Do I Know You?

Chapter One Part Three

  I sighed.
    "I don't know if I can come tomorrow. My dad is mad at me."
I said.
    "No offense, but he is kind of a jerk."
Ben said.
    "Yeah, I know."
I said.
    "Why does he act like that towards you?"
He asked.
    "My older brother was always the one that was the favorite with my father. I've always been the black sheep of the family, all of my family is jocks and cheerleaders. You throw a skateboarder in the mix, rumors spread like wildfires. Because of my preppy cheer leading cousin, almost my entire family disowned me."
I said.
    "What happened?"
He asked.
    "She told a couple of lies and everyone started to basically hate me and whatever. They refused go let me come to holidays. The gang was basically the only family I had, and that's why it was so hard for me when Tyler voted me out."
I said.
    "What did she say?"
He asked.
    "She said that I did drugs and slept around with the guys in my group."
I said, brushing my hair back.
    "And you didn't."
He added.
    "And I didn't."
I confirmed.
    "I couldn't handle it. Living with a family that judged me for everything I said and done."
He said, shaking his head.
    "Its not easy that's for sure, but I mean it could be worse."
I said.
    "You would tell me if your parents ever done something like that wouldn't you?"
Ben asked, looking me straight in the eyes.
    "Yeah."
I said, quietly.
    "Have they ever?"
He asked, not finishing the question.
  I looked up.
    "Of course not."
I said, biting my lip.
    "I notice you seem to do that when you lie. Has your dad ever hurt you, because I really don't see your mom doing anything."
He said.
  I sighed.
    "Can we just not talk about this?"
  He nodded.
    "Fine."
He said.
  We sat in an awkward silence.
    "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to press you about anything that you didn't want to talk about."
Ben suddenly said.
    "Look, it's fine Ben. I understand that you are just looking out for me. I understand, it is just part of who you are to make sure that everyone is okay and such. Its completely okay. I understand.
I said.
    "You don't understand though. I pushed you. I shouldn't have, it was cruel."
He said, brushing his hair out of his face.
    "Its okay. I understand that you are concerned and trying to help, but sometimes somebody has to fight their own battles. This is that time where I have to fight my own battle."
I said, quietly.
  He sighed and nodded.
    "Okay, just so you understand if I am there and he lays a hand on you, I am not afraid to stand up for you. I'm not going to let one of my friends go through that in front of me."
He said
    "Okay."
I said, looking down at my feet.
    "So tell me a bit more about yourself."
He said.
    "Well, I am seventeen. I moved here from Austin, Texas. I'm in twelfth grade. I prefer skating to singing and that kind of stuff. I'm open to many different genres of music and try to listen to many different types of music so that I don't seem boring or a stereotypical skateboarder. Ummm... I guess that pretty much sums me up. So tell me some about yourself and this band of yours."
I said.
  He chuckled.
    "Well, it consists of five members. There's me, my mates Danny, Sam, Cam, and James. I play lead guitar and backing vocals, Cameron plays rhythm guitar, Sam plays bass, James plays drums, and Danny is lead Singer and sometimes plays acoustic guitar."
Ben said, his eyes lighting up as he talked about the band.
    "Whats the band name?"
I asked.
    "Asking Alexandria."
He said.
    "That's wicked. I think you guys will make it big when you get over to America."
I said.
    "So what are you wanting to do after high school?"
He asked.
    "I haven't decided. My parents are pushing me to become a lawyer, but my heart isn't really into it. I either want to be a studio producer or a photographer."
I said.
    "Well, studio production is really fun. I've done some of it on our demo album that we are sending out to recording companies when we get to America. Its not really complicated either. Its not something that would be a nine to five job that you can't wait to clock out of. Photography is pretty cool. Danny does some and he seems to enjoy it pretty well."
Ben said, shrugging.
    "Like I said, I haven't really decided because of my parents. They try to control my life a lot."
I said.
  I groaned when my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at it. My mom's name showed across the screen. I sighed.
    "I better answer, it's my mom."
I said.
  He nodded. I clicked the answer key.
    "Hello."
I answered.
    "Jacey, where are you at? Me and your father are worried sick about you."
She said.
    "I told you I was going out. There's no need to worry about me. I'll be home in a little bit."
I said.
  She sighed.
    "Look, your father is sorry about what he said. He didn't mean to get angry with you. He just doesn't want you to make bad choices like you did back in Texas."
She said.
    "Bad choices?"
I snapped.
    "Yes, bad choices. Hanging out with all of those druggies."
She said.
    "For your information, none of my friends or my now ex-friends did drugs. Yes, they may have smoked cigarettes, but that doesn't mean that they done drugs."
I snapped.
  With that I hung up the phone and shoved it into my back pocket.
    "You okay?"
Ben asked.
  I shrugged.
    "Just my parents again. They think they can control who I hang out with. I'm about to be eighteen and I can legally go get an apartment somwhere and stop living with them."
I said.
  He sighed.
    "Just don't worry about them."
He said.
  He then looked at the setting sun in the distance.
    "We probably need to start heading back. My mom will start worrying about me if I'm not home soon."
He said.
    "Okay."
I said.
  We then walked back to our block in a comfortable silence. He waved before walking into his house, giving me a gentle smile. I waved back and gave him a small smile since that was the best I could manage right now. I then walked inside. My dad was sitting in the living room watching tv. He looked up as I walked in.
    "Where have you been?"
He asked.
    "I was out with Ben at the park. He's the only person I know here and he offered to show me around and I thought it would be rude to say no. Besides, why do you care?"
I snapped.
    "Watch your attitude young lady. I am still your father."
He said.
  I rolled my eyes.
    "If this conversation is done, I think I will be heading up to my bedroom yo unpack some before bed."
I said, walking upstairs.
  Once I got to my bedroom, I grabbed the plastic containers containing my hangup clothes and drug them to my walk-in closet. I hung them on hangers before putting them on the rail that was hanging on the back wall of the closet. I grabbed the plastic containers containing my shoes and went and organized them on the racks that lined the closet. Once I was finished with that, I walked out and closed the door behind me. I then put all of my everyday clothes in my dresser along with my undergarments. I then carried the plastic container with all of my bathroom stuff to my connected bathroom and organized it and walked back into my bedroom. I then grabbed a clean change of underwear, a sports bra, a tank top, and a pair of yoga shorts and walked into my bathroom. I turned on the shower and took a quick shower. I got out, wrapping a towel around my hair and body. I then dried my body and got dressed leaving the one in my hair for a few minutes. I then went and organized my vanity. I then took the towel from my hair and brushed through it, sitting in front of the vanity mirror. I then went and laid on my bed. My phone buzzed from beside me. I picked it up. It was a message from Ben.
    'Don't you think you should get some sleep?'
  I checked the time to see that it was nearly one in the morning. I sighed and neatly braided my hair into a braid and tied it off with a hairtie. I pulled back my blankets and climbed in before I clicked off my bedside lamp.