Babe.

29.

Benny.

"Benny."

I stirred in my bed turning to the other side mumbling something like piss off. Although it was very possible I just imagined having replied.
"Wake up." The person said again, "Benny!"

I groaned and forced my eyes open, "what?"
I could barely make out Blanca's frame in the dark, "I can't sleep, come out with me." She replied quietly.

"Ask someone else." I told her closing my eyes again.
"They all said no, only Kya and Emmanuel are awake and he told me I'm not allowed to hog her anymore so I can't hang out with them." Blanca explained huffing, "I was so not hogging her."

"Can we continue this in the morning?" I yawned.
"No. Please come hang out with me?" Blanca continued.
I shook my head, "I'm sleeping."
"Please?"
"Go away."
"Please, please, please." She begged.

And somehow I found myself getting up and pulling on a jumper and my shoes. I didn't know how she did it, fucking witchcraft was what this was. "Fine."

She clasped her hands together, "yay! Thank you! Also can I borrow a jumper I can't get one of mine because if I go in our room and wake Tilly up she'll wring my neck out."

I nodded and searched around the heap of clothes that Yeah-yeah, George and I had created and pulled out a red hoodie of mine for her. "Here."
She pulled it on and shot me a grateful smile before I followed her out of the room.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked her as we walked downstairs as quietly as possible.
"We are going down to the beach near the back of the house and take the boat out so we can watch the dolphin pods come by." She told me excitedly detouring into the kitchen.

Blanca grabbed a picnic basket before I followed her through the garden to the boathouse. In the boathouse she handed the basket to me and grabbed a metal bucket full of fish before walking over to the boat.

"Remind me again why you can't watch the dolphins alone?" I asked getting on the boat and setting the basket down.
Blanca shrugged, "didn't feel like it, plus it's more fun with a friend."
I needed to grow a backbone because what the hell was I doing on this boat at four O'clock in the morning?

She switched the key in the ignition before the boat rocketed forwards. I grabbed onto the rain to stop myself from flying backwards, "don't you want to slow down a little?" I asked her as she tore across the open ocean like a maniac.
Blanca laughed and slowed down a little, "I forgot you're such a granny when it comes to this."
"I'm not a granny you're just crazy." I clarified rolling my eyes.
She snorted, "whatever you need to tell yourself."

"You should think about being a little nicer to the only person who bothered to come get up and watch your dolphins with you." I countered.
"Hmph, well when you see my dolphins you'll be on your knees thanking me for bringing me along." Blanca replied veering left a little too sharply.

"Your dolphins?" I asked sceptically.
"Yep. No one knows where to find them except me." She explained, "it took me a whole year to map out their migration patterns as accurately as possible."

It sounded like such a weird thing to do but for some reason Blanca made it sound like the coolest thing in the world. "You spent a whole year mapping out their migration patterns?" I asked her surprised.
She nodded beaming, "mhm, it took ages but it's so worth it. I love them so much. Sometimes I think instead of a lawyer I should become a marine biologist."
"What's stopping you?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I'm very good at putting obstacles in my own way, I used to convince myself that if I didn't become a lawyer I'd let my father down. But to be honest I don't think he really cares what I become."
"And even if he did, it's not his choice." I added firmly.

Blanca nodded smiling, "I know that now. But I think I gave you a bit of a wrong impression of him. Until a couple weeks before the barbecue he was completely fine, usually he's the best father ever he's so supportive and caring but then he just flipped a switch."
"Do you know why?"
"Kind of, I saw the break in at our house and it was some guy who came in and tried to threaten my father into dropping the case against whoever he's prosecuting right now and I think it has to do with whatever is going on in that case." She explained thoughtfully, "I still have some figuring out to do about the finer details."

So that was what the break in had been about, no wonder she hadn't wanted to tell me about it. "Are you okay? After what happened..."
Blanca nodded slowly, "I was pretty shaken up at first but I'm fine now, whatever happened I'm sure my parents are dealing with it."
"Well if you want to talk about it you can always talk to me." I offered.
"Thanks Benny."

But before I could reply she held her hand out to shush me, "look!"
I turned my attention back to the ocean only to see the beginning of the dolphin pods arrive and start leaping through the water. I had to give her credit it was pretty fucking spectacular.

The dolphins leapt through the air like they knew we were watching and were trying to give us a show. Blanca pulled me to my feet as we grabbed the bucket of fish she'd brought with her, "now, we feed them."

Trying not to be disgusted by the texture of the dead fish in my hand I threw it out towards the dolphins in the water. Jumping up into the air in dramatic fashion one of them caught it in their mouth before landing back in the water with a splash.

"Aren't you glad I woke you up now?" She asked looking delighted as she threw the fish out to the dolphins playing in the water.
"I was pretty pissed to begin with but this made it worth it." I agreed looking away from the dolphins and back at her.

She looked so pretty right now standing there in her short white cotton night dress, it swayed in the wind just above her upper thighs. And the fact that she was wearing my hoodie just made it so much better. It suited her, the shape, the red colour, the everything.

"What are you looking at perv?" Blanca teased catching me right in the act of staring directly at her.
"The dolphins." I lied jerking my head towards the ones jumping around behind her.
"Hmm, if you say so." She replied mock sceptically as she came to stand next to me. "You might want to work on your subtlety."
"I'll put it on my to do list." I replied shrugging as we sat down on the sun mats at the front of the boat.

Somehow I found myself putting my arm around her shoulders, at this point it was even a conscious decision every excuse I had to touch her I took it. This girl was addictive.

Blanca sighed resting her head in my shoulder, "I'm so glad you're not the complete asshole I thought you were."
"I'm so glad you're not the uptight bitch I thought you were." I teased her.
She laughed and shoved me lightly, "ouch."
"I said you weren't didn't I?"
"And it's a good thing you did or I would be a lot more offended." Blanca countered.
"Lucky me."
"Indeed."

It took every shred of self restraint I had in me not to kiss her right now, I really wanted to but I knew I couldn't. I didn't want to push her away which meant I had to take this slow and at Blanca's pace. Even if that was proving a lot harder than I thought it would.