Waiting It Out - Benny Rodriguez - Book 1

Aftermath

"Hey. I have a question." Benny tells me.

We're in his room, sitting on his bed. After our marathon this morning, we both decided to come back here and not move for the rest of the day.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"Wasn't your dad supposed to come last weekend? I'm just now realizing that didn't happen."

"He ended up cancelling."

"What'd he say?"

"He texted me the day before he was supposed to get here. Something along the lines of "Can't make it this weekend. Conference was rescheduled. Come next weeked." and that's all I got."

He nods along showing he understands.

"Okay. Two more questions. Isn't that this weekend and why didn't you tell me?"

"Yes it is, he's gonna get there tonight. And I honestly forgot about it with all the ball stuff."

"You wanna stay here?"

"Yes, please."

"When's he leaving?"

"Tommorw night."

"Short stay."

"Isn't it always?"

We go back to a comfortable silence until Jen knocks on the door.

"Come in!" Benny shouts.

She opens the door and walks in slightly.

"You're dad just landed. You got any stuff you need to get from your house before he gets here?"

I usually stay at the Rodriguez bed and breakfast when he's here so it's not weird she assumed I was staying.

"Yeah," I start getting up and already regret it, "I should grab my blanket."

It's not some emotional attachment thing, I'm just picky about what kinds of blankets I sleep with.

"No, don't leave." Benny says pouting, barely lifting his hand. "I'll be lonely."

"Suck it up. That won't work yet." I tell him and continue walking out of the room.

I walk out of the house and start walking down the street when I hear high heels.

Oh dear god, please spare me.

"What happened to you?" I hear Satan's guard dog ask snobbily.

"Well Evelyn, it just so happens that your boyfriend and me went for a quickie." I tell her, not even bothering to look back at her or stop walking.

"In the Rodriguez house?" she asks offended.

"Nope. On the side of it."

"How dare you! And with Benny in there!" 

I stop walking and turn around to look at her.

She sounds more offended that I did it near Benny's residence than that I supposedly screwed with her boyfriend. 

"How do you know Benny was home?" I ask her with a questioning look.

"Oh- well I- I was- I was coming to- uh- visit a friend." she stutters.

She's always had a crush on Benny and hated me for being a girl so close to him.

It doesn't help that Benny hates her with every fiber of his being. It's always just made her try harder. She'd always try to walk with him and hook their arms together in school but he'd just shove her off. Then he'd come to me, begging me to do something about it cause if he did anything, she'd just take it as him being mean to show he likes her. It's not like I'm guessing. He's tried it and I've watched it happen.

I never fought her physically. We've deffinately shared some not-nice words but she's never tried to fight me knowing damn well she wouldn't win. I can tell she's wanted to. I can see it in her eyes before she remebers who'd be kicking who's ass.

It's not like I want to fight her, anyway. I bet she fights like a bitch. All hair pulling and pitiful slaps. It wouldn't even be entertaining on my end.

She got a boyfriend right before the end of 8th grade and would start making out with him in the halls whenever Benny walked by. I know she's just trying to make him jealous. Once I looked back after we passed and she shoved him off her, then stomped away angrily.

"Right. Here's how I know you're lying. 1. You're a terrible liar to begin with. 2. You're only friends are the insults to tweedle dee and tweedle dum. 3. Even if you were going to vist them, they don't live in this caul-de-sac." I expose her.

"Okay, fine. I was at the Founder's Day picnic and saw him running so I decided to follow him to make sure he was okay." she says.

"Truth, please." I tell her with a judging look on my face.

"I am telling the truth." she deffends.

"That was 3 hours ago and I know damn well you didn't run." and she caves.

"Fine. Me and my family were having dinner at the McClellan's and I came over here to..." she says, mumbling the last part so I couldn't hear it.

"What was that?"

"I came over hear to... look through his window." she admits. She was still really quiet and if I hadn't been listening for it I wouldn't have caught what she said.

"Wow." I say and turn back around to continue walking to my house while pulling my phone out of my pocket.

I call Benny and he picks up almost immediately.

"You okay? Something happen?" he asks slightly startled.

"Oh, I'm fine. But I need you to do me a favor." I tell him.

"Anything." he confirms.

"I need you to lock your window then then close the curtains. Make sure someone from the outside wouldn't be able to see through them."

"Okay." he says without any hesitation.

"You don't want to know why?"

"Nope. You'll probably end up telling me later, anyway. Even if you don't, I still don't need an explination."

"Really?" I ask skeptically.

"Yeah. You asked me. The reason doesn't matter." he says with a casual tone.

I myself, am a little surprised by this.

Do I know Benny is in love with me? Yes, obviously.

Do I know that he trusts me so much that I could ask him to put a piece of hot coal in his mouth and he would do it without question? I do now.

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After I got back to the Rodriguez Lodge with my blanket, we ordered pizza and are watching Who Frammed Rodger Rabit.

A true classic.

"How do you think Rodger got a wife with those kinds of curves?" I ask them.

"He must know where to put what." Benny answers and I nod along, signalling I agree.

"Why are you asking that? They're cartoons." Jen asks me.

"You can't honestly tell me you weren't wondering. It's like Danny DeVito bagging Catherine Zeta-Jones. It doesn't make sense." I tell her.

She opens her mouth to argue back and stops herself before she speaks. "That's fair." she tells me.