Misfits (#2)

32.

Everest.

I knock, fist banging against the door. Ria always takes way too fucking long answering the door so the only way to amend that is to annoy her. My favourite pastime.

It's Saturday and it's been a couple weeks since I took Benji on one of our ice cream dates. He awaits them and I'm not gonna disappoint. I love spending time with the little dude and I actually enjoy his company more than most other people.

I'll shout it out to the world, regardless of how lame it may sound. An eight year old beats you all by miles.

Just as I go to knock again, the door whips open and an angry looking Ria glares up at me, "In case you fucking forgot, I have ears. I heard you the first time-"

"Hi to you too, sunshine." I grin, not waiting for her to invite me as I walk past her and inside.

She lets out a little growl before letting the door shut behind her and tells me when I look back, "He's upstairs. I need a smoke."

"You're good." I urge her to go ahead before bounding up the steps, "Benny?" I call out as I get up the staircase.

"I'm here!" He calls out and I follow his voice, to his room. As soon as I open the door, a whiff of strong paint hits my senses and dizzies me for a second. I realise why when I look over the room, tarps over the floor and furniture with a half-painted wall.

I grunt when Benji runs into my legs and I lower, lifting him up to swivel him onto my back, as per routine. His arms wrap around me, "I missed you, Evvy. I haven't seen you in like—"

"Two days?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah." His eyes go wide, "That's a whole fourty-eight hours, ya know."

"I missed you more. Dude, you're growing way too fast. You can't outgrow me." I feign a gasp, just so it makes him smile. He's a small kid and whenever he's on mine or Luca's back, he always reassures himself he's gonna be as tall as us one day.

"Oh, I'm so gonna outgrow you." He snickers, nodding to himself, "Gonna reach the top shelf all by myself. Cos I'm cool like that."

He so is cool like that.

I glance around the room. Ria had mentioned that they were gonna decorate his room, to his liking. She did not mention the entirely blue wall. I point to it, "I'm guessing you picked that."

"You like it?" He asks.

"Fuck yeah." I say and then my eyes widen-

"I shouldn't say that word." Benji beats me to it and I smile.

It's not a dark blue, whatsoever. It's more like the ocean, light and pale enough to liven up the room where his bed lies in the centre. Benji's favourite colour is specifically light blue. He doesn't appreciate darker colours.

Kinda like Vy.

I almost smile when I remember them meeting each other in the graveyard. I hadn't anticipated Benji bumping into her legs but I also hadn't run over immediately after. I lingered, watching the way she smiled when Benji rambled on to her and her younger brother. Azure, if I remember correctly.

I'm a grown fucking eighteen year old and that kid sort of terrifies me. There's such a...sharpness to him and I've been surrounded by immoral, not very nice dudes for most of my life. My irritating best friends, being a prime example. But he's tough in a whole different way. Intimidating.

"You're daydreaming a lot more recently." Benji leans forward so he's half hanging over me, "You know who else day dreams like that? Lu. Cos I'm pretty sure he thinks about Ria like fifty times a day so he always kinda looks like a goof. Just starts smiling sometimes."