Benny anxiously paced back and forth, nervously writhing his hands together as he inwardly contemplated on what he would say to Cree. He was currently standing outside her fourth period class impatiently waiting for the bell to ring so he could see her.
It's been a week since their abrupt breakup and every day that passed, Benny began to feel more and more consumed with guilt. She was right; he did handle the situation poorly at her expanse and he fully intended on informing her that he was now aware of his wrongdoings. He just hopes that she would actually talk to him this time. When he approached her the other day, she was seated in her usual spot underneath the big tree, drawing in her book.
When he stood in front of her, wearily expressing his feelings and vocalizing his deepest regrets, Cree wouldn't even glance up from her sketchbook to look at him. She just sat there in complete silence and ignoring him while he pleaded his sorrows. Benny felt his heart ache in pain, he knew that she was upset with him but he didn't know the broadened scale of her anger towards him.
Alas, Benny however didn't allow that from preventing him from trying again. He'd try a million times, if he had to for her to understand how sorry he was. Cree was the first girl — the first person he'd cared so deeply about. She was the most attentive, caring, understanding person that he knew. He wasn't afraid to be open and vulnerable with her which prior to them meeting, he never had in his life before.
She meant so much to Benny and the simple thought of not having her in his life because of something stupid like him placating a facade just because he didn't want them to know that they were dating, made him shake his head in dismay.
Glancing at his wrist watch, Benny notices that it's one minute until the class ends. Timorously running a shaky hand over his hair, Benny steps aside and leans his body against the wall near the doorway so he could see when Cree walked out of the room. The minute passed by in a haste and soon, the erratic timbre of the bell is ricocheting over the loud speakers informing everyone that fourth period was now dismissed.
Benny waited patiently while students hurriedly flocked out of the classroom and loitered into the halls so that they could converse with their friends. Benny began to lose hope for a brief moment. He waited and waited as each individual student egressed from the classroom but he had yet to see Cree anywhere. He began to think that maybe she decided to skip school today.
It wasn't until he heard the sound of her sotto voce that he obtained a new profound beckon of hope again. "Thanks again, Mr. Sterling." He heard her says to her teacher, the sound of her voice ascends nearer.
Benny feels his heart thrashing nervously against his ribcage while he waited for Cree. He exhaled a shaky breath and mustered up any courage he could shower when he finally saw her departing from the classroom. Her head was down, attention was averted to the book she was currently buried in. He didn't want to interrupt her while she was reading; but they needed to talk. He had to do something.
Harrumphing softly, Benny steps forward and taps a finger on Cree's shoulder. At the sudden contact, Cree yelps in surprise and jumps, frightened by the unknown presence. Her book nearly tumbled out of her hands.
"Hey, hey it's okay. It's just me." Benny reassures her, keeping the tenor of his voice at a soothing octave as he didn't want to inadvertently scare her even more.
Upon realizing that it was Benny, Cree prolonged a deep sigh as she turned around to face him. "What the hell were you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" She asks, placing a hand steadily over her heart, still trying to subside the erratic thudding of it's beating.
