Hate Every Beautiful Day
Chapter 18
By: Makena
Benji took his normal seat at lunch where he ate alone. He was relieved Makena hadn't tried to sit with him, but he didn't know she was watching him from half way across the cafeteria.
"Oh, give it up," Paul said. "He's a lost cause."
Makena turned around to face the table and shrugged. "I know, but..." She stopped.
"But..." Nicole repeated. Makena hesitated. She glanced at Shannon, who continued to eat her sandwich - trying not to look obvious.
"It's just so sad... him over there, eating by himself and all." Everyone around the table looked at each other with questioning faces and a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this," Billy said. "But he doesn't exactly want our help."
"Yeah, I was here when he told us, Billy," Makena said, rolling her eyes and glancing back over towards Benji.
"And if anyone hates him, its you," he finished.
"Well..." she began. "I... I guess he's a jerk..."
"Okay, what happened?" Nicole asked. "What do you know?"
Makena frowned and looked over to Nicole. "Nothing," she lied. "I just changed my mind about him." They all shrugged, but believed her anyway. After all, she was from Michigan.
-----
Benji took a long drink of the liquor he had put in his duffel bag before closing the door to walk to the field. The rain had stopped, but the clouds were still dark, threatening more rain.
"What the hell happened to your eye?"
Benji turned around to see Aaron, lagging behind a little. He shrugged and played with the helmet in his hands. "Fight," he replied.
"Look's like you lost," Aaron noticed. Benji shrugged as they walked out of the school and towards the football field together.
"I didn't really fight back," Benji admitted.
"Wait... you didn't start it?" Aaron questioned. Benji shook his head. "Well, there's a first for everything." He paused and sneezed a little, still fighting a slight cold. "Who did start it?"
Benji sighed. "My best friend," he said sarcastically. "You know - Jason?"
Aaron shook his head. "That son of a bitch," he muttered. "What a coward."
Benji shrugged. "I think he wants me to be his little bitch now," he said. "I'm not, but that's what he wants." He paused. "I told you he was gay."
-----
"Got any... fours?" Makena shook her head.
"Go fish."
Paul groaned and picked a card up from the top of the deck. Makena glanced at her cards.
"Got any queens?"
"Damn it!" Paul cursed. He took out the card he had just chosen and tossed it to Makena.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Nicole asked, standing over Paul to see what they were playing.
"Go Fish," Makena reported. "Look... it says Canada on the back of the cards. I bought them in Canada."
"Let me see!" Shannon said, nearly throwing Nicole down in the process. Makena held a card up.
"Nice," she said. She paused and looked at Paul's hand. "He has a two."
"Shannon!"
"Got any twos?" Makena asked.
"That's not fair!"
Makena laughed and took her two anyway. hey were in D.C. for another football game, but they had come equipped with whatever they needed to keep themselves occupied and unbored until the end of the game - which hadn't even started yet, but they were already playing cards.
"Okay, okay... got any threes?" Makena asked, holding up her last card.
"GO FISH!" Paul yelled excitedly. "Ha!"
Makena rolled her eyes, picked up a card, and laughed. “Three," she said, putting her last two cards down. "I win."
"What the hell...?" Paul said. "This game sucks!"
Billy laughed from somewhere behind Makena. "Well HE'S a good loser," he said.
"Aren't we all?" Makena asked back. "Chill, Paul. It was Go Fish."
"I know, but... why do I suck?"
"Cause you don't know how to blow?" Shannon suggested. Paul frowned and whipped around, punching her in the arm.
"Ow..." she said, rubbing her arm. "You suck, Paul."
Makena laughed and watched as the whistle blew and the football players filed out onto the field for a moment.
"Okay, so remind me why we're at another game?" Brian said. "I know Makena's boyfriend plays, but... we're not exactly supposed to help Benji anymore."
Everyone frowned, realizing he was right. They had planned going to the game since they heard about it, and they guessed that they had forgotten they weren't supposed to "help" Benji. They sighed.
"Well... we're here," Shannon spoke up. "In D.C. I mean. We're already here and we already paid for the game, so... we might as well stay." They agreed to stay for a while longer, but finally got bored and decided to leave.
"What was the score?" Makena asked before they all piled into Nicole's car. They shrugged.
"I don't know... why?" Billy asked.
"I was just curious."
"I think it was 16 to 10, but I don't know," Shannon reported. "We would be the 16 and they would be the 10."
Makena nodded. "Okay. Thanks."