This Side of Pain

Laughs and Work

Ben's POV

   I walk out of the school and head towards my car, and I snicker to myself at the dumb man inside. The fact that he thought that I was going to give in was funny, though not as funny as doing all that rushing to get to work in time only for his shirt to be on inside out.

    This morning when he had passed us in the hall, I was simply doing to ignore it, but as soon as Maggie saw his hair, she knew who he was.

    I then had to explain to her that her teacher lives in the apartment next to ours and of course had to suffer the car ride listening to her talk about how cool he is. It's strange to hear my
daughter talk about a man that I can't even take seriously enough o have a real conversation with.

    But as I said last time, at least I have a sense of respect now for him since he has to take care of my daughter for about nine hours a day five days a week for nine months out of the year. That's a lot of time, and so I try my nest to keep my snarky and rude remarks about the man inside.

    Though if he continues to try and speak with me I will have no other choice but to either stab him, kill him or embarrass him to the point where he would only want to say two things to me.

    Hello and Goodbye.

     I continue to laugh to myself as I unlock my car and slide inside, starting up my car before I drive away from the school, getting my mind ready for me to work. Just as I pull on to the road, my phone starts ringing and I reach across the seat to grab it, not taking my eyes off of the road before I pull the device to my ear.

    "Hello?" I ask as I pick up, turning left, and I hear the sound of a yawn.

    "Hey Ben. How has school been going for Maggie?" Thomas asks and I smile, always loving hearing from my friend especially since I have to talk to him about something.

     "She seems to love it. It's getting no easier dropping her off everyday but it helps that I get her back safe, sound and happy." I tell him, pulling into the parking lot of the diner and I take a few moments to sit, turning the heat up just a little bit mroe as I talk to my friend that I consider a brother. "How have you been?"

   There's a sharp intake o breath and suddenly I know exactly where this conversation is heading and even though I wish I could plus my ears and run form it, I know that Thomas needs me here with him just like I always need him with me. "I don't know why, but all the dreams, the nightmares all of it, it's been coming back lately. I almost woke up Ares last night during one." He tells me quietly and I nod my head, leaning it against the seat as I close my eyes.

   "It's been happening to me too. Worse than usual." I admit, biting my lip at the admission, but Thomas doesn't say anything for a few minutes as we just sit there.

    After a while, he speaks up again and I wish he would have stayed quiet.

    "Do you think he's going to come back?" He asks and I can feel the fear in his voice.

    "Not for you. Maybe even not for me. But for her, I know one day, he will." I tell him, my voice low as if I'm telling a secret, and maybe in a way I am.

    "Is school the best thing?" He asks and though some may feel like he's questioning my parenting, I know that he's worried for his niece and he safety, just as I am. And I shrug to myself though I know he can't see it.

    "I don't want her to grow up scared of her own shadow and unable to have interaction with people because she's locked away all her life. Protecting her doesn't make making her a prisoner okay. And if we're being honest, a school will help hide her better with all those little kids around her that look like her. Having her with me make it almost too easy." I feel like I'm trying to convince myself just as much as Thomas's even though I know that I'm right.

   "Are you scared?" He asks me softly and I laugh, a sad one, but unable to hold it in at the question.

   "All the time." I admit and he laughs too recognizing the stupidity in a question that the both of us feel. "Ahh, but I have to go to work, okay? Make sure you tell Ares about your nightmares or I'll tell him myself." I warm hun and he scoffs.

   "I will drag your boney ass." He threatens and I laugh, both of us knowing that my ass is anything up. We go to hang up just as I remember what I was going to talk about.

   "Oh, Maggie's birthday is in three weeks. Are you guys gonna. be able to make it?" I ask him and he smacks his teeth.

    "See, that's what I was supposed to as Ares this morning. I'll make sure he takes the Thursday through Sunday off and we'll be there. I hope you're ready for the shit the boys have picked up form their dad." He groans and I laugh.

    "That's always the best part of a visits." I tell him and we say our goodbyes then.

     Even though the conversion was heavy, like always I'm grateful for Thomas and any conversion we have because I know that that bond that we have with each other for those few months we suffered together are unmatched by anything else. He's my soulmate in a platonic sense and we get each other even when he and Ares don't get each other.

    Theyre the only family I have left.

    Left in a decent mood, I get out of my car and tie on my apron around my waist, going to grab my bag before I close the door. Once my car is locked, I make my way towards the door of the diner and open them, walking inside to reveal Ms. Nancy behind the counter singer her favorite jazz songs as she wiped stuff down.

    "My baby Ben how are we today?" She greets me and as always I smile to myself, always loving working with her.

   "I'm doing just fine, Ms. Nancy. It's good to see you." I tell her and she pays my hand softly learning long ago that hugs are not something that you give everyone.

    "It's always a pleasure to see you too darling." She tells me and I go into the back to hand up my bag and get myself ready for the day. My life may not be perfect, but from what I've been through I'm damn proud of how far I've come. I smile to myself as I turn around and walk into the kitchen, a smile on my face as I said hello a to the others.

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Ugh I really need to eat something but I don't know what to eat. I have eight chapter left today and I've decided I'm posting 30 chapter because I'm a bit tired.

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QOTD: Who is your role model?