White︱BenEarth AU

13

Ben didn't have money to travel.

That was the awful truth of his situation.

But he had to go see Earth. He couldn't just leave him without much explanation. He didn't know what they were doing to him in there, nor if he was okay.

He needed to be sure Earth was fine.

His fist made contact with the wooden surface of his teacher's classroom's door.

The door opened soon enough. "Yes?" His teacher asked in a bored tone, but when he saw it was Ben behind his door, he started smiling.

"Hello Mr. Tang." Ben said politely and bowed his head as an act of appreciation.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be finishing your raport on the assignment?" Tang asked and opened the door enough for Ben to step in.

The room was normal, brown student desks scattered over the floor, windows lighting up the room with the light of the sun, and a view of the outside world. It smelled weird in the room though, like something died in there. It smelled like pent-up dust.

"I need to ask you for a favor." Ben went straight to his point, having no time to waste.

"A favor ay?" The teacher let out a chuckle and sat behind his desk, crossing his hands onto the table in front of him.

Ben sat to the other side of the said table and cleared his throat. "I need your help with... financing a trip. It's related to the assignment but I am just a poor student and all my money goes to rent." He explained quickly, just hoping his words made sense.

"You need money, from me?"

"F-From the school, sir."

Mr. Tang sighed. "Ben, is this really necessary for your paper? Why do you need to travel?"

"I was writing my assignment about this one patient and, it went well but he was recently moved to a grand psychiatric hospital. To Spain, sir."

Tang nodded, realizing that it would be a good finale for Ben's paper, to write about such a huge change in one's life, especially a patient's. "I'll see what I can do." He said and leaned back on his chair. "But I expect great things from your paper, Ben. I expect an A from this."

Ben stood up and bowed. "I promise, it will be perfection, I won't disappoint you."

Ben smiled and went to the door in order to leave the moldy school building.

"Ben."

He was stopped however. He turned his head back to Mr. Tang. "Y-Yes?"

"You're a good student."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't mess this up because of any emotional bonds, you hear me son?"

Ben gulped, not knowing how Mr. Tang knew this was not just an assignment anymore. He just nodded reluctantly and slowly made his way out of the room, releasing a breath he was well aware he was keeping locked in his throat.

Now he would just wait for the funding and he would go meet with Earth again.

Was Earth missing him the same way Ben was missing him?