After Us

Chapter Eight

I woke up from another bad dream. They had become more frequent recently and verged on being disturbing nightmares that would not let me rest again, I'm not exactly sure why. It was four in the morning and I didn't feel like going on my phone like I usually did when I woke up in the night. I just lay in bed, eyes open, in my pitch-black room. I started thinking about a high school time when Ben and I had started talking:

The lights had been bright in the classroom and people's voices filled the space. I was looking for my red pencil that had suddenly disappeared. It was five weeks in from the beginning of the Freshman year and I was already loving enjoying school.

A voice broke my thoughts, "This yours?'' Ben had asked, smiling, holding my red pencil. There it was.

"Yeah," I smiled. "thanks." I tried not to blush. I wasn't blushing because I liked Ben, I was blushing because I always did when boys talked to me. I don't blame myself, I just wasn't used to it.

"I found it on the floor." He said placing it gallantly at the top of my desk.

"Thanks," I said again.

He turned away and then looked back at me with a smirk. "Wannabe partners?" he asks.

"Why do you want to be partners with me?" I laughed.

"Because you're smart." I wasn't buying it. I might have come across as smart due to how much I would pay attention in each class but my grades really weren't perfect.

"Using me to get an A, how kind." I joked back, "I'm not smart, I only have one A in all my grades so I'm not sure how you would know that." He put his mint gum between his teeth. I knew it was mint because I could smell it just from where I was sitting. Boys with good-smelling breath always seemed to be a simp for.

"Only a smart girl like you would say that. Plus I'm not using you, I want to be partners with you." He grabbed a chair from behind and sits down.

"But why?'' I asked again. I needed to stop with the questions.

"You'll be a great partner," he said tapping lightly on my desk.

"You've never worked with me before. Also, how would you know that?" Tessa stop with the questions, I kept telling myself.

His bright smile returned. "I see people work with you and they never seem upset. Also, I've worked with everyone but you in this class so why not try it out." He was right. We'd never worked together but why would we? I pay attention and like to get my work done while he likes to sit back and just talk.

I picked up the pencil at the top of the desk and started spinning it. "You never worked with Sam, Ashely, or Maddie before," I explained.

Suddenly he came close, "And how would you know that?" He asked in a quieter tone.

"Lucky guess," I said and smiled back.

He smiled and then rolled his eyes, "Keeping track of me?" he asked.

I twisted in my chair, "You're the one who was watching people work with me!'' I exclaimed. He took the red pencil from my hand, "I like this pencil." he said. I was happy the conversation changed.

"Thanks, it's mine," I said and snatched it back.

"Can I have it?" He asked. Before I could deny his question, the school bell rang. Saved by the bell, lucky for me. "I have to go," I said packing up my stuff.

"Same," he stood up. He was so tall. Not tall in a weird tree way. Tall in a handsome-tall way. He was completely my type, a tall fluffy brown haired boy.

"I'll text you when it's a good time to work on the project together," he said as he put the chair back where it was and went back to his popular groups of friends that I had no connection to.

That was all I could remember about that first connection with Ben. I felt so special when I got home and he texted me later that night. Little cute memories like that were still solid in my heart never to be forgotten. I missed Ben but he was with Gracie now and that was that.