We're Not Alone

Chapter 13

The first thing I notice is the bulletin board in front of the cafeteria, "FAGG*T'' written across it in red lettering and a handful of pictures taped to the board. As I get closer, I see it, a picture of Ben kissing a guy, with slurs written underneath it. The face of the guy he's kissing is hidden, but you can tell it's Ben, clear as day. Who would do this?

But the crowd isn't looking at the board, they're laughing at something else. I push through the crowd, trying to see what they're laughing at. I get to the front quickly, Ben is crouched in the door frame, groaning as he clutches his stomach, feeling the impact of a kick. I follow the shoe up to the bully's face, it's Jules. She's showing Ben something on her phone, I assume the picture, and he starts hyperventilating.

Before I know it, I've pushed through the rest of the crowd and placed myself between the two, my back to Ben as I look Jules in the eye and speak before my brain registers what I'm saying "Get the hell away from him" I turn around in a rush to Ben who's propped against the doorway, his face in his hands.

"What are you doing?'' I hear her annoyingly high voice say. I ignore her question, helping Ben stand up, grabbing his phone and backpack from next to him, and slipping the phone into the bag's small pocket. He wraps an arm around my shoulder to steady himself, clearly at the start of a panic attack. "Ben, I need you to breathe... please look at me for a minute, okay that's good breathe in, and out. I'm going to bring you somewhere quiet, who do you want me to bring you to?" I hear Jules yelling after me but not paying much attention as the only words from her mouth I register are "You, back, here, bitch, I'm, talking to you!" I want to scream at her but it'll have to wait until after I help Ben.

I watch Ben's face, waiting for him to answer, fear washes over him as he finds out he can't speak through the panic, I recognize the look on his face from my panic attacks, knowing what he just discovered. "Hey you're okay, I know it's scary you can't talk, it's a panic attack" As we pass by the poster I use my free hand to rip them all down. Before I can stuff them in Ben's backpack, I see it. The ring. The guy in the picture kissing Ben is Leo, you can't see his face but unless someone else has the same gold snake ring, it's Leo. I glance back at Ben, who's still panicking, I lean down to whisper in his ear"Do you want me to bring you to Leo or Milo? Maybe blink once for Leo and twice for Milo, but if you can't that's okay, I'll bring you to whichever we see first."

"Both" It's so quiet I think it's just a breath at first "Who? Did you say both?" He slowly nods "Okay, it's okay you're gonna be fine."

We've made it halfway down the hall while I'm repeating "in and out" his breath slowing down, when someone comes tearing down the hallway almost hitting us "HEY WATC- oh thank god Milo it's you, here take Ben, he's having a panic attack, he wants you and Leo." Milo quickly nods, letting Ben wrap his arm around his shoulder, sadness, and pain written in his eyes.

Milo gives me a confused look, likely wondering both why Ben is with me and also how I know about Leo, but he doesn't ask, his expression changing back to concern. "Where do I take him and where's Leo?" He notices Ben's backpack still slung over one of my shoulders and reaches out with his free hand to grab it, slinging it over his empty shoulder.

"Get him somewhere quiet, alone, if there's somewhere in the school he feels safe, take him there, if you can't get him somewhere quiet, take him outside behind the building. I'll take care of finding Leo'' he nods and holds eye contact a few seconds longer than necessary, a silent thank you.

I give a close-lipped smile and start to turn back down the hallway before spinning back around "Milo wait" he turns to face me "When I find Leo I'll have him text you to ask where you guys are, so keep your phone close"

I start to turn before I here Milo mumble "shit" "what's wrong?" He sighs "Leo doesn't have my number" his eyes flicker between me and Ben, I start to reach for my phone to have him give me his number but as Ben starts hyperventilating again I start walking backwards "Tell him to breathe, it'll be okay. I'll have Leo call Ben's phone to ask where you are, it's in his backpack, the outer pocket." He nods and I head to the cafeteria