Mr and Mrs Taylor and Jenna Collins on the side
Ben POV
"I'm leaving! Get out of bed, you promised to do Ms. Clarke's yard. Bye honey!" My mom yelled through my door. I grunted as usual. When I heard the front door slam shut I closed my eyes to fall back asleep. It had been a long night. The guilt hit me as soon as I got away. With the guilt making a comeback now I forced myself out of bed.
Pulling my grey sweatpants over my boxers I opened my bedroom door to the kitchen. We live in such a pathetic place. My mom deserves a better lifestyle than this; this is why I do what I do. I mow lawns and weed gardens during the day for neighbours and then at night time... well... I make a few extra bucks.
I leaned against the sink drinking a glass of fresh OJ when the door opened. Kimmy, a good friend of mine since we were kids dropped her fake Gucci bag on the small table. "You know.. if I was any other girl I'd totally take advantage of you right now?"
"Please Kimmy, you've taken advantage of me for years." I laughed as I kissed her neck. I needed a pick me up after last night. She pushed my head away. "What?"
"Please dude. No more, we're adults now. Besides I met a guy last night after you took off. Where the hell did you go anyway?" She took my OJ and sat on the chair. I sighed and shook my head. She was right. We were twenty years old. Adults, and I came on to her like we were sixteen still. She looked the same though. Dark hair and striking blue eyes.
"I promised a friend I'd help him out, no biggie. Anyway I was bored. Your conversation sucked and don't get me started on Tommy. Now if you're not here for sex, I got things to do." I took the glass from her hands and poured the drink down the drain.
"OK, be like that asshole. I just came to see if you were alive. Call me when you want to be an adult." She slammed the door and I shuddered. One day the damn thing will just fall off, or the glass in the middle will smash.
I threw a grey t-shirt over my head and headed over to my neighbour's house. Ms. Clark was a nice woman. She was like the neighbourhood's grandmother. After mowing her lawn and pulling a few weeds, she handed me the usual forty bucks and I made my way home.
The kids on the block were home from school and were playing baseball on the green. "Hi Ben!" They yelled as I waved at them. "Are you playing with us?" The little blonde girl asked looking up at me.
"Not today Beth, maybe tomorrow." I shrugged. "Keep practising that swing okay?" She smiled and ran back to her friends. When I got home I was suprised to see mom sat at the table. Until I remembered what day it is.
"Jeez Mom, can't you get over him? He abandoned us 18 years ago. He's a waste of space." I slammed my fist onto the wall. She jumped out of her skin.
"Just stop that!" She screamed at me. "I saw him! I saw your father today. We had coffee."
"Well shit mom, why didn't you say? I'll get the guys round to prepare a welcome home party. A few beers, some food, a cake even!" I yelled back sarcastically.
"He wants to see you. You have brothers and a sister Ben. He wants to apologize."
"Well when you next see him, tell him where he can stick his goddamn apology!" I walked into my bedroom and lay on my bed. I heard her on the phone, she was talking to him. She didn't even sound sad that today would have been their wedding anniversary. That's if he hadn't left her that morning they should have married.
I sulked like a child for a couple of hours, only coming out when mom knocked on my door. "Dinners done honey. I made your favorite." The smell of pizza hit me like a bullet to the brain.
"I'm sorry mom. I'm such a dick, you don't deserve that."I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "He treated you like crap and I spoke to you like crap."
"Its okay Ben. I told him he can shove his apology up his ass." She laughed. "He wasn't happy, but we've managed just the two of us for eighteen years and I'm sure we'll manage now."
I admired my mom. She was a student nurse working and studying hard just to improve her life. She had me at sixteen so growing up she begged me over and over again not to become a teenage parent. Sure she was disappointed when I dropped out of high school and went to juvie for car theft. But she's my mom and she forgave me.
If she knew what would be happening tonight she'd kick my ass for sure. She might be little but she's a scary lady.
****
"Hand over the money!" I screamed at the guy behind the counter. The gun pointing in his face. It was loaded, but I had no intention of using it... Unless necessary. His hands were shaking as he shoved the cash into the bag.
"NOW! FASTER!" I waved the gun and took off the safety so he knew I was serious. Once it was done I made him kneel on the floor and face the wall. I took off and ran the five blocks to my car.
Thirty two hundred dollars. Almost enough to get mom that car she wants. I laughed as the adrenaline shot through my veins like a drug. Turning up the radio, I sped downtown making my way home.
I stashed the bag under my seat with the gun inside. Mom was still awake when I walked through the kitchen. I gave her a kiss and headed to bed.
****
The next morning I called Kimmy and apologized. She asked if I was watching Channel 6 news. I smiled as I saw they were covering the robbery at the store last night.
'....once again no one was injured...' The police had no leads, well they wouldn't. I'm not stupid. I wear a different mask each time. Mom took the day off, claiming she was tired but I knew after what happened yesterday with dad she's nervous about seeing him again.
We spent the day watching old movies. Mom was a stickler for musicals, like The Wizard of Oz. She had told me so many times she wished she had those red slippers.
After High Society I was about ready to walk in the garage, grab my gun and shoot myself when we heard a scream.
"NO! You hurt me. You fucking asshole! Leave me alone!" It was a girl. Another male voice followed but I couldn't make out what he said to the girl. Break-up gone wrong. "Don't you fucking touch me!" She screamed again. My mom looked worried. Without a second thought I threw the door open and ran down the yard.
I jumped the fence and grabbed the blonde guy. I threw him off the girl and onto the floor. Poor sucker tried to fight back. "She said get off her!" I yelled as I punched him. "Get in your car and leave her!" The blonde boy scrambled to his feet and ran.
The girl had beautiful brown eyes ruined by the crying. She wasn't around here that's for sure.. Real Prada bag, fancy manicured nails. I smirked as I stepped to her. I don't know why I just...couldn't help it.
"I have pepper spray." She whispered, her eyes never left mine.
"Good, maybe one day you'll need it. You look like you need a coffee, want to come in?" She stared at me for a while. "If you think I'm going to attack you, my mom is inside." I held out my hand in hope. Hoping she wouldn't run away, or worse case scenario - pepper spray me. She took my hand and I pulled her up from the ground. "I'm Ben by the way."
I took her car keys and locked the car. "Brooke." She whispered it so low I just about heard her. Brooke. Pretty name for a pretty girl. I smiled as this beautiful girl walked hand in hand with me into my house.
**********
We made small talk with my mom before she left for the clinic to do her night shift. "Thank you. For saving me." She smiled. She was relaxing, I could tell by her body.
"No problem. I'm sure any decent guy would have done the same thing. Its just around here no one likes to get caught up in other peoples business. So how old are you? I haven't seen you around anywhere."
"Eighteen. I'm a senior at Riverside High. "How old are you?"
"Twenty. I went to a different school, obviously... Want a tour?" She nodded and picked up her coffee, with a smile she followed me out of the lounge and into my bedroom.
She gave a polite smile and it took all my strength not to laugh at her face. Her house must be bigger than mine. We walked back through the lounge and kitchen so I could show her the garage, and my pride and
joy.
"Nice." She smirked as I leant against the hood of my car. "I... Uh... The car I mean." Sure, I watched her eyes flit from me to the car.
"Yeah it is. Hey if you ever need a ride, let me know... I may even let you drive." I pushed myself off the car and took her hand. We walked into the back yard and sat on the chairs that didn't even match.