Chapter 14
Mrs. Masons had been sick all last week from Wednesday. Finally today she wasn't here. We had to do grammar worksheets but nobody was. We were all over the place. Cass wasn't in school either. Mental Health day of course. It wasn't planned. She just called me this mornign and told me that miles and her were oin to skip school. She never spent this much time with miles before Dave and I started dating. But now they are what we once were. She invited me, but Dave was trying out for the "Variety Show"- our school's version of a Talent show, and I promised to be there.
I sat in Enlish though. Reading the fifth to last chapter in Catcher in the Rye as slowly as I could. Trying to make it last. The chair slid out in front of me. And I looked up it was Bennett sitting down. His eye was still screwed up. Purple and blue and red jsut the same, but less swollent just darker. "Hi," He sia.d He jumped right in not lettin me tihnk very much. My head drained of oxygen and I felt funny liek I always seemed to feel around Bennett. "So, do you like Death Cab for Cutie?"
I have ot admit I felt more relaxed than I usually do around Bennett. I was stiff though. I didn't get why he was talking to me at all. I nodded. "Yeah," I said.
"Have you ever listened to The Photo Album?" He asked. I must have been drawn to a blank. "Their 2001 release."
"Oh, yeah," I said. "I think so. I think I own it."
My sentences was choppy. Pauses in between words. He didn't notice. "The first track 'Steadier Footing' is all I can listen to right now. I'm obsessed with that record all of a sudden." He said.
"I think I remember that song. It's really short, right?" I said. I felt calm. Much more quickly than before. Something about Friday must have made this easier, talking to Bennett Williams wasn't close to comparison with cuttin my spinal chord. It more or less just caught me off guard.
"Yeah," He said nodding smiling a little. "It's like-" He thouht about it for a short second. "A minute and a half."
"I'll listen to it again." I said. Then I looked down at my page, half-finished. It suddenly seemed less interesting, this book. I stuck my thumb in my place and closed it looking up as he started talking again.
He looked quieter. Smaller. His eye was the least of my focus. "Rainie and Paul worked everything out." He said.
Soemtihng inside me told me I was the first person he told. It was the way he said it. How he watched the words hang in the air with me. I wasn't the creepy-girl-who-dumped-her-issues-on-him. I was sometihng different. "How did you find out?" I asked.
He didn't look up. He stared at a fixed point on the desk in front of him. "I've worked with Paul at the record store in the mall," He shifted lookin up at me quickly. Then down again. "And I was just listening to a record I just bought, and- I don't know -he knew it and we talked. It was weird because we just sort of never got alon because of Rainie and everything... but I asked him and he said they were back together and comepletely fine now."
"How about you?" The voice coming out of me was so different.
This time he just looked at me. "I'm really happy for them." He said. "I don't know why." He sighed to add sarcasm. "My eye hurts like hell too."
I smiled a little. And he smiled a little too. I looked down pushing hair behind my ear.
"Where are you in that?" He asked. I looked up seeing him looking at my book.
I opened it up a little. Forgettign suddenly where I was. He must tihnk I'm so dumb. "Holden's home and is talking to Pheobe." I said.
"Oh yeah," He said. "I love that part on more than anything. I never get sick of that part on."
I nodded. "This is my first time reading this." I said.
"Really?" He said smiling a little more. His smile was so much brighter suddenly. "I don't like admitting it but, I hated it the first time I read it. It was the end that made me like it."
And suddenly we started talking. About Catcher in the Rye. And I didn't realize it but we did. When the bell rang I went into the halls and Dave was there. Bennett was walking in front of us. "Faggot." Dave spit out at him.
But Bennett just ignored him.
And suddenly I was back in my place.
The universe was where it should be.
A/N: Hows this going? If you read my other story "Perfect Kisses Lead to One Night Stands" I was wondering how this compared to it? But I don't think I'll ever know if you don't message me or review or anything or just call me up or write me a letter (but you can only do that if you trace my computer) but I love you anyway. I hope it comapres at least a little. :\
