(Narrator's POV)
(Y/N)'s hands started to shake a lot more than she would've liked. BEN looked quite amused, probably because (Y/N) was supposed to be asking questions and wasn't.
"Well?" BEN asked.
(Y/N) cleared her throat. "What do you want from me?"
BEN made it very clear that he was thinking. A few very long seconds had passed before he answered with "I dunno."
"You don't know?" (Y/N) exasperated. "You don't know?"
BEN sighed before glitching to (Y/N)'s desk chair. "It may come as a shock to you Miss Sassy-pants, but this is the first time I have ever materialized as a physical being. Usually, I am just a virus on a computer screen that somehow convinces people to kill themselves. So this is really weird for me too. Like, am I supposed to kill you with my hands or make you more mentally ill? I don't know!"
"You told me that you couldn't get yourself to kill me," (Y/N) reminded him. "If you're going back on that, then just get it over with!"
"Wow, what happened to the nervous girl from last night?" BEN asked with a slight grin. "Miss Sassy-pants, are you actually braver than you look?"
"You-" (Y/N) stopped herself from saying anything more stupid. She reminded herself that BEN could kill her if he wanted to. (Y/N) decided to not push her luck.
"What made you change your mind?" (Y/N) asked.
BEN's expression changed from his usual smuginess to something a bit unreadable. He looked down, almost as if he were ashamed. "I don't know how I'm able to stand here, and I want to find out why."
(Y/N) let that sink in. For a moment, BEN seemed so lost even though he was right there in front of (Y/N). She couldn't help but feel sorry for the spirit.
After all, BEN was dead.
He drowned.
He was just looking for answers right now.
"Did...did you want my help?" (Y/N) asked.
BEN looked at her right in the eyes and nodded.
"How?"
BEN shrugged. "I don't know."
"There have been a lot of 'I don't knows' in this conversation."
"It's because I don't know!" BEN exclaimed. "Please, I'm just so confused. Wouldn't you be after being a certain way for a long time and suddenly something's way different?"
That...
...
...hit a little too close to home.
(Y/N) made eye contact with BEN. Sure, he was pretty scary, but he sounded so desperate. And sure, (Y/N) understood where he was coming from and what he meant. So why not? What's the worst that could happen?
Other than dying, of course.
(Y/N) sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll help you. Just give me some time."
***
(Y/N's POV)
I took Belle's advice and used the SIM card on my new phone. It was just a cheap flip phone, but I kept telling myself it was only temporary. I was only using it until my new phone came in the mail.
"Ugh, how do you type on this?" I said on the way to school the next day.
"You have to press the button multiple times until you get the letter you want," Belle explained, showing me how. "I know, it's super frustrating to get used to."
"Two weeks of this!" I exclaimed. Belle giggled.
"It's not all bad," she said. "At least you can practice typing fast?"
"I guess."
We walked a few seconds in silence.
"I hope it doesn't sound like I'm prodding you or anything, but what happened yesterday?" Belle asked.
"Oh, uh...nothing important," I lied. "I'm just having a hard time adjusting here."
Belle nodded. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fau-"
"Hey, (Y/N)!" a voice interrupted. Belle and I both turned to see Mike catching up to us. He was a bit winded, but seemed rather happy. "Oh, hey Belle."
"Mike," Belle said bitterly.
"What's up, Mike?" I ask him.
"I tried messaging you yesterday, you didn't respond," Mike said.
I chuckled nervously. "About that, my phone broke. I'm down to this old thing for now." I showed him the flip phone. Mike nodded approvingly.
"Old school. Nice," Mike said.
"Excuse us Mike, but (Y/N) and I were in the middle of a conversation," Belle said as she tried to shoo Mike away. Mike smiled a bit forcefully as he moved a bit closer to me.
"(Y/N), you want to sit with me at lunch today?" he asked me, completely ignoring Belle. I looked at Belle, who was glaring daggers at Mike. Clearly, there was something going on between these two.
"I'm actually sitting with Belle, but I can drop by when I'm done eating?" I told him.
"Sounds like a plan," Mike said, giving me a thumbs up. "I'll talk to you later!"
Mike jogged off without another word.
"What was that about?" I asked Belle, who was still glaring at Mike's direction.
"I do not like Mike, and neither should you," Belle spat.
I paused from walking. "What? Why?"
"He's a damn sociopath."
"He doesn't seem like one," I said.
Belle hid her face in her hands. "Listen, just trust me on this okay? I've known him for years. He hangs around other jerks who also love terrorizing people here. I have seen it with my own eyes, and I still see it happen. Mike may seem like a good person right now, but he is not one you want to associate with."
I thought about the time Mike, Ivan, and James chased me into the woods. Belle did have a point, and my first impression of Mike was definitely not a good one. I sighed.
"I promise I'll be careful."
"You better. I'm so sick of that jackass."
***
School went on very slowly. It felt like the first hour was going about as fast as a sloth. By the time it was over, I rushed out of the classroom. I really regret not looking where I was going.
Somehow, I ran into a fellow student. I nearly knocked them off their feet.
"I'm so sorry!" I apologized. The person turned around, and in that moment I knew the universe hated me.
My eyes immediately shot toward his bandaged nose.
"You."
Well hello to you too, James.