Your Excuse is Weak

Chapter One

"All right," Ms. Claire claps her hands together, gaining attention from the quietly reading students, "Since there is ten minutes left of class, get together with your partners and discuss your projects."

Collective groans and squeals are heard equally throughout the classroom. Tables, chairs, and bodies shuffle for a few minutes until everyone is respectfully seated with their assigned partners.

Everyone is content with their partner except for Ben and Tristian. The oddest group in the class. The jock and the nerd. The bully and the bullied. The hothead and the soft spoken.

One would think they are completely opposite. Completely different inside and out. But they both hold a secret so dark, so deep, that it could destroy everyone and everything they know.

When everyone had to move seats to sit with their partner, Ben refused to move. He refused to move because he carefully chose a specific desk in the classroom so that he wouldn't be the last to enter or the last to leave. If he sat in the front row, he would be too close to Ms. Claire. If he sat in the back row, he would surely be the last to leave the room. And he wouldn't want that. But nonetheless, Ms. Claire would make him stay after anyways.

Tristian, on the other hand specifically chose to sit in the back row, away from the lingering, taunting eyes of Ben. Ben bullies Tristian. It started with name calling, then pushing and shoving, which then escalated to small beatings here and there.

Sitting next to each other as partners, both boys were a nervous fidgeting mess. Ben was nervous because in exactly five minutes and 42 seconds, class would end and Ms. Claire would make him stay for tutoring. Tristian was nervous because he was sitting with his longtime bully.

Both boys refused to speak. Refused to utter a single word pertaining to the project. Refused to acknowledge each other's existence.

Ben's anxiety was seeping out of him like sweat. His knee was bouncing uncontrollably and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were ghost white.

Tristian's anxiety was like a ticking time bomb. When the bell rings, he'll bolt out of the classroom before he gets hurt from the explosion.

Anxiety eats away the time and the bell sounds, causing doom for one boy and relief for the other.

Both boys scramble to get up and out of the room as quickly as possible. Just before Ben steps past the front row of desks, Ms. Claire calls out to him, making him come to a sudden, weighted halt.

"Ben, where are you going? We have tutoring." Ms. Claire questions.

Tristian feels relief when Ben was called to stay behind. He'll be able to get to his locker unharmed. He'll make his way to the bus on time. And he'll get home without being bombarded by questions of worry.

"Ben, come take a seat. We have a lot to cover." Ms. Claire delicately grasps Ben's bicep as she guides him over to the front middle desk.

Uncertain of why Tristian glances back at his teacher and his bully, but the look on Ben's face as he took a seat was an unsettling one. Tristian is used to Ben's angry, determined, and excited expressions. But not this one. Not this look of fear or nervousness. Before Tristian turns back around, he also notices Ben's shaking hands.

"Tristian, honey, do you need something?" Ms. Claire suddenly appears at the threshold of the classroom, one hand placed on the door, the other placed on the doorframe.

"Oh, um, no. I'm just leaving." Tristian awkwardly explains.

"See you tomorrow Tristian. Have a nice day!" His teacher calls out to him as he walks down the hall and disappears in the mass body of students.