60 Days With Ben

Chapter 5

"You wouldn't beat a guy in a wheelchair, would you?" Ben asked with pure sarcasm to Bruno.

For sure Bruno would not do that. Who would be crazy to beat a "poor" paraplegic boy? At least he would not be able to do that with the whole school staring at him. Bruno glanced sideways, then to the ground and back again. Yes, the school was all there, looking at Ben with a mischievous smile on his face, and at Bruno, who was so pale, his face looked like a sheet of paper.

When Bruno saw that he would tarnish his image, he decided to swallow his pride of bully guy and turned away, disappearing among the crowd of curious students.

"That's the power of the wheelchair!" Ben cursed, slapping the chair wheels twice.

Carla and I stared at each other for the phrase Ben said. He was an idiot, I knew that. Always knew, but never wanted to admit. Only that this time, he had done something good in my favor. I pushed my glasses up, crossed my arms and thanked him:

"Thanks!" I looked down, pinning it to the sheet of paper, leaned down, and took the note that Bruno had pasted on my back. I fainted him, noting that he was a little wet with Bruno's drool.

I'm retarded, just like my mother. It was what was written on it.

I hated when they did that. It was ok they make fun of me, but whenever they mess with mom, I got upset. Upset is not quite the word, but sadness defined that moment well. Dude, could not they put themselves in my seat for at least a few seconds? What if it was with their mother? Would it be all right? Would they feel good?

I wanted to be alone, cry in secret. Plunge into my sea of sadness. I had to do this before the tears rolled down my cheeks. I got out of the crowd and went to hide in the restroom. I bumped into a girl upon entering, but I did not apologize, she muttered something, and I entered an empty cubicle. I stood there for a few minutes until Carla appeared.

"Elle!" she called me and then punched the door. "The bell has already rung."

"I know, I'll go later," I said, sniffing my nose.

"Aren't you crying again over these idiots, are you?"

"I told you I'll go later."

"Ah, I found you!" a male voice said from the other side of the door. Ben's male voice, to be exact.

"What are you doing here? This is the ladies' room," Carla asked, her voice a little high.

"Like I can't read. Now excuse me," I heard Ben say. "Elle! I know you're there!"

"She won't leave," Carla answered for me.

But what is Ben doing here exactly? It is not just because he is disabled that he could use this to break into the ladies' room.

"All right, I can tell the teacher that you were late because you had to help me in the restroom."

"What?" I opened the door immediately upon hearing the absurdity that Benjamin had said. He looked at me intrigued. I know I must look awful, but he could at least disguise.

My face is probably red, my eyes are swollen, and yet to improve my condition, I am sniffing.

"I've seen you in better condition."

"How can you be like this, so... So..."

"So what?" Ben asked me and then winked at me. I hated it when he did that.

"Nasty," I finally concluded. "This space is prohibited for you."

"I just came to see how you were," he came to see how I was? From "I don't give a shit about you", Ben has now gone to "I care about you". I just could not understand which of the two Ben the real one was.