Read His Mind | ✓

Chapter 17

A/N: I'm back guys!!! Did you miss me? Haha, I hope you like this update. I will try to update every week, but it'll be pretty random. I'll write a chapter whenever I have time. :)

Abbie's POV

My finger tapped impatiently on my desk as the seconds ticked by. Once every few minutes, I would look up at the clock on the wall to check how much longer until the class would end. I did this from the second I woke up until 1st period ended. And the moment I was waiting for came, I rushed over to 2nd period even though there was a 10 minute break in between. I was dying to ask Benson about what he said. Don't be so friendly with him, you don't know who he really is. What was he hiding about his dad? About himself? 

Benson wasn't in his seat when I came in. I sat down and stared at the door, waiting for him. Break time ended before I knew it and soon it was the start of class. Was he sick? Did the cuts on his face get infected? I picked at my dried lips worriedly and continued to look at the closed classroom door. 

A minute before the late bell rang, he came. He was dressed in a dark blue jacket with a gray hoodie underneath. He looked fine, the cuts on his face covered with a bandaid. I worried over nothing. He murmured an apology to Mrs. Park and I watched him walk over in my direction. I looked up at him as he went past me and expected him to give me one of his nonchalant stares or maybe a dimpled smile, but he did neither. He acted as if he didn't see me and I could hear the chair groaned from behind me as he sat down.

I really wanted to turn around and ask him what was up. Why he was late and then the question I've been waiting to ask since yesterday. But Mrs. Park was starting class and I had to focus on what she was saying. If I let my grades slip, Dad would be pissed. 

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"Now that's all for today, I'll see you guys tomorrow," Mrs. Park said about 5 minutes before the end of class.

The sound of backpacks being zipped and papers rustling around filled the class as everyone rushed to pack up in time. 

Since I was a little out of it because of Benson, I was behind on the notes we took. I tried to write them down as fast as I could, knowing that I had to finish and talk to him. The fact that I could hear that he was all ready to leave made me even more rushed. 

Just as I wrote down the last word, the bell rang. Benson walked past me before I could stop him and left the class, laughing with some guys.

By the time I packed up and went after him, they were already gone. I would've went to his next class since I knew it, but I had to go to my 4th. I gave out a sigh and told myself to just wait until lunch.

◈ ◈ ◈

I went straight to our bench and sat there. 

5 minutes past and I was still hopeful. Maybe he had to stay after class for something, I convinced myself. 

15 minutes later, my stomach was grumbling and my back was hurting from sitting on the hard bench for so long. 

Another 15 minutes went by and I did not want to believe that he was not coming. We've been eating here for the past few weeks. Why would he suddenly stop without telling me? He was going to show up, I repeatedly said to myself. He was going to come... 

My eyes were beginning to droop as the quietness of the hallway became my lullaby. My body began to lean sideways, gravity pulling it down to the edge of the hard, cold bench. 

A hand appeared and caught me.

I slowly opened my eyes and caught sight of the color blue. Wasn't Benson wearing blue today? I reached out and grabbed onto his hand.

"Benson, is that you?" I asked before rubbing my eyes. "I was waiting for you."

The person in blue did not respond. His back faced me and he did not move.

Why wasn't he answering? I tugged on the hand. "Benson?" 

He turned around and gave me an emotionless look. I gave it another try to read him, but like all the other times, there was nothing. "Where have you been?" I asked.

"It's none of your business." None of my business... none of my business.. does this mean he didn't want to be friends anymore? I thought about the promise he made to protect me.. was I being too naive that I trusted his words? 

"Is something wrong?" 

He stared at the ground. "No," he answered. He gently loosened my grip on his hand and started to walk away.

I didn't make a move to go after him and watched him leave.

◈ ◈ ◈

Near the end of 6th period, I was called to the office for having a visitor. Who could it be? I nervously walked to the office, wiping my sweaty hands onto my jeans every now and then. 

I pulled open the door and went inside the air conditioned room. I showed my call slip to the lady at the desk and she pointed to someone behind me, in a corner. I cautiously turned around and it was someone I did not expect: Bobby.

"Hello Abbie, it's good to see you again," Benson's dad greeted with a warm smile.

"Uh.. hi Mr. Chang," I said awkwardly. It's not every day you meet your friend that is a boy's parent two days in a row. "What are you doing here today?"

"I'm sorry to call you out of your class, but you see... Benson was acting odd this morning and I was worried so I thought maybe his friend would know." He gestured for me to sit down beside him on the sofa chairs in the office. We sat down and I waited for him to continue. "Benson is a weird kid, he's always so quiet but today it was different. He was not acting like himself."

"I did notice something different about him today, Mr. Chang," I said, thinking about his first ever tardy in Creative Writing class and how he acted during lunch. "Did something happen?" 

"I was hoping you would be able to answer that," he answered sadly. "What should I do with that kid?"

I stayed quiet and didn't answer because I didn't know what to say.

"I just thought of a great idea! Why don't you come over for dinner as a surprise for Benson and we can try to talk things out with him?" Benson's dad suggested. 

"Uhh.." I thought about Benson's warning the other day and hesitated. "I don't know Mr. Chang, what if this makes Benson even more upset?"

"No, I'm sure he won't. Don't tell me you can't see how he feels about you, Abbie," he teased. 

My cheeks flushed at his words. Was he hinting that he liked me? I tried to read him but like Benson, I couldn't hear a thing.

"Aren't you his friend?" he pressured. "Won't you give it a try? There's no harm in trying to help a friend, is there?"

"Well... I guess that's true," I reluctantly agreed. 

"Alright, that's great. Let's go now since school is practically over and we'll wait for Benson to come home."

"Okay," I nodded. 

I picked up my backpack and followed after him out the office and toward his black SUV.

A/N: I'm sorry if this was bad. I'm a bit rusty from being gone so long. I'll understand if you don't want to read it anymore.