When the morning comes

8 | a spinning head

"I don't need someone to babysit me. I'm eleven! Just go, I'll be fine." Defeated with arms crossed and cowboy pajamas hugging Benjamins' slim body, he stared at the floor with a frown creasing his forehead.

Throwing an extra blanket onto his bed, I shoved closed his curtains, switching on his lights after that. "I don't want to hear another word. You've done and said enough today, you hear me? Almighty.. you never stop."

Benjamin clenched his jaws, threw his head back onto his pillow in frustration. "You never hear my side of the story! You always believe my stupid teacher. She doesn't like me, isn't that obvious? Her focus is on me only and then I always get blamed for everything!"

"Pulling down your pants in the middle of the class isn't alright. It's a Catholic school, for goodness sake."

His eyes rolled, his face was red from the anger and his arms were wildly and desperately moving around. "Because Arthur said they were pulled up too high! See, it's never good! I always do everything wrong!"

"Tone, Benjamin!" I shot back, raising my eyebrows. "Did you really think that was the right way to solve the issue between you two?"

Gripping onto his covers, he snuggled deep down in bed, frustrated tears rolling down his cheeks. "I still had my underwear on. What's the problem?!"

"You think about that, Benjamin. I've got to go." I answered, trying to keep my own emotions inside, lowering my own voice. Aurora would have hated me if she knew how I brought our child to bed today, but what else could I do? He didn't want to get it into his thick skull. My exhaustion grew bigger by the day and I didn't know how much longer I could take it. "Adeline is watching you tonight. She's the friend of Nolans' elder sister, from church. If you need anything, you can go downstairs and ask her, alright? She has a mobile phone and can call me."

Benjamin didn't answer. Purposefully, because I could tell by anything that he wasn't sleeping.

"Sleep well, chap."

No answer, still.

Switching off his lights, I closed his bedroom door behind me. Instantly, I heard him moving around in his bed. Clenching my jaw to keep my emotions inside, I took a deep breath and jogged downstairs, throwing on my coat.

Passing the red and curled haired girl a smile, I picked up my keys. "I'm sorry for the commotion. Trouble at school. Needed to talk it through. Anyway, I guess I'll be home by ten, exception would be eleven. Feel free to grab some snacks from the cabinet over there, and drinks from the fridge. Thanks for watching him."

"No worries. Anytime!" She flashed me a smile, which I returned halfheartedly. Moments later, I closed the door and drove off to Teddy's.

The situation with Benji caused me to be fifteen minutes late, so when Teddy opened the door he looked more than surprised. "Son, you came."

"Well, you asked." Pursing my lips, I gave a short smile while my eyes gazed over the ground. The door opened a bit more, an invitation to come inside. "Thanks."

"Of course. We were just having some coffee. You like carrot cake? Rosie made it the other day." Teddy chatted away, taking my coat as I shook it off my shoulders. Kicking my shoes off, I nodded, silently entering the living room.

With chairs scattered everywhere, people sitting here and there, different voices mixing together- it was a busy happening. The atmosphere felt good, nonetheless, it had been a while since I'd come here last, so I felt rather uncomfortable for some reasons.

Aurora had already passed the last time I came here, so the tension of that was, luckily, gone for the most part, but since people often wondered if I was doing okay, and I was late, and so the attention was all on me at this moment, I wished I never went.