The Help Group

Chapter 18

Sienna's POV

Aunt Georgina was the first person that approached me and Bennett. I don't really know why we were having the family gathering here because it is just a hall that someone had hired out for us. It isn't even near anyone.

"Sienna, who is this?" she asked.

"This is Bennett, he's my boyfriend."

She didn't do very well at hiding her surprise. I knew that she was listening to my Mom and didn't expect me to have a boyfriend. Neither of them think that I am good enough for anyone to like me. Bennett noticed this and gripped my hand tighter.

She kept talking to me and I wasn't really listening. She allows told me the same thing that she always tells me the same thing. The women got directed towards a different room and I had to leave Bennett behind. I glanced over the shoulder and noticed that Kyle had approached Bennett and they had started talking. I was too far away to hear.

I really didn't feel like listening to my family rip into me but I didn't want the lecture that comes with hiding in one of the rooms. I felt a little bit awkward because everyone else was already talking and I just sat down in the nearest seat which was near Marie and Lukas.

Mom noticed that I came in but didn't say anything about it. We hadn't spoken that much recently and I can't say that I was missing it.

"Sienna, how is your senior year going?" someone asked me.

"It's good."

"What does the boy even see in you?" someone else added.

I looked around trying to find who had said that but everyone seemed to have started talking about my relationship with Bennett. I quickly fled the room before anyone could say anything else and locked myself in the bathroom.

I thought about texting Bennett but I didn't and left my phone in my bag. I heard footsteps but they didn't come near me. Someone knocked on the door and I didn't answer it. They must have left because it stopped.

I reached around in my bag and found my headphones. I had spent a lot of time in bathrooms at these things because people loved to insult me and I had learnt a while ago to bring headphones.

I must have drifted off to sleep because I woke to more knocking and Bennett's voice.

"Si, are you alright?" he asked.

I opened the door and he joined me sitting on the floor. I rested my head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around me.

"How long have you been in here?" he asked.

I glanced at his watch.

"Two hours or so," I told him and he scowled at me.

"You should have texted me, Si, that's why I'm here. I'm here for you," Bennett said angrily.

I started to sob into his shirt. Bennett didn't know what was eating away at me. He just sat there and waited for me to calm down.

"Ben, what do you see in me?" I asked.

I looked at me like I had two heads.

"What do you mean?"

"They think that you don't see anything it me."

"Si, I think that you are friendly and lovely and amazing and I wouldn't be here if I didn't love you and I do," he said.

I nodded not sure what to say and Bennett stood up before offering me a hand. We headed out and I saw that the tables were set up for eating and I realised that it must be lunch time and I also realised that I really wasn't hungry.

Bennett and I were assigned seats next to each other but also next to my Mom and Aunt Georgina.

"Sienna, honey, you look slimmer than last time I saw you," Aunt Georgina commented.

Bennett glanced over at me and looked me up and down. I knew that he noticed that I was thinner than I had been. The dress that I was wearing fit me better than it had before.

"She could still lose a little more though," Mom added.

I gripped Bennett's hand so that he could jump up and I knew that he knew that I didn't want him to say anything. I wanted to please my Mom. I wanted to be perfect and I knew that I wasn't.

The trouble with Bennett is that you can't hide anything from him for long. He barely spoke to me again after lunch. I knew that he had figured it out. The secret that I didn't want him to find out about. The car ride was silent on the way back. The other three had headphones in and I noticed that Bennett's knuckles were white and clenched on the steering wheel.

Once we got back to the house I knew that Bennett wanted to talk about it and I thought that I should get it over and done with. My siblings and partners disappeared inside so I led Bennett up into my room so no one would hear us.

I sat down on my bed and Bennett sat on the piano stool. Neither of us wanted to start talking.

"I thought that you were eating more," Bennett said.

"I am," I protested.

"Then why does Georgina think that you are thinner?"

"She is wrong."

"No she isn't. I had noticed but just thought that I was imagining it. What do you think you can achieve?"

"I want to be perfect."

"You think that you are going to be perfect by being thinner. I think that you are perfect now but clearly my view isn't as important as your Mom's or your Aunt's."

"Ben, you know that that isn't true."

"Then why are you slimmer? Because I am with you most meals and you are eating" he asked.

"Because sometimes when you aren't here I don't eat," I snapped.

He looked at me and I realised exactly why I didn't tell him earlier. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me.

"I can't believe you Sienna. I trusted you and tried to help you but you just ignored me."

"I didn't mean to but..."

"But what? I guess that I can't trust you."

"Ben, don't do this."

"It's already done Sienna. When you want to be my girlfriend again you have to go and see a nutritionist. Then I will date you again," he said.

"You're breaking up with me?"

"Think of it as motivation. I can't believe that you would do this to me though," he said and left the room.

I knew that he was leaving the house so I just sat there. I knew that he would be disappointed in me but I didn't think that he would do that. I love Bennett and I was so angry with him. I switched seats so that I was sitting at the piano and I started to play.

The song was very angry and I made sure to hit every key hard. The great thing about that soundproof walls so that no one would complain about me. I thought about texting Ruby or Sara but I didn't want to have to explain why Bennett and I broke up.

My phone started vibrating and saw that Aiden was calling me. I guessed the Bennett had probably talked to him so I didn't answer the phone. I didn't care that Bennett had told Aiden and I didn't want to have to explain myself.

I stayed up until eleven or twelve at night playing song after song on the piano. I hadn't talked to anyone since Bennett left and I wasn't looking forward to school on Monday. I was already planning on texting Aiden and telling him that I wasn't going to come and train with him and Bennett.

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The Wise One