Status: Finished.
Piece of Work
12
That night, I curled up in my room and replayed everything that had happened in my mind. The feeling of Ben's hand connecting with my jaw. The stares that everyone gave me as I walked out of that party, feeling ashamed of myself. And, worst of all, the sound of Ben's yelling ringing through my head and echoing through the small car.
But when we'd pulled up to my house, he'd leaned over and kissed me, whispering that he loved me. I responded automatically that I loved him back.
The scary part was not that I did love him, at least not to me. It was the fact that after all that he's done to me, I still loved him. It was wrong, but it didn't feel that way.
A few minutes later, Mom knocked on the door and entered without my consent. She took one look at my face and her jaw dropped to the ground.
"Are you okay?!" she gasped, running over and taking my jaw in her hand.
In a flash, she was Ben, her eyes turning to his cold and heartless ones. I ripped my face away from her and stared at the ground.
"I'm fine," I answered shortly. I refused to look her in the eye, knowing that deep down inside, if I saw any worry on her face, I'd end up confessing everything. And I wasn't sure that was what I wanted. Sure, I wanted everything to stop, but I didn't want Ben to get in trouble.
Mom seemed to get slightly aggravated at the fact that I wouldn't give her anything else to go on, so she got up and started out the door. Before she closed it behind her, she looked back at me with a sad look on her face. I refused to meet her eyes. With a sigh, she stepped out into the hallway and the sound of the slam of the door reverberated through my head.
Soon, my guilt about forcing her to leave turned into slight anger. Why hadn't she'd pressed for an answer about how I hurt myself?
Finally, I crawled up onto my bed and closed my eyes, slowly drifting into a dreamless, shallow sleep.
***
For the next few days, I was pretty quiet, not talking about anything. Mom didn't seem to notice, since I holed myself up in my room, not unlike any other day. Eventually, my face healed, and I worked hard to forgive and forget everything.
On Wednesday of the week after the party, I got a call from Ben. Taking a deep breath, I made my voice as cheery as I could.
"Hi!" I greeted. "I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Hey! I know, I've just been busy with my new job. So I was wondering if you'd want to hang out on Friday. There's another party at Maggie Hardin's house."
"Oh, that sounds good," I lied.
"Great. I'll pick you up around eight."
"Okay. So how's your job going?"
We talked for a little bit longer, and I felt my heart swell. I loved him so much, it hurt sometimes.
"So I'll talk to you later," Ben concluded the conversation.
I agreed briefly before I heard the click of the call ending. Silently, I put my phone back on my night table and turned back to the cop show on TV. Part of me dreaded more than anything for the next couple of days to pass.
But when we'd pulled up to my house, he'd leaned over and kissed me, whispering that he loved me. I responded automatically that I loved him back.
The scary part was not that I did love him, at least not to me. It was the fact that after all that he's done to me, I still loved him. It was wrong, but it didn't feel that way.
A few minutes later, Mom knocked on the door and entered without my consent. She took one look at my face and her jaw dropped to the ground.
"Are you okay?!" she gasped, running over and taking my jaw in her hand.
In a flash, she was Ben, her eyes turning to his cold and heartless ones. I ripped my face away from her and stared at the ground.
"I'm fine," I answered shortly. I refused to look her in the eye, knowing that deep down inside, if I saw any worry on her face, I'd end up confessing everything. And I wasn't sure that was what I wanted. Sure, I wanted everything to stop, but I didn't want Ben to get in trouble.
Mom seemed to get slightly aggravated at the fact that I wouldn't give her anything else to go on, so she got up and started out the door. Before she closed it behind her, she looked back at me with a sad look on her face. I refused to meet her eyes. With a sigh, she stepped out into the hallway and the sound of the slam of the door reverberated through my head.
Soon, my guilt about forcing her to leave turned into slight anger. Why hadn't she'd pressed for an answer about how I hurt myself?
Finally, I crawled up onto my bed and closed my eyes, slowly drifting into a dreamless, shallow sleep.
***
For the next few days, I was pretty quiet, not talking about anything. Mom didn't seem to notice, since I holed myself up in my room, not unlike any other day. Eventually, my face healed, and I worked hard to forgive and forget everything.
On Wednesday of the week after the party, I got a call from Ben. Taking a deep breath, I made my voice as cheery as I could.
"Hi!" I greeted. "I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Hey! I know, I've just been busy with my new job. So I was wondering if you'd want to hang out on Friday. There's another party at Maggie Hardin's house."
"Oh, that sounds good," I lied.
"Great. I'll pick you up around eight."
"Okay. So how's your job going?"
We talked for a little bit longer, and I felt my heart swell. I loved him so much, it hurt sometimes.
"So I'll talk to you later," Ben concluded the conversation.
I agreed briefly before I heard the click of the call ending. Silently, I put my phone back on my night table and turned back to the cop show on TV. Part of me dreaded more than anything for the next couple of days to pass.
♠ ♠ ♠
Yikes...it's been a long time. Soooo sorry about that. And...kind of a disappointment about how short this part is. It was mostly filler to set up the next part, which will hopefully be a bit more interesting. That's what I'm hoping for. Anyway, sorry and I hope that this part doesn't bore you to death.