The Barefoot Violinist

Bright Idea

The next day, as they were sitting down for lunch, Blue came running in, almost bouncing with excitement.

"Guys, you're gonna wanna see this!" she squealed in delight, looking at them expectantly.

"What's it that we wanna see and is it going to land us in detention?" Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow at Blue. "I still haven't forgiven you for last time."

"Last time?" Bennett asked, looking from one to the other, confused.

"Yeah, Blue got them into trouble for playing a prank on a teacher. They got detention and had to wash all the faculty's cars." Victor laughed but quickly stopped after Ellie shot him a severe look.

"That was one time!" she whined. "The timing was off, that's all. But this time is different, come on you guys!" she pulled Bennett up by his arm and tugged him to move faster, with Ellie and Victor following close behind.

Once they'd turned a corner, Blue stopped them, pointing to a bank of lockers. They watched as one of the football players punch in his code before opening the door. The moment he did, a fine dust of red glitter exploded on his face, covering him completely. As he bent his head to shake the glitter off, a stink bomb went off, again covering him in a fine spray of the most foul-smelling liquid. Students were openly standing laughing, their phones out.

"So?" Blue asked excitedly looking from one to the other, as she pulled them away from the scene toward the cafeteria again. "What did you guys think?"

"You did that?" Victor stopped incredulously, his eyes almost popping out in shock. "That was insane!"

"Isn't that just bullying?" Bennett asked his brow raised in question.

Blue sighed and put her arm around his shoulders, "Not when I do it. I do it to help you see that bullies are only scared kids, pissing themselves 'cause they don't know shit!" She flicked her finger against his forehead. "It's like, in Harry Potter, you know? I'm helping you face your Boggard and shit! Yeah..." she continued, her expression clearing up to one who'd just had a revelation, "That's what I'm doing!"

"What? Who's Harry Potter and what is a, whatever it was?" Bennett only half understood what had left Blue's mouth as she prattled on.

"Ben... You'd better not be pissing with me now? Tell me you didn't just ask me that." she looked at him incredulously.

"What? Sorry, but I've no idea what you're talking about." She looked at him as if had grown a second head.

"Your memory loss must be severe my friend." she patted his back pityingly while shaking her head. "To help you, we need to try some therapy. Immerse you in it to remember, right? she asked. Then she turned to Victor and Ellie and shouted, "Harry Potter marathon!" To which they both bobbed their heads in agreement and whooped.

"Seriously, I would have remembered a dumb name like that. I don't know any Harry Potter."

"And that 's why, we'll teach you the way of the wand..." she said enigmatically.

"So it's agreed, Blue's place, Saturday afternoon. Bennett, you bring the snacks and drinks, Blue you get the big screen and shit sorted because I don't think Bennett will be able to handle the awesomeness!" Victor started making plans.

"It's my house and what the fuck are you bringing to the party asshole?" Blue threw over at him.

I'm bringing the most important thing of course." he smiled sweetly over at Ellie. Blue snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You're as useless as fuck, you know that?" she frowned over at him. "Ellie run! Find a better man!" They all burst out in laughter.

--

Cory sat with his friends. He wasn't listening to what they were saying. He had his eyes trained on Bennet, watching him laugh at something Blue was saying. He seemed different, more relaxed even confident. Maybe comfortable was a better word. It made him feel happy to see him so happy, but he wanted the one to make him laugh like that. What he wouldn't give to have Bennett smile at him like that.

"Dude, why don't you go over already?" Tyler asked, having watched him staring at Bennett since they'd sat down. "Seriously, you're sitting here like a dog, who's missing its owner!"

"Because he freaks out every time I go near him and still thinks of me as the b... bad guy." He was cowered, he couldn't even bring himself to say the word, he thought to himself. "He also doesn't remember when we were together." he continued miserably. He hasn't made any headway with Bennett so far and didn't know what to do.

"What's that?" Mason turned to them. "Is that why you're so damn moody these days? You're in love and not getting attention?" he snorted in disbelief at Cory.

"Shut up, Mason!" Tyler threw his wadded napkin in his direction. "He had a fight with the missus and now... well, you know what now."

"Do you still want to date him?" Tyler asked, looking intently at his friend. He'd been miserable since that day he'd returned from the hospital. Then it was impossible to talk to him. He'd spent most of his nights drinking or being moody and unwilling to talk. When one of the cheerleaders started hanging around his neck one evening when they having a party, he almost physically threw her out of the house, bringing the party to a crashing end.

"Of course, I want to date him." Cory sighed. "Why do you think I'm torturing myself here?"

"Then what the heck are doing sitting here?!" Tyler asked as if he was dense. "Help him remember! Just pop up around him all the time, try and make small talk, that sort of shit." He looked at Cory in exasperation. "Try and woo him again. Make him remember you."

"You think that would work?" He looked hopeful this time.

"Just give it a try bro. Or at least get one of his friends on your side. Then you've got someone on the inside." he nodded knowingly, looking over at Bennett.

"Woo him huh?" Cory started to smile again. 'This might work!'