I have returned, everyone! And with the latest chapter of Polar Opposites. In this alternate timeline that the story takes place in, there is no tornado that occurs on Friday, October 11th 2013. This means everything goes back into motion, including the big game against the Bigfoots and the Razorbacks. With that being said, be sure to sit back and feast your eyes on the second longest chapter I've written yet.
Chapter 8: Friday Night Bigfoots
As he lay in his bed, Ben couldn't resist his body's urge to constantly twist and turn. He had a look of distress on his face and was in a cold sweat. It could have only meant that he had been dreaming about something unpleasant. He was in such a deep sleep that he couldn't hear himself repeatedly murmuring Kate's name over and over to himself. Suddenly, he had stopped as he began to say himself "Ronnie, don't go.", to which he was becoming conscious to actually hear himself say. Ben then woke up in his cold sweat and was completely alert.
He sat up on his bed as his feet touched the floor and he placed his hands on his face, trying to take deep breaths. As he felt a sharp twist in his stomach, he had bolted over to his trash bin and vomited right inside of it. This wasn't a typical thing to happen to Ben. He figured that it was just a buildup of nerves, considering today was the day the Bigfoots would be going up against their rivals. It was most likely from all of the other events he got involved with. Everything that happened with Kate involving Nathan, Victoria, and David. It had been a crazy week. Hopefully, if tonight's game was a total victory he could celebrate the big win with all of the teammates since the Vortex Club would throw a party for them anyway. Then, he could just sit back and relax for the rest of the weekend and hope that things would go much better starting next Monday.
After Ben started feeling like his usual self again, he cleaned out his trash bin and placed a new garbage bag inside of it, then grabbed his shower caddy and walked down to the bathrooms to take a nice cold shower, hoping that it would help him stay wide awake throughout the day. As he stood in the shower, he thought about how badly he slept last night, despite how the rally for Kate went so smoothly. Ben just hated having bad dreams, especially ones that got too personal and this one was just a prime example. He hadn't heard or said the name "Ronnie" in a very long time and he hoped he would never have to ever again. As soon as he shut off the water and dried himself off, he stepped out of the shower cubicle with his towel wrapped around his waist and walked over to the sinks with his caddy as he saw Warren brushing his teeth.
"Sup, Warren?" Ben asked as he approached the sink next to him.
"Not much Ben. I'm just counting down to get out of class today ASAP." Warren expressed to Ben.
"Really? The first class of the day hasn't even started yet."
"I know, I'm just excited is all. I'm going to this drive-in movie theater tonight to see a Planet of the Apes marathon."
"Warren, you're breaking my heart." Ben cried dramatically. "You're going to a movie marathon instead of seeing yours truly, take on the Sunnydale Razorbacks. All I can say is that tonight at seven on the football field is where the real Planet of the Apes happens. Spoiler alert: they all get stomped on by an army of Bigfoots."
"Aw, don't take it too personally dude, you're still number one in my heart. These tickets were a bitch to get though. Anyone who's ever seen the classic Ape films knows just how much of cult classics they are."
"Fair enough. I've only seen the last one that had James Franco in it and it was definitely one of the best monkey movies I've ever seen."
"I thought so too. But Charlton Heston's performance in the original film was by far ahead of his time, which makes it so memorable. What's even more exciting is that I'm taking Max with me tonight."
"Sweet! I always thought that you and Brooke from our science class had a thing for each other though." Ben mentioned.
"Really? Where did you hear that?"
"Just a thought was all. But it's good to hear that you and Max are becoming more acquainted with each other. I saw the two of you talking together at the rally last night."
"Oh yeah, things are going well between us. Sometimes it just feels like she's completely oblivious to my gestures and doesn't even get a hint." Warren stated as he sounded somewhat annoyed.
"Don't worry, she'll pick up on it soon. Believe or not, I think Max is kind of lucky to have a small number of friends here at Blackwell like you and Kate. It means that she's bound to spend more time with you. Unlike me, I have to try to balance time with all the guys on the team and everyone in the Vortex Club who I'm close with, which is a lot harder than it seems."
"I actually never thought of it that way, Ben."
"Neither have I, until now. Just keep being friends with Max and take things slow. What you two have right now is nice, and who knows, it might just grow into something bigger someday."
"Wow, thanks, Ben! You might just be another jock who's in the Vortex Club, but there's something about you that makes you different from the rest. Like how you helped out Kate."
"Any time bud. And thanks!" Ben said. "By the way, I was thinking about maybe trying to find a time for the two of us to chill together sometime. We could even bring Kate and Max along too."
"Absolutely man, I think it's weird how the two of us are good friends outside of class, but we never hangout. We should make plans with the ladies sometime next week." Warren suggested. "Good luck tonight!"
"Thanks Warren! And have fun at the drive-in." Ben said before he left the bathroom.
As Ben was back in his room he changed into a pair of dark blue jeans, a grey v-neck t-shirt, his usual pair of converse, and his varsity jacket. Ben would always wear at least one article of football related apparel on the day of a game. He saw it almost as a good luck charm, which seemed to have worked, considering the team was undefeated so far. He then grabbed a football that sat on his desk, which had been signed by him and all of the other players on the team. He had them all sign it for Kate last night while they were at the rally, and was planning to give it to her at the hospital this morning. As he left the dormitory, he walked over to his car in the parking lot, placed the autographed football at the bottom in the passenger seat, and left campus to grab some breakfast at the Two Whales Diner.
As Ben pulled into the parking lot on the left side of the Diner, he found an empty space to park his car. Just as he stepped out and walked over to the front entrance, he could already smell the fresh aroma of the Diner's amazing breakfast food, which hit him even harder as he walked inside. As he stood inside the Diner entrance, he looked around the interior of the place to see truckers, fishermen, and even a police officer occupying the counter while enjoying their breakfast, reading the newspaper, or trying their hardest to stay awake. He looked to his left and right to see if any of the booths were vacant, to which he saw groups of fellow students and even elderly couples eating and conversing amongst each other. As he looked to his right he saw that the last booth all the way at the end was unoccupied, so he walked down there before anyone else claimed it. Just before he sat down, he felt obliged to handle the music situation currently on the jukebox. There was a country song playing, most likely chosen by one of the truckers, which only reminded Ben about how much he hated country music.
"Time to show these people what real music is." Ben said to himself as he pulled out a dollar bill from his wallet and inserted it into the jukebox, ready to select his song of choice.
Ben was then satisfied as he heard the opening bassline of Earth, Wind, & Fire's Shining Star. As there was a mixed reaction to the change in music from the patrons in the diner, Ben happily bobbed his head to the beat of the song and walked over to the empty booth to take a seat. As he looked out of the window, he heard the familiar voice of a woman with a southern accent who was approaching the booth.
"Well, I'll be... Ben Ferris, is that you?" The woman asked. Ben turned his head to see who it was that addressed him.
"As I live and breathe. How are you, Joyce?" Ben replied happily.
"Doing just fine, honey. You look so much like your parents." Joyce said as she couldn't remember when was the last time she saw Ben. "Chloe told me about how happy she was to see you again over the summer and now here you are, back in Arcadia Bay attending Blackwell Academy."
"It's great to see you and Chloe again. I actually just caught up with her earlier this week after class. And school's been great at Blackwell so far."
"Well it must be. It's only your first year there and you're already leading the Bigfoots to victory. And don't think I haven't heard what you did for that girl earlier this week. That was a very selfless and courageous thing you did to save her life."
"She was in a really dark place, Joyce." Ben stated, sounding somewhat sad. "I just felt like doing something when no one else gave a shit. Pardon my French."
"Good to see you still have your manners after all these years. Chloe could learn a thing or two from you." Joyce joked. "And you sure did something, without a doubt. I can't tell you how many times I've seen your face on the news or even in the papers. David even spoke highly of you the other day."
"He did?" Ben asked with shock.
"Oh, yes. And it's a bit funny considering how earlier this week, he came home from work huffing and puffing about how you decided to pick a fight with him. Now he didn't give me all of the details, but since I've known you longer than he has, I know that you must have had your reasons. You're a young man with a good heart, Ben. And never let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Yes ma'am." Ben replied.
"Good! How's Amanda doing back in San Francisco, by the way?"
"My mom's doing great, thanks for asking. After thirteen years of being divorced she's decided to start dating again and she's currently talking to some conceited douche who works in LA."
"Oh, now you shouldn't say those kind of things, honey. I know you probably don't like the idea of her meeting another man who isn't your own father, but she's probably doing it because she cares about you and wants a second chance at starting a family again." Joyce reassured.
"You really think so?"
"Of course I do. Chloe was experiencing the same kind of feelings as you when I first met David. It's all about transitioning and accepting change, and I think you'll adjust much easier than Chloe did. Personally, I can't see you dying your hair or getting any tattoos or piercings any time soon."
"You and me both, Joyce. I'm kinda happy with how I look anyway." Ben said as he laughed at Joyce's remark.
"Alright, now I don't have all day to chat with you. What are you having?"
"Well, I've got a big game tonight, so I was thinking the Apple Sausage Omelette and two slices of toast on the side would give me the energy I need to get through the day." He said.
"You got it 'Mr. Bigfoot'! Here's some coffee to keep you awake until your food gets here." Joyce poured some freshly brewed coffee from the pot she was holding into a clean white mug for Ben before she left to go behind the counter.
"Thanks, Joyce!" Ben said as he smiled and lifted the mug up to his lips as a sip of the hot Arcadia Bay Roast coffee had warmed up his entire body. He had felt that he made a good call. Breakfast at the Two Whales on a Friday morning was the best idea he had so far today. Being here brought him back to his childhood when times were simpler. The days when he and his parents would all go out for a nice Sunday brunch together and he would sit between his mom and dad and color on the kids menu that one of the waitresses would provide him. He wished that somehow, he had the power to rewind time and relive those memories before his parents decided to leave each other. As he was done thinking back to those memories, he saw the door of the Diner open to see that both Max and Chloe had entered. The two girls noticed him as they were trying to find somewhere to sit and walked over to join him at his booth.
"What's up Ben?" Max asked.
"Sup 'Ferris Bueller'?" Chloe addressed Ben.
"Hey ladies, join the party." Ben stated as he offered the open seats in the booth to them. Max sat down in the seat across from Ben.
"Ugh, seriously, who keeps playing this shit on the jukebox anyway?" Chloe sneered as she heard the sound of '70s funk music coming from the jukebox.
"You're welcome!" Ben said as he gave Chloe the hint that it was him who chose the music for the jukebox.
"Oh that's right, I keep forgetting you have weird taste in music." Chloe remarked jokingly as she switched the jukebox's music to punk rock, her personal penchant.
"You say werid, I say unique, Chloe." Ben replied. "So, Max, I hear you've got a special date tonight with Warren at the drive-in."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a date." Max said shyly. "It's more of just Warren and I hanging out together and spending some..."
"She's cheating on me." Chloe interrupted as she plopped down in the booth right next to Max. "Which means that I'll just to have make her jealous by coming to your game tonight to see you destroy some Razorbacks."
"Gee, thanks Chloe. I never took you as the sporty type to be honest." Ben commented.
"I mostly just wanna see your whole team win tonight so you can rub it in the other team's face. Also, their captain who happens to be the linebacker, is your typical grade-A preppy fuckboy."
"How so exactly?" Ben questioned.
"I meet him at the same bar I found Nathan at. He was hella wasted and I heard him bragging to all of his buddies that he could easily take me back home with him that night. He kept hitting on me and I told him I was nowhere no interested. Then he thought it would be a good idea to slap my ass."
"What did you do then?" Max asked.
"What do you think I did? I punched him square in his jaw and his front tooth fell right out."
"Holy shit, Chloe, that's awesome." Ben replied in awe by Chloe's reaction.
"Oh yeah! Wait til you see him tonight at the game. His gapped tooth and douchey haircut combined literally makes him look like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber." Chloe said as she couldn't help but laugh.
As the three continued to talk together, Joyce came back to the booth with Ben's food and was surprised to see that there were two more hungry mouths wanting to be fed.
"Here you go, Ben. Enjoy!" Joyce said.
"Thanks, Joyce." He replied.
"And it looks like some starving vultures decided to join you too." She added referring to Max and Chloe.
"Hi, Joyce." Max said.
"Good to see you again, Max. Is Chloe here to get another free breakfast from you again?" Joyce teased.
"Mom!" Chloe said, sounding embarrassed.
"Actually, you can put Chloe's meal on my tab, Joyce. It's the least I can do after everything she's done for me." Ben insisted as he got in between the two.
"Alright then, what are you two having?"
"Belgian Waffle, please." Max said politely.
"Scrambled Eggs and Bacon for me." Chloe said.
"Coming right up." Joyce said as she wrote down the orders and walked back behind the counter.
"So Ben, there's something Chloe and I have been meaning to talk to you about." Max said.
"Alright, what's up?" Ben questioned with interest.
"Chloe and I think that there might be some kind of connection between Rachel Amber's disappearance and what could have happened to Kate after she left the Vortex Club party with Nathan."
"Well that's the conspiracy theory of the day. Where exactly did you guys come up with that in the first place?" Ben asked sounding confused.
"We broke into the Principal's office the other night to get access to a couple of the student files and see if there was any useful info that could tell us something." Chloe explained.
"Are you serious? Max you could get expelled from Blackwell for doing something like that. And Chloe you could get arrested... I mean not that it's been your first time though." Ben expressed as he began to lecture the two.
"Yeah, no fucking shit Sherlock." Chloe said. "What's more important is that Max and I think my step-prick might be in cahoots with Nathan Prescott."
"Okay, now I feel like you're seriously yanking my chain. I know the three of us have a mutual hatred for those two, but how would they be possibly working together?"
"Because, we also browsed through the Principal's computer and we found Nathan's 'actual' student record which is filled with enough reports to get any other student kicked out of Blackwell. We even found out that he accused Rachel of bringing drugs on campus with her and David actually believed it. Ben, I think there's some weird blood-brothers pact going on between the two of them."
"And we've been meaning to do some more investigating but we stopped in our tracks and figured we could use your help." Max mentioned.
"Me? What do need my help with?" Ben asked.
"We thought about trying to sneak into Nathan's dorm room yesterday to see if he was hiding anything we could use as evidence. It's pretty risky since he's completely hostile to me and Max, but since you're friends with him and you're his next door neighbor, you'll be the last thing he expects. See where I'm going with this?" Chloe explained to Ben.
"Well, I guess you don't know this yet, but ever since I got Nathan expelled, we're not really on speaking terms anymore. Plus, it's bad enough that I almost murdered him in the boy's bathroom on Wednesday."
"What did he do now?" Max questioned.
"It had to do with Kate. He said that the only reason I stood up for her and saved her was because I pitied her. And then he started talking about trying to talk to her and using her for sex when she came back to Blackwell. So I went at his throat and warned him to never go anywhere near her." Ben said as looked down at his food, which he was cutting into smaller pieces with his cutlery.
"That little asshole. What stopped you from beating him down then?" Chloe asked.
"Him pointing a gun at me at point blank range. The same gun I'm guessing you two saw him with." Ben answered. "Look guys, I know you want to find out if Nathan actually has something to do with all of this, but at the end of the day, his family's money will buy the best lawyers and pay off the cops. For all we know, he could probably hire some kind of professional to destroy any kind of evidence, if that's even possible."
"So what are saying right now, Ben?" Chloe asked as she looked him in both eyes.
"I'm just saying that this kind of stuff is what the police are meant for. And now that Kate's alright, we should just focus on making sure that she feels safe at Blackwell from people like Nathan."
"Oh, so since Kate Marsh is still alive and well, that means you don't have to give a shit about what happened to Rachel? Chloe shouted at Ben, which attracted the attention of a few patrons in the diner.
Ben knew that Chloe was about to get emotional and wanted to clear things up with her. "Chloe, it's not like that. I just..."
"Stop pretending like you care when you obviously don't, Ben. You only just look out for yourself or the people that you have deep feelings for, like Kate." Chloe accused.
"That's not true." Ben shouted back.
"Bullshit! Why else would you go so far out of your way to protect her from people like my 'step-ass' or Victoria Chase? Or to save her own life and turn on your own friend, Nathan, just to help her. Or better yet, cancel the biggest party of the school year to throw a fucking rally for her when didn't even die. She obviously has you by the balls, Ben."
"Chloe..." Max intervened as she grabbed her best friends arm.
"No, Max. I'm bringing Ben back to reality so he can stop day dreaming about living in a perfect world with Kate Marsh." Chloe yelled.
"Chloe, stop." Ben said as he had a heated look on his face.
"No, I won't stop because right now, you're not the Ben Ferris I remember from three summers ago, if not the beginning of this week before you met Kate." Chloe barked in his face, now standing up and placing both hands on the table. "You and I both know that the only way you would actually help Max and I find out what happened to Kate and Rachel, is if Kate actually did jump off that roof."
Ben immediately got up out of his seat and he and Chloe were now face to face. He was completely furious at what Chloe was saying towards him. Max then got up from the booth and tried to break up the conflict between the two friends and an angry and confused Joyce arrived to the booth with both Chloe and Max's food, demanding to know why there were two teenagers both on edge with each other at the Diner.
"What is going on over here?" Joyce shouted.
"Don't mind us, Joyce. I was just leaving anyway." Ben said still eyeing Chloe angrily. Already finished with his breakfast, he placed his cash on the table, still paying for both his and Chloe's meals. "You're welcome for the free breakfast. Good luck finding Rachel without my help." He remarked as he bumped past Chloe and left the Diner.
As he walked back to his car, Ben tried his best not to think about what had just happened between him and his own friend back inside the Diner. Chloe knew that he was a good friend to her. He was always there for her when she needed to talk to someone about how hard things were whenever she missed her dad or that she felt like a social outcast at Blackwell. Even if Ben happened to be in a completely different state from her, he was just one phone call of text message away. Having been friends together for three summers, Chloe knew Ben well enough to know that none of those things she said about him back inside the Two Whales were true, nor did she actually mean them.
Ben had met Rachel Amber only once in his entire life. It was back at a house party that he and Chloe both attended together during the first summer when they met each other. Chloe introduced him to her and he remembered how Rachel commented to Chloe about how he was "cute, but dumb". Despite how much Ben had been drooling over her that night, she probably knew that he was still a virgin at the time. At one point during the party, Ben and Rachel actually began to have a conversation with each other and she had told him how she was a student at Blackwell studying Drama, who had dreams of one day becoming an actress and a model, who would hopefully make it big in LA one day. The way she described her studies was one of the reasons that convinced Ben to become a Drama student himself at Blackwell. Aside from that one encounter, Ben never saw Rachel again whenever he hung out with Chloe. He had a feeling that Chloe was much more closer to Rachel than she was with him and Max. She must have been the one who put up all of those missing posters of her around Blackwell and Arcadia Bay. Chloe was most likely getting more desperate each day to find Rachel. That could have been the only reason why she flipped out on Ben. He had only disagreed with her about further investigating because he didn't want her or Max to get hurt by Nathan or worse. Hopefully, Chloe would soon understand what Ben was suggesting and come to her senses. Hopefully.
After arriving at the hospital, Ben had checked in with the nurse at the front desk to let her know he would be visiting Kate again. He made his way up to the third floor and walked down the hall to her room. As he arrived at her room, he knocked on the door out of courtesy, considering it was still early in the morning.
"Come in." Kate said from the other side of the door.
Ben opened the door and stepped into the room. "Knock, knock." He said.
"Oh hi, Ben." Kate greeted as the boy entered.
"Hey, Kate." Ben replied. "How's it going?"
"Good. I'm just waiting to finally leave this hospital. I was starting to get bored after I ran out of ideas for new drawings. I'm surprised to see you back here again."
"Well, I just felt like you deserved more than one visit. And I wanted to give you this." He said as he showed her the football covered with signings from the entire team. "I got the whole team to sign it for you last night at the rally. It was one of the balls that we used in our first game this season that we won, and I felt that you should have it." Ben smiled as he handed Kate the ball and sat at the same chair across from her like he did during his last visit.
"Ben, that's so thoughtful of you. You've made me feel so blessed this entire week. And you didn't even have to go through all of this trouble for me."
"I know, Kate. I just felt like everyone was to blame for what happened to you. I had a feeling that they could still own up to their mistakes and make a difference. And I guess last night really proved it considering how the rally went."
"Well I'm glad to hear that you see the goodness in all people, Ben." Kate said. "I was surprised myself to see that Victoria dedicated her 'Everyday Heroes' prize to me. I hope things at Blackwell will really be different starting next week."
"That makes two of us. Are you coming to the game tonight? Being back at Blackwell and seeing a football game with all of your friends must be a great way to spend a Friday night."
"I wish I could go since I haven't been to any of the games yet. But I'm going home with my family this weekend after they come here to see me."
"You mean you're gonna miss out on the biggest game of the season? Unacceptable, Kate." Ben teased.
"Believe me, Ben, I would love to come to your game tonight to support you after everything you've done for me. But being home for the weekend with my parents was their idea and not mine." Kate insisted. "At least I'll be able to spend some time with my sisters."
"Where are you guys from exactly?"
"Where all the way from Hillsboro. It's about an hour and a half from Arcadia Bay. It's a nice town with a bunch of parks and shops." Kate explained to Ben. "And yourself?"
"I was born here in Arcadia Bay, but then I moved to San Francisco with my mom. I've lived there for the past thirteen years before moving back here to attend Blackwell."
"San Francisco? You know, I've always wanted to visit there some day. It looks so beautiful from all of the pictures that I've seen."
"Yeah, it's definitely something to be amazed by when you set foot there for the first time. I kind of miss it sometimes, but it's good to be back in my home and native land, and I'm not talking about Canada."
Kate couldn't help but laugh at Ben's comment before she spoke. "That was pretty funny to be honest."
"It must have been. I think that's probably the first time I've ever seen you laugh." Ben commented
"You know, Ben, I'm surprised that we don't have any classes together. Why is that?" Kate wondered.
"I don't really know. What are you studying at Blackwell anyway?" He asked,
"I'm an Art student." she answered. "Which means my core classes include Art of Photography, Drawing, and even Art History, which is my least favorite. How about you?"
"I'm studying Drama and Film studies. So that means you can find me in the classes like Art of Drama, Video Production, and the Art of Film."
"Oh, I've heard great things from my friends about the film class. I was interested in signing up for it back at the summer orientation. My parents wouldn't let me when they found out you watch a lot of R-rated movies in the class." Kate shared.
Ben looked at Kate as he was shocked to hear that. He was speechless to hear how she was forbidden to watch R-rated films. She was an 18 year-old student, a legal adult. She was old enough to make her own decisions and create her own schedule. But maybe her parents, who were no doubt the catalyst of her faith, had enforced such conservative views in her life regarding violence and sex in movies. After all, Kate was the one leading an abstinence campaign at school.
"Well I mean, not all of the films we watch are rated R. So far we've only seen Fargo, which is rated R. And then we saw Pulp Fiction, which is... also rated R. But after those two, we actually saw this great romantic-drama called Revolutionary Road which was... actually I think that one was rated R too. I should probably just change the subject now." Ben said.
"It's okay, Ben. You don't have to try and convince me." Kate said as she laughed at Ben's poor attempt to reassure her. "Sometimes, I kind of get the feeling that maybe my parents don't want me to watch that kind of stuff because it might be harmful to my soul and my faith."
"Now that we brought it up, I'll never forget when I turned seventeen last year and tried convincing my parents that I was mature enough to watch R-rated movies. They told me no though. So one night, I decided to watch The Passion of the Christ on my laptop in my room, when everyone else was asleep. Worst mistake ever. I couldn't sleep for a week after I saw that movie." Kate confessed.
"Damn, Kate, I never saw you as the rebellious type. I gotta give you props though. I've seen that movie once and it's pretty hard to watch with all of the scenes of Jesus being whipped and beaten and whatnot."
"Ben, can I ask you a question?" Kate said shyly as she looked down at the football she was holding in her hands.
"You just did." Ben wisecracked as he grinned at Kate.
"What? Oh, hardy har." Kate replied as she rolled her eyes in reaction to Ben's cheap one-liner. "I actually have a serious question for you."
"Okay, ask away?"
"So, back when we were on the roof together, you mentioned that you weren't very religious, meaning that you probably have some faith. And you even said how you didn't believe in miracles. I know I shouldn't still be thinking about what happened earlier this week, but I guess what I'm trying to ask you is... do you believe in God?"
"Well, to be honest with you, I do. I always felt that it's good to believe that there is some kind of eternal spirit out there who's waiting to meet us in a sort of afterlife." Ben stated. "There was even a time where I would go to church with my grandma on Sundays. It was kind of a way for me to find some closure after my parents got a divorce."
"Sorry about your parents. I've heard stories from some of my friends whose parents are separated, so I can only imagine what you had to go through." Kate said with sincerity. "It's good to know that God's word helped you cope with something like that though. So do you still practice?" Kate asked with curiosity.
"Unfortunately, I lost my faith years ago. I stopped going to church with my grandma, but we still keep in touch to this day."
"That's such a shame. Do you mind me asking what exactly made you stop believing?"
"No offense, but I actually do mind. It's just something I'm not exactly comfortable sharing with people."
Kate picked up on Ben's reserved tone and decided not to press him to tell her what exactly caused him to stop believing. "I understand." She simply said. "By the way, I'm not sure if I've told you yet, but I was actually drug tested when I first came to the hospital." Kate mentioned as she decided to change the subject.
"So did they find anything in your system?" Ben asked.
"They did. It happened to be something called Flunitrazepam, if I pronounced that correctly. The doctor said that people often call it 'roofies', but I've never heard that name before."
"Shit, Kate, this is a big deal. This means that you really were drugged and you can use that proof against Nathan, now."
"I know. Max and her friend are also trying to help me too. She mentioned yesterday that she was going to ask for your help in taking down Nathan."
"Yeah, we talked not too long ago. it's gonna be tricky trying to stop Nathan."
"I hope you do soon, Ben. I still feel bad being the reason why he was suspended. And I'm worried he might try to come after me when I come back to school next week." Kate expressed with concern.
"Don't worry at all, Kate. I won't let him hurt you, not like last time. Me, Max, and everyone else at Blackwell have you're back, so you're not alone."
"Thanks, Ben. I know that I count on you." Kate said smiling at Ben.
"I should probably get ready to hit the road. I have class pretty soon and I don't wanna get stuck in any traffic." Ben said as he looked at the clock in the room.
"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer? My parents will be here to pick me up any minute and they were hoping to meet you after all you've done for me."
"I'm sorry, Kate. I guess I'll just have to catch them next time they're in town."
"I suppose you always could. Good luck in your game tonight!"
"Thanks, Kate. Remember, we're winning it for you tonight. Have a good weekend!"
"Thanks, Ben! You too." Kate replied as Ben walked out of her hospital room.
"Katie, we're home now." A voice told Kate as she was waking up. Kate remembered that she was sitting in the backseat of her parent's Toyota Highlander, right by the window on the left side. She looked to her right to see who was calling her name, only to realize that it was another blonde haired girl with a bright smile. It was her younger sister, Lynn.
"Oh, hi Lynn. I didn't even know I fell asleep in the car." Kate said as she yawned. She opened the door to let her and her sister out as the car was now parked in the garage that was connected to the Marsh family's house.
"We missed you so much while you were away at school." Proclaimed Emma, Kate's other sister, who wore glasses.
"It is good to be home for a change." Kate admitted. "Maybe tonight, the three of us could watch a movie together, just like old times." She suggested.
"Yes!" The two girls shouted in excitement.
"Can we watch Tangled?" Lynn asked.
"We watched that last weekend together, so you don't get to decide this time." Emma argued.
"I do happen to know all of the Disney movies by heart, and I'm sure there's some you two haven't seen before. Why don't all three of us decide on a movie to watch after dinner?" Kate stated.
"Yes! It'll be so much fun." Lynn said with joy.
"It looks like both Emma and Lynn missed their big sister. We're so blessed that you're okay, Katie." Said Kate's father. He was a man that was much taller than Kate, who had blonde hair that receded at the top of his forehead and wore a pair of eyeglasses.
"Thank you, Daddy! I'm just ready to be back at Blackwell on Monday."
"You will be before you know it. We all just wanted to see you again before you go back to school. Everyone at church especially wants to see you too." He said. "And you're mother and I wanted to talk to you too at some point." He added as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Richard, will you help me unload Kate's suitcase out of the car please?" Asked Kate's mother who had opened up the trunk of the car.
"Sure thing, dear." He replied. "Why don't you go on inside with the girls, Katie. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Okay." Kate said happily as she walked through the garage door and was now inside of the house.
Kate walked upstairs and went straight to her room. As she opened the door, she was glad to see the familiar surroundings that she remembered gazing at before she left to move in at Blackwell. On the top of her dresser sat pictures that were taken from when she was younger. There was one of her smiling with Lynn and Emma at the beach, another of her standing on the steps outside of her church, wearing a blue sundress she cherished, and one where she was smiling and holding Alice when she first got her on her sixteenth birthday. She even looked at her wall above her bed to see the poster of her favorite Christian rock band when she was in middle school.
Sure it felt good for Kate to be home with her family, who she hadn't seen since leaving for school, but in all of her honesty, she felt completely bored. She did have her sisters to keep her company for the weekend, but what she wanted more than anything else was to be back at Blackwell with her friends. If her parents weren't so over protective of her, they probably would have just spent some of the day in Arcadia Bay with her, treated her out for lunch and dropped her off at Blackwell before saying their goodbyes. She could have been spending her Friday night out in the bleachers with Max, Warren, Stella, Alyssa, and others, watching and cheering on the Bigfoots as they played in their biggest game of the season. Most of all, she could have been there to see Ben play and support him in return for all of the care and support he showed her. She did feel bad about missing tonight's game, but there would be more home games to follow later on in the season. After thinking to herself about this, she kicked off her white sneakers and plopped down on her bed. Staring at the ceiling of her room, she couldn't figure out what to do at the moment. During times like this she would either play her violin or let Alice out of her cage to frolic around in her room. The only thing was that her violin was back in her room at Blackwell and Alice was being looked after by Max. One thing she didn't forget to take home with her was her diary. She grabbed it from her room when her parents stopped at her dorm for her to pack up some things for the weekend. No one who lived on her floor had seen her as classes were still in session at the time. As she opened up her bag, she pulled out her sky blue diary which had stickers of a dove, a cross, and a picture of Jesus on the front cover of it. From time to time, Kate would write entries in her diary about how she felt or if anything special occurred in her life. She opened up the diary to a blank page and realized that she hadn't written an entry since she had attended the party. But today, she felt like getting back into it and writing an entry on some of the thoughts and feelings that were currently in her head at the moment.
Kate Diary Entry, October 11th:
I'm so glad this week is finally over. I had never felt so lost and alone in my entire life before. In the beginning of the school year, I tried my best to ignore all of the bullying and name calling from people who made fun of me because of my faith and my beliefs in abstinence, but it only weakened me as time passed. Then, it felt like my world had turned upside down after one little mistake that I made, which only caused people at school to shame me for it. I truly thought that no one cared about me or wanted to help me.
But one person came to me and helped me believe again. His name is Ben Ferris, he's the captain of the football team at Blackwell and he's also a member of the Vortex Club, but none of that mattered. I only met him for the first time this week and I feel like he must be an angel that was sent by God to give me a reason to never give up on my faith. He truly helped me out of such a dark place more than anyone else. My parents and my sisters feel so indebted to him and they were hoping to meet him today when they picked me up from the hospital.
Ben was also the only person to visit me twice while I was in the hospital this week. He didn't even have to do that. While I've only known Ben since the beginning of this week, I feel like he really listens to me and understands what it is that I'm going through. And he's not like some of the other boys on the football team that I have class with like Zach and Logan, who are rude and obnoxious. Ben seems very genuine and respectful. I really should consider being friends with him. I'm glad that he knows Max and Warren also. Maybe I should try to schedule a little date for the four of us to hang out and spend time with each other.
I still think it was so nice and thoughtful of Ben to visit me today at the hospital. After being there for nearly four days, I was really getting bored and starting to feel more like a prisoner than a patient. But Ben really brightened up my day when he stopped by. I never knew that he was so funny. And he has such a bright smile too. He really is a cutie-pie. It's no wonder that girls like Victoria and Taylor are always talking about him in class. But I'm sure someone like him has a girlfriend. It's probably Dana if anything. I've seen the two of them talking and laughing with each other in the hallways after class and they seem to know each other really well ever since the first day of school. Whoever his girlfriend is, I'm sure she must be really lucky to have someone like him as a boyfriend. Which means that Ben probably just came to visit me to drop off that football he and his teammates signed for me. He wouldn't want anything to do with someone like me anyway. I'm just nothing like the other girls that the guys at school go crazy for. The ones who have big boobs or a big butt, or even have a pretty face for the most part. And the fact that I can't have sex until I'm married would only just make him even less interested in me.
I still can't help but think about what had caused him to abandon his faith. I wonder if he might have experienced something traumatic in his life. What could have happened to him when he was younger? Maybe his parents' divorce got harder for him to deal with over the years. I wonder if he was bullied in school too once. Maybe that's why he's showed so much concern for me this week, because he could relate to what I experienced. Whatever it was that happened to him, he doesn't deserve to suffer, or be miserable. I really do want to help him. I just hope he'll be comfortable to share what happened one day. Maybe I could even help him believe again just like he helped me believe again.
Hours had passed after Kate wrapped up her lengthy diary entry. As she laid in her bed, she was in deep thought about what her friends could have been doing at Blackwell right now. They were probably grabbing a bite to eat at the Two Whales or hanging around campus waiting for the game to start. She wondered how Ben was feeling about his big game tonight, if he was more excited than nervous or vice-versa. She then speculated if he had a special someone in his life who would be watching him from the bleachers or the sidelines, leading his team to victory. While it did make for a perfect love story, Kate snapped out of the thought as thinking about it more started to make her feel sad. As she averted from her daze, she heard the voice of her mother calling from downstairs.
"Girls, it's time for dinner. Could you help set the table, please?" She said.
"Coming!" Lynn and Emma both shouted back in reply. They made their way down the hall passing Kate's open door and proceeded downstairs.
"Kate, are you coming?" Her mother asked from downstairs.
"Yes, Mom. I'll be right there." She left her bed and walked out of her room, making her way downstairs to the dining room.
The Marsh family sat at their family dinner table, partaking in a conversation while having their leftover lasagna dinner. Kate noticed at dinner and from her time at the hospital that her typical appetite was back to normal. She had practically went two days without eating in the beginning of the week. She missed her mother's cooking as well and even went for a second helping.
"It's a shame we didn't get to meet that young man who went up on that roof with you, Katie. I can't believe we just missed him when we got to the hospital to pick you up." Kate's father said.
"I agree. I read an article which happened to mention him. He has quite the resume. Captain of the football team, class vice-president, and a member of the Vortex Club." Her mother included. "I'm not sure what that last group is though."
"It's nothing, really." Kate murmured as she stabbed her lasagna with her fork after hearing her mother mention the name of the Vortex Club. She decided not to explain to her parents what exactly this student led organization really was. True Ben was associated with the Vortex Club, but he shouldn't have been compared to its other members like Victoria or even worse, Nathan.
As Kate had finished up her second serving of lasagna, she felt Lynn tap her on the shoulder to get her attention.
"Are we still going to watch a movie tonight?" Lynn asked as she gazed into her older sister's eyes.
"Of course, Lynn." Kate reassured with a smile. "You, me, and Emma can head upstairs to decide on what we should watch."
The three girls had each gleamed with excitement and giddy to partake in their movie night just like old times. As they got up from the table and began to make their way upstairs, Kate was stopped by the voice of her mother calling her.
"Kate, could you sit back down please? You're father and I would like to talk with you." Her mother said.
"We'll wait for you upstairs, Katie." Emma said as she and Lynn left to give their parents privacy to talk to Kate.
Kate sat back in her chair and was now facing both her parents, who had moved to sit right across from her at the table. Kate looked and felt nervous in front of them, having a feeling that this probably wouldn't be a good talk. If it was something satisfying to discuss, then it probably would have been mentioned during their dinner.
"Kate, your father and I talked to each other about the recent events that occurred at your school." Her mother said in a calm voice. "We both began to feel that agreeing to let you attend Blackwell this year may have been a mistake."
"Mom, I can explain everything that's happened..."
"Let me finish!" She demanded, sounding impatient with her daughter. "Everyone has been made completely aware of that whole little party video you were in. Both your aunt and your grandmother reached out to me expressing concern and praying for you. And don't think anyone from our church group hasn't seen it either."
"That wasn't my fault. The doctors confirmed that I was drugged at that party after the test results came in. And it was another girl who put up that video." Kate protested in a shaky voice.
"Yes, but it was your own fault for attending that party in the first place. And what you tried to do on that roof of your own dormitory doesn't change the fact that suicide is a sin. It says so in Exodus 20:13." Her mother added.
"Mom!" Kate cried as her eyes teared up.
"Diane, please." Kate's father intervened as he placed his hand over his wife's on the table, trying to calm her down. "Katie, your mother and I care about you very much and we're only worried about you getting hurt when you're away from us. We just think that after everything you've been through, being at Blackwell might not exactly be what it was meant to be."
"What are saying then?" Kate questioned.
"We were thinking that maybe next semester, you should consider transferring to another school. That way, you can leave everything that's happened behind and have a fresh new start." Her father answered.
"Your father and I did some research and found one school in particular. It's a private Christian Academy for girls only. It will probably prevent you from getting any ideas about being promiscuous with any boys too." She stated.
"Mom, you don't understand." Kate shouted as she now had tears running down her face.
"I do understand, Kate. Sending you to Blackwell was a privilege, and it is not meant to be taken advantage of so you can take part in sinful activities and act like a harlot." She shouted. "You father and I will make our decision if you'll return to Blackwell for the second semester by Thanksgiving. And Kate, I hope you know that everyone will be praying for you at church on Sunday. That's all we have to say. You can go to your room now and pray for forgiveness."
Kate stood up from her chair and left the dining room, running up the stairs. Her eyes were puffy again, just like the beginning of this week. She ran to her room, slamming her door shut behind her and falling onto her bed, sobbing as she dismissed the fact that she and her sisters would watch a movie together after dinner. Kate was no longer in the mood to watch a movie or do anything with anyone else. She just wanted to be alone because it was exactly how she felt right now. Just as she believed how things were starting to get better for her, her parents were now against her and were currently deciding if she would return to finish her full year at Blackwell. The thought of her having to say goodbye to all of her friends so soon only made her produce even more tears. She only had a feeling of hopelessness inside of her. But she couldn't allow herself to think like this, not again. She had to be strong and let herself know that everything would be alright. Kate would get to see everyone at Blackwell for the spring semester and she would get to graduate with every single one of them as well.
As she looked at her alarm clock next to her bed she saw that it was now 6:30 PM, just 30 minutes left until the football game started. Something told her that she would feel better texting Ben to wish him and his teammates good luck in their big game. As she wiped her tears with one of the sleeves of her cardigan, she reached for her phone on her dresser and immediately began to type a message to send Ben, hoping that he would see it before stepping out on the field.
Kate:
Hi Ben! Thank you for coming to visit me again today and for dropping off my gift from the whole football team. I just wanted to wish you and the rest of your teammates the best of luck tonight. I'll be saying a prayer for you before the game starts.
As she was counting on getting a reply back from him in a few minutes, Kate stood up from her bed and kneeled down against it, with her hands clasped together and against her head. She closed her eyes and titled her head towards the ceiling, beginning to speak.
"Heavenly father, I ask that you provide me with the strength and guidance I need to get through such a difficult situation with my mother and father. I also pray that you will watch over Ben and the rest of the Bigfoots in their game tonight and give them endless courage throughout the night." Kate spoke confidently. She then opened her eyes and saw that her phone vibrated, which meant that she had received a message. As she grabbed her phone she saw that it was a reply from Ben.
Ben:
Thanks Kate! That means a lot. And like I said, we're gonna win this for you, I promise. I hope your weekend at home is going well so far.
Kate then held her phone tightly in her hands and placed it close to her chest. She then walked over to her window and looked out at the night sky, admiring its beauty. She then spoke to herself, finishing her prayer with several more words.
"And heavenly father, please keep him safe. Amen." She said.
Ben had just finished typing his message to Kate as he sat on a bench in the boys' locker room, facing his own locker. He was glad to have read it, knowing that she was still thinking of him and the rest of the team even though she couldn't be there to watch the game. There were usually a good amount of people that would always text him good luck, just moments before a game, typically his closest family members and friends. He would occasionally get the usual "good luck, we love you" messages from his adoring fans like Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney, who would include the basic x's and o's and heart emoji, and would be waiting to see him at the Vortex Party afterwards to congratulate him on his win and give him his "reward" when they saw him. But Ben didn't really feel like involving himself in any of that tonight. After winning tonight's game, he would be in the mood to celebrate with his teammates, but he felt like he wouldn't stay out that long. He definitely had no plans to hook up with anyone like he did at previous parties either. For some reason, all Ben could think about was Kate. He just thought back to how she had mentioned that her parents felt like they needed to protect her even more after what happened. He hoped that she wasn't locked in her room and being held captive by her parents acting as her jailers. As the thought had crossed his mind he saw that there were two more unread messages on his phone, one from his mom and one surprisingly from Nathan.
Mom:
Good luck tonight! I'm so proud of you and I know that this is such a big game for you. Go Stomp Em Bigfoots!
Nathan:
Good luck in your big game tonight Benny-Boy! You're going to need it. I'll be watching you from the bleachers to see you shatter your collar bone haha.
Just as Ben finished reading the message from his caring mother and his so-called friend, he heard Coach Ferris enter the boys' locker room and grab the attention of all of his players.
"Alright, bring it in, boys!" He ordered as the team continued their banter between each other. "I said bring it in!" He shouted.
Every single player on the team went silent and began to make their way to front of the locker room. Some of them sat on the benches or on the floor while the rest of them stood. They all formed a sea of red with their jerseys that they wore in uniform.
Coach Ferris began to speak, now that he had the attention of every one of his players. "I just got back from taking a look at our field. Sunnydale just arrived and their waiting for all of you. But more importantly, those bleachers are filled to the very ends with all of your friends, classmates, teachers, and even family members, who are waiting to see you win tonight. You've all made it this far in the season without facing a single loss, so don't any of you get sloppy out on that field tonight." He said. "Is that clear?"
"Yes Coach!" The whole team replied.
"For the twenty years of my life that I've spent coaching this team, each and every one of you have made me proud this whole week as you've made acts of kindness off the field to keep a fellow student in your hearts." He mentioned as he looked at Ben, who was sitting in the front row of all of the players. "And that is the kind of representation of our school that this team should show more of. Now before I turn things over to your captain's I want you all to remind me what our one rule is at home games."
"We never lose at home." The team answered.
"Louder!" Coach Ferris replied.
"WE NEVER LOSE AT HOME!" The team shouted more intensely.
"Damn straight, boys! Ben, Riggins, why don't you two come up to take things from here."
Ben and Zach, who sat next to each other both looked right at each other and nodded before they stood up and walked over to where Coach Ferris stood. Now, facing their entire team in the locker room, they began to speak and get their team riled up with their usual pump up routine.
"Team, what are we?" Ben yelled.
"BLACKWELL BIGFOOTS!" The team answered.
"Who are we playing tonight?" Zach questioned.
"SUNNYDALE RAZORBACKS!" They replied.
"And what do we do to the opposing team when they step on our field?" He asked.
"STOMP EM!" They shouted.
"Hell yeah! Now let's get out there, do what we do best and remind those Razorbacks that they have another game to lose against us at the end of the season." Ben said.
"And they're gonna lose on their field." Zach added.
"And remember, we're winning this game for Kate." Ben reminded the team.
"FOR KATE!" The whole team shouted back.
The entire team was now fully charged and ready to take on their rivals by storm. They each grabbed their helmets, mouth guards, and other equipment, and left the locker room, now making their way to the they were getting closer to the field, the team could see the giant lights beaming in the night sky. The sound of the voices coming from the bleachers along with the music that was being played by the school's pep band were all familiar to everyone to know that this was the atmosphere of a high school football game about to take place. Ben had a tight grip on his helmet that was in his hands, as he led the large line of football players that were now standing just a few feet away from the makeshift banner that they would run right through in just a matter of seconds. The banner was always made by the members of the cheer squad for home games. There would always be one or two cheerleaders proudly holding up the giant white banner from both ends, which would read in giant red letters "STOMP 'EM BIGFOOTS!" For Ben, running through that banner and hearing the loud screams from spectators never got old for him. A voice began to emit from the loud speakers attached to a booth above the bleachers. This was where each of the following plays of the game would be announced by Juliet Watson. Juliet wasn't just the reporter for the Blackwell Totem, but also everyone's favorite announcer for the school's football games. She was said by most people to have the perfect "golden voice" for announcing and delivering coverage of the game to everyone with so much excitement. Juliet had a few valid reasons to be volunteering to broadcast live coverage of the game to everyone, like how she loved the game of football, announcing each of the plays would make things easier for her to write an article for the Totem's sports section, and that she had the perfect overhead view to watch her boyfriend, Zach, in action on the field.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, please help me in welcoming your very own, Blackwell Bigfoots!" Juliet shouted lively.
The entire Blackwell fan section roared with enthusiasm as the team burst through the banner and ran onto the field. Ben was able to spot the sea of familiar faces, all eager to see the biggest game of the season. He had a good glimpse of the entire opposing team, clad in their yellow and burgundy uniforms and standing tall and doing their best to look intimidating on the field.
"And now, introducing both of this year's captains. Number 70, Zachary Riggins, *cough, cough* I love you! And Number 17, our hero of Blackwell himself, Benjamin Ferris." She said through the microphone.
"That's our cue." Zach stated as he nudged Ben. The two then made their way to the center of the field to meet the referee and the captains of the other team.
The boys were now met by the ref, who was a short elderly man with a pot belly, and the two captains of the Razorbacks. One of the captains had brown hair that was styled into a bowl cut and gave an impish smile at both Ben and Zach, which revealed a gap in his teeth, showing that he was missing a tooth. Ben could tell right away that this was the linebacker who Chloe punched out at the bar she went to.
"Gentlemen, please introduce yourselves so we can begin the coin toss." The ref said in a soft tone. Both Ben and Zach proceeded to exchange handshakes with the other two captains. "I will now initiate the coin toss to determine which team will get to choose their position on the field. Please call the coin as I flip it into the air." He instructed.
As he threw the coin in the air, the four athletes had each looked up at it as Zach then shouted out his prediction of what it would land before anyone else could. "Tails!"
The ref caught the coin in his hand and revealed it to both team's captains. "It is tails. Blackwell Bigfoots have the option to be the kicking team or receiving team."
"Tails never fails." Zach said proudly.
"We choose to receive!" Ben spoke.
"Of course you guys do!" One of the opposing captains snickered to his co-captain. Ben glared at him angrily through his helmet.
"Very well. Blackwell Bigfoots will be the receiving team and Sunnydale Razorbacks will be the kicking team."
"Good call Big Ben. Get ready to put those hands to work." Zach stated.
"I always do!" He replied. "Now let's play some football."
"'Bigfootball' you mean." Zach corrected.
Despite all of the hard work, determination, and commitment that got them this far in the season, things did not look good for the Bigfoots at all. There were only five minutes left of the second quarter in the game and they were falling far behind to their infamous rivals. The Bigfoots had only scored 7 points. The Razorbacks had already scored 28. As Blackwell's star running back was taken down by the Razorbacks' defensive line, Ben could hear his father shouting furiously from the sidelines.
"We should not be losing on our own Goddamn field!"
"Yeah, he's definitely pissed." Ben thought as he saw him yelling at the players out on the field and on the sidelines.
In a later play, Zach was now making a pass all the way forward to Ben. Running right to where he knew it would land, but something happened. All of a sudden as he could see the crowd of spectating classmates and friends, he began to think of Kate and could picture her face in his mind. His hands began to shake as he thought about her and the ball was now plummeting down to him, he jumped in the air and reached out both of his trembling hands to catch it. Ben was unsuccessful as the ball had escaped from his grasp and he fell backwards to the ground. Fumble! The sound of the ref's whistle then followed. As Ben got up, he could see his dad calling players on the field over to the sidelines to go over a play with them.
"Ben, what the hell was that?" Coach Ferris questioned him angrily.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I just froze up." Ben tried to explain.
"You can't just do shit like that on the field. Especially not tonight. Get back out there!"
"Yes, Coach!" Ben sighed. He placed his helmet back on his head and ran out onto the field.
As the clock was now racing to end of the second quarter, the ball was once again in Zach's hand. Desperate to score for the team, he and Ben had planned to make a Hail Mary pass, giving Ben a better chance of making a touchdown. Zach had chucked the ball as far as he could and Ben knew that the rest was up to him.
"And it looks like Ben Ferris is going after the Hail Mary thrown by Zach Riggins right now. Can he do it?" Juliet announced from the booth.
As the entire Blackwell fan section had chanted 'Big Ben', it gave Ben the extra motivation to get to that Ball and give the fans what they wanted. The Bigfoots were going to make a comeback. That was the last thing he imagined when all of a sudden, Ben had caught the ball and the next thing he knew he was immediately caught in the middle of a collision between two of the Razorbacks. Both player's had gone for his legs, causing Ben's knee to be crushed in between the large mass of the two players. He couldn't help but let out a scream of agony as he had fell to the ground. The only emotion in his mind right now was complete fear as he realized he was having difficulty getting up.
"Come on, Ben. You've got to get up." He thought to himself worriedly. He had gone so far in the season without having a single injury and now it came down to this, when his team needed him the most.
"Hold on folks, it looks like Ferris may be injured." Juliet spoke into the microphone. The entire audience went completely silent as both Coach Ferris and Zach ran over to Ben, who was still laid out on the ground.
"Ben, look at me. Can you move?" His dad asked him anxiously.
"I think so. Feels like I was just hit by a bus." He grabbed onto his dad's shoulder and tried his best to get up, only to feel the sharp pain in his knee and fall back down.
"Coach his knee's busted." Zach observed as he pointed to Ben's leg.
"I'm fine. We've only got another half of the game left. I can still play." Ben insisted.
"Dude, you can't. You've got to get that knee looked at."
"He's right, I'll have Richards sub in for you. Right now you need to get to a hospital.
That wasn't wait Ben wanted to hear from either of the two. He only sighed just before he spoke. "Okay."
In just a few seconds, there were two paramedics that arrived onto the field with a gunnery. They both helped Ben up to place him onto the gunnery, strapping him in and rolling him off to the ambulance that was near the field. As Ben was being rolled off, he couldn't see the bleachers, only the dark starry night sky. He lifted his hand up into the air to let everyone know that he was going to pull through. Both the teams and the spectators on each side exploded with applause to show their sympathy and support towards Ben, but none of that mattered to him. As he was placed inside of the ambulance, both of the paramedics stayed inside with him as one of them shut the doors closed. The ambulance began moving and was now making its route to Arcadia Bay General.
A couple hours later, Ben was now settled into a hospital room. He sat in the bed of his room dressed in a light blue hospital gown and had a white cast that covered his right leg up to his knee. His casted leg was resting on top of several pillows that a nurse had provided him with. As he sat in the room wondering what to even do, a doctor had entered the room to talk to Ben. He was an older man with grey hair and glasses and was holding a clipboard in his hands, probably ready to give Ben bad news about his injury, no less.
"How are you feeling?" The doctor asked.
"I've been better." Ben answered.
"The x-rays just came in. I've been working here for forty-five years and I can tell that you've got a torn ACL." He said.
"How bad is it though?" Ben asked.
"The way I see it, You'll probably have to wear that cast for about a week and a half. Once it gets removed, you'll have to take good care of that knee and go through a crazy amount of physical therapy." The doctor said.
"Do you think I'll still have time to play again before my season ends." He asked.
"That depends. When does your season end?" He replied.
"The second week of November." Ben answered. "Unless we make it to the state championships."
"Well, I guess you'll be lucky if you can make it back in time for your last two games. And if your team does make it to the championships, then I suppose you should be fine by then. However, I would strongly advise you to reduce your time spent practicing and playing on the field if you want to have a faster recovery." He explained.
"Thanks, Doc." Ben said.
"Any time. You take it easy now and be sure to let the nurses know if you need anything. Have a good night." The doctor said as he left the room.
"Being out for the next four games of this season was not what I was hoping to hear." Ben thought. As he heard his phone go off to indicate that he had a new unread message, he grabbed his phone from his side and opened it to see that it was from Zach.
Zach:
Tonight was a total loss. Sorry about what happened, man. Hope you're alright.
Suddenly Ben wished he hadn't read that message. Hearing that his team had lost to their rivals on their home field was the worst thing that could happen to them this season. Ben only hated himself for not being there for his team, for getting hurt, and for not winning tonight's game for Kate like he promised her. Whenever he was upset about something, he would just go outside and run for as long as he could until he tired himself out. But he couldn't run, he couldn't even walk without having to use crutches now. All he really could do right now was just cry out of all of the frustration at the fact that his week came to an end like this. That he had done so many acts of selflessness for one person that he barely knew and this was how life was repaying him. Ben turned his head to look at his window seeing the same starry night, just before he quietly spoke to himself.
"I'm sorry, Kate."
Well, there you have it guys. For a chapter that was over 12,000 words, I sure did throw a lot in this one. I actually enjoyed writing the little diary entry by Kate as we got to see things through her POV in first person and you even got a glimpse of how she's beginning to develop quite a crush on Ben. I actually have plans to do a couple more diary entries written by her in future chapters. Also, even though there was no tornado that destroyed Arcadia Bay in this timeline, I still have plans to include the mystery of Rachel's disappearance as a secondary plot for the story since Kate is also involved in it as well. However, with Max not having her rewind powers in this story and Ben existing in this timeline, things will play out very differently than the original story of LiS. You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens. If you enjoyed this chapter, be sure to favorite, follow, and leave a review to let me know what you think so far.