The Perks of Being a Freak (Editing)

38. Benny The Flirt

Walking out of the high school, I noticed three things. One, it was very rainy and very windy. Two, I felt strange and hollow without Tony in my head. Three, Benny was leaning against his car, holding an umbrella, and smirking.

“How did you know that I walked here?” I shouted over the silent screaming of the wind.

“Please, babe,” Benny laughed. “I’m in your head. I know everything!” I laughed with him, and slid into the car. Benny folded his umbrella and tossed it over the drivers seat into the back.

But when he tried to start the car, there was nothing.

We shared a look, and Benny tried again, cursing darkly. His engined revved, and then died. I couldn’t help but sigh.

“My house is about a mile away,” he offered. “How fast can you run?”

I considered the offer. I was in a swimsuit, and a pair of baggy sweats. I was wearing flip flops. I wouldn’t be able to run very fast, but it didn’t matter if I got wet. I was already soaked. I tugged at the end of my braid.

“Let’s do it.” Benny grinned and pulled a plastic bag filled with paper out of his glove compartment. Without answering my questioning look, he pulled the papers out, leaving them on the center console, and put his phone into the bag. I grinned and handed him my phone.

“Okay. Ready? Set? GO!” We leapt out of the car, slamming the door. Benny locked them automatically before zipping the keys away as well.

And then we were darting through the storm, slipping and sliding over soaking sidewalk and sloshing through puddles. Lightning split the sky, accompanied by the dark timbre of thunder. Laughing and shrieking like children, we raced towards the safety of Benny’s home.

We were maybe halfway there when I tripped and skidded on the concrete, scraping both my arms and yelling. A flash of pain shot through our mental link before I managed to seal myself off, but Benny noticed. He was only a few steps ahead of me, and spun to run back and help pick me up off of the pavement. 

Both of my forearms were scraped, and blood was oozing quickly, staining my skin. I hissed and bent my arms so that the rain fell over the cuts and washed away the dirt and blood.

But there was no more rain.

Looking up angrily, I was met with dark, heavy clouds, but no water. All around us the water fell, but directly over Benny and I there was a circle of dry, clear air.

What even…? My jaw dropped. Benny couldn’t be doing this. That wouldn’t be fair if he could make things invisible and control water. That just wouldn’t be right.

So it had to be me.

But then I had the double power. Flying and controlling water? That didn’t seem fair. Nor did it seem like a pair that would mesh well.

“Lia?” Benny said gently, staring at the bubble of dry air around us. “I think you’ve found your power.”

“I’m a human umbrella,” I whispered, eliciting a chuckle from the flirt. When I turned to look at him and took my attention off of the rain, it poured down again, soaking my sweatpants to my legs in seconds. I cried out and ran again, arms over my head.

“Could you stop the rain again?” Benny shouted, taking my hand and pulling me through the downpour. I shook my head, laughing.

Truth was that I loved the rain. I loved the feel of it dancing across my shoulders and my back. I loved the sensation of a heavy, wet braid tracing a half-circle on my back. I loved the thunder, and the flashes of lightning.

Only a few more minutes of heavy, wet sprinting and then we were in Benny’s garage, laughing and panting and dripping water onto the concrete.

“There are towels, I’ll go get some clothes for you,” Benny said, leading me into the laundry room next to his basement. Once he left, I stripped the heavy pants from my hips and let them fall to the ground. Next, I had to peel the tight lycra suit off and dropped it in a heap on top of my pants. I had just tied a towel around myself when Benny knocked and handed my a bunched up ball of clothes.

“They’re clean, don’t worry.” He reassured me. I grinned and took the clothes, thanking him.

Five minutes later, I was wearing a T-shirt that came to mid-thigh which had a picture of a bison on it with the caption “Modest Mouse” and a pair of black basketball shorts.

Benny looked up at me from the couch when I walked in and smirked. “Hot.”

“Oh, shut it,” I said, dropping tiredly next to him. “Do you mind if I crash here?”

“Not at all,” his eyebrows rose. “Do you need to share my bed as well?”

“Now, listen here, sweetheart,” I growled, poking him in the chest. “I’m fine with the little flirting game we have, but it doesn’t go further than that, capiche?” Benny nodded, still smirking.

Sometimes he was infuriating.

“Here’s your phone,” he said, handing it to me. I grinned, and pocketed it. “I’ll go get you a pillow and a blanket.” Benny stood and disappeared up the stairs. 

I lay back against the cushions and closed my eyes, still trying to process this newfound revelation.

Rajeev? I asked, explaining what we had learned in a couple of seconds. What do you think?

Well I think you don’t control simply water, he replied, mind whirling. I think that you can control storms, weather. Benny doesn’t only control visibility, he can manipulate light. Emily is not controller of metal, but of minerals.

So I can control storms? Weather? Weird.

There was no wind or rain around you, right? He questioned. I affirmed. Sounds like controlling the weather.

Are you… jealous? I grinned. 

Can you blame me? Rajeev sounded very matter-of-fact. I’m the only one who hasn’t developed a power.

Tony hasn’t either, I reassured him before I realized that mentioning Tony probably wasn’t the best idea.

Tony isn’t one of us anymore, if I remember correctly. Rajeev sounded cold. 

He may be awful, but he’ll always be a freak, so he’ll always be welcome with us, I said firmly. 

Just then, something soft collided with my face and then fell to my lap. I opened my eyes to darkness, and pulled the blanket off of my head, scowling at Benny, who dropped onto the couch beside me.

“Movie?” He asked innocently, as if he had not just thrown a pillow at my unsuspecting face.

“Sure. As long as it’s a good one.” I shrugged and curled my legs up underneath me.

“By the way, Lia,” Benny said, standing to put a movie in. “You look a lot better in my clothes than I do”

I hate Benny sometimes.