Whatever Happens

Chapter 5

"Do you work on Saturday?" Ben asked, when I made it to the dining hall and walked up to him.

I had to think for a second. I'd only gotten my schedule this morning.

"Uh...later, I think. Maybe at four."

"How about we go to the hospital in the morning?" he asked. "About ten? I already called, and they said it's fine."

"Sure." I smiled.

Ben's dad died of cancer when he was twelve. Ever since then, he liked to go visiting people in the cancer ward, when he had time. Of course, I was more than happy to go with him. But what started as a way to be there for Ben - and with Ben - quickly turned into a real desire for myself, once I saw the way the people responded. The kids especially.

Ben smiled that perfect smile of his. "Okay good."

A second later, two girls came up next to Ben and I looked at them curiously. Ben glanced at them before looking back at me.

"Becca, this is Shannon and...McKenzie," he said, smiling at them and dragging McKenzie's name out as if he wasn't quite sure.

The girls giggled and I scowled. This again?

"They're going to eat with us," he said, turning to me a split second after I was able to hide my feelings.

"Hi," I said, managing to force a smile.

I must not have done as good a job as I thought because the girls seemed a little more subdued as they said hi. Exchanging a look, they turned and we all started walking toward the food.

As we waited in line, the girls giggled and joked with each other, and flirted with Ben plenty. My jealousy aside, they were just plain obnoxious with their ditzy laughs and shallow chatter. Did Ben really like girls like this?

It was like that the whole time. Occasionally someone would say something to me - usually Ben - and I'd force a smile and answer whatever it was, but I honestly didn't feel like dealing with this.

After about twenty minutes, I decided I couldn't take any more and got up to leave. I hadn't eaten much, but at the moment, I didn't have much of an appetite.

Ben looked at me strangely and I forced another smile for him.

"I want to check my mailbox, and I still have to change my books for my next class," I lied.

Looking at the two girls across the table, whose names I'd forgotten (not that I knew which one was which anyway) and who looked happy to see me go, I said goodbye before I went to drop off my tray. I got outside and had only walked a few feet before I heard Ben calling me.

Turning, I waited for him to catch up.

"Hey," he said, stopping next to me "You alright?"

This he notices, I thought with an internal sigh.

I gave him a more genuine smile. "Yeah," I said. "Just had a long day. I've kind of got a headache." It was only sort of a lie. My head didn't actually hurt, but Ben's constant fixation on every girl who wasn't me, was a very big headache.

He gave me a sympathetic smile and we started walking.

"Sorry," he said. "Has it been awful?"

"Just some stuff," I said. "They put me with computers at work."

Ben laughed. "Oh no."

"Yeah," I grumbled. "But I do have Algebra with Dean."

Ben nodded. "I saw his book and I wondered if you guys were in the same class."