The Project

Chapter 20

Benny's Point of View

I couldn't help but feel pure guilt when seeing Johnny walk into 5th hour everyday.

Seeing his beat up face made me feel like shit because I knew it was my fault. I should've never talked to Josh about Kate.

Why did I even do that in the first place? I guess I had so much jealously about her and Johnny that I just had to tell someone before I exploded.

I'm even more upset that Kate could find out I was all behind her boyfriend getting beat up.

What would she do? Would she literally stop talking to me, or just be mad at me for a long time?

Either way, I don't think I'd be able to handle it.

And I didn't know what Johnny had told Kate or planned on telling her, but I prayed that he wouldn't tell her it was my fault.

I had to do something, or at least talk to Josh and ask him what the hell was going through his head.

Kate and Johnny walked into 5th hour together today, talking.

I looked away from them so they wouldn't know I was staring at them, secretly wondering what they were talking about.

I was paranoid, I didn't know if they were talking about me or what.

"Alright everyone, take your seats," Mrs. Peters instructs.

As she's speaking, Isabella sneaks into the room, finding her seat in the back, diagonal from mine and the side of Kate where Johnny wasn't.

"Did you get lost?" Kate whispers to her.

"Yeah, kinda," Isabella responds, chuckling awkwardly. "I'll know my way around eventually. This school is just so big."

Kate nods in agreement, and then turns back in her seat to face Mrs. Peters, who continued speaking.

"I know we took a small break from the novel we were reading, but you will continue again today in your groups," she explains.

I want to groan because last time we worked on the project, I stormed out of the library because I felt like a third wheel.

Isabella's hand hesitantly raises.

"Uh, I don't have a group," she informs.

"Right," Mrs. Peters acknowledges, scanning the room until her eyes landed on Kate. "You can join Kate's group, they'll catch you up on what you weren't here for."

Isabella nods, smiling back at Kate who smiled reassuringly at her.

We turn our desks to face each other, pulling the soft covered novels out of our backpacks.

"So who wants to catch Isabella up?" Kate wonders.

I look at Isabella and find that she's already looking at me.

"Uh, I will, I guess," I offer.

Kate nods, and I begin explaining the events of the early chapters we had read of the novel already.