"Hey" Sophia says making me jump. I close my locker door and turn to look at her.
"Hey, Soph" I say.
"Did you hear we're getting new seats in ELA today?"
"Yeah"
"I talked to Mrs. Kingston. We're definitely getting a seat together"
"Awesome"
"You ok? You seem kinda.....distracted?"
"I'm fine. It's just my dad. He came home drunk again last night"
"Oh. I'm sorry"
"It's fine. It could be worse. He just comes home and passes out" I say. That's a lie. He comes home and he beats the shit out of me. I take the beatings for my sister, Zoey. She's only 9, she doesn't need to experience that.
"We gotta get to class, come on" she says.
"Whoa, where ya going fag? We gotta talk to you" someone says. I look over and see Carson Moore and a 2 other football players. Aiden Debrowski and Parker Johnson.
"Go away, Carson" Sophia says.
"You gotta have a girl stand up for you?" he asks.
"Lets go, Soph" I say and turn around to walk away. Carson grabs me and throws me against the lockers, pinning me. Sophia gasps and jumps back. I wince as pain shoots through my head and back.
"You go when I say you can, faggot" he spits.
"Yo, we gotta get to class. If we get one more detention we can't play" Parker says.
"Fine" he says. He punches me in the stomach and walks away with his friends.
"Ben, are you ok?!" Soph asks.
"Yeah. Lets go" I say.
"You need to go to the nurse"
"No. I just wanna go to class" I say and walk to class with Sophia following short behind. I go to ELA and see Parker. Fuck, I forgot he's in this class.
"When I call your name please find the person I said along with your name and sit with them" Mrs. Kingston says. I sit down at my usual seat and wait for my name.
"Oliver and Sammi. Carl and Jack. Lucy and Gabe. Sophia and Lana--" she says. I open my notebook and start to doodle. A few minutes later I hear my name.
"Benjamin and Parker" she says. PARKER?! I hear the chair next to me scrape against the floor. I look over and see Parker.
"Look, I'll talk to Mrs.Kingston after class and get a new seat" I say.
"No, it's fine. We only have these seats for like 2 months" he says.
"So, for the next 2 months you will be working with person next to you. I want you to work together to write anything you want. At the end of the 2 months you will each read your piece in front of the class" Mrs. Kingston says.
~<>~<>~
"So, do you wanna work on the project after school or something?" Parker asks.
"I'm really busy. I can't do both of our homework so you'll have to find another nerd" I say.
"I didn't say you were gonna do it all. I'm not an idiot"
"Could've fooled me"
"Look, I don't wanna do this anymore than you do but we have to. So, my place or yours?"
"The cafe"
"No. The guys will kill me if i get caught even talking to you"
"Fine. Your place. I gotta take my sister to her friends house first"
"Ok. I'll text you my address"
"You don't have my number"
"Yes, I do. Carson gave it to me to but I never used it"
"Why didn't you? The others did"
"I don't know. I had more important things to do" he shrugs and walks away.
~<>~<>~
"I'll pick you up in a couple hours ok? If you need me to come get you--" I start.
"I know. Ask to use their phone and call you" Zoey says.
"Have fun"
"I will. Bye, Benji!" she says and jumps out of car. I stay in the driveway until her friend, Macy, answers the door and she goes inside. I look at the address Parker sent me and drive there. I get to his house and knock on the door.
"Hey, come on in" Parker says. I follow him to the living room.
"So, what are you getting in ELA?" he asks.
"A-. What about you?"
"B+"
"Seriously?"
"I told you I'm not that dumb"
"Yeah, I didn't believe you"
~<>~<>~
We've been working on ideas for what to write about for an hour and I'm already getting a headache. My phone starts ringing so I check the caller ID. It's my dads friend, Pete.
"I'll be right back" I say and walk into the hall.
Me: Hello?
Pete: Your dads here
Me: I can't come get him yet. I'm in the middle of something
Pete: What? You fucking a dude or something?
Me: No. I'm working on homework with my ELA partner
Pete: Oh. Well get him by 8 or I'm not paying your electric this month
Me: Ok ok. I'll be there in a few hours
Pete: You better be
Me: I will. Bye
"What was that about?" Parker asks.
"Just some stuff with my dad" I say.
"Oh"
"I gotta go soon"
"Ok" he says. I go back to the chair I was sitting in and continue my list of ideas.
"Are you ok?" he asks.
"Yeah, why?"
"You look upset"
"I have to pick up my dad from his friends. He's probably drunk again"
"Again? Is he an alcoholic or something?"
"Something like that I guess" I shrug.
"....come with me" Parker says after a minute.
"Where?" I ask.
"Just come" he says. He gets up and I follow him outside. I follow him to the woods behind his house.
"If you wanted to kill me, I was just in your house. I can run in the woods" I say.
"Would you shut up? I'm not gonna kill you" he rolls his eyes. I follow him for a few more minutes until we get to a clearing in the woods. It's an old playground that looks like it's been abandoned for decades.
"I come here when I need to clear my head or something. Nobody else even knows this is here except for you now" he explains.
"Why'd you bring me here if it's like your place?" I ask.
"You look like you needed to get away from reality for a bit"
"Thanks, Parker"
"No problem" he says sitting on the tilt-a-whirl.
"That thing looks like it's gonna turn into dust"
"It won't. Come up here with me"
"No way"
"Come on! It won't break!"
"Fine" I say and get on. We play on the play ground for hours like little kids. I see the sun start setting so I check the time. 6:00.
"I gotta go. Thank you, for this. I'll see you later" I say.
"I'll walk back with you" he says.
"Ok"
~<>~<>~
"Come on dad. Lets get you to bed" I say. We got a home a few minutes ago and dad looks like he's gonna pass out.
"Why are you always trying to tell me what to do, Ben? I'm your dad not the other way around" he says slurring his words.
"Because you can't take care of yourself"
"Don't talk like that to me, boy"
"I'll leave some aspirin and water on your bedside table before I leave for school"
"Fine but only because I want to. Not because you told me to" he says and walks to his room.
"Ok, Zoey. Time for bed" I say. I turn around and she's already asleep on the couch. I pick her up and carry her to her room. I tuck her in and go to my room. I lay down on my bed and stare at the ceiling. Today was weird. Parker Johnson was nice to me......what the fuck?
_______
Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading this! I really hope you enjoyed this! I've been working on this a while and I honestly love it. I love you all! Byeeeee!
XoXo
~Mel