AWAKEN ; benny weir [2]

seventeen

"I don't believe him, Ethan."

"What makes you say that?"

"Benny's been sick for five days?" Ellie questioned to the projection of Ethan through her computer screen.

"We both know he never gets nasty bugs like that," she continued. "Benny hasn't been sick since Grade 4 when we all passed around strep throat."

"Good point," Ethan agreed. "He hasn't been on videochat, either."

"He keeps saying whatever he has is 'contagious and gross,' so we can't go see him," Ellie complained to her screen. "We should go over there."

"Yeah, something's up," Ethan nodded. "He can't afford to skip anymore school. Mrs. Harper already hates him."

——————

Ethan and Ellie welcomed themselves into the foyer of Ms. Weir's home, scanning around for any sign of a supposedly sick Benny.

"Ms. Weir?" Ethan called.

"Come in!" they heard from the kitchen.

"It's just us!" Ellie smiled, entering the kitchen to spot the grandmother slicing fruit at the countertop.

"What are you kids doin' here?" Ms. Weir asked.

Ethan and Ellie shared a glance with one another, confused as to why she would ask in the first place. She never asked why they would come unannounced.

"We just wanted to see if Benny's alright?" Ethan asked. "He hasn't been to school in a bit."

"Oh, yes!" Ms. Weir remembered, flicking a mindful finger at the air as she took off her apron. "I'm supposed to pick him up in an hour."

Another glance was shared between the seer and witch, but this time was more puzzled than the last. The two thought that Benny had been at home this whole time.

"Benny's not here?" Ellie asked. "Hasn't he been here for the past week?"

"Not since he's had his surgery," Ms. Weir shrugged.

"SURGERY?!"

The grandmother jumped at the baffled cry from the teens. She scrunched her face at the dropped jaws of Ethan and Ellie, wondering why they were so surprised.

"What surgery?!"

"He got surgery?!"

"...He didn't tell you two, did he?"

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"Benny, are you serious right now?"

Ethan and Ellie shook their heads and crossed their arms at the sight of him, hobbling through the living room on a pair of crutches while his right knee was bundled in a giant brace.

"You've gotta be kidding," Ellie huffed, biting her cheek as she watched Benny collapse onto the living room couch.

"Okay, just hear me out!"

"FOR WHAT?!" Ethan cried.

"You can ask Grandma for proof, and my busted leg for proof, that the stupid ghost is real," Benny said, moving his crutches to the side of the couch so Ellie could join him. She refused.

"You want us to believe that a ghost broke your knee?" Ethan questioned. "That makes no sense!"

"It's true, kids!" Ms. Weir hollered from the kitchen, gaining the attention of her surrogate grandchildren. "That spirit ruined my favourite chair!"

"Why do you care more about the chair?" Benny whined.

"Benny, you lied to us for a week straight," Ellie sighed, pushing frustrated hands to her face. "You don't see how we could be a little pissed about that?"