Ch 10 - Stay
Beca slammed her phone shut and threw it angrily across the room, sinking down along the wall to her bedroom floor, hiding her face in her hands.
It had been a week since the incident at school and Jesse was MIA. She'd tried calling, texting, emailing and going to his house multiple times – but she got no response.
Why wouldn't he talk to her?
Her dad had allowed her to stay home from school this last week after seeing how distraught she was after Chloe led her out to his waiting car after the fight, but if she wanted to graduate she would have to go back to her classes next week. She had heard her friend whispering to her dad, explaining, but she couldn't even think clearly enough to make out what exactly she had told him. Her dad tried to talk to her at first but when he realized that she was not going to speak to him he gave up and left her alone.
Chloe had tried calling and visiting but Beca refused to see or speak with her, not until she could talk to Jesse. Not until she heard what he had to say.
Jesse. Beca's heart felt like it was being crushed inside of her, she had always thought that being broken-hearted was just something people said to make others feel sorry for them. This honestly felt like she was broken inside.
She retrieved her phone and dialed his number again, letting out a choked cry when it went straight to voicemail. "Jesse," she gasped, a sob racking through her body. "Please Jesse, please call me."
She hung up again and wrapped her arms around her legs, burrowing her face into her knees while she cried. Beca almost didn't hear her door squeak, announcing that someone had entered her room. She didn't even bother looking up, not wanting to see her dad's worried face or hear for the umpteenth time that 'everything is going to be okay', because it wasn't going to be okay.
It wasn't until the intruder took a seat next to her and patted her knee that she finally looked up to find Benji sitting next to her, his face a mask of sorrow and pain. More tears slipped out but she wiped them away with the arms of her long shirt, "What are you doing here?"
Benji swallowed and looked down at his hands, "Chloe is really worried about you, we all are. She thought maybe it would help if I talked to you…if I told you what happened."
Beca shook her head and swiped at her face as more tears came. "No. I want to hear it from Jesse, I need to speak to him but he won't talk to me."
Her tears came faster and harder when she admitted to him that Jesse wouldn't speak to her. Saying it out loud made it true, that he was avoiding her. Why would you avoid someone that you loved? "You don't understand. You don't understand Jesse, you-"
"He was my best friend." Benji whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.
Beca wiped her face and turned to him, silently begging him to explain. Benji looked over at her, "Bumper, Jesse and I were best friends since the first grade. We did everything together, and we all adored Aubrey – she was like a big sister to Jesse and me. Bumper's parents called us that night and we met them at the hospital. Jesse was just sitting in the waiting room, crying and apologizing over and over again. I remember him getting on his knees and just begging us to forgive him, not to hate him, but we just…couldn't. Everything was broken."
Beca could feel her heart constricting in her chest as Benji continued, his eyes filling with tears at the memory. "Bumper changed after Aubrey died, he used to be a completely different person. He…a part of him died when she did. He made Jesse's life hell at school, then one day Jesse just stopped coming back. We heard he moved to another state to live with his aunt and uncle. I remember that last day he was at school, he just looked at me like he was hoping I would do or say something but I never did."
He frowned at his hands as if he were blaming them. "I was his best friend but I didn't stand up for him. It was an accident, he didn't intentionally do it. I thought maybe it would all blow over and he could come back eventually, but last night was proof that Bumper is never going to forgive him for what happened."
Benji let out a forced laugh and shook his head, "I don't even remember Jesse drinking that night. He was always the responsible one."
The two of them sat together in silence for almost an hour before Benji finally left, giving her a hug before he did so. Beca again tried to call Jesse but received no answer.
Why are U doing this? PLZ call me. U said you loved me. She texted, swallowing back another round of fresh tears.
After another hour passed with no response from him she finally walked into the bathroom and stripped off her clothes before standing under the showerhead. The hot water beat down on her, making her feel almost human again. Almost.
"Please, Mr. Swanson!" Beca cried, banging on the door. "Mrs. Swanson, it's Beca! Open the door!"
She was caught off guard when the door actually opened for her and Jesse's very pissed-looking dad glared down at her, "Jesse's not here."
He went to close the door but she slapped her palms against it, "Please, where is he?"
"I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this tutoring crap." He spoke, shaking his head. "I knew this would come back to bite us in the ass. I told him this was a stupid idea."
"I need to talk to him!" she shouted as the door slammed shut in her face. She was livid as she took a few steps back and stared up at his bedroom window, which was closed and had a thick curtain drawn over it. "JESSE!"
Beca stood outside in the lawn, her arms crossed at her chest for an hour and a half before the front door opened again. Her heart beat loudly and she dropped her arms as she took a step forward – stopping when she saw that it was only his mom coming out.
The woman let out a quiet sigh, "He's leaving to go stay with a relative tomorrow."
Beca felt her chin tremble, "Why won't he talk to me?"
She just gave Beca a sad look, "He's not even home. He leaves almost the whole day and only comes back to eat something or sleep. I'm really sorry about this Beca, I'll tell him you came by and want him to call you but you should probably head on home."
Beca frowned as she watched her retreat back into the house. He's not home, he's leaving tomorrow. Where is he? Hope sprung up inside of her and she almost smiled as she took off running, praying that he's where she think he might be. Please, please be there Jesse.
This is a fast next chapter! Wheeeeere is Jesse? What did you guys think of Benji's side of the story? Is Jesse REALLY a killer? *rubs hands together manically* Haha… ;)