Double Nickels on Your Dime

Ben became aware of light on his face. He yawned, or rather tried to. He felt his jaw and yelped. It was hot and swollen and he had a cast on his right forearm. He felt like someone had hit him in the head repeatedly with a bat. Quickly, he jogged downstairs and found his mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"Morning Ben. How's your head?" She looked up from the paper and gasped. His face was bruising up the left side along with his jaw being swollen. His eyes were wide and he was poking at the metal in his mouth.

"Do you remember anything yet, honey?" She got up, guided him into a seat and sat next to him.

He racked his brain and came up with nothing. He felt like his memory had been wiped like a dry erase board at school. Wasn't school coming up soon?

"Do you remember the soccer camp you were supposed to go to?"

He nodded confused.

"Well, you went, and yesterday in the final game, you hit your head. You have a concussion and a broken jaw." She glanced at his arm, "and wrist. Nick Jameson drove you and your car home after your surgery to get your jaw wired. Are you hungry? Dad went out last night once you fell asleep and bought a bunch of stuff for you to drink."

Ben was trying to remember anything she had just mentioned. He'd been at the camp? How could he not remember that? Nick Jameson? Who was that...?

"UUHHHWWW! Nick!" He had visions of meeting him and his sister...Jane! If he had gone to the camp and his mother had said it had happened yesterday, then today was the first day of his senior year!

His mother was startled by his outburst and nearly dropped the coffee she had once again picked up. "Schull?"

His mother repeated his pronunciation of the word a few times, "Skull, skool, school!" He nodded eagerly until he realized it hurt like hell, and then gave a thumbs up. "Yes, school started today, but you're late. I wasn't going to let you go."

"I wunt to guh. Mm ffine." She frowned at his speech. He turned and grabbed a paper and pen off the counter and wrote: I'm going to school. Did Heather call?

His mother shook her head, "Really now Benjamin, do you need to go to school? Look at you! You look like you got in a fight with a- a- a bear.” He looked at her funny, then poked Heather’s name. “Heather has called your cell phone, but I haven't picked it up. I couldn't figure out how to answer it yet..." She picked up the news paper and it was lying on the table.

He stood up and darted up the stairs to his bathroom. He showered quickly, doing his best to keep his cast out of the water and flew back into his room. He pulled on a pair of gray worn skinny jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt, raked a hand through his hair and slipped on his black vans.

When he came bounding down the steps, his mother grabbed his good arm, "You aren't supposed to be doing any physical activity for a while, so stop running. You can go to school, you seem alright enough, but read this list first.”

He felt like a true slacker being late the first day of school, but once he fell asleep last night, he was out like a light and it couldn't be helped. He got a terrible parking space and walked a freaking mile to the school entrance. He slung his shoe bag on his back; it held another two shakes in thermoses.

He was sipping on a protein shake as he walked through the empty hallways. He was headed for the main office to get his schedule, since he had missed homeroom and the first 3 periods of class. The secretary looked up and gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

He hadn't thought it looked that bad, but maybe that was just him?

"C-can I help you, dear?" He gave her a thumbs up and began to speak, "Skedule?"

Her mouth dropped even wider. "Name?”

“Bunjuhmin Teyler.”

The lady looked completely bewildered. He grabbed the sign in sheet and scribbled his name on the corner. She printed off a copy and as he was walking out, she blurted, “What happened to your face?”

He scribbled on his schedule, soccer- hit in face- broke jaw. He let her read it and she said, “Bless your heart.” He smiled, lips only, shrugged and left the office. It was the middle of 4th period. He scanned down the list of classes on his schedule. Sociology/ psychology with Mr. Trainor. He knew where the classroom was, but stopped off at the locker assigned to him. He didn’t have anything to put in it yet.

He continued on his way. He reached the door and tried to open it- locked. He knocked softly. He heard a mans voice get louder and closer, but once the door opened, he saw the back of a balding head. Mr. Trainor was still addressing the class.

“So, don’t be too worried about the paper, you have until the second to last week to get it done.”

Ben saw his classmate's faces peering curiously at him, a few of them waving. They saw the right side of his face, but could not see the left yet. “I’m not saying procrastinate, but don’t-“ Mr. Trainor faced Ben, “holy bejesus!” Ben raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

The class started laughing at his terminology. Ben handed him his schedule and pointed to the class. Mr. Trainor studied his face, “Very well…take a seat.” He turned towards the class and there was a medley of different responses. Some gasped, some slapped the arm of their neighbor making sure they were looking, a few were silent and one male said, “Holy fucking shit!” in an extremely southern twang. Ben scanned the class and saw what he wanted. An empty seat near the back. He picked his way through the crowded room and settled into the seat. This class couldn’t end fast enough.

The bell rang, signaling first lunch. He had annual staff and would be allowed to leave at lunch, so he just went ahead to his classroom. As he walked down the halls he got the same reactions as in his history class. Before he reached the room, one of the kids in his history class who was also on the staff intercepted him.

“Mazur says to go ahead to lunch normal today. Chou’s not letting us leave for the first two weeks.” He scowled unhappily. Ben nodded and turned back towards the cafeteria. He searched for anyone he knew. First lunch was usually for freshmen only, but there should be some upperclassmen from annual, journalism, and AP art class mixed in.

The staring was slightly unnerving him. He was about to sit down at a random table when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

He turned and waved at Heather. She was walking out of the lunch line with Nick and surprisingly, Jane. Her eyes widened and she walked faster to his side. “How are you doing? I didn’t think you’d be at school! Nick said – you hit your head and couldn’t remember…” Nick and Jane came up beside Heather, who held her tray with one hand and pulled Ben gently by his left hand. They sat down at a table for four. Her hand remained in his.

“Ben, this is Nick and Jane Jameson. They live up the street from you.” Ben realized how weird this was. Last week he had said nearly the same thing to Heather at the mall. He decided to play it out a bit and gave them a friendly wave.

He held out his hand and shook both of theirs. “It hasn’t been 24 hours yet.” Nick said.

“Do you want anything to eat?” Ben shook his head and pulled out a fresh shake, sticking a straw into it.

She poked her corn with a plastic spork. “Bunupuhteet.”

She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. Nick said, “Bon a petite.” He can only drink liquids for four weeks.”

Ben pointed at him and gave two thumbs up. Heather looked miserable. Ben gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him, giving her a peck on the lips. Then he showed her the metal braces that ran along where his gums met his teeth. And the rubber bands that held them together. He showed Nick and Jane, too. They were all somewhat awkwardly silent and Ben decided he might as well tell them since he felt like a prick.

“I do remumber them.”

All three of them looked up sharply. “I don’t remumber anything since Wednesday, but I remember them.”

Nick laughed relieved. Jane smiled widely and Heather looked tearful. He wrapped an arm around Heathers shoulder and pulled her close, “Don’t be upset, M'm fine.”

She sniffled, “I know, I know, it’s just your face and mouth. Even your arm. You lost part of your memory! It really scared me. Thinking of you collapsing like that and not moving….” She shuddered.

“Really, M’m fine.” He touched his lips to her cheek.

The rest of the day went by in the same manner; being ogled and whispered behind. A few people asked him what happened, but he didn’t fell much like attempting to talk so he wrote soccer accident on a sheet of paper and held it up whenever he was asked. He acquired three books before he went home and stopped by his locker to put them away.

In the parking lot, he found Nick and Jane speaking in front of Heathers Xterra.

“Go ahead with Heather. She’ll get you settled in.”

Ben stopped next to Jane, “U’ll go with you. I wanted to see her before I left. She in the gym?”

Jane smiled brightly, “Thanks Ben! See Nick? Ben is a gentleman, unlike you.”

Nick rolled his eyes. Ben asked how he was getting home. “I guess walk.” Ben shook his head and waved for him to come with them.

Heather was in the gym talking to Macey Crawford. She was a tiny girl, one of the flyers on the team. “Jane! You’re here! Macey this is Jane Jameson. She’s new and is going to take Jesse’s place, I think.”

Macey smiled. “I’m a flyer, too! Come on! I’ll introduce you to the other girls.”

Heather turned to Ben. He pulled her into a hug and she kissed his left arm. Nick took a seat on the bleachers a little ways down from them because he felt like he was intruding.

“What are you doing later today?”

Ben held her out at arms length, “Dinner with you.” She smiled ruefully. “You mean, I’ll eat dinner and you’ll sip another shake.”

He cocked his head and nodded. “But, with you.” She patted his arm. “Okay, where?”

“Casa?”

She nodded, “Alright, I’ll see you at 7.”

He bent his head and gave her a peck on the lips, but wished they could do more. She left him and went back to Jane’s side.

On the way home, Nick asked Ben if he wanted to stay at his house for a while and play video games. Of course Ben said yes.

For two hours they cursed at a tv screen.

Ben left Nicks house and went home to get ready for dinner with Heather. Casa de Fuego wasn't a fancy deal, just a middle of the road, Mexican food place.

He only changed his shirt for the outing and washed his face. Then he put together his dinner to take with him. It was already getting old drinking these things and it was only his second day on them. At a quarter till, he picked Heather up and made the short drive to the restaurant.

The place was packed. Luckily since it was only the two of them, they were able to get a table in the back corner of the restaurant. Apparently it was music trivia night.

Heather said something, but Ben couldn't hear her over the noise. Ben didn't even attempt to yell back, but fished a pen out of her purse and scribbled on a napkin ?. Heather took the pen out of his hand and wrote: do you want to go somewhere else? Ben nodded. He couldn't speak let alone hear her, so before the waiter could even give them a menu, they left out the front door. Heather's small hand slipped into his and squeezed slightly. He squeezed back.

"Do you want to maybe get fast food and walk around the lake?" Ben smiled as well as his bands would allow him. Heather's forehead creased with frown lines. He squeezed her hand again.

He tried to sound as normal as possible when he asked, "What do you want to eat?"

She looked up to the darkening sky, "Whatever is on the way, I don't mind. You could get a milkshake instead of one of those things you've been drinking. They look disgusting."

He laughed as they got into his car. "I haven't even begun blending food yet."

She blanched and faked throwing up. "That's going to be disgusting. Imagine blended meat. Or broccoli. Blech."

"Mmmmm." He smiled making sure not to show his teeth this time. He was actually excited for normal tasting food.

They stopped by Wendy's and Heather got a Chicken wrap, fries and a drink, while Ben got a chocolate shake. The lake was empty except for the ducks and goose-zilla that lived there. They walked around the lake as they ate, just enjoying each others company. On the other side of the lake, they stopped at an old magnolia tree that people have climbed and carved their initials into for years.

His mother had taken him here when he was much younger and carver his B.T. into a limb with a pocketknife. A few months after he and Heather had started dating, they had come here together and done the same thing on a different limb as far away from the mass of other etchings as possible.

Before Heather could ask, Ben scrambled up through the tree's branches to where he knew their marks to be. It was further away from the trunk than most other because of Ben's height and long reach. Heather had followed him up to the same height, but not onto the branch he was standing on. Ben traced the H.S. + B.T. with his index finger. Then placed his palm on it.

He turned back to Heather with one side of his mouth turned up. "Still alone."

"Good." She smiled and held a hand out to him. He took her hand and sat on the branch next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder.