evening out with Benjamin to celebrate the end of high school. We went to a pizzeria in the neighborhood in the company of Carla and Bernardo.

Ben felt completely unhappy that he could not have invited Fernando. Carla did not want to, and Bernardo seemed to feel uncomfortable every time we said the boy's name, but it was all Ben's fault, that with every comment he made, he managed to put Fernando's name in the conversation.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked when I got Ben out of the pizzeria.

"This what?"

"Fernando. You've spoken his name a thousand times today."

"You are exaggerating. I'm sure it wasn't over a hundred."

"Really? I thought you liked your cousin."

"I like him. He's the little brother I've never had," Ben gave a loud laugh, and as always drawing everyone's attention around. I was seriously thinking of not going to any other public place with him. I regretted having those thoughts a few days later. "Bernardo is a nice guy. I admit it, but Fernando is looking better than I expected. Bernardo and I played together when we were kids, but we were not that close. It happened more when my aunt went to my house or vice versa. It also happened that she wanted to force Bernardo to ask me to go out after the accident. Ben has a party today. He kept repeating so much this, that I told him that the next time he came to my house and repeated this, I would make sure he was out of his teeth."

"Would you do that?"

"Of course not. I would not cause my aunt any discomfort."

"What a plausible reason. I thought you would not do this because you are a person who is against physical violence."

"I'm joking, you serious lady."

"So stop joking, and tell me that you will stop mentioning Fernando's name in front of Carla and Bernardo?"

"If this is to leave you in a good mood, I promise, but you have to admit that you were wrong not to have invited Fernando. It is not a couples gathering; it is a celebration. I think Fernando also had the right to be here."

"Great! You will not need to torture yourself anymore. Hi Fernando!" Ben raised his hand and waved.

"Ben, you didn't do this, did you?" I glanced at the back and saw Fernando approaching. He was already close enough that I did not give Ben a scolding. He planned everything in hidden. I felt like an idiot. I gave Fernando a yellow smile, thinking how this would be embarrassing.

"I will kill you," I whispered to Ben.

"I make you surrender to love for me in two seconds."

"In those two seconds, you're already dead."

"The bus was late," Fernando said, turning my attention away from Ben.

"You didn't miss anything important," Ben said smiling.

"We'd better go. Carla and Bernardo should be waiting for us," I said Bernardo's name in emphasis, just to confirm my suspicion that Ben had not told Fernando that he would come. I am sure if he had said, Fernando would not have agreed to come.

"Is he there?" Fernando said in a low tone, and slightly disconcerting. "Ben said it was going to be just us and Carla."

"Fernando, I cannot believe you still believe everything Ben says."

"Wow! My girlfriend thinks like that about me. Broke up with me now," Ben said putting his hand to his heart as if he had pain, and then he smiled.