The "Enemy"

Chapter 16

It's been a few weeks since the pool and all I've done is play baseball with the boys. Don't get me wrong I love baseball, but the same steps over and over again can get annoying. I stand in left field and wait for someone to hit it to me. Which never happens. I haven't had a good laugh in days and my energy level has plummeted. Nobody seems to notice, but me and Benny have gotten closer. He invites me over for dinner every night. When I can't come over he always seems to get angry or sad. It's so confusing. It's like a game Simon says. Simon being Benny.

Today Smalls came to get me up. Pounding on my door and almost yelling intolerably. He slipped into my room and when the door closed I slid my hand out of my blankets and flipped the little dude off. He went quiet after that and slipped right back out of my room.

There was no point in pretending to sleep now. I sat up and my eyes trailed directly over to the corner of my ceiling. Goodness do I miss Philips. Fuck it. I miss James. With my whole utterly cold heart.

"Get your ass up." I looked to the side of my room. Benny was standing there gritting his teeth. I hadn't been over for dinner in 2 days. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Get a life Benny! Leave me alone!" I was tired. Tired of his games. Physically and mentally. I couldn't think straight.

He walked over to me in my bed and slapped me. I looked up. His eyes connected with mine. He smirked and my shocked face. Holding nothing back I got out of bed pushing him backwards into my wall and punch right in the nose. Stepping back he thought I was done. His jaw was clenched and shoved my knee right in between his legs.

"Fuck you!" I was crying by now. I was tired. The bed seemed too far away. I stumbled back into it. The back of my knees hitting the mattress and signaling that I could fall over safely.

Benny was bent over on the ground. What I didn't know was that everyone was watching the whole thing at my doorway. Scotty, Ham, Yeah-Yeah, Mom, Dad, Bertram, Timmy and Tommy, Squints, and Kenny. Damn it. I would be seen as the bad one. I knew it. Just had a gut feeling.

That feeling was right when I was locked in my room by myself. Grounded. Nothing had a better feeling. I did the only thing I wanted to at the time. Sleep. And I did.

I took all my stress out those few weeks locked in my room by reading. I read about 13 huge chapter books.

The door then clicked open. I had thought it was my mom or someone bringing me my food. I mean the person did have food. I could smell it. Turning to the diner food smell I saw James. He had a take-out of my favorite food from the diner and two cokes in the other.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Well I can just leave if you want." He chuckled indicating it was a joke. I did too. His laugh always seemed to make me giddy. I blushed as he sat besides me on my bed. To be honest, he and I are the only people who have been on my bed. I didn't wait when he set the food down.

I grabbed maniacally at the food and pulled in front of me. I opened it to a double cheeseburger and fries. He pulled out his order of a bacon burger and fries. He not only got that, but mozzarella sticks. My favorite. I squealed and hugged him. He knew how to cheer me up.

Even though I haven't seen him in forever it was like we were at the park just last night laughing about something his sister said or play fighting about who's better looking. I always win that competition.

"How did you convince my mom to let you up here? I'm grounded and she is so strict when it comes to punishments." He looked me in the eyes and smiled.

"Actually she called and asked me to come over. She said that you haven't been yourself."

That was true. I haven't been myself. I was bet on and the person who won made me his toy.