Small Town Talk

chapter 6 - The oldest trick in the book

Chapter 6

Hers

Inside I was crying. I’ve never felt so weak in my life. My mother left me then my father died. I'd given up feeling sorry for myself but yesterday I’d almost lost Mattie too and now she was leaving me anyway. This is the only time I was ever willing to admit to myself that I was scared. I was so scared I felt like my stomach might drop out from under me. It felt like the earth shifted and shook the concrete from under me. Even god wanted to kick me to the curb. The only person who’d ever really wanted me was sat outside this room and I had to force myself away from him because it’s simple; I ruin everything I touch whether I like it or not. Whether I want to or not.

“Mattie” I whispered “I know they sedated you and you can’t say anything but just hear me out, you’re going to a center for a while, to get better. It’s for the best. I can take care of myself , Benjee’s taking care of me but you need to take care of yourself too because once I turn 18 in 2 months, I’m coming back to get you but please get better” I chocked back a cry and swallowed hard “please aunt Mattie, I have no one left” I knew I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince her but desperate times call for desperate measures and I didn’t know how much more I was willing to lose or how much more I had left to; that is.

I left the room, reluctantly. Ben was still outside where I left him with a cup of coffee in his hands. The hospital walls were a washed out ugly green. Coughing children with the seasonal cold. Men with cuts and bruises lined the walls by the entrance. Thank god I was on my way out. As soon as I was outside, I sat down on one of the benches across the street. Ben took a seat next to me and we just sat there and watched it get dark.

“Hey, sorry to break this super awesome silence but it’s getting cold and this coffee is crappy, can we go home now?” Said Ben

“No one asked you to stay” It suddenly felt colder and I hugged my jacket to me

“Well, how else are you supposed to get home smartass?”

I had to think about this one “well, I could hitch-hike, I am nothing but a stupid slut anyway, I’m sure any guy with the wrong idea could get me home by the end of the night”

“Yup, I’m am going to take you home now” he said suddenly awake

“Fine”

 Once the car was cruising down our exit. Ben opened conversation and boy how I wish he hadn’t

“So I was thinking, maybe you should stay with me for a few weeks” he asked unsure of himself

This caught me completely off guard and I loathed him for attacking while my mind was somewhere else

“What Benjamin?” I asked 2 octaves higher than my usual voice “I can’t stay with you, I have a house you know”

“Yeah I know but you shouldn’t be alone” he shrugged “not with everything that’s happened lately”

“Thanks for the offer but the answer is no”

“Fine then” Wow I felt a little disappointed he let it drop that easily, shouldn’t I have expected him to fight a bit more?

Then he turned, umm why did he turn? “My house isn’t this way!”

“I know but mine is” he was grinning ear to freaking ear

“I said I am not staying with you Benjamin Maher!”

“Yes, then we have to compromise, don’t we Miss Watts” still grinning like an idiot

“So what are you doing?” I snapped

“Stopping off to grab some stuff obviously, gosh have you stopped using your brain Riv?”

“Don’t call me that asshole and you can’t possibly mean that you’re planning to stay at my house!” panicking, panicking, I was full out freaking panicking.

“Planning to what?” he asked a little confused and I instantly felt like the biggest loser

“Stay at my house?!” anger boiled inside me

“Well since you asked babe ,sure” he smirked.

He’d just used the oldest trick in the book and I fell for it. At that I tried to suppress a smile and ending up laughing instead. And he joined it , it was cute for a moment and then I was panicking again. Ben and me under the same roof for the next few days, that didn’t sit well in my stomach.

“So I was thinking maybe later we could make dinner?” he asked a little bit unsure of himself “or we could go out and grab something”

“We can make something”  I tugged at the hem of my shirt a little uncomfortably. It was his favorite color, I wondered if he noticed. Only then did I realize I was still smiling like an idiot.