Hate Every Beautiful Day
Chapter 7
By: Makena
Benji groaned and made his way up to the football field after school had ended. He had been given a uniform and he skipped most of 8th hour to put it on. Humiliated, Benji followed a couple of the football players onto the field and stood anxiously on the sidelines, nervously holding his helmet in his hands. He glanced over at the bleachers where, as always, Makena was sitting, but a dark-haired girl with bondage pants was with her. Benji remembered her from kindergarten when he had pulled her hair and eaten the frosting off her cupcake after she had kissed him. Nicole - that was her name.
Nicole and Makena had both stood up and were watching Benji make his way onto the field in awe. Benji frowned and looked around the practice field - everyone's reaction had been the same. Not one person threw a football or made a tackle.
Benji rolled his eyes and walked onto the field where Kleets was talking to one of the team mates. Kleets looked up at Benji and smiled, patting him on the shoulder.
"There you are," he said. "Glad you could make it. Now I heard about your fight today - try to avoid getting in trouble from now on. You're on the football team now." Kleets paused and blew his whistled. All the whispers and pointing stopped. "This is Benjamin Combs. He'll be playing football for us this season. Everybody welcome him and treat him like he's been playing with us all along."
Football practice was long and hard, and Benji couldn't wait for it to end. He had to tackle people, make passes, and he usually find himself on the ground.
Finally, at five, Kleets blew his whistle and the team came in for a final huddle. Benji took his helmet off and ran a hand through his hair. It was wet and he was unbelievably hot.
"Good practice," Kleets said after everyone had made their way to the huddle. "First game of the season is tomorrow. I expect all of you to play to your full extent. Especially you, Combs." Benji looked up at Kleets in surprise. He didn't like the sound of that.
"You did well your first practice," Kleets explained. "I'm throwing you in the game tomorrow. Everybody hit the showers. I'll see you back here tomorrow."
Exhausted, Benji hauled himself to the side lines where he poured himself a cup of water. He turned around to look at the bleachers, only to notice that Makena's group had grown since practice had started. Now with Makena and Nicole stood the boy with the dreads and Paul. Paul pointed at Benji, but the boy with the dreads knocked his hand down, muttered something, and waved at Benji. Benji frowned, crumpled his cup, and threw it away before following the team down to the locker room. Benji opened his locker and carefully began to change, hoping nobody was watching him.
"Hey, Combs!" one of his team mates called. "Aren't you gonna take a shower?"
Benji looked around for the source of the voice, but quickly turned back to his locker, because the person who had just talked to him wasn't wearing any clothes.
"I'll take one when I get home," Benji replied, staring at the back of his red gym locker. "I don't wanna get gang raped. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not into guys."
Some people laughed. Benji finished changing and grabbed his backpack, deciding then was a good time to leave.
-----
Benji had to walk home and he didn't get there until a little after six. The beat up old Buick his mother drove was in the driveway, and most of the lights were on in the house. Sore from practice and wanting to do nothing but go to bed, Benji limped slightly to the front door and let himself inside.
Joel was sitting on the couch, writing some things in his notebook. His sister Sarah was on the phone, and his mother was cooking and trying to clean the house at the same time. She paused when he walked inside.
"There you are," she said, a smile forming on her face. The smile faded when she noticed the bruise around her son's right eye and his swollen lip. "Oh, Benji..." she sighed. "What happened this time?"
"I got in a fight," Benji said with a sigh. "And I got suspended for Monday."
Joel looked up from his notebook and over at his brother. "Just Monday?" he asked, some what confused.
Benji nodded. His mother sighed and pulled her son in for a hug. "You're all sweaty," she declared, pulling away. "And you smell - go take a shower.
Joel laughed as Benji kicked his backpack towards their bedroom. He could hear the shower start and sighed, returning to his writing. The room was silent, except for Sarah's aimless chatter with her friend.
Finally, their mother broke the silence. "Joel, where did you brother go after school?"
Joel shrugged. "I don't know. Why?"
"Well... he came home all sweaty, like he had been working out or something."
Joel laughed. "Benji?" he asked.
Joel laughed again, but became very curious where his brother HAD gone. He closed his notebook and walked into their bedroom, waiting for Benji to get out of the shower. Benji finally got out of the shower and appeared in the twin's bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He paused, slightly surprised to see his brother in there.
"Where'd you go?" Joel asked curiously. Benji frowned.
"The shower."
Joel sighed and rolled his eyes. "After school."
"Not that it's any of your business," Benji began, walking to his dresser, "but I stayed after for a while."
Joel rolled his eyes. "WHY?" he stressed.
"Oh." Benji paused to slip a clean shirt over his head. "I was on the football field."
Joel frowned. "Again... why?"
Benji shrugged and turned around to face his brother. "You can't tell anyone," he began. "...but... I was at football practice."
Joel tried not to laugh. "Football practice?" he repeated. "Like, watching or something, right?"
"No. I... I joined the team."
Joel laughed again, rolling over on his bed, trying to stop.
"I'm glad you find it so amusing," Benji scoffed.
"I... I'm sorry," Joel stammered, trying to breath. "I just... you joined the football team..."
Joel began to laugh again. Benji waited for him to finish.
"Done?"
Joel nodded, still trying not to laugh. "Why...?" Joel managed to choke out.
"I don't graduate until I pass gym," Benji began. "And since I failed that class in 9th and 10th grade, I have to play football to make up for that."
Joel preceded to laugh at a not-so-enthused Benji, who picked up a change in clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.