The Family Business

Changing Gears: Part Two

AN/:: Hey! There are parts of dialog and imagery in this chapter that do not belong to me. Also, this is a highly emotional chapter please prepare yourselves I wasn't even read and I wrote it. P.S. thank you Wattpad for autosave!

"Wakey Wakey," Lisa smiled as she sat on the edge of her son's bed. Sixteen, sometimes it felt just like yesterday he was being placed in her arms. "Beeeeeeen," she sang out lightly while rubbing his back. A groan was her reply "come on sleepy head it's six thirty your DMV appointment is at eight."

"Moooom," Ben whimpered. "Come back at seven thirty."

Lisa laughed. "No chance buddy up, shower, now. I'm making pancakes."

"With peanut-butter?" Ben poked his head out from under his covers slowly while he pouted.

"Yeah," she laughed and ruffled his hair. "I suppose we can accommodate the birthday boy."

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Ben pulled into the school parking lot with fifteen minutes to spare, thank goodness for nine o'clock start times. Finding a spot towards the back, he pulled in. The moment he steps out of the car he's greeted with half the baseball team hollering and pumping their arms in the air.

"Let's hear it for this hot shot!" Josh yelled while he approached him, Ben chuckled and shook his head and gave his friend a 'bro hug.' "So how's it feel man? Finally got that license."

"Freeing," smiled Ben as he gathered up his book bag from the back seat.

"Don't look now but, Tiffany Sanders is totally scoping you," nodded Josh following Ben's lead towards the front gates.

"Ah, yeah?" Ben chuckled and looked over his shoulder for a quick second "that's cool but uh, I'm good."

"You...you're, what?" Josh grabbed his shoulders and spun him so they were facing one another, he put his hand on Ben's forehead "are you feeling okay? That's like, guaranteed birthday tail right there."

Ben laughed, pushed away from his friend and continued on his path "I don't need Greenville High's petri dish for my birthday. Besides, blondes aren't my thing."

Josh rolled his eyes "whatever, I take it the date last night went alright then."

"It was decent" Ben smirked. Josh smiled and said something but it wasn't heard, Ben shook his head "what?"

"I said..." but it was like he was deaf again, only this time a high pitched ringing sound invaded his lobes. Ben stuck his finger in his ear and wiggled it.

"You good?" Josh asked giving him a funny look.

"Yeah, I think so" Ben mumbled then winced when a sharp pain shot through his head.

"Ben... Ben!" Josh grabbed on to his shoulders again forcing Ben to face him "Ben...Ben, look at me, look at me! Your gonna be just fine."

He stumbled backwards and shook his head, that was not Josh's voice. Just as quickly as the pain came, it left. He gulped in a deep breath then slowly released it 'what the hell was that.'

The bell rang out over their heads, and Ben nodded towards the door "come on man we're gonna be late."

"You sure?" Josh questioned. "Because you sorta went out of it back there, heck man you're pale as a sheet."

"Yeah, let's go," He said with the biggest fakest smile he could manage.

By the time Ben makes it to third period English he's had no less than six girls try to give him a birthday kiss; he was gonna kick Josh's ass for posting about it on the school page. He takes his seat and starts on the daily prompt on the board. Fifteen minutes after the late bell, Mrs. Bradberry calls their attention to the front of the class. "Daily journals away, let's pick up where we left off in Henry James' Turn of the Screw."