“You took away the one person who believed in me!” Benji was screaming at Jett, but his voice was loud enough to be heard in all of Wishville.
Chloe held her breath as the realization struck her. The pieces came together in her mind, and she leaned over, a sickness punching her stomach.
“You know what?” Jett gave up on reaching Benji. He paused, staring over the blockade. “You’re crazy, Marino.”
“You don’t know anything about me!” Benji’s voice made Chloe’s head spin. The same image circulated her mind until she nearly fell from dizziness. She saw herself with a baseball in hand, a sack over her shoulder. She heard the clashing of windows echo through her brain, encouraged by her seething rage. Her forehead ached. “I do know you,” she whispered, but when the words spilled from her mouth, she was guilty for lying.
“You don’t know me.” Benji’s voice looped through Chloe’s head. “You don’t know anything about me!” The shouts were directed at Jett, but they swung at a sharp angle to jab her.
Chloe backed toward the opposite end of the hall, disconnecting herself from the scene. She spun around, her silent footsteps vibrating through the floor, leaving the mess she’d created behind her. Trying to forget it.
“I guess maybe I don’t.”
CHAPTER 25
sugar
It must have been the first time in history where Jett was no longer the one to blame. He’d been sent to class with nothing but a lecture and a red slip for his parents, while Rebecca was phoned to retrieve Benji from the main office. As initiator of the fight, his suspension was to last three days, and upon return he’d be on strict watch by the teachers. Supposedly they also decided the time off would be a perfect chance for him to work on missing assignments, hence the giant stack of papers on his lap.
There was not one exchange of words in the car. Rebecca wasn’t sure what to say or ask. She had been concerned for Benji the past two weeks, but when she looked at him now, she radiated with frustration. There had to be a reason for his odd behavior. The fact that he refused to tell her only caused her worry to grow. What kind of burden could he not share with his own mother?
That afternoon—the afternoon of May 22nd—Benji had tucked himself into his room, set on sleeping the rest of his life away.
Rebecca sat alone at the dining room table with a sore forehead and a glass of wine in hand.
A knock came from the door, but before she could stand, the visitor had already burst inside. Mayor Perkins shut the door behind him and crossed his arms. “I heard the news.”
While she made evening coffee for them to binge on, he explored the living room. “I’m glad to see you’re starting to embrace the sunshine.” He admired the opened blinds and pulled-back curtains.
“You can go ahead and shut them if you want.” Rebecca took two cups from the cupboard. “It’ll be late soon.”
“Then you should enjoy the sun while it’s still out.” He entered the dining room, satisfied. “Where’s Benji?”
Rebecca filled their mugs with coffee. “His room. Asleep.” She retrieved a jug of milk from the fridge and poured a generous blob into each cup. “Sorry, out of cream.”
He shrugged. “It’ll do.”
They sat at the table, warm mugs in hand. “I understand your concern.” Mayor Perkins took a sip and puckered his lips. “Scott was the same way. Before he left town for the ten-day experiment, he was acting the same as Benji. Perfectly normal—perhaps better than normal.” He snuck to the sugar container by the fridge and helped himself to a few heaping tablespoons. “I’m worried he may end with a similar fate. Or worse.”
“What do you mean, worse?”
The mayor closed the lid and spun around, leaning his weight on the edge of the countertop. “What I mean is that Benji needs to be on close watch.” He sipped his modified coffee and grinned. “And I also recommend you book meetings with Dr. Atkins more frequently.”
Rebecca watched the coffee swirl in her cup.
“Sam nearly screams when I mention his name. If none of the kids can tell us what’s going on, we need to take action for the worst. Imagine if Benji were to be gone one day. They’d be crushed. We’d be crushed. Don’t let him follow the same path as Scott.”
Rebecca shook her head. He had a meeting with Dr. Atkins only two days ago, and following the event nothing had changed. If anything, he had grown worse. She couldn’t possibly force him through that again.
“Do you want him to do something crazy? You better book—”
Rebecca slammed her mug on the table, her forehead filled with creases. “He’s not your son, okay?”
The mayor waited a moment, but when he spoke again, his voice was as soft and charming as ever. “I know he’s not my son.” He propelled himself from the countertop and stood firm. “But I made a promise I’d keep everyone in town safe. That applies to Benji whether he’s my son or not.”
Rebecca loosened her grip on the mug. The creases in her forehead relaxed, her mind allowed to function again. “You’re right. I’ll do that.” She set the cup down and scooped her purse from the seat of the chair next to her. “I suppose we should both head back to work?”
Mayor Perkins didn’t stand. “You’re gonna leave him here? Alone?”
Rebecca froze. He was right, but she couldn’t afford to stay at home for the next three days. A face flashed in her mind, and she smiled. “I think I know who to call.”
CHAPTER 26
babysitter
Benji woke to the sound of shuffling papers. Once the realization seeped in, he sprung from his bedsheets with eyes wider than the moon. Lauren stood by his open dresser drawers, flipping through empty worksheets and failed quizzes. He was too confused to question her.
“Don’t worry, I always slacked at the end of the year too.” She tossed his assignments back into his dresser and grinned. “Guess who’s your babysitter again?”
Benji froze as the wall clock told him it was nearly four. “What day is it?” He reached to pull at his hair, forgetting he had cut it too short to do so. “Lauren? The date?”
“It’s still Monday.” She leaned against the wall. “Rebecca wanted me to come watch you before going back to work.”
His head flopped back onto the pillow in relief. “Why exactly are you here?”
“They think something strange is going on with you. In other words, they think you’re crazy.” Lauren swiped two pages from the top of his desk and held them in the air. One was the paper from Nina, and the other was a calendar with May 23rd circled in red. “What exactly is it you’re planning?”
Benji closed his eyes, trying to block Lauren out, but she whacked him with a pillow to knock him back into Wishville. “Wake up!” She hit him again.
He stood and snatched the pillow from her before flinging it across the room. “Will you stop that?”
“Not until you explain yourself.”
He groaned.
“Stop being lazy!” She tossed a second pillow into his arms and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Benji tried to wrap his mind around the fact that tomorrow night, he’d be facing his death. It was already the 22nd, and he hadn’t left town yet. Should I leave now? After a moment of thought, he shook his head. There had to be a reason why Nina told him not to leave the other night. Why he couldn’t cross the bridge. But besides Jett’s ignorant move against Oliver, nothing significant had changed. Something was missing.
Benji eventually entered the dining room to find Lauren sighing at the refrigerator. “No cream?”
He shrugged. “Just use milk.”
“What are you, a caveman?” She retrieved the carton with pursed lips.
Lauren brought Benji a cup of coffee and sat next to him at the dining room table. He had always been more comfortable with Lauren than other adults, who always sat across from him as if he h
ad knives protruding from his sides. She was the big sister he never had, although he’d never dare tell her that. Sipping coffee with her at the table, it took all of his willpower to restrain himself from telling her. He could feel the words slipping from his tongue, but when he opened his mouth, they retreated into the depths of his throat and locked themselves there.
Lauren didn’t say a word. She stared at the wall silently, giving him space. He appreciated her silence. She didn’t bombard him with a billion overwhelming questions.
The clock ticked.
“Would you believe me,” he said, “if I told you I’m gonna die?” The guilt flooded him. No, he thought, I can’t tell her. He wished to pop the words like bubbles in the air. If Oliver, the craziest man in town, no longer believed him, what chance did Lauren?
“Well, we’re all gonna die.” She stopped laughing when she caught his expression. “Does this have to do with the 23rd?”
“Huh?”
“You know, from those papers earlier.”
“Oh uh—well—” Benji took a deep breath. “It’s for a science test. Gotta write reminders or I’ll forget all about it.” It no longer burned to lie.
“So what do mean by dying?”
“Huh?” Benji shrugged off his grin. “Don’t remember that.”
“The adults—I think—well—I have a feeling they think you’re gonna commit suicide. Or leave town or something. I don’t know.”
“What?”
“You’ve drawn too many suspicions.” She sighed. “Look, you don’t have to tell me anything, but I’m pretty sure I know what this is about. Rebecca told me you and James don’t even talk anymore.”
Benji stared at the table.
“It always sucks when friends fall apart.” After a final sip, she set her mug on the table. “You don’t have to pretend you’re okay with it. No one should.”
He remembered Oliver, picturing him staring through a broken window at the top of Eudora, watching everyone’s lives run by as he sat frozen from afar. “I don’t want you to go through the same thing. To have regrets.”
“Actually, you’re right.” Benji paused. “Ever since Nina died we’ve been falling apart. And it’s all because of me. I was too worried about my own problems to care.” He told Lauren about his first escape plan. How Sam ratted him out about trying to leave. He was about to share why he jumped at Jett earlier today, but managed to stop himself in time. He wouldn’t tell her anything related to Nina or Oliver. That information was too dangerous to mess with. But even with limited knowledge, perhaps she could help. “And what happened today . . . I don’t know. I haven’t been myself lately.”
Lauren’s face took a twisted form, and her neck went stiff. “It’s always hard when a friend passes away.” She forced a smile. “But that doesn’t mean you can make up stories and get into fights. How’s that gonna solve anything? You should try talking to them. Explaining yourself.”
Benji pushed his coffee away from him, fully focusing on Lauren.
“Don’t give up yet,” she said. “You can fix this.”
In that moment, the last piece to the puzzle came flying back at him. The reason why he hadn’t been able to leave town had nothing to do with Nina or his death. He needed to fix the mess he created first. Once he could bring everyone back together, he’d be ready. He could finally leave it all behind him.
“I’ll help you out as long as you promise not to do anything too crazy.”
“I won’t.” Benji smiled. “Promise.”
“You should get changed into something nicer.” She pointed to the hall. “Leave this little friendship quarrel to me.”
* * *
After changing into fresh clothes, Benji realized how messy his room had become. Clothes layered the floor like moss, bed sheets melted off the mattress, and his new stack of assignments he’d been sent home with earlier today had been crammed under his desk, as if storing it near a working space made it less sinful. Although he didn’t understand the reasoning with only one day left, he spent a portion of his meager time organizing. Put his clothes in the laundry. Made his bed. Stacked the school work he’d never do on the edge of his desk. When his room was back to its usual scale of messiness, he sat in his chair and analyzed the calendar page Lauren had pulled out earlier. It was crazy to think it was already the 22nd. One more day and everything would be over. All of it. The idea didn’t particularly scare him anymore. Instead, he laughed. He had been suspended for three days but could only make two of them.
He double-checked the year on Nina’s letter. Nope, he hadn’t mistaken it. Tomorrow night, at 11:59, he’d be dead.
A knock from the bedroom door interrupted his thoughts. In his earliest memories of Lauren, she had always been the type to burst into rooms without notice. He frowned at his desk. “Yeah?”
But when the door opened, it wasn’t her.
Sam stared at the carpet as she stepped inside. “Lauren phoned me earlier. Said you needed to tell me something?” She raised her chin.
Benji sighed. Lauren’s crazy.
“Benji?”
“Oh—uh—yeah.” He stood. “That’s true. You see, I think I’m ready to explain the truth. The right way, and all of it.”
Sam leaned against the wall. “And how, exactly?”
“Let’s meet at Blueberry one last time.”
Sam crossed her arms. She wasn’t convinced.
“You have to trust me.” Benji peeled his eyes away, remembering how strange his behavior must have been lately. “Yeah, guess that’s a lot to ask when I’ve been acting like a complete lunatic.”
“A complete idiot.”
“Yeah, a complete idiot.” Benji hopped onto his bed, his feet dangling off the edge. “But trust me. I’ll explain everything.”
Sam tapped her feet, humming in thought. “Sure,” she said. “Okay, let’s meet at Blueberry. But this is the last time.”
Benji smiled.
“After you come back to school, we’ll talk to them about meeting up.” Benji’s smiled faded, and Sam frowned. “What?”
“Any chance it could be today?”
“Today?”
He nodded.
“That’s impossible. Your mom won’t even let you leave the house.” Sam raised her voice. “You’re fourteen, and Lauren is literally babysitting you again.”
“You don’t understand.” He shook his head. “There’s only two days left.”
“Two days left for what? That’s not enough time, and I’d have to figure out how to invite everyone myself. Why does it need to be in two—” Her eyes locked to a calendar sitting on his desk, and Benji immediately stood in front of it. “Wait. Why is the twenty—”
“Sam, please.” Benji stepped toward her. “I’ll explain everything at Blueberry, but we need to meet soon.”
She stared at him with vacant eyes, her soul trapped in the depths of her mind, sorting through her thoughts. When her presence returned, her eyes filled with a nostalgic glow. “Tomorrow at 6:30. We can pick blueberries then.” She spoke fast. Urgently.
“6:30?” Benji’s arms went stiff. “Can you make it earlier?”
“Do you want my help or not?”
Benji relaxed his arms, exhaling through his mouth. “Okay.” He knew he couldn’t push it any further. “6:30.”
“6:30,” Sam echoed.
“And you think James will come?”
“Don’t worry.” She propelled herself off the wall with a smirk. “I’ll make him.”
A rush of heat filled his head, but it vanished with a cool breath. For a quick moment, Wishville stopped. The break from time was peaceful, and Benji wished it could last forever. But when Sam cleared her throat, the ticking continued. “I should go.”
“Sam.” Benji hopped off his bed, and she peeked over her shoulder. “Thanks for this.”<
br />
“It’s fine.” Her shoulders tensed. “Let’s just—I don’t know—call it even.”
Before Benji could ask what she meant, Sam was gone.
He smiled at the empty doorway before collapsing onto his freshly-made bed. The air was warm as he watched the ceiling, his thoughts running wild. He dreaded tomorrow, yet at the same time, he couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER 27
invitation
It was Tuesday, and Chloe decided to sit with Jett for lunch. She wasn’t particularly sure why, since only yesterday he was in a fight with one of her closest friends. Perhaps she held no grudge against him because she knew he wasn’t at fault.
“You’ve got some weird friends,” Jett said. “Don’t you, Mortimer?”
“Yeah, I had some weird friends.” She poked at her sandwich. It was useless to try and fix their friendship at this point. Yesterday Benji was suspended, Sam had spent lunch alone in the library, and for the first time in history, James walked into the music room with Audrey Zhao.
“Marino’s gone nuts. Seriously!” Jett leaned his head back, pouring a stream of soda down his throat. “What do you think?” He took a bite of his apple, and juice splattered across Chloe’s face. She clenched her eyes shut, wiping herself with the sleeve of her sweater.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t think it was me,” Jett said, setting his apple on the table, “do you?”
Chloe shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Who do you think it could be, then?” He chuckled. “As much as I like to believe it’s Noah, we all know he wouldn’t have the guts. His throws are too weak to penetrate glass, anyway. Even Coach knows I’m superior, not that I did it.”
Chloe bit her lip. “I mean, it could be an adult, right?”
“Seriously? The baseballs were from our school. It has to be someone from the team.” He leaned his chin back to stare at the ceiling. “Or I guess it could be someone in softball, too. What girl on your team’s got the best arm?”
Chloe’s heart raced. She felt the hefty weight of the baseballs in her hand. Heard the shattering glass. Smelled the sour aroma of evergreens as the wind rattled through tree branches, whooshing past her. A tap on her shoulder saved her from the haunting memory. “Hey,” someone said. “Let’s talk.”
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