More than Just a Game

Chapter 1

Ben: I guess I'll see you then.

        Katherine read the message, smiling to herself. “Katie, we're leaving in 5 minutes! You ready?” she heard her mom call from the bottom of the staircase. “Yeah mom, coming!” she shouted back before sending her reply:

Katie: Mhm, we're leaving. Bye.

        Nodding her head, Katherine then closed her laptop and did a double take on her stuff before grabbing her two black suitcases. She stumbled down the stairs, heading out and into her family's RV. “Got everything you need, Kat?” her uncle—or the man she have always considered as her dad—asked, smiling at her from the rearview mirror. “I'm as ready as I could ever be~” she replied enthusiastically, giving him a toothy grin.

        Stopping every now and then for gas, snacks and other things you'd expect to stop for in any typical trip, it took them about 5 hours or so to finally get to their destination. Other than the loud music that blasted from the car radio and Mrs. Winters' annoyed comments, the ride was pretty much quiet. The whole time though, Katherine was seating on the chair feeling rather jumpy; it's been more than one whole year since the last time she's talked to Ben, let alone see the blonde boy. She hasn't contacted him till recently so it was pretty much a thrill to be able to see her best friend again.

        She smiled as a mini flashback played itself in her mind.

Kat's Point of View

        I swung my feet back and forth against the air as I peered down. I was sitting on the edge of the school's rooftop so I was pretty high up from the ground. One move forward and I would have had an instant death.

        “Katherine?” a seemingly familiar voice said from behind me. Startled, I whipped my head around so fast that I almost fell off the edge. But luckily, the person who called out got a hold of my wrist and prevented me from falling down. I looked up at to see a boy from my class standing over me with a somewhat surprised expression.

        “W-were you just about to commit s-suicide?” Benjamin questioned, shock evident in his widened deep blue eyes. “I-I...” I began, trying to come up with something to say. “No,” I quietly mumbled as I bowed my head down, suddenly finding the ground as something of interest.

        “Why would you do such a stupid thing?!” I looked up just stared at him with my eyebrows knitted together, wondering why he was so worked up. “I wasn't going to commit suicide. And besides...” my voice trailed off as I looked away before I quiely muttered, “It's not like you'd understand, Mr. Perfect.” I didn't think he'd hear me but I guess he did. Benjamin sighed. “You think my life is perfect?”

        I shifted my gaze towards him. “Who wouldn't? You're practically a socially popular smart butt. Girls stick to you like a bubblegum under your shoe and swoon around you so much it's disgusting,” I replied with a matter-of-fact tone as I made a face. “And you think having a gum under my shoe is something to be proud of?” he chuckled, making me laugh a liitle—just a little.

        For about half an hour, we just stayed there, sitting on the bench on the rooftop and talking like we've been close friends for a long time. Our little talk pretty much just circulated around video games—how he had said that my butt would always get kicked so long as I was up against him since he was the so-called “master of video games” (that proud jerk), how annoying Navi could get at times in LOZ and pretty much anything.

        “Shoot, my football practice starts in about 5 minutes!” Benjamin suddenly exclaimed, panic audible in his voice. “Er, Katherine...”

        “You can just call me Kat,” I interrputed, smiling at how he was being a bit too formal. “Uh...yeah Kat, I kind of have to go. See ya...don't have me come home and hear the news talk about the death of Katherine Winters.” I grabbed my small eraser from the pocket of my pleated skirt and threw it at him. “You won't. Now just go, Benjamin.”

        “Ben,” he corrected me, smiling. “Fine, Ben,” I said as I smiled back. Ben then turned away and walked into the building.

        Now that Katherine thinks about it, a tiny little part of her really was telling her to jump. Everything kind of just came crashing down at her—some of her schoolmates bullying her and threatening her, her annoying parents that didn't really liked her and some other things. Who knows what could've happened if Ben didn't just so randomly popped out.

        Her thoughts were interrupted by the car driving over to the oh-so-familiar house. Her aunt Emerald happily greeted them by the gate as they parked into her large garage. “Hi auntie,” Katherine beamed, flashing her aunt a grin as the middle-aged woman pulled her into a hug. “You haven't changed at all, Katie.” her aunt stated, which she just responded with a smile.

        Katherine slowly backed away as the three adults huddled together, exchanging greetings and cracking jokes about each other. She pretty much just watched them for a few moments before she came up with the decision of taking a walk around and visiting Ben while she is doing so.

        “We still haven't unpacked,” her mother replied, looking over to her. “I promise I'll be back. I just want to take a look around,” Katherine argued. Mrs. Winters contemplated for a few moments before she finally agreed reluctantly. “Ok, but you better be back before dinner. And at least bring you things to the guestroom.”

        The brunette nodded happily and thanked her mom before grabbing her suitcases and raced into the house, up the stairs and into one of the many guestrooms of the house. She placed her suitcases just beside the bedside table and went back out.

        Katherine softly hummed to herself as she strolled down the sidewalk. She had decided to visit Ben's house, which was pretty much just a few blocks away. After a few minutes of walking, she finally saw the familiar green house that stood not far from the outskirts of town. She slowly walked across the newly mowed lawn and, after a few moments of debating whether or not she should ring the doorbell, pressed the red button on the wall.

        For a few seconds, she heard shuffling sounds coming from the inside before a tall woman, who looked to be around 30, answered the door. “How may I help you?” the woman asked kindly.

        Katherine took a moment to study the person who stood in front of her. Locks of wavy blonde hair went over the woman's fair face and hazel brown eyes. But out of all, what Katherine had noticed the most was the fact that this was the first time she had seen the woman.

        “U-uhm,” she began nervously. “I-Is Ben here? B-Benjamin Laine?” A thoughtful look planted on the woman's face before she shook her head. “I'm sorry but the Laines moved away half a year ago. As to where they moved to I wouldn't really know,” the woman replied, offering a kind smile. Although disappointed, Katherine couldn't help but smile back. “Thanks anyway,” she said before she walked away.

        Ben moved away? On her way back, Katherine couldn't help but notice the unsettling and uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched.

A/N: Sorry if it was really bad n' all :<