Tell No One I Loved Them

4

Ben sat on the edge of the bed, Kate's bed, staring at the window which allowed little light to stream into the room. Rachel, or Mrs. Howard, had left to go pickup food for everyone. They hadn't cleaned out much of the apartment, but they managed to box a couple things up and put them into the car. But not enough to notice things had gone out of place. Ben fell back against the bed, now staring up at the ceiling.

"Why would you do this to me?" He whispered into his hands as he brought them up to cover his face. "Was I that meaningless to you?"

Buzz Buzz

The vibrating sounds echoed through the room, making Ben jolt up at the sound. He pulled out his phone to check it, only to find that it wasn't his phone that was vibrating. He stood and walked around to the other side of the bed, where he thought the noise was coming from.

Buzz Buzz

Ben pulled open the table drawer to be greeted by the sight of a cell phone blinking with the 'low battery' symbol. He reached in and picked the phone up, turning it over and over in his hand as his mind began to think it over. It was Kate's phone, there was no questioning it. It had the burgundy phone case she loved, and the cracks in her screen protector that she refused to replace even though the tempered glass would get stuck in her fingers. Ben felt his heart sink as his head spun.

Did she call me from here that night? She never goes anywhere without her phone, and I thought she drowned. And how did the battery last this long anyway?

Ben slipped the phone into his pocket, hoping to get answers once he charged the device. His heart pounded against his ribs at the thought of taking her phone. He knew how protective she was of it. He reached back to the drawer and began closing it, only to stop himself. "We'll have to empty the drawer sometime, might as well go through it now."

He pulled the drawer open again and sat back down on the bed as his hands rummaged through the drawer. It was somewhat organized with her chargers to her camera and game devices all wrapped in neat circles to avoid tangles. Ben began pulling out the cords before he retracted his hand back in pain. "Ow!" He pulled his hand close and examined his fingers. The tip of his pointer finger began bleeding as Ben examined the wound.  "What was that?" He whispered, peering back into the drawer while pressing a tissue against his cut. A small glint could be seen through the cables.

Ben reached his other hand inside the drawer and carefully pulled the cords out, attempting to keep from cutting his other fingers. Under the chargers sat a small, delicate object, carefully hidden from sight. From any prying eyes or nosey minds. Ben's eyes widened at the sight of the object. "Why would she have something like this?"

He reached inside and carefully pulled out the small razor blade that had been so carefully kept from sight. Maybe it was there when she bought the table? No, she's had this table for awhile, you'd think she'd have accidentally cut her fingers a few times by now. Maybe it was for her crafts? But why would it be in here instead of her studio? Maybe she had to cut something off and just forgot to put it back in her desk? But why wouldn't she just use scissors? None of this makes sense...unless...no. No, she wouldn't. There's no way. Ben shook the thoughts out of his head and threw the razor blade into the waste basket. He stood and left the room to grab a box from the living room, then walked back into the bed room. He began tossing the chargers into the box, not bothering to place them nicely or wind them back up.

Once all the contents of the drawer were in the box, Ben moved to her dresser that sat opposite of the bed. "I probably shouldn't be packing up her clothes." He muttered as he pulled open the top drawer. Inside the drawer sat her camera and her gaming devices, along with her game cartridges. He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"I swear if you throw one more item at me I will strangle you!" Kate yelled at Ben as she turned her body with her car. Ben laughed at her threat before throwing another item at her car. "You dirtbag!" She screamed, before throwing her controller down and repeatedly hit her best friend. Ben laughed as the girl launched herself at him, forcing him to the floor as she continued her assault. "I almost had it! I would've won if you hadn't thrown that shell at me! I was so close! You will feel my wrath!"

Ben laughed even harder at the girls threat, making his side's hurt and his cheeks cramp. "Okay, okay, I give! I can't breathe!"

"Good!" She yelled as she pinned the floored boy, only to start hitting him against his chest and head again. "That's for cutting me off!" Slap. "That's for forcing me off the track!" Punch. "That's-" Ben cut her off as he grabbed her wrist before it could make contact with his chest again. Kate winced before glaring at him.

"Okay, I give!" He breathed out, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain his breath. Kate looked at him with fiery eyes as her breathing began to slow. "You win."

She scowled at him. "Well clearly I didn't. You're still breathing!"

Ben smirked. "You've won more than you think."

Kate pulled her arm out of his grasp as she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well my stats don't show it!"

Ben shook his head as his heart rate increased. "Kate... I...I think....I mean you..." Ben stuttered as the words refused to form. Kate watched him carefully as she tried to figure out what he was trying to say. He sighed and pressed himself into the floor. "I think you just need more practice."

Kate rolled her eyes and pushed herself off his defeated form. "Great pep talk, coach. Come on, get up. I need to defeat you at least once in my lifetime." She grinned down at him as she gently kicked her toe at his ribs.

Ben smiled as he stared into her brown eyes. "Maybe someday you will, but today is not that day!"

The drawer shook with Ben's hands as the memory subsided. She only won once. The week before she died. When she won she had thrown herself back  onto the bed and yelled, "Now I can die happy!"

She couldn't have known, could she? Ben shook his head at the thought. No. There's no way she could've known she was going to die. She couldn't. Ben pulled the drawer out and dumped the contents into the box with the cords. But what if she did know?

Just as the thought entered his mind, another razor blade hit the side of the box and landed on the floor in front of his feet.