The Summer of My Life

11.

Yeah, school is still murdering me. Finals next week, ew. Hope you enjoy, and sorry I haven't updated for two weeks.

Ugh sorry guys my mother took away all my electronics so I wasn't able to finish the story -_- Sorry.

Oh yeah also I edited/finished the story on my phone so yeah sorry I have no italics and SO IT'S IN CAPS. *sigh*

UPDATE: I GOT HOME WOO LAPTOPS

As always, I own the story, but Costco, Netflix, Sherlock Holmes, Divergent, etc., that's a nope. I wish... free Netflix?

WOOOOO THANKS FOR 700+ READS ILY GUYS SO MUCH

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Benedict walks out, hand-in-hand with is brother, smiling, laughing. I try to turn away, but it's too late.

"Nora- Nora?" He walked over to me.

"Benedict, why is she crying?" Bless Andy's little heart.

"I- I'm okay," I manage to gasp through my tears, "just..." Just what? I wasn't okay.

"Should I leave you alone or..." Benedict asks, wiping a tear absentmindedly from my cheek.

"No, it's okay." My voice sounds hollow, deep, almost like Benedicts. Andy speaks up.

"Benedict, do you want to go to Nora's house? I can watch mommy."

"Yes, go my six-year-old child, and take care of your poor mother. I hope you remember my phone number." I realize that Benedict never really had a nickname. Just Benedict. Eggs? I laugh a little at that.

"What?" He looks at me, bewildered.

"Nothing," I cover my mouth, "let's go inside. See ya, Andy," I rumple his hair. He grins, and runs back through the open door facing us, waving all the way. Eventually it slams and we walk inside, murming amongst ourselves. What didn't I notice then? Becca, sitting at the park with her board watching me silently.

I go inside and wash my face, and when I come back out, Benedict is laying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"How is your room so clean?" He asks, his hands tucked neatly behind his head.

"Meh, it's kinda in its messier state at the moment, I just clean it every time i mess it up. Except when I get lazy? Then it takes me forever to clean uo because I procrastinate." I mean, I wasn't wring about messiness, I had a few sets of clothes spread amongst the floor, papers all over my desk, empty bottles of drinks littering my nightstand. The only seemingly spotless place was my bed, which. hadn't even bothered to make this morning. If my room was neat, I was scared to know what his looked like.

"Well, to my defense, we just moved from across the country. Unfair. One day Nora, my room will be neater than yours."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," I smile, "so uh... what do you want to do?" Benedict sat up.

"What happened? Why were you crying when I came out?" We sit in awkward silence for a while, me pondering how I could answer. I mentally facepalm myself.

"Um... I don't really want to talk about it. Maybe I- I'll tell you later." I could feel the tears threatening to return to my eyes.

"Okay." He says, clearly troubled by my watering eyes. I didn't want to be displayed like this, weak, frail. Why must it be that I break down now? Perfect timing. I take a long, deep, shaky breath.

"Okay, look. Just forget this, okay? Gosh, it's so..." I grab a tissue from my nightstand.

"Embarrasing?" He volunteers.

"Agh, stooooooooop!" I slap his arm playfully.

"Ow!" He scoots away, rubbing his arm, "My biceps are very tender, you know." I laugh, and for a split second, I feel like everything's alright. And then I remember- and sigh. We sit in more silence, to the point where Benedict has to drag me downstairs and shove a carton of ice cream into my lap. I offer him some, but he refuses.

"It's almost like you're on a diet or something, jeez, stop making me fatter than I already am," I pat his stomach, "Are you turning into one of those fitness guys?"

"No, I just started- and finished a Costco sized pack of popsicles with my brother right before we left the house. Hey, do you by any chance have Netflix?" Since my mouth is stuffed with rocky road, I only nod.

"SHERLOCK AW YES!" Eggs throws his fist in the airs. What a goofball.

"I don't think so Eggs," I scoop another mouthful, "Divergent cause I didn't get to watch it yet poo."

"Aww man. But- "

"My Netflix, my house, my choice."

"Come ON." I almost about to give in to those dark, pleading eyes, when his phone starts ringing.

"That's weird. It's from home. Hello? Andy? Hey bud. What's up?" His smiling face soon becomes gray, slack with fear. I hear the doorbell ring, but I'm too worried to answer. "Okay. Shoot. Where's dad? Okay. Be there in a second." He shoves his phone so deep into his pocket, I'm afraid he might rip a hole in his shorts. "Nora, we have to go. My house. Now. I'll explain after this is over." He runs to the door, slamming his feet back into his shoes, followed closely by me. He jerks the door open- it was Becca who was there, her arms crossed, eyes flaming with fury.

"You two need some explainging to- "

"NOT RIGHT NOW!" Benedict almost kicks his door down, leaving Becca gaping at us in the dust. I follow his pounding footsteps up the stairs to his parent's bedroom where Andy is sitting on the bed, crying, shaking, clutching the phone like it was his string of life. I see why everyone was so worried now.

"Benedict-" a long stream of cussing leaves his mouth.

"Andy, call 9-1-1, now. Now." And now suddenly Becca's by my side.

"Okay, what the hell-" she gasps. "That's the hell. Oh god. Oh god."

"Hullo? Please help me. I-" Benedict grabs the phone from Andy, who continues to sit there, sobbing. I walk over to him and wrap him in my arms, trying to calm him down. The dispatcher must've asked what happened, because Benedict goes,

"It's my mom. And she needs help. Now."