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Mrs. King (Bentley's Mother)
***
When Bentley entered 10th grade happily, Kieth entered the 8th grade gloomily.
In the middle of their walk where Kieth insisted to walk Bentley to the glass door of Bentley's building, he asked. "Is it possible to skip a grade."
Bentley quickened his eyebrow, Kieth sounded low spirited which he never was. "Yes."
"Would you mind if I did that."
"You want to skip a grade so you can traumatize me every period."
"I miss hanging out with you."
"We barely spend more than three minutes together." Bentley pointed out the obvious and to prove his point they were already in front of his building.
"But if I skip 8th and 9th then we will always be together, joined by the hips." Kieth looked up from under his eyelashes, his hands behind as he rocked on his heels.
"Thank you for grossing out my morning." Bentley flicked Kieth's forehead walking away.
"Bentley," Kieth shouted. Not only Bentley but the other fifteen or so heads turned towards the small kid.
"What." Bentley ignored all the stares and asked impatiently.
"Uhmm..." Kieth looked around nervously. He shouldn't have raised his voice, now everyone was watching him, he couldn't open his mouth. He looked down and said timidly. "Bye."
Bentley watched Kieth walk away almost running into skateboard parking and two trees, still, Kieth didn't look up once.
***
"What are you doing still out here?" Bentley asked that afternoon. Middle school freed their captures before High school, plus Bentley was in practice for more than an hour, Kieth never stayed after school, not when he knew Bentley's parents came to pick him up.
Since when was he waiting for Bentley.
"Hey," Kieth got up from the steps, he looked even smaller standing on the lower step.
"What."
"I wanted to ask you something." Kieth was looking up, he was wearing the same turtleneck he wore yesterday. The stretch of his neck exposed some red skin, Bentley wanted to point out that of course, it will burn if Kieth wore a fucking turtle neck in this weather, but he didn't because he wasn't the biggest jerk of the century.
"Shoot."
"Can I come watch you, during your practice?" Kieth was blushing red and was trying really hard to not break their eye contact. "Sometimes, not always. I will be quite. I will sit wherever you want me to sit. I won't make any noise. Promise."
Bentley wanted to groan, and he did, watched Kieth's shoulder slump with defeat. What a loser, getting upset on small things like this.
"Whatever. Do what you want. I don't care." Bentley passed Kieth on the step towards the pickup point.
