Final Time

(Monday Afternoon)

"Ben," the headmistress begins, "as you probably know by now, a few other students have come to me and told a story involving your father. "Do you know what I'm referring to?"

He nods with a frown, "Yes."

She clasps her hands, "Now, you know I worked with your parents for many years to unite the magic and nonmagic peoples, so I'm the last person who would like to think that they've hurt you in any way." She watches him look down, "However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask a final time." and he faces her again. "Has your father or mother hurt you in any way I should know about?"

"No," Ben immediately monotones.

Fairy Godmother frowns in unsureness before rephrasing, "Are you sure there isn't anything you would like to tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell," Ben confirms.

"So, your father has never hurt you or your mother in any way?" she interrogates.

Ben's eyes shift, knowing his usual answer would no longer be true, before he meets her brown eyes and evenly answers, "I can neither confirm nor deny that."

The headmistress's eyes widen, before she sternly comments, "Ben. This is not the time to be political." and then he looks away. "If someone is hurting you— if your parents are hurting you— you need to tell me. This is serious."

"I know that."

"Then tell me the truth," she insists. "What happened with your father last Thursday?"

Ben thinks for a moment, "He came to see me. He was upset that I would even think they haven't been there for me… He told me I'd been disrespectful." He wets his lips before meeting her eyes, "That's about it. He just left after that."

"Did he grab onto you?" she inquires.

It takes a moment for Ben to confirm, "He touched my arms."

"Did he hurt you?" she questions again.

"He…" Ben wets his lips, "I'm fine. Nothing permanent happened."

"And temporarily speaking?" she prods on.

He pauses, "I'm just sick of wearing this sling, but it's not like my father actually caused my shoulder to crack in the first place."

Fairy Godmother sighs, "Ben. You really need to stop making excuses."

"It's not an excuse," Ben counters. "It's the truth. My father didn't cause my shoulder to crack in the first place. I wasn't watching where I was going, I fell, and it cracked. It's my fault. Not his." His eyes shift, "He tried to save me from falling."

The headmistress shuts her eyes and places a hand to her head, "We're done here."

"We are?" Ben's mouth gapes in unsureness.

"Yes." She opens her eyes, "You're welcome to come back, but as of now there's nothing I can do for you." She rests her hand down over of other one, but she keeps eye contact with him. "If you were Christian, I would tell you that God only helps people who help themselves. But given the way things are, if you don't have faith in God, if you don't have faith in me, and if you don't have faith in the common government…" She shakes her head, "I honestly don't know what else I could say to you, Ben."

He's quiet for a moment, noticing her eyes gleam, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she slightly nods. "For you."

When Ben gets back to the dorm Doug stands from his seat, "Did you tell her?" and Ben merely shakes his head as he shuts the door. "What?" he disbelieves.

Ben faces him, "I didn't tell her."

"Ben," Doug uneasily comments. "I know it happened. You know it happened. She knows— everybody knows this happened. Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

He pauses, "I don't think I heard you swear before."

"Well, what do you expect?" Doug steps forward, and Ben notices the tears shine in his eyes. "People die from this, Ben."

Ben frowns as he reassures, "I'm safe."

"Hell you are."

"I'm my father's only heir," Ben reminds him, "and my mother loves me. She would never let anything happen to me. I'm safe."

"You and your frickin' mother," Doug fumes. "Ben. She doesn't help you. She's keeping you from getting help." His eyes widen, "You did all of this just for her, didn't you?"

"I love her," he softly excuses.

"I told you," Doug sternly reminds him. "This is not worth one girl, especially one girl who's your neglectful mother." Ben doesn't speak. "Do you understand me? Your mother hurts you, because she's not there for you." He adjusts his glasses, "You may love her, but I can tell you for sure that she doesn't love you."

Ben takes a step forward, "Don't say that."

"It's true," Doug continues on. "If she really loved you, you wouldn't even be living with your father right now."

"She doesn't even know," Ben defends.

"About this. Maybe," Doug accepts. "But I'm guessing he's done this kind of thing before." Ben looks away. "And she didn't do anything then, either, did she?"

Ben charges at him and holds him against the wall, "You don't know. Stop talking."

Doug hears Ben take a couple breathes as his eyes move and his grip loosens, "Ben?" His hand drops to his side, and he stares as though he's in a daze. Doug tilts his head, "Ben?" and the next moment Ben collapses to the floor. "Ben!" Doug kneels down and reaches for his good arm, "Ben. Ben."

When Ben opens his eyes he mumbles, "Get off." and then Doug stands again.

He lets out a breath in relief, "What happened?" Ben outstretches his arm, and Doug helps him up. He steps over to the fridge. "Ben?"

He takes out a flavored water, "Best guess?" before he goes to sit down and open it.

Doug watches as Ben takes a drink and then stare down at the bottle, before he goes to sits down across from him, "What are you thinking?"

"That I've been eating enough," Ben contemplates. "That I made sure of it."

"Ben," Doug hesitates, "when was the last time you had meat?"

He lifts a shoulder, "At least as long as when I ate with Chad."

"Ben." He concerns, "That has to be weeks."

"I know," he whispers.

"You just fainted," Doug thinks aloud. "I should get you something."

Ben shakes his head, "No. I don't want it."

Minutes seem to pass, only the sound of people out in the hall able to be heard, before Doug goes back to the original subject, "What did Fairy Godmother say?"

Ben looks up, "What?"

"After you said the thing with your father didn't happen," Doug clarifies. "What did she say afterwards? Is she going to report it anyway?"

He eyes the plastic bottle again, "She gave up."

"What?" Doug shocks.

Ben wets his lips, "She gave up on me… She said she can't help me." He shakes his head, "I thought a lot would happen. I never thought that would."

"I mean, yeah." Doug furrows his brows in disbelief, "Thee Fairy Godmother doesn't help you of all people?" Ben stays silent. "How many times has she tried to help you with this?"

It takes a moment for Ben to answer, "I don't know… I lost count." before he faces him. "I didn't think this would happen."

Doug shakes his head, "What were you hoping? That you could keep saying nothing is happening and still have someone do something about it?"

Ben looks down, "In my dreams, maybe." and he pauses. "In life… I just want my family to be together."

"You don't want your family, Ben," Doug counters. "You want your mother."

"Same thing," Ben mumbles. "She would never leave him… not for me."

There's a pause, before Doug softly reminds him, "She's your mother. If she really loved you, then she would leave him just to keep you safe."

Ben meets his eyes, "No. She loves me." before his eyes shift. "She just loves him more." It's quiet for a moment. "He's doing better, she says. People change." Ben shakes his head, "But nothing changes. Nothing."