Just A Little Different

Chapter 9

In three months, I've seen a better side of myself, all because my best friend helped me open my eyes.

I finished typing a paper and a half. I was glad to have a new laptop and I couldn't stop thanking Ben and his mom. They insisted it was no trouble, as it was an early birthday gift from the both of them, but I was so grateful.

"Ian, are you in there?" I shut my laptop as Ben walked in, his sandy colored hair glowing in the sun beaming through the window. "Whatcha up to?"

"Nothing important," I respond coolly. I never liked people knowing about my writing, not even him. I was never very confident.

"Well, I have to go visit my grandmother because she's very sick." His eyes grew nervous. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that I may not be here for a while. I might even sleep over her house tonight. Mom says she may not even make it to the sunrise."

"Oh, Ben." I stood up and hugged him as tears began to form in his emerald eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

He buried his face into my shoulder and shook his head. His voice was muffled as he said, "No. I have a bunch of family coming as well. This has to be a family thing. Plus, I don't want to put you through that. It's heart-wrenching."

I nodded, running my fingers through his soft curly hair. "I'll be here when you get back," I replied gently.

"Ben?" His mom walked by my bedroom door. We made eye contact and she nodded in understanding. Then she mouthed, "I'll be in the car," and walked outside when I nodded back. I held Ben for a few more minutes in silence. There was no way I could help him through this kind of sadness. I could only be there for him until it was over. I'd been hearing for the past month and a half or so about his slowly declining grandmother, but I never really knew the seriousness of it. I never knew life with grandparents because they were gone since way before I was born, but I knew they meant a lot, especially to Ben. She played an important role in his upbringing, and she was part of the reason for his gentle, loving, kind personality. He finally lifted his head. He gave me a kiss, told me to call if he needed anything, then left.

Suddenly, I was alone. I was used to being left alone in my room, but this was different. There would be no random interruptions, nobody to tell me random corny jokes when it popped up, no one to cuddle if I got sad. I sighed. I should call someone.

I got onto skype to see if anybody was active. Just my luck, I thought. Not one person. I looked through my contacts. I had a few friends in there, but nobody I felt like talking to. I looked back at my laptop. Back to typing, I guess.

--------------------

At about 8:00, I got a phone call. I had been typing all afternoon in silence, so I jumped when my phone rang. I picked it up, eyes still on the computer screen, and said, "Yes?"

"Well that's some way to answer the phone." A high voice met my ears. My heart leaped and I squealed with excitement.

"Hi, Ben!"

"You seem happy." He sounded amused.

"Sorry. I've just been kind of lonely all day," I admitted.

"I'm sorry, Ian. Truly I am."

"Don't be sorry. I understand completely." I immediately felt guilty for bringing it up.

"I called to make sure you're okay." I could imagine his concerned eyes as he spoke.

"I'm good, I promise."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yup."

"Have you-"

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine," I assured him. "How are you doing?"

"Actually, I may not be home tonight." My heart sunk, but I remembered him saying the same thing before he left. "I just wanted to make sure you'd be alright on your own for the night.

"I'll be fine."

"Alright...I love you."

"I love you too."

"Welp...goodnight."

"Goodnight." I waited to hear the click from the other side before hanging up.

~~~~~~~~

I hung up and stuffed my phone in my pocket. I looked up at the moon from where I sat on the lawn. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" I looked up to see my mom gazing down at me. Then I looked down.

"I'm okay. I called Ian to make sure he was alright, told him we may not be home tonight." She sat down beside me, a sad look in her eye. "I'm just concerned, you know? I trust him with all my heart, really, but I just...I don't think he's ever been entirely by himself before."

"I know. You guys have spent the past two or three months attached at the hip and it feels weird being away. Sometimes, it just needs to happen. You'll always make it through."

I rested my head on her shoulder. "I know. Thanks, mom. I appreciate every effort you make and every bit of advice you give, and I hope you know that."

"I know, and I'm grateful for you in every way." She kissed my cheek and then stood up. "I'm going to go back inside. Come in soon. It's getting cold."

"Yes, mom." Her footsteps faded and I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as I worried about the people I loved the most.

~~~~~~~~

I faintly heard the front door, but I was too far between the waking world and my dream world to open my eyes.

"Do you think he's sleeping?" One voice echoed somewhere in the back of my mind.

That voice was followed by, "Most teenagers are up at 2am so I wouldn't be surprised if he was wide awake."

The creaking of a door and footsteps were the last things I heard. The bed sinking in next to me, an arm around my waist and warm tears falling on my face as soft lips brushed my cheek, and then I was gone.