Innocent

Visitors

I woke up the next morning with bed-hair, morning breath and a bad case of yawning. It took me ten minutes to sit up in bed, and another twenty after that to remember I was going over to Benjamin's house. I scrambled about my room trying to find clothes that looked casual, but not sloppy. I finally settled on a nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt, followed by my high top shoes.

"Harley, you've got five minutes or I'll leave without you," I hear my father call from the living room.

"So you'll just go to Benjamin's house, stay for five minutes then turn around and come back?" I said sarcastically; if there was one thing my dad hated, it was being wasteful of anything, especially time. I walk out of my room once I am ready, just going through this routine I could probably do with my eyes shut. I actually attempted it one day, but my toothbrush had missed my open mouth and collided with my cheek.

I walked out the front door, greeted by the white sphere beckoning sweat from my skin. I tried to shade my eyes, but my effort was in vain, and light poured through my fingers and covered my front veranda. The silver Holden was parked just outside, with my impatient father at the wheel. I slide into the passenger seat, fastened my seatbelt, then he starts driving.

"So Mrs Bower is going to take you home?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, at about five,"

"Ok." To say my father was a man of few words was an understatement. I remember when I was little, and he'd read me stories, and we'd talk about them, but that was no more than a memory.

About five years ago, my mother left him. On their last night as husband and wife, she had rambled and ranted about how she 'needed to forge a new life for herself.' I guess he didn't like words after she used them to justify her leaving. Because I was quite young, I had no idea what to do, and maybe my lack of intervention allowed him to retreat into himself. No kid should have to be the adult, therefore parents can't behave like children. We needed each other, but we we're both too young to ask.

***

We arrived at Benjamin's house in twenty minutes - which my father and I spent in silence. Their house was rather small, but it had a towering mango tree, with branches that danced about each other, dropping the golden fruit when gravity called them to meet the ground. Many afternoons had Benjamin and I sat either behind the tree, or on the lower branches. My eyes scanned the tree, looking for the carving he had made in the spring. There it was, scratched into the wood - H+B in a little heart. I walked up the concrete driveway to the front door, knocking upon arrival. I could hear the horrible pop music playing on the TV, combined with barking dogs

"Alex, get the door!" I heard a man yell, followed by some grumbling. After about one minute, Benjamin's little brother opened the door and greeted me with a hug.

"Hey Harley, Ben's in his room."

"Thanks, Alex," I said, following the familiar pathway to Benjamin's room. The door was already open - most likely because he wanted some cold air from the air con to cool him down - and I saw Benjamin, lying on the couch, fast asleep.

I hated having to wake him up. He always said he didn't mind, but he probably hadn't been asleep for long. I gently touched his shoulder, his back to me, and he began to stir.

"Benjamin," I said in a sing-song voice. He shoed me away with his hand.

"Benjamin, c'mon, let's play some video games," at that, he slowly sat up. His brown haired fringe fell in front of what I knew to be the most amazing blue eyes in this eternity. Something about them told me of his honesty, his simplicity and his openness.

"Good morning," he said. His voice conveyed his tiredness, yet he still managed a smile. He leant in, and kissed me for the millionth time. Benjamin was one of those people that, when he kissed someone, he made that person feel like the outside world no longer existed, that time did not pass. When he pulled away to turn on his TV, it left me with that familiar feeling of longing.

Get over it, Winters! He'll do it again, calm down. I moved his blanket to the end of the couch, and sat on what had now been dubbed 'my spot'. Benjamin sat next to me, and set up his second controller.

"How was school yesterday?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Good. Made some promises to catch up with my mates over the holidays."

"They'll have to get in line," he purred before he kissed my cheek.

"Aww, don't worry; the line isn't that long."

"Great, I hate sharing," Benjamin put his controller down, draped his arm over my shoulder, pulled me close, and kissed me. This was how most of the time I spent with Benjamin played out - we'd talk, we'd flirt then we'd kiss. It was our routine, and I liked routine. Cars aren't the only thing that should be reliable.

Unfortunately - like cars - a breakdown was inevitable. No matter how many times I made sure things were running smoothly, a spanner in the works can send you speeding into a tree.

"Babe," Benjamin said in a sweet tone, still facing the television, "can we pause the game? I think we're ready."

"Ready for wh-," Before I could finish my sentence, his other hand slid up my thigh, moving closer and closer to where no man should go. I laughed, he was obviously joking. I playfully tried to move his hand away, but he wouldn't budge. My smile slowly disappeared, my heart beating out of control.

Benjamin was never one to take no for an answer.