Closet Case

(1)

"Hey" Sophia says making me jump. I close my locker door and turn to look at her.

"Hey, Soph" I say.

"Did you hear we're getting new seats in ELA today?"

"Yeah"

"I talked to Mrs. Kingston. We're definitely getting a seat together"

"Awesome"

"You ok? You seem kinda.....distracted?"

"I'm fine. It's just my dad. He came home drunk again last night"

"Oh. I'm sorry"

"It's fine. It could be worse. He just comes home and passes out" I say. That's a lie. He comes home and he beats the shit out of me. I take the beatings for my sister, Zoey. She's only 9, she doesn't need to experience that.

"We gotta get to class, come on" she says.

"Whoa, where ya going fag? We gotta talk to you" someone says. I look over and see Carson Moore and a 2 other football players. Aiden Debrowski and Parker Johnson.

"Go away, Carson" Sophia says.

"You gotta have a girl stand up for you?" he asks.

"Lets go, Soph" I say and turn around to walk away. Carson grabs me and throws me against the lockers, pinning me. Sophia gasps and jumps back. I wince as pain shoots through my head and back.

"You go when I say you can, faggot" he spits.

"Yo, we gotta get to class. If we get one more detention we can't play" Parker says.

"Fine" he says. He punches me in the stomach and walks away with his friends.

"Ben, are you ok?!" Soph asks.

"Yeah. Lets go" I say.

"You need to go to the nurse"

"No. I just wanna go to class" I say and walk to class with Sophia following short behind. I go to ELA and see Parker. Fuck, I forgot he's in this class.

"When I call your name please find the person I said along with your name and sit with them" Mrs. Kingston says. I sit down at my usual seat and wait for my name.

"Oliver and Sammi. Carl and Jack. Lucy and Gabe. Sophia and Lana--" she says. I open my notebook and start to doodle. A few minutes later I hear my name.

"Benjamin and Parker" she says. PARKER?! I hear the chair next to me scrape against the floor. I look over and see Parker.

"Look, I'll talk to Mrs.Kingston after class and get a new seat" I say.

"No, it's fine. We only have these seats for like 2 months" he says.

"So, for the next 2 months you will be working with person next to you. I want you to work together to write anything you want. At the end of the 2 months you will each read your piece in front of the class" Mrs. Kingston says.

~<>~<>~

"So, do you wanna work on the project after school or something?" Parker asks.

"I'm really busy. I can't do both of our homework so you'll have to find another nerd" I say.

"I didn't say you were gonna do it all. I'm not an idiot"

"Could've fooled me"

"Look, I don't wanna do this anymore than you do but we have to. So, my place or yours?"

"The cafe"

"No. The guys will kill me if i get caught even talking to you"

"Fine. Your place. I gotta take my sister to her friends house first"