by M. C. S
I remember later we split another bottle. After I went to the bathroom, I felt slightly dizzy. Benjamin supported me, I sat on his lap and he led me to his bed. Then I switched off. I hope I stayed that way all night, especially with my mouth shut. No love statements, I hope.
After I told Carla that I spent the night at Benjamin's house, there was silence on the phone. It was as if Carla had been digesting what I just said. Neither could I believe it.
“Seriously? So you stoop and turned out ok.” her high-pitched laugh invaded my eardrum, I pulled the cell phone from my ear, put it back in when Carla gathered herself.
“Carla! It is not funny. And there is one more thing.”
“One more thing such as...”
“No hasty conclusions.”
“I didn't think any of that.”
“I drank.”
“Really? Wow! Tell me more, girl. How come you getting into this situation?”
I told how I ended up at Ben's house and especially the part where I got drunk. I did it all in the bathroom, an extra wall cover against my mother's powerful ears. Carla listened to me patiently until she decided to talk.
“Didn't he try to kiss you?”
“Not that I remember.”
“I hope you remember. But for him to call you, something he wanted with you, otherwise he wouldn't have called you and made you listen to a super romantic song on the phone. Yeah, I think maybe he's interested in you. Many people use the drink as an excuse to show how they feel.
“I don’t believe Ben is interested in me. He was just drunk, wanting to get attention.”
“Oh, sure, get attention. Benjamin doesn't have to be drunk to get attention; he already does that being Benjamin,” there was a silence on her cell phone until Carla spoke again. “What was his reaction when you woke up?”
“Besides killing my game with my mother?” he might as well have warned me she was calling me. He had heard her call me for a while.
“This is typical of Benjamin. Can't do anything right. If this was supposed to be a little romantic date, it didn't end right.”
“It wasn't a little romantic date. And now my mother is furious. She thought I persuaded her to go out with teacher Carlos just so I could meet Ben hidden.”
“Wait!” Carla's voice was euphoric. “Did your mother go out with teacher Carlos?”
“Yeah.”
“They kind of don’t match.”
“I know. She's like the angry Hulk, and Carlos is the Bruce Banner.”
“But even so, I still love her.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you think she was serious when she forbade you to hang out with Ben?”
“Don’t know. But she can't do it. We are in the same room.”
“You'll have to re-educate him,” Carla said, her voice was serious.
“He who?”
“Ben, you know, if you guys stay together.”
“Carla, I can't believe you said that.”
“Come on, Elle? You know Ben sometimes acts like he has no brain.”
“And you are so kind.”
“Thank you.”
“And you and Fernando, how are the things?”
“Our relationship is sinking more than a stone in the water. Multiply your shyness times a thousand, will give Fernando.”
I was forbidden to go out that Sunday, not that I had anywhere to go specifically, so I stayed in my room listening to music. Time went by so fast I did even feel it. Darkness washed over my room. The sun had already said goodbye, and even taking two headache pills, it insisted on staying.
The sound of the message invaded a piece of the music I was listening to. I paused, and hoped it was not my mobile carrier again, bothering me with their promotional messages. To my relief and happiness it was Benjamin, who had not given sign of life since this morning.
— Still alive?
— Dead people send messages?
— Hope not. — I smiled for Ben taking well my bit harsh message smoothly. — Your mom played rough with you?
— Just gave me some sermons.
— I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have given you drink.
— Sorry for have accepted. — I sent the message trying to relief a bit his guilt. I waited Ben to send me another message, but as it didn’t come, I decided to send a question. — Did I said something compromising yesterday?
— Not much.
— How so, not much?
— I’m kidding, but you said you would ask something from me.
— And what it would be?
— I will wait until you ask. If you don’t, I do. Good night! We won’t see at school tomorrow. P.S: By the way, Cinderela, you forgot your sandals here at home.
— Night, night! — I replied back, a little bit sad because Ben remembered me that tomorrow he wouldn’t go to school, once he was suspended.
It took a while for me to fall asleep, trying to remember what I was promised to ask Benjamin...
23rd Day
T he bad vibe between Mom and I still spread the next day. Breakfast was even quieter than on ordinary days. The journey to school dragged on. Her look of disappointment was divided between the attention in traffic and me. I spent most of the time looking through the window at the boring landscape on the way to school. Houses, buildings, streets, trees, which I had seen thousands of times, memorizing in my mind. I tried to look away from my mother's embarrassing look by looking through my cell phone.
My social network was always empty, I had one because it was a source for me to know what Ben did out of my eyes a few years ago. You could not even know fifty percent, but he often posted something about his trendy life. I had not added him as a friend, and I am sure if I had sent an invitation, he would not have accepted at that time. After Ben isolated himself, he left his social networks too, so I started coming in less often until it turned into nothing.
Today’s classes seemed endless. Without Benjamin's presence in the classroom it was as if something was missing all the time. We did not spend all the time talking, but we could do it every now and then.
At the break, Fernando seemed more comfortable in Carla's presence again. He was loosening up gradually. The "awkward" moment had already gone, and it looked like to have made my friend happier, which made me a little less apprehensive to know that I would have two more days without Ben in school. Carla's happiness was mine too.
Next class was my mom’s. The relationship was the same as always, since she insisted on making it clear that mother-daughter relationship would not exist in the classroom. The trust between us was broken yesterday. I slept in Benjamin’s house was not the right thing to do. Mostly because I was drunk, but if I had not drunk it would not have happened. Then our trust would not have broken, and we would continue with our relationship as before.
My return home today would be by bus. I did not like it much since it was rush hour. Full bus was a sign that I would go on foot. I gathered my stuff as soon as the signal rang, I wanted to get as fast as possible to the bus stop. My mother prevented me from leaving by calling me. I saw that there still some students in the room. I expected her tone to come out a little lighter. Her expression did not appear to be unusual. She sounded calm, but when her voice resounded through the classroom, it showed the opposite.
“Elle, straight home!” my cheeks seemed to be on fire. The other students looked at me instinctively. I nodded and hurried out of the room.
As I passed the gate, one of the students in my class bumped into me. Purposely. As always.
“Straight home, little baby,” the student said, followed by a laugh.
“Or you'll be grounded because the little baby can't behave properly,” the other one said. I would rather ignore his stupid comment. Idiots do not deserve attention.
“Or I can break your face and you can't do anything, because I'm a girl,” my favorite superhero's voice rumbled next to me.
Carla wouldn’t take that kind of joke that the students were
playing with me, in fact, she wouldn’t take it. If she were close, when something like this happened, she would always have something to say. The two students said something inaudible and went their way. Carla accompanied me to the point, since she depended on bus to go home. She was always a lucky person even to take the bus, hers was the first to arrive. Unfortunately, I was alone for a few minutes before my bus arrived.
I got off the bus and followed my path. I had another five minutes of walking to my house, depending on how fast I would walk. Today I was slower. I was already reaching home when I heard a whistle that made me stop.
“Hey!” I didn't know that dolls walk! “I rolled my eyes to find it was Ben, speaking one of the worst sweet talks he ever made up.”
“And I didn't know that a monkey speaks,” I fought back, turning towards Ben's house.
“Your mood is up today, huh? What happened to make you in such a good mood?” Ben shouted across the street. He motioned for me to approach. I remembered that I was grounded, and it meant I could not approach Ben's house. But mom is not home. And I would not go into his house. I crossed the street and reached him.
“Girls don't like these kind of sweet talks.”
“I was not sweet-talking you.”
“I didn't say you were,” I replied. “Just warning you when you come to approach a girl,” I said defensively.
“I know girls doesn't like it, but I still like to use it, just to see their reaction.”
“So you just wanted to see my reaction?” I asked, leaning against the gate grid. Ben nodded.
“So are you going to tell me what's going on? You look upset.”
“My mother doesn't want me to talk to you,” Benjamin did not seem offended by what I just said. His composure remained serene as before.
“Has your mother gone crazy?” he was not angry as he spoke, but I still closed my face. “What is it? Your mother still hasn’t realized what good I do you? You drank and stayed out all night.”
“You are ridiculous.”
“I'm sure that's not what you really think. I know you think I'm amazing,” I turned my face to the side, watching nowhere, hoping Ben wouldn't notice the redness on my face. Of course he was not telling any lies, of course I find him amazing. I watched from the corner of my eye as he picked up the small bag on his lap and held it out to me. I looked back at him. “Your slipper, alkie Cinderella,” Ben passed the bag through the gate grid, I caught it with a bump, I did not like to be called alkie. I would not have gotten into that situation if it was not for him.
“Thanks!” I answered with a little harshness in the voice.
“Did you go to school...without me? It was boring, isn’t it?”
“Why are you asking if you already gave the answer?”
“Because I want to her from you how much you miss me.”
“I didn't miss you.”
“Elle!” Ben interrupted me. “Just say yes. You won't die if you say that. And could you please stop turning red?”
“For your information, this kind of thing you cannot control. And you’re just making things worse by saying it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. So... Have you already succeed in remembering something about Saturday night?”
“No. Why don’t you tell me?”
“It’s not the time yet. You and your mother need to get along first. I can't do what I intend to do to her in this state of nerves. This can be damaging to what I intend to do,” I was intrigued by what Ben said, could not imagine what he intended to do, would ask, but he fired a question. “What does your mother think of me today?”
“Bad example,” I started counting on my fingers. “Irresponsible. Doesn’t take anything seriously. Dirty mouth. Give alcohol to an underage.”
“Are you a minor? Seriously? I didn't even notice. Didn't she think about putting me in jail?”
“Next time, who knows? What is the reason for all this?”
“I just wanted to confirm that right now she must hate me. And what would she do if she saw you at the gate of my house talking to me?”
“I think she would come and get me by the ear,” I responded without the slightest ceremony, regretting right away, realizing that this is not a sure thing to say to a guy.
“So, you’d better go in and hide. Your mother’s coming over!” I looked instinctively back, trying not to think the worst. Thinking about how my mother would come here, making me go home anyway. Not that she would have to go so far as to make me, before she said the second word, I would be home.
Despite the bright sun, my glasses did not let my vision fail. The entrance to my house gate was clearly visible from here. The house gate was empty, the house street was empty, only the sun shone brightly on the asphalt. I turned my eyes to Ben, and his cynical smile broke out, my heart beating with tension, returning to normal again.
“I was just testing you. I wanted to see your ability to think fast and get away.”
“Rá! Rá!”
“Don’t be mean,” Benjamin fell silent, stared me, and I would do my best to know what was going on in his head right now. Why did I get the feeling that he was planning something?
“How did your mother react when she realized you had drunk? And that you had stolen your father's drink?” I asked two questions in a row, wanting to escape Benjamin's strange look.
“My mother didn't make a scandal like yours...”
“My mother didn't make a scandal,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Hey, calm down. I was just kidding. She didn't react very well. In fact, she got very angry when she came into my room and saw the bottles on the floor. I, in my most divine sleep, was awakened with a bump. She gave me some sermons, then to calm her I said I was with you.
“What?”
“Then she calmed down,” Ben smiled.
“Then she calmed down,” I imitated him. “Just that?”
“My mother thinks you are a responsible person. She knew I was in good hands. She likes you more than she liked Jessica,” Ben concluded, and I did not understand the reason for the comparison.
“So she wasn't mad at me?” Ben shook his head.
“Benjamin!” Ben's dad called him.
“I have to go in, Elle. Seriously, I wanted to stay longer, but I have to be a good boy.”
“Ok. I’m going. Goodbye,” I waved and headed to my house, wishing these days away from Ben would pass quickly.
24th Day
“I did not know that flower was born on the asphalt!” I looked back only to realize it was Benjamin. Two girls passed me laughing at his sweet talking.
“Ben, can't you call me any other way? There are people watching,” I said, approaching the gate.
“Just kidding.”
“Were you waiting for me?” One of the rare moments was to see Benjamin blushing, he did not seem to be waiting for that question.
“No. I’m used to stay at the gate at this time.”
“I thought at this time you were also coming home from school.”
“You're getting bold, huh? Why complicate? I was getting used to see you every day. And this is the only time I can talk to you in person,” I realized that was Ben's way of saying that he misses me. It was good to know that at some point in his life I was already part of it. And that part was missing in his life. “Your mother, she's in front of your house, looking furiously at us,” again, it was a prank he was playing with me. I looked to my house. As soon as I realized my mother was not there, I turned my attention to Benjamin.
We stayed there longer than the day before. Although I was hungry, I did not want to give up the only time I could see him in person. So I chose to ignore the snoring in my stomach and stand there until someone interrupted our moment.
25th Day
Fernando looked a little disoriented when he bumped into me in the courtyard. He was entering school again. I thought he had forgotten something in the room and had come back for it, but when he reached out to me and han
ded me a folded paper, I realized that this was not the real reason for his return to school. I shook my head, implying that I did not want the note. My mind flew to Carla, thinking that it might be some second thoughts note from Fernando to me. I would never hurt my friend. And I did not want Fernando to do that either.
“No, it's not mine,” I allowed myself to smile when the phrase came out of his mouth.
“Is it for Carla?”
“No,” I widened my eyes, wondering who would send me a note. I took the folded paper and held it in both hands. “It's from Ben.”
“From Benjamin?”
“Yes. He made me hand it over to you.”
“He made you?”
“Yeah. He said if I didn't come over to you, he'd tell Carla about my little old interest on you,” Fernando replied, a little shy.
“Ben wouldn't do that. Do you think he would?”
“I don't know what your friend can do when he wants something, but I know deep down he's a good person. Although he is a blackmailer.”
“He is terrible. Carla was right when she said I would have to re-educate him. Do you know what this is about?”
“No. I didn’t read,” Of course Fernando would not do that. He is a polite boy, one of the reasons Carla was interested in him.
Fernando said goodbye to me and went his way. As I walked towards the school exit, I carefully opened the note. I recognized Ben's handwriting on the paper:
Dear Elle.
Since you don't like my wonderful sweet tellings, I decided to borrow one of Ed Sheeran's songs again.
Since I couldn't bring a sound car to the school door, (I know that would make you completely embarrassed) I decided to write it on a piece of paper.
Please understand my message this time, mainly because my hands hurt so much to write it all.
I'm not very good with this stuff, in fact, I was good at it until I met you. With you it's more complicated, not that you're complicated, but you're very shy, so I have to go more carefully. So that's it, read this beautiful song and interpret it as your heart desires: