Locker Room Talk

(Days 19-20, Thursday-Friday Afternoon)

"It feels like we've had practice every day this week," Carlos complains as he switches from his jeans to his tourney shorts.

"That's because we have," Aziz comments.

Jay smiles, "We have a big game Sunday. Can't mess it up."

"I know," Carlos irritably responds as he takes his shirt off and sorts through the rest of the uniform. "I just hope it won't be like this every week." Aziz laughs but abruptly stops, before Carlos turns to see him frozen halfway through putting a cleat on, his mouth slightly agape. "Something wrong?"

Aziz is quiet as he points to the side of Carlos's abdomen, "That's new." and Jay looks at them with a seemingly blank expression.

"How would you know? Have you been staring at me?" Carlos accuses, before Aziz silently looks away. He shakes his head, "I'm sorry. I'm just sick of everyone seeming to think they're some kind of psychoanalysis or something." Aziz looks back at him. "It feels like I'm constantly being observed under a microscope and being prodded at."

"It was just an observation," Aziz explains as he finishes putting on his cleats. "You've been here for a couple weeks now. Any burns you had should have healed by now."

"It's not that fast," Carlos disputes.

"Of course, it isn't. Not if you keep picking at them."

There's a long silence, before Jay interrupts, "Carlos." He looks at him. "You'd better finish getting ready before Coach comes in here and asks why you haven't yet."

Carlos nods, "Right." before he puts on the undershirt, armor, and jersey.

When he turns around Jay smiles, "Come on. We're the last ones here."

Ben sighs as he sees Chad push the needle into his ankle, "You know, it's just a practice. Maybe you shouldn't be using that."

"And what?" Chad laughs, "Get benched and let that thief take my spot?" He stands and places the syringe and vile back in his locker. "I don't think so."

"Still," Ben insists. "You're not supposed to take it as often as you do." Chad snickers, and Ben's quiet for a moment before asking, "What?"

Chad grins at him and whispers, "No offense, but I'm not going to take dosage advice from someone who has a dozen pills on hand at any given time."

Ben slowly shakes his head, "I don't."

"Really?" Chad asks. "Because last time I checked, you don't swallow tic-tacs with water." He stays silent, and Chad leans in. "Come on. Just tell me what you're taking."

"I told you," Ben softly responds. "I'm not taking anything."

Chad slightly shakes his head, "Compared to me you're a twig, and yet you're a lot stronger than I am. You've got to be taking something."

Ben narrows his eyes at him, "I've been in sports since I was a child. Maybe if you'd done the same thing, then you'd be just as strong as I am."

Chad grits his teeth, "That's a load of garbage. I am stronger. It's not my fault if you're using." He nods to the locker, "Just tell me what it is."

Ben takes the tic-tac's container out from the pants pocket, "This? Is this what you want to know about?"

"Yes."

Ben smiles as he takes a couple of the white pills out and swallows them with a swig of water, "It's Tylenol, a fever and pain reducing medication." He holds the container out towards Chad, "Would you like a couple. It's a lot more legal than those pre-signatured prescription scripts you paid your doctor for."

Chad glares at him, "Are you threatening me?"

"No," Ben evenly responds. "I'd just like to remind you that using steroids is illegal in this sport and that if Coach were to find out, then he'd have to have a talk with both you and your parents."

Chad grabs hold of Ben's jersey and pushes him up against the wall, "No. That's not happening."

Ben reaches for the back of his head and rubs at the sore spot, "I'm not looking to start a fight." as he notices the audience they have procured.

"Too bad, because you already started one."

Ben takes a fast breath before warning, "I don't want to hurt you, Chad, especially when you're already injured, but I will if I have to."

Chad angrily laughs, "I've got you backed against a wall. I have the advantage point here." before he raises his hand to punch him.

Ben ducks his head off to the right, leaving Chad to punch the stone wall, but he still pushes him away for good measure, "Stop it. You don't want to fight me."

He shakes his head, "You're going to pay for that." but this time when Chad comes up to him Ben shoves him back at full force. Some of the players nearest to Chad see if he's okay, while the rest just stare at him. He turns to his left to see several people from the other side of the lockers staring at him, before Jay questions, "How did you do that?"

"Adrenaline rush," Ben manages to say, before the coach treads into the room.

"What's taking everyone so—" His loud voice halts at the sight of Chad standing from the bench on the other side of the room in pain. "Is he okay?"

"Fine Coach," Chad grunts, before he eyes Ben. "How about you ask your star player?"

Ben opens his mouth to speak, but the coach motions for him to stay quiet. He looks back at Chad, "If you're really alright, then I'd like you to head out to the field."

Chad's jaw drops in disbelief, "You're not seriously going to drop this."

"Well, that depends. Who started it?"

There's silence for a minute, before William says, "Chad threw the first punch."

"Then I'd say justice has been served," Coach Jenkins comments. "Wouldn't you?"

"You know what?" Chad angrily responds. "No. I don't."

Jenkins looks at him seriously, "I'm not sending two of my best players to the office over a simple fight that didn't seriously harm anyone."

Chad points at Ben, "He's on something."

The coach takes a step forward, "Look, here. I've coached Ben for several years now. He's always been a little strong for his age and frame. He's not using anything."

"Yes, he is," Chad insists. "Check his locker. It's in his locker."

Jenkins takes a deep breath before glancing at Ben, and a moment later Ben reopens his locker and shows his coach the tic-tac case, "He saw this."

"Tylenol?" Ben nods, and the coach does the same before turning back to Chad. "He has nothing illegal in his locker."

Chad insists, "But I saw—"

Jenkins takes a step forward, "What you saw was an over-the-counter medication. As it would turn out, Ben just hasn't been feeling his best."

"He seemed well enough when he pushed me over here," Chad retaliates.

"That's it," the coach yells. "I've had enough of this. We've already wasted enough practice time on this, and we're not going to waste any more." He points to the exit, "So, get out to that field." He glances around the entire room, "All of you."

When everyone has left Ben apologizes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

The coach turns and takes a step towards him, "You could have easily killed him."

Ben eyes the concrete floor for a second, "I know." before he looks back up. "I really didn't mean to do it. You have to know that."

Jenkins nods, "I know, but you still need to tell me what happened."

Ben's quiet for a moment, before he says, "Chad saw me taking the Tylenol before, and because I'm stronger than him he assumed I was on something." He looks at the floor, "He wanted to know what it was, but he didn't like my answer."

"So, he… what?"

"He pushed me up against the wall and tried to punch me, but I ducked and pushed him back; however, he came at me again." Ben silences.

"That's when you shoved him," the coach guesses.

"Yes," Ben informs. "I thought that since he still wanted to fight when I being easy on him, then maybe if I used my full strength…"

"When you fight violence with violence, you only end up with more violence."

Ben feels tears begin to sting his eyes, "Do you really think I could have killed him?"

Coach Jenkins takes a few steps toward him, "Ben. You mustn't beat yourself up over this. You just don't know your own strength, and how could you? You've never been given the opportunity."

Ben nods, "I suppose you're right about that."

"And just a suggestion," the coach starts. "You're not ten years old anymore. Maybe it would be better if you just kept those pills in their original containers."

Ben smiles, but the laugh is unable to escape him, "I'm king. Privacy is still an issue. I can only imagine what the press would do if they saw me lugging around bottles of pills."

He nods, "Yes, well, maybe you've got a point."

Ben slightly nods as well, but it's only after a moment of quiet that he questions, "May I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Am I—" He looks away for a second and attempts a calming breath, but as he looks back up he can still feel his heart racing. "Do you think I'm weird?"

"Weird how?" the coach questions.

"Like—" He takes another breath, "You know, like the things I can do, the problems I have. Does that make me weird?"

"I wouldn't call it weird." He smiles, "I'd just say you're special."

"If I'm so special, then why can't I say anything to anyone?" He gestures to the hall exit, "Or even just be my best on the field? As our coach, surely what you want more than anything is for us to win."

"No." He shakes his head, "That's where you're wrong." before he places a hand on Ben's shoulder. "As your coach, what I want most is for you to be safe."

It takes a moment for Ben to ask, "Are you saying that if I were to do my best on that field, then I wouldn't be safe?"

He takes his hand off and uses it to explain, "When people see something— someone— who is special, they tend not to take kindly to it. That's why your parents insist on not having you say or show anything out of the ordinary to anyone. They just want to keep you safe."

"Safe from what?" Ben questions. "An angry mob? I'm strong. I have a constant fever. But that doesn't make me a monster," he insists, but then he continues in unsureness. "Does it?"

"No. Of course, not," Jenkins responds. "It's only a precaution."

Ben sadly responds, "Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better."

- If the two parts to this chapter don't feel like they belong next to each other, it's because they don't. I had initially only had Carlos's scene for this chapter, because I thought it was important to have an update of what he was doing; however, the chapter was just so short and I didn't know how to add onto it without making it weird. Later on when I was working on Ben's storyline I ended up thinking up a scene that would fit very nicely here, except now I almost think that only Ben's part of the chapter should remain... almost. It's still important to know where Carlos is in all of that... stuff.

- Also. Just because Ben is as much his mother's son as he is his father's, I did put in a reference to a line Belle says to her father at the beginning of her movie... hopefully it's not lost on everyone.