Disclaimer: Bully is owned by Rockstar Games. Original characters belong to their respective owners.
A/N: Guess what? It's back. Memai and Turmoil have teamed up to finish off this story once and for all! Awesome, no? And here we go; a new chapter, rather lengthy and a new character appears! Previous chapter: http : / / www. fanfiction. net/s/3618174/21/NumberOneContender (without spaces)
Observation Twenty-Two: Holiday Spirit
There was always something about the holidays that seemed to change people.
Some were happy to be reunited with friends and family once thought long lost, some would mope around, still trying to move on from whatever tragedy that struck them in the months before. All the same, all the same, the snowflakes still fluttered in the December winds and the chills were still sent down spines. Trees were decorated and presents were wrapped, dinners were made and songs were sung.
Jimmy trudged through the thick snow that had fallen overnight. As pretty as it was to see the landscape covered in a blanket of snow, it just made him feel a little more irritable now that he was forced to walk a little slower than his usual, preferred pace.
The events that had chronicled so far had left him confused at best, at Benji suddenly leaving and the silence between them. He knew where the small boy had gone; maybe even had a small clue as to why he went too…but all the same, Jimmy would have liked a proper explanation.
"Damn it, Ben," he muttered as he kicked the ground, sending some snow into the air. Everyone seemed to have plans to go out and visit their families, to go back home and into traditional family dinners. Not that Jimmy ever had a chance to experience such a thing and as much as he'd liked to, this wasn't time for reflecting on things he had to live without.
He had to find Benji, find out what's up, and maybe keep the kid from getting himself killed every two seconds. The so-called king had looked high and low, asking every student he saw if they knew where the wheat-blonde imp went, or at least have a clue where his home was.
"Benji, that doll-face kid? Man, haven't seen him."
"Who are you talking about, Hopkins?"
"Benjamin? Can't say I've seen him. Try asking those other little kids, maybe they know."
"Maybe he went and migrated to the Far East; to learn the art of peace and serenity, to calm one's body with an inhale of air. LIKE A NINJA!"
So far, he drew a blank, no one was in the know, no one had the four-one-one, and some didn't even know who the boy was.
Goddamn retards! Why do I even bother with them?!
"This is stupid," Jimmy growled to himself. "Where the hell did that runt go?"
While his efforts were fruitless for the most part, from snooping around, he found out that Benji was from another place altogether, the infamous New York City, but seeing as Jimmy wasn't all in the mind to cycle (let alone skate or run) or pay a ridiculous, holiday fare all the way over, he scratched out the possibility that Benji decided to get back in touch with his roots. As far he could care, the runt most likely didn't even have enough money for even a one-way ticket.
"He's just a kid. He couldn't have gone off that far."
It was then he saw a one Pedro De La Hoya walking past, it was then Jimmy dragged the boy off to the side for a small chat. Of course, the younger Hispanic boy let out a surprised yelp when the older boy grabbed him by the arms rather roughly, and looked up at Jimmy with frightened, teary eyes.
"P-Please sir, I didn't do anything wrong. P-Please don't beat me up" He boy was practically begging now, looking so pathetic and helpless that Jimmy almost shoved the boy away in disgust. He never could stand the hopeless ones…
"Look kid," Jimmy stated flatly, "this isn't about you. Listen, I need to know where your friend Benji went. You got any idea of where he could be?"
"B-Benji, sir?"
"You deaf, kid?"
"N-No, sir, but… didn't he go home for the holidays, sir?"
"Well…I think I'd like to pay him a visit." Jimmy's voice was feigned with saccharine sweetness, something eerily out of place for the boy's demeanor. "He's my friend too, and it is the holidays after all."
Naïve Pedro bought it all, like flies to a jar of old honey. "How thoughtful of you, sir! But… I'm not sure where he lives, sir. I think his friend Roxy might know."
Wait. What? Who was this now?
"Roxy? Roxy who?"
Jimmy was pretty well-versed in recognizing students that inhabited the academy, he knew their names, or nicknames at the very least, their cliques, their habits, who they hung out with and who was dating who. What's a king if he was ignorant to his own people? But over time, with new students flooding in and out of the academy, there have been a few faces he never came to recognize, or never had a name tacked on to a face he saw everyday.
Who the hell was this Roxy chick?
"Roxy, you know, she's one of the new students." And as Pedro described her, the girl's face came to mind. He remembered distinctly about Preps and Greasers going up in arms over this small girl from England, how she was even dating the new leader of the greasers. Even more shockingly, he had discovered she had developed something of an older sister role to Benji, and felt stunned at the feelings of hurt that ran through his body.
Why didn't Benji ever mention her? Didn't he trust him?
Just like his more famous analogies, Benji was like an enigma, an onion of sorts; there were layers of secrets to this boy, and the more he peeled away, the more there was to him, and usually, the messier it got. Tears wouldn't certainly be spared for each new discovery, but for Jimmy to cry over a friend's misfortune was a sight that would bring on the apocalypse.
So he held it all in.
He still had a lot to learn, and he was going to get a head start now. First of all, he had to find Roxy, a short, blonde, flat-chested English chick who apparently "knew Benji like the back of her hand." Hoping she knew where her loyalties laid, Jimmy headed straight for the auto-shop.
--
There was snow even on the creaky wooden porch of his little run down home, but Benji couldn't care less. He was home, he was in his little haven, safe and sound where the wolves won't come. Here, he could forget about his growing pains and growing troubles at school, he could forget the taunts, the hurtful words and the careless acts.
Best of all, he could forget Adrian, and he could just let himself go.
The boy pushed his glasses up, admiring the simple wreath that had decorated the front door, shabby as it might've been. Bending over and lifting a loose board from its place, the small, wheat-blond boy smiled as his eyes fell on a hidden key below the floors. Taking it, Benji unlocked the front door, opening it slowly as he poked his head inside nervously. "Meela…? Meela, I'm home for the holidays."
Silence.
He stepped in all the same; a little worried he didn't get an immediate response, and placed his bag of belongings on the worn, beaten couch. It was then he was nearly shocked out of his senses, when he heard the very happy cries of a mother.
"My baby's home! My baby's home!" Meela came rushing down the wooden stairs, wearing a smile on her face so wide that her cheeks were nearly gone. She scooped the boy in her arms and kissed him tenderly on the forehead, bringing him into a large hug and an even tighter grip.
"Meela…!"
It was getting a bit difficult to breathe, but Benji didn't care. He was home now.
"Put your coat away, baby. I'll get you some hot chocolate—it's heating on the stove. Oh, and Loretta's helping with dinner tonight, isn't that sweet of her?"
He was home now.
--
The Shortman household was a far cry from your average one. The members of the family itself were an imperfect match of class and wit, producing a level-headed, opinionated child (who had more of his tongue to sharpen than a blade itself).
Most households didn't take in boarders, either. Of course, there would be the odd home who would rent out a room or two to desperate college students or starving artists, and as strange as those could be, the Shortman resident housed even stranger still. As Benji sat on the living room couch, sipping delightfully on a hot mug of cocoa, he couldn't help but smile at the oddballs his mother had invited into their home.
There was General Loretta, an aged woman of intelligence and strength, boasting a pair of lovely gray eyes and striking auburn hair. She never ran out of stories to tell, always telling the family of the places she went and the people she met. And it was obvious that she was quite the traveler, for her toned body and limbs paired with a tanned glow showed nothing less of a healthy, adventurous woman.
And with places and people, there were the few oddities that she had picked up. She wore strange bangles and jewels on her arms and in her hair, each of them with their own tale of mishap and luck. Exotic designs and alien language abound, she had the tendency to wear the traditional dress of a forgotten tribe from time to time, and would even greet them in another language if she so pleased.
Her beau, an old Chinese man who went by the name Kaigu Sai, was no different. He too, met Loretta on his many random travels, and they had been together ever since, braving forests and mountains and ruins, they spun incredible tales peppered delightfully with humor, wit and charm. Their oddities were a welcome addition to the family, they made the most mundane day that little bit more interesting.
Most would turn them away and write them off as weirdos with certainly nothing better to do in their free time. Just two hack job writers who lived in their own fantasies and child-like imaginations.
But as strange as they were, they were a great help and incredibly nice for people so well versed and so seasoned with the variety of human race and culture. For they not only chased the Monday blues away, they also helped pay for the rent, something Meela appreciated very, very much, more so that they were always so very precise with their payments (even if the mother would tell them that they could take their time, for she knew how hard it was to come up with money seemingly out of thin air). And really, they had helped with some of the house work, and would even help prepare some of the dinners too, all on their own will, all out of the goodness of their hearts.
Even if they did seem a little bit insane.
Just a little bit.
--
The auto-shop was a place so potentially lethal that the smell of grease and leather hit you hard upon entry. Unlucky ones were unable to see two ways to Sunday, and how these grease-balls could manage to stand it was another mystery altogether. Still, as much as he disliked coming to this portion of the school, Jimmy had no choice. He had to look for Benji, and the only person who had any clue where he could've gone to, was right here, probably making out notoriously with that anatomically challenged boy Peanut.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, for the moment he merrily walked into the area, he saw the greaser leader and the others, laughing up a storm over some dirty joke, no less.
"Hey, Peanut!" Jimmy called out, and the taller boy looked back, the smile he wore disappeared in an instant, and wore an indifferent expression in place of it. He never really liked it when Hopkins came over, usually it meant some Prep crying over a water balloon or a generally harmless prank.
He really didn't want to deal with him right now, "What'dya want, Hopkins? If it ain't nothin', you better get goin'. Preppies ain't nothing but big crybabies."
"This isn't about them." He said flatly, looking over the boy's shoulder, trying to find a small blonde girl, who would probably look like Lola's clone. Peanut did follow in Johnny's footsteps, who's to say his girlfriend wouldn't be a slut too? "I need to see Roxy, she knows where Benji is and I need to talk to him, it's kinda important."
It took them a moment, Peanut staring stupidly at the so-called king before he realized just who he meant exactly, "OH! You mean Nightingale, right?"
"Uhh…" What the Hell? WHO NOW?! "Yeah, let's go with that."
Just like that, Peanut put on a suspicious tone, "Any reason why ya want ta' see her? She don't know too many boys like yous."
"I've got a good reason, punk. Just let me see her."
"Fine then," looking back, the greaser leader called out, "'EY! Marty, go get Nightingale for me, will ya? Say she's got someone fer her."
A small, young greaser around the corner nodded and rushed off to one of the more unused (and arguably more cleaner) garages in the area, coming back not a few minutes later with a short, sweet looking girl. Her general appearance, especially with the large book in her hands, made her look nothing like a girl a greaser would date, let alone kiss or willingly bestow a sickeningly cliché nickname like 'nightingale'.
"This is Roxy?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl up and down. She was a demure girl, with pale skin and a ruddy nose. Bright blue eyes matched well with short, straight, bob-cut blonde hair, neatly worn under a leather cap. But what really sent the boy into all sorts of shock, was that she wore both an intricately decorated leather jacket and a much-too-obvious Aquaberry sweater and scarf combo underneath.
And they haven't killed you yet? How is it I've never heard of you?!
"You got a problem with that, king?" Peanut said a bit too bitterly, but his small moment of anger was soothed away when the small girl touched his hand and told him to settle down.
"So, you're Roxy, huh?" Jimmy said, "Never seen you around."
"I don't talk a lot." Her voice was soft, quiet, a little squeaky, all with a heavy London accent. For a moment, Jimmy wondered if she was real deal, unlike the faux English demeanor the Preps favored so much. "And I don't really like to walk around so much, it's such a bother, I'd much rather read," she said with a giggle, holding up a medical journal.
"… Right. Anyway, word on the street is, you know Ben."
"Yes. He's gone home for the holidays, if you're looking for him."
"I got that," he nodded, "But I need to see him about something, something really important. I know you care a lot about him and stuff, so if you could just tell me where he lives, I'll glad—"
"Tell you where he lives?" She wore a dark look, a complete contrast to the sweet happy look she had just moments ago, and almost sent Jimmy jumping back, "I'm… I'm sorry, I can't. I promised him I won't tell anyone exactly where he is, I'll honor that promise, just as I'll honor his friendship."
Jesus Christ…
"I know you're worried about Benji," she said quietly, "I am too." She was looking down now, tearing up a little, "He's been getting into so much trouble lately, I've been doing all I can to help… but I think this will do him good, if we just leave him alone for a little bit."
"Listen, Roxy—"
"And really," she interrupted, "Benji's home now with his family. He really misses his mother, he needs a break from Bullworth. He really does, the poor bugger."
Jimmy honestly didn't know what to say to this. Sure, his own mother wasn't the greatest in the world, many other nonchalant mothers did better than she could hope to be, but there were times when he did miss coming back home to her, at least the meals she tried to cook were better than the things Edna could come up with on a good day. He knew what it was like, he's been there, and it seemed like this Roxy girl knew too.
But sentimental feelings aside, he still needed to find Ben, even if all he wanted to do now was just say "Hey, Merry Christmas!" and bolt to the nearest bus stop and go back.
An awkward silence passed between the two, and was broken by Peanut when he put his hands on Roxy's shoulder and wanted to usher her away, but that never happened as Jimmy piped up afterwards, "Could I just at least see the little runt to make sure he didn't get killed on his way home? You said so yourself, he gotten himself into trouble more than once with all these kids. You know how they're like these days."
And the trick seemed to work, for she perked up at hearing the freckled-faced boy's words and turning to him with a worried glance.
"Wouldn't take that chance, you know…" he continued.
"I…"
"I mean, you're really close to him, aren't you? Pedro said you always looked out for him."
And that was all he needed to say before she finally broke and let cats out of the bag, "I… Oh, for goodness sake, alright!" She stomped up to him and had to force the truth out of herself, "I… I promised
Benji that I won't tell anyone where he exactly was, but he never said not to tell anyone which area he stayed in."
Specifics, specifics, but he knew where she was getting at. He was going to get a more than helpful clue, and if it took a bit of finding, he certainly wouldn't mind. He just needed to know.
"Blue Skies," she said quickly, almost pursing her lips shut and looking away nervously, "In Blue Skies, you'll find him."
"That runt lives in that shit hole?" Peanut commented, "Always thought he was a preppie scum."
"Larry! Don't say that, it's so mean." She berated him quietly through bared teeth.
"Blue Skies, huh?" Jimmy looked back, shivering slightly as the winds blew a little stronger, "I'll let you know how he's doing. Thanks a lot."
"Wait!" Jimmy was walking off already, but was stopped when the short girl came up to him and grabbed his arm, "Wait."
"What?"
"If he asks you… say… say you found out from someone else. The last thing I need is my best friend angry at me."
"You got it, babe."
"Watch it, Hopkins." Peanut warned as he watched the freckled teen walk off into the direction of the Boy's Dorm.
Time for a little visit.
--
Jimmy didn't particularly like Blue Skies Industrial Park.
He usually visited Bullworth Town or Old Bullworth Vale whenever he left the academy. In those particular places, he'd pass through wide streets that were neatly lined with elm trees and sycamores. He'd see deep, lush green lawns that were edged with geraniums, snapdragons, and bright red roses. He would rest in pretty parks where children played on painted red slides and rusty old jungle gyms, with their mothers waiting in the shade of broad, flowering mimosas.
However, Blue Skies Industrial Park—residential home to the Townies and, by proxy, Benji and Meela—was an absolute shit hole.
This part of Bullworth looked like the places where Jimmy had lived in when he was little, before his mother began her gold-digging, promiscuous ways. It was a neighborhood the color of brown gravy, with streets that were lined with shallow ditches filled with brackish water. There were no parks here, save a random backyard swing or two, but even those dangled from broken chains that hung on dying trees. There were no jungle gyms to play from. Only empty, broken down cars served as a child's plaything, but only if skinny dogs and old men weren't nearby.
In the background, large, hulking structures of metal and steel towered over the rundown houses of the residential area, looming like an ominous figure of monotony over its occupants.
By government standards, Blue Skies was theoretically better than New Coventry. That part of town had nothing but old, rundown tenements and near worthless shopping stores. However, there was a different atmosphere in New Coventry that made it at least a little better than Blue Skies, which gave the Greasers a sense of pride whenever they came across a dropout or some other Townie.
In New Coventry, there was still hope. There was still a chance to succeed, to escape from the confines that the residents of Bullworth had so carefully constructed. The Greasers knew this—they thrived on it. But the Townies didn't have such hopes. They couldn't.
Blue Skies was, quite literally, the end of the line.
However, Benji and Meela lived there now. Benji still had youthful aspirations, despite the bitterness that often accompanied it. It was for him that Jimmy came to this desolate part of the town, and it was for him that Jimmy now passed by the old houses in the residential area, trying to figure out which one might belong to the small boy and his young, weary mother.
The houses, their roofs patched like old scrap quilts, sat crookedly in yards that were littered with rusted car parts on concrete blocks. Most looked the same, many looked dilapidated. But at the end of them all, at the end of the street, was a home that stood out from amongst the rest.
It was a clean home that had been covered top to bottom in Christmas ornaments, mistletoe, and Fourth of July decorations. It was a comfortable home that had its dirt carefully weeded, its porch painstakingly fixed, and it was a modest home, scrupulously cleaned inside and out, fussed over, and tended with care.
Not a single streak on those white-trimmed windowpanes. Not a single sign of plant life on its concrete pavements.
The house shocked him. On sight, he knew it had to be Benji's house. No one else in this area celebrated the holidays with so much gusto and fervor, no one he knew of, anyway.
Yet the sight of this proud little home, the sight of the pride that Benji and Meela possessed in simply making it so that their house stood out from the rest…it suddenly made Jimmy nervous. He knew that he wasn't completely in their circle of trust yet, and he knew that Benji was still somewhat sore with him despite the fact that they had patched up their relationship a while ago. The small boy seemed to get furious anytime Jimmy even thought about nosing into his business, and to just show up on their front porch unannounced…
That was pretty much suicide.
And on a private matter, he wasn't sure what he would do if Meela stood in front of him, smiling that soft, gentle smile of hers.
The whole situation made him feel overwhelmed and overmatched, and he suddenly felt stupid.
Frozen. Every part of him was frozen. And he didn't like that feeling one bit.
--
So I went to their house. And it wasn't at all what I expected. Their house, I mean.
They surprised me. I was expecting another crack home like every other crack home in the area. No offense to Benji and all, but like flocks to like, and people tend to blend in with their surroundings. It's a fact of human life, and it's more proof that we're actually no better than animals.
But they surprised me with that…interesting looking house. And you know? This made me examine my own expectations. Had I been unconsciously looking down on Benji and Meela? Because god knows I never meant to.
I'll never know how I got the nerve to walk up to their front door. I almost wanted to sneak in the back window, surprise the hell out of Benji, and leave the presents before anyone even knew I was there. Nice and ninja-like, you know? But I changed my mind about halfway through. These people actually like me. It'd be stupid to push that away.
When I knocked the door, mentally rehearsing my lines (it was supposed to go something along the lines of, "Hey Ben. Merry Christmas. Bye."), the first person to come into my line of vision was this really short, chubby Chinese man dressed like Uncle Sam.
I'm serious. I saw a Chinese man. Dressed like Uncle Sam.
I honestly thought I had the wrong house for a second.
The man stared at me, his black, beady eyes shining brightly from beneath two white, bushy eyebrows. His thin, wrinkled lips were shaped into a curious, unassuming "o," and he said in a low, calm voice, "Who are you?"
I said absolutely nothing in response.
And then Meela showed up. Thank God.
--
"Jimmy darling! What are you doing here?"
Meela stood outside on the frozen front porch, shivering in her faded jeans and her white cashmere sweater. Jimmy saw that the brand tags were still attached to her sweater collar, but he pretended not to notice when Meela turned her bright blue eyes to him, her lips stretched into the soft, unassuming smile that he was now accustomed to seeing.
"Please excuse Mr. Sai," she said with a small, embarrassed blush. "But he meant no harm. He's really nice, once you get to know him."
"Meela!" the old man hollered from inside the house. "Come in, please! It's far too cold for a young woman of your delicacy to be standing outside for such a long period of time!"
"Kaigu!" Another voice, a woman's this time, snapped irately at the old man's. "Leave the poor girl alone!"
"Would you two shut up and help me move the bum?!" Benji's voice, a loud, frustrated yell, sounded from deep within the confines of the little home. "Damn it, he's being all moody and whiney again!"
Meela visibly paled at these harsh words, and she hid her face in her hands. "Oh, Benji…"
"Who're all those people?" Jimmy asked curiously, trying to peek over Meela's shoulder. Which, given the woman's tall height, was easier said than done. "Are they your…err…friends?" He blinked when he caught a glimpse of an auburn-haired woman, who was dressed as George Washington, complete with an accurate wig. She was chasing after the Chinese man, laughing hysterically as she held some mistletoe over her head.
Old people love. How sickeningly romantic.
Further inside, he saw Benji push something up the stairs, but what or who it was Jimmy couldn't quite make out…
Meela grabbed his shoulders and swung him around so that he was facing her and only her. "Saint Jimmy," she said with a suddenly nervous smile, "what brings you to our humble home? I thought a nice boy like you would be with his fam…err…friends during the holidays."
He wished she hadn't so obviously substituted friends for family. But, knowing who her son was, Meela would probably know all about his whore of a mother. Jimmy sighed, and hung his head. "Mom's busy," he muttered. "Besides, even if she did have time to take me to the Caribbean with her…I can't go. I have to perform for Lady Jacqueline tonight."
Suddenly, Jimmy smiled and stuck out his arm, pulling back his sleeves to reveal a black and red wristband, with the words "Good Luck!" written on the length of the band in bright yellow letters. "I like your present, by the way," he said with a grin. "It's a spirit lifter. Thanks."
Meela smiled. "I'm glad you like it, Jimmy. It was just a silly little thing, so I was worried that it wouldn't suit your tastes…"
"Really, it's doing me a lot of help, calming my nerves and stuff." The boy looked down and kicked at the ground, "So uh, I… I sorta dropped by here to say 'hey' to Benji. I mean, it's the holidays and all, and I've got my performance tonight."
Meela hesitated, and really, she did, all before letting out a sigh and saying very quietly, "I'll go fetch him." And she said it with a smile.
--
Please read and review! I hope no one minds Roxy being placed into the story and suddenly playing such an important role in Benji's life. But things will be explained with oncoming chapters.
Enjoy!