Fighting Thrasher Jones

{21} Passing Ships

The following two weeks passed by in a blur. Carlos underwent a surgery, Clara was able to miraculously leave the hospital since she didn't suffer from any life-threatening injuries, and Benji practiced boxing every day to make up for the two years that he'd quit. The competition was only two weeks away and while his skills had visibly improved, mine had as well.

After each session of drills that I'd run through with Benji, we'd meet up with Sabrina to visit Carlos in the hospital until it was eventually time for him to leave.

"Benji?" I requested, "Can you tie this for me?"

Benji's fingers deftly caught the strings that I held out to him and he knotted them together in a bow behind my neck as I slid a sweater over my bare shoulders. I frowned, knowing that the black dress wouldn't do much to keep out the harsh winter temperature.

Once he was finished tying the bow, Benji placed his hands on my shoulders and spun me around, asking, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

I took a deep breath and nodded, convincing myself that I'd be fine even though I'd known it was just a lie. "Yeah, this isn't my first..." funeral, I faltered, shaking unsteadily on my legs.

Benji encased me in a hug, planted a kiss on the top of my head, and pulled back, tangling his fingers in mine. The uneven coloring of his hair had begun to fade, blending into a more even blonde, and the stubble on his chin had grown. He ran a finger over the ring that Leo had given me, saying, "You can do this. Leo will be there with you, and I will too." He showed me an identical ring around his thumb; the one that my brother had gifted to him.

"I know," I whispered, spinning Leo's ring.

I'd asked Benji to accompany me to Jackson's funeral, but he'd declined, claiming that it felt wrong for him to go. He hardly knew Jackson and as far as he was concerned, Benji hated the guy.

"Ready to go?" Sabrina asked from the kitchen where she set down a glass of ice water.

"No," I confessed, smoothing down the borrowed dress, "but I don't have much of a choice."

Sabrina smiled sympathetically and plucked her car keys of the counter, following me to the door. I waved to Benji, left the apartment, and got inside of Sabrina's car.

Sabrina's light brown eyes darted in my direction multiple times as she chewed on her lower lip, clearly debating if she should speak. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and after a minute, she decided to say, "How about I take you dress shopping tomorrow after work for the Sadie Hawkin's dance?"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that she'd just made the situation worse. I'd forgotten about telling her that she could help me find a dress. If I hadn't wanted to go the dance before, I definitely didn't want to go now.

It wasn't like I'd planned on asking Jackson when all I'd wanted was to get as far away as possible from him. Yet, I hadn't expected to get my wish to be granted in the form of his death.

"Sure," I mumbled as we pulled up to the church. Sabrina unlocked the door, leaned over to give me a quick squeeze, and promised, "I'll be back to pick you up."

I nodded without saying a word and stepped out of the car, shivering in the freezing air. Sabrina drove off and I was forced to enter the church to rid myself of the iciness that had begun to seep into my veins.