Never Lost, Always Found

Chapter Fifteen

        I wake up, drenched in sweat, breathing heavy. I feel like I'm floating. "What's wrong, Paige?" I hear Benji's voice through my blurry eyes. I look around, feeling frantic. "You were screaming a moment ago," Benji says. I regulate my breathing and say, "Well, sorry if I woke you up." "No, just gave me a really big scare," he says.

"Listen, I'm really sorry," I say. He shakes his head, "I was going to come up do wake you up anyway." "Oh, okay," I say. He helps me out of bed, and before he leaves he says, "Dance with me, really quickly." He grabs my waist and clutches his left hand in my right. He dances in old ballroom dance, and I stumble a bit trying to follow his feet.

After a few twirls, spins, and slides, he kisses me gently and says, "Come on, Paige. Let's eat." He takes me down the staircase and into the dining room he has. I only see glimpses of it before he covers my eyes with his hands. "What are you doing?" I ask. I can hear him say, "Oh, you'll be happy."

He uncovers my eyes and I see what he has laid out on the kitchen counter for me. He has a box of fresh cinnamon buns and a mug of warm coffee, milk poured so delicately into hearts and swirls onto the black sea of the steaming mug. My hands clasp over my mouth. "How did you get these?" I ask. "Went out and bought them. I felt bad for you yesterday when you couldn't get anything," Benji says. He shrugs, "Best I could do right now-"

I rush over to him, "Oh, thank you!" I cry. Mrs. Evergreen smiles. "It's great to see you both happy again," she says. Benji and I kiss, and his mom flushes red with astonishment. "You are dating?" she asks. I nod. She smiles, "Oh, you both go so well together!" "Thanks," I say sheepishly.

After eating, grabbing backpacks, and getting sweet goodbyes, Benji and I leave for the bus stop. He walks beside me, chattering about so many things I stop understanding after a while.

We get onto the bus, and I'm not as acknowledged as I was a few days ago. I try not to be snippy and walk on by them. We sit in the back of the bus where we always sit.

Some people point to me, saying, "Just because you're popular doesn't mean you make people's lives harder." I want to scream, but Benji reassures me with a calm, accepting smile. "Don't let them get to you." "Get to me?" I ask. A tremor starts in my hands. "Get to me?" I repeat, this time louder.

"Ooooooh," someone in the front of the bus says. "Shut up!" I yell. The bus falls silent. "What the heck's up with you?" the kid says, standing up. I shudder when I see his face.

It's Tanner.

Benji looks into my eyes. "Don't fight him," he pleads. "No," I say, standing up. I can't believe I'm picking a fight with a senior when I'm only a sophomore. "Listen, I don't want to fight you," I say, throwing my hands up into the air. "And to give you information, I'm refusing to live with my parents. So if I were you, back off now."

His eyebrows raise, "Are you sure?" I nod, "I'd love it." The bus pulls into the school parking lot, the bus driver not even caring that we were standing up. We all exit the bus. Before we go to change classes, Tanner signs my cast and says, "Thanks." I shrug, "Thanks back, I guess."

Invitations are going around for a birthday party for Tanner. I'm unsure about it when he gives me one, but he says I can come. I open the envelope he gives me, reading the fact that he wants me to come because I am super nice to him and this was an apology. It's not too bad for an apology, but what sells me is the no-alcohol thing he has going here.

I agree with his party. He smiles, thanks me with gratitude, and leaves. Benji agrees to go to the party, and Tanner does something boys always do when they hang out in high school.