August 26, 2013

Bellwood High; 6:30 am

Ben always hated the first day of school. The search for your new classes, awkward introductions, and teachers who try too hard to get the students' interest. It was all such a pain. Couple all that with the whiplash from having just returned from a Summer of intergalactic peacekeeping, and you'd have a mighty disdain for the start of a new school year. Sophomore year had its own brand of awfulness since this was when most of the student body began to change. Boys got taller and more muscular, while the girls got prettier, and everyone wanted to put on a new persona to show just how much they grew over the Summer.

The school cafeteria was filled to the brim with students catching up over breakfast and staff ready and willing to help anyone in need because, come tomorrow, you're on your own. Ben grabbed his tray of french toast and questionable milk and went to the table he had spent every day at for the last year just to find it filled with cocky Freshmen. A part of him wanted to assert his seniority just as someone had to him on his first day, but he knew better than to cause any unnecessary drama. That can wait for the second week.

"Ben!" a voice called out to him. He turned to see J.T. waving from a table off in the corner with a boy and two girls. They were most certainly more J.T.'s friends than Ben's, but they still treated him friendly enough. This odd ensemble would be the group he'd spend the next year with, and at fifteen years old, he didn't mind.

"How was traveling with your grandpa?" a girl named Bailey asked.

"It was good," Ben said nonchalantly.

"Did you take any pictures?"

"You know he never does," a boy named Greg said.

"You got me," Ben said, sniffing the milk before deciding it probably wouldn't make him sick later. "Never been very photogenic."

"Uh-huh." Bailey rolled her eyes. "So, have any of you decided on what clubs you're joining this year? Grace and I are thinking of taking up tennis." She wrapped her arm around the other girl, who blushed slightly.

"You already know I'm joining the anime club," Greg said with a stupid grin.

"I'm thinking about joining the baseball team," J.T. said softly.

Ben was struck with the memory of when the Forever Knights had almost replaced him with a robot five years ago. He hadn't thought about it much since then, but he now realized it must have been a little traumatic for him since he hadn't played since.

"Better keep an eye out for anyone with chicken pox," Ben said slyly.

J.T. couldn't help but laugh. "Why don't you join too? You always were the better player."

Ben was surprised. J.T. would never have admitted that back when they were kids, but he now knew that it was just Cash's influence. They hadn't talked to the bully since entering High School but would occasionally spot him walking through the halls.

"I'll think about it," he finally answered halfheartedly. Besides his grades, Ben wasn't committed to school the way his peers were. He knew it was simply a stepping stone on his path to being a Plumber, and once it was over, he wouldn't have to think about this place ever again. The other issue was the watch that was forever glued to his wrist. He'd been given special permission to wear it during classes, but he wasn't sure he could get the same privilege if he joined a sport.

The warning bell rang, and the group prepared to leave for their respective classes. In a strange stroke of luck, Ben and Grace had the same first period. They hadn't talked very much the previous year, but it was mostly because she hardly talked to anyone who wasn't Bailey. Ben was curious how she would handle playing tennis but kept his thoughts to himself, so the two walked to class in awkward silence.

December 20, 2013

Bellwood High; 11:42 pm

"So, what's everyone doing over Winter break?" Bailey asked.

"Sleeping all day. Gaming all night." Greg said, not looking up from the game on his phone.

Grace nudged Ben, signaling that he should lean in. "Your birthday is next Friday, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't really like to celebrate it," he answered. The two had slowly become closer over the last few months. They'd have the briefest of conversations during the walks to class every morning until she was comfortable enough to talk to him normally. Now, he was lucky enough to sit beside her during lunch with Bailey on her other side. He had questioned Grace about their relationship, but the girl had gone nonverbal and later admitted that the two girls were "just friends." He was very familiar with the signs of hidden affection, but he was also smart enough to know not to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

Grace, however, was more nose than brains. "What do you mean you don't celebrate your birthday!?" Her question drew the curious gazes, most of which returned to whatever it was they were doing before getting rudely interrupted.

"It's not that big of a deal," Ben said, trying to come off as nonchalant.

Knowing she wasn't going to get the answer she wanted, she turned her interrogation to the one who knew him the longest. "Do you know anything about this, J.T.?"

"Oh, well, his mom used to invite me to the parties he'd share with his cousin." Ben's mood darkened at the mention of his cousin. He'd done well to keep it from being too obvious, but it wasn't good enough to hide from Grace, whose look of concern was enough to ping the other girl's radar.

"You and your cousin have close birthdays?"

"Actually, they have the same birthday. Same age and everything." He recalled how he followed along with Cash's plan to make a mess and blame it on Ben. They had succeeded in pissing off all of the preppy kids their, but it ended with him getting a lecture from his mom when he got home.

"No way, that's crazy! So, what, you just hold some resentment for sharing a birthday? Were they the favorite kid?"

Ben wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her to drop the whole thing and never bring her up again. But that would only add fuel to the fire.

"Nope," he said, popping the P. "I just don't really care about it. That's all."

Bailey glared in defiance. But without any proof, she had to accept his words for what they were. She let out a huff and crossed her arms in irritation. "You're no fun."

"Never claimed I was." Ben then turned to Grace. "So why were you asking anyways?" The shy girl clammed up, unsure of how she should answer that. Ben slightly nudged her and leaned in to whisper, "Go ahead, I won't be mad."

"I… I was wondering if we could all meet up to celebrate together."

To say Ben was surprised by her suggestion would be an understatement. Yes, they were all friends and could even be described as close. But they were school friends. Once the final bell rang, they may as well have been strangers. Ben couldn't bring himself to allow them into his personal life. The less ties to civilian life he had, the better.

He opened his mouth to refuse her when Greg, of all people, spoke up. "We should go ice skating!" And that was all it took for the dominoes to tumble. Bailey quickly chimed in, and J.T. followed suit. By the time the lunch bell rang, the three had completely planned out Ben's sixteenth birthday.

Grace noticed the displeasure on his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

One look at the guilt on the girl's face was enough to wipe away his agitation. Maybe letting a few people in won't be so bad. He gave her a cocky grin. "Just remember to bring a present."

February 8, 2014

Bellwood High; 12:22 pm

"Hit the damn ball!" Greg shouted, earning glares from those around him. Bailey looked up to where we were sitting and stuck out her tongue. "This bitch made us come out here on our day off and this is how she plays."

"Give her some slack," J.T. said, "this is her first real game."

"It's Grace's too and she's been carrying her ass the whole match."

Grace and Bailey were representing the home team of the doubles match, and the more frantic of the two had all but dragged everyone out to cheer them on. Ben had never had much interest in tennis, but he could tell that it was a poor match up, for Bailey in particular. Despite Grace's social anxiety, she had quickly grown accustomed to the sport, making her a valuable member of the team. She could probably excel in the singles matches, but she insisted on only playing with Bailey.

Ben felt someone's gaze on him. He looked around the bleachers, but everyone was watching the match. He chalked it up to him feeling self-conscious or paranoid, but his instincts have saved a life more times than he could count. Anxiously, he fiddled with the watch's dial, prepared for any sign of conflict. And when the people around him stood to cheer when Bailey managed to finally score a point, his eyes found its target.

"Who's that?" he asked J.T.

The other boy looked down at the girl, who was staring up at them from the courtside. "I don't know, but I've seen her around school."

"Oh, you mean the cute Asian?" Greg asked, looking much more interested. "I'm sure you could ask the girls to introduce you."

"Like Bailey would allow us anywhere near them," J.T. said. The two returned their attention to the match, but Ben couldn't keep his eyes off her, and apparently, neither could she.

Despite Grace's best efforts, their match ended in defeat. There was a short intermission before the single matches began, and the boys came down to console their friends. Well, Ben and J.T. were. Greg was preparing for a verbal assault.

The two girls were surrounded by the other members of the tennis team. They praised them on how well they did despite the gap in experience and offered a myriad of tips and techniques to try out going forward. Ben expected the girls to be upset about the loss, but they seemed to be in high spirits. Grace especially had a soft smile as she leaned against her partner.

"Hey, it's that girl," Greg said, elbowing Ben. At his not-so-subtle words, the girl turned towards them and smiled when her eyes landed on Ben's. But before he could say anything, the tennis coach ushered her to the court. "Dude, she's so into you!"

"Who is?" Bailey asked, Grace in tow.

"That Asian girl on your team," J.T. answered.

"Julie? No way!"

"Ouch!" Ben said, dramatically clutching his chest.

Bailey shoved him away. "I didn't mean it like that, Dork. I mean, she hasn't been interested in ANYONE. No offense, but I doubt you'd be any different, Ben."

"Just kicking me while I'm down." This time, Ben did feel a twinge of pain at her words.

"I don't know," Greg chimed in, "that smile looked a little too friendly to me."

"Oh, like you know anything about girls." Bailey wrapped her arm around his neck, and the two quickly fell into another one of their spats.

Grace pulled at Ben's sleeve, phone in hand. "Julie's nice. I don't think she'd mind if I gave you her number."

Ben was caught off guard by her forwardness. "Uh, thanks, but I think I'm alright."

Grace gave him a slight nod. The ref signalled for them to return to their seats. Greg, feeling heated, grabbed his things and made to leave, and the others agreed to meet up after the game. Ben gave the court one last look and once again locked eyes with Julie. She gave him another smile, and then her face morphed into one of stone-cold focus as she was the first to serve. She tossed the ball into the air, the silence among the crowd making that moment feel as slow as XLR8 was fast. Then her racket slammed into the ball, sending it flying over the net and into the corner of her opponent's square.

"Point, Bellwood."