[What's a good name to call you all, fan base wise? Gimme your thoughts. c:]

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 10

Ao's POV

It was about nine in the morning. Soft sunlight was pouring in from the window, making the bedroom look warm and cozy. I've been up since eight, and have just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling or out the window or at Jack. He laid beside me, still sleeping with barely any blanket left on him (I tend to hog it and he never minds when I do).

I shifted onto my side so that I faced him. The room was quiet enough for me to hear his gentle breathing. I lifted a hand and tentatively placed it on the side of his face. He suddenly took in a deep breath but didn't wake up. I smiled and leaned forward to place a kiss on his nose. When I put my hand down, it brushed against his shoulder and I felt how chill his skin was. I went ahead and put half of the blanket on him, my arm wrapping around his body as I did so.

Sitting up, I stared down at him, taking in every bit of his features. Tenderly, I poked his cheeks where I knew his dimples were, and traced the scars on his face. It suddenly saddened me to think that for the past year I've barely given much thought to the little things about him. He and I have been so busy trying to find Elizabeth and exterminating rogue Corrupted that it's routine for us to just get up, chat for a bit about casual things, work, then go to bed and just sleep. Sometimes I don't even join him and stay up late while he rests.

I berated myself for ignoring him. It may not seem like ignoring, but it is. He isn't just some other person I'm working with and fighting with. He's my love and I can't push his thoughts and feelings aside. So, I leaned down and pressed another kiss onto his bandage-covered temple, then whispered, "I'm sorry I've neglected you. I love you."

"I love you too....," Jack murmured, surprising me so much that I flinched. He snaked a hand out from under the blanket and held it against my waist.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, placing my hand on his.

"Only for a few seconds," he replied with a groggy voice. He turned over onto his back and pulled me a little closer. "Why are you apologizing for something you didn't do?" he questioned.

Hovering over him, I managed a nervous smirk and replied, "Well, I just...that's how I see it."

"You aren't neglecting me," he retorted.

"But, we've been so busy, and I know we should take a break every once in a while but we never did, and this past year has been crazy, and..."

Jack's fingers gently brushed against my cheek and my rambling faltered. He pushed my hair behind my ear and said, "I understand that we've been busy--you especially. And it's understandable that we don't take breaks. You shouldn't apologize for working hard. You know I'll follow you no matter what."

"That's not what I'm saying," I murmur hesitantly.

"What is it then...?"

Pursing my lips, I stared at the wall and thought. After a few seconds, I continued, "I just...I don't know. You deserve better."

He pulled a smile and remarked, "You're not telling me to find someone else, are you?"

A harsh flush reached my cheeks and I stammered, "N-No! Of course I would never let you date anyone else...!"

"Then?" he said, chuckling. I loved how rich and deep it sounded, so mature and perfect.

Biting my lip, I gazed around the room in thought again. Quietly, I mumbled, "Tell me what your feelings are. Like, what are you thinking? What do you want? I-I want to abide to your needs, you know? Because you've worked hard, too, and I love you."

Jack kept a smile and inquired, "Is that what you want?"

"Yeah."

He let out an easygoing sigh and said, "Okay, well...I'm not sure what I want. All I want to do is be with you."

"Then, we can just stay in bed," I replied. I went ahead and plopped down next to him, draping my arm across his bare chest. He slipped an arm under my neck, being my own warm, loving pillow. There was peaceful silence in the room, and I even heard a bird chirp outside the window.

Jack interjected in a soft tone of voice, "Now what?"

"Hmmm?"

He turned his head slightly. "I mean, is this all we do?"

"Uhhh....yeah," I replied.

"You're sure you want to just lay here?"

"Yeah."

"Because you're fidgeting."

It wasn't until he pointed it out that I realized I was shaking my foot under the blanket. Embarrassed, I scoffed a chuckle and murmured, "Is it bothering you...?"

"Only because I know you don't want to lay around," Jack responded.

"Okay," I started, sitting up. "Maybe that is the case. But I want to do what you want to do, so don't worry about me."

"Ao..." He sat up with me, placing a hand on the center of my back. "I've gotten used to doing whatever you do, you know."

"No," I muttered. "Today is for you."

"Your thoughts are all over the place, I can tell," he remarked cleverly, brushing his fingertips against my chin.

"My thoughts are perfectly in position," I remarked, tilting my head away from him, but he pulled my chin so I could face him. Even though I feigned annoyance, a smile cracked my lips when he placed a kiss in between my eyebrows.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm happy," he whispered against my forehead.

"You say that, but I make you work, and work, and work..."

"That's okay. I do it all for you."

"But still..."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" He lightly pinched my cheeks and I groaned.

"I'm not being stubborn."

"Yes, you are," he argued playfully, "and it seems like the only way I can make you ease up is by doing this." Suddenly, he leaned his head down to my neck and began kissing at my skin. I giggled and squirmed, trying to pull myself away from him but he trapped me in his embrace when he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Stop it," I laughed.

"I'm not sure you want me to since you keep tilting your head back," he quipped, then proceeded to nibble at me.

"Jack...!" He kept pushing against me, and I kept leaning back, so eventually the both of us fell onto the bed, laughing. With my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer into a hug, and he nestled his face against my collarbone. His lips tickled my skin as he kissed, pecked, nibbled. My cheeks hurt from smiling so wide and I could feel the blush in them already.

Gently, I played with his hair and held him, never wanting to let go. One of his hands pressed against my sides and the other brushed my bangs back. As I giggled and laid in his embrace, I stared at his gray skin, tempted to mess with him, too. After contemplating, I went ahead and pecked at his shoulder. Jack chuckled and pressed his lips against mine, trapping me again. I didn't mind at all. Having him so close to me is perfect. Having him is perfect.

"I think," I murmured after we stopped kissing, "I'll be okay with laying around."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I cupped his face in my hands and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "But!" I added, "I want you to stay like this."

"On top of you?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"You won't get uncomfortable?"

"I'm pretty comfortable," I chimed, playing with his ears. A bashful smirk came across his face and I teased, "What are you thinking...?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying," he said, but his flustered smile was still there.

"Bad Jack," I chided and he groaned.

"You think that's bad? I can show you bad." Before I could reply, he started kissing at my neck again and I giggled. As I squirmed, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and my legs around his hips. My fingers brushed across his back as I hugged him against me. The more he kissed at me, the harder my blushing got, and I wasn't about to stop things.

When I glanced over at the bedroom door, I raised my hand and flicked my finger to the side. The lock twisted with a soft, barely noticeable click and I smirked. I'll definitely be okay with staying in bed.

...

The next day I decided to visit Ben in his room. It was late-morning and the mansion halls were quiet. Knocking on his door was almost unsettling, but the feeling was offset when he opened it. I smiled as soon as I saw him, then noticed his clothes.

"You're going out?" I inquired.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah." He scratched the back of his head, flashing me a shy grin. That's strange--he never smiles like that.

His clothes weren't much but I know he wouldn't wear them if he was only hanging out inside. The blonde wraith wore some flashy high-tops, white pants with small tears at the knees, and a baggy, gray shirt. On his head was a black boater hat that I've never seen him wear before until now. He even wore his human disguise.

"You look great," I complimented him.

His peachy cheeks flushed pink as he chirped, "Thanks! And...you, too!" I knew he only said that just to be funny because all I wore was a baggy T-shirt and shorts underneath that could barely be seen. My hair was slightly poofy from sleep, and I bet I look like I was just asleep. Still, I chuckled and replied, "Thanks, Casanova."

"What's up?" He leaned against the doorway, hands in his pockets.

"I just wanted to ask you something," I answered.

"Shoot."

"Okay," I beamed and pushed my hair behind my ear. "So, I was wondering if you knew any places where I could, um, sight see? To take a break and enjoy?"

Ben shifted his eyes around in thought, before flicking them to me quickly and smiling cheekily. "Hehe, um, yeah I know some places. Hehe. Ha..."

Furrowing my brow, I mumbled, "What?"

Ben tapped his lips and said, "Those--hehe--those are some nice marks on your neck you've got there..."

When I lifted my hand to touch my neck, I realized what he was talking about and gasped. "Uhh...!"

"Was he good?"

"What? N-No!"

"He wasn't?"

"No, he was--."

"Oh!"

"No, it's not like that," I stammered. (It really never got like that--we ended up hardcore tickle fighting. It was still fun, though.)

"Just give me ideas on where to go," I said, covering my neck with the collar of my shirt.

He finished chuckling to himself and nodded. "Sure thing, Sheba. Anything for you."

After I received a list of an array of places, I asked Ben, "Where are you going?"

"Um, somewhere. I hear Cancun is nice this time of year."

I chuckled and shook my head. "For real."

"Just going out to hit the town, ya know? Get some fresh air and pretend to be normal," he joked.

I stared at him for a few moments, reading his face. Then, I flashed him a playful, suspicious look and said, "You're going to see that boy, aren't you?"

"What boy?"

"The boy you brought to the mansion to get Purified," I stated.

His blush was one of nervousness now as he darted his eyes away.

My eyes widened. "You are."

"Only briefly."

"You wouldn't dress up so nice if it was 'only brief'," I remarked.

"Ummmm."

"Sooo?" I leaned against the doorway, too, copying his beguiling nature from earlier.

With a sigh, his shoulders sagged in defeat and he murmured, "Okay, I'm hanging out with him... Please, uh, don't tell anyone about this..."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"A few weeks already," he answered with a look that made him seem like a child who's just been scolded.

"It's our little secret," I whispered to him with a gentle smile. "But on one condition..."

"What is it?"

"Tell me about him," I said. "What you do, what you talk about. I need to know what kind of kid he is, just to be safe. Have you told him about us?"

Again, he shifted his eyes and replied, "N-No..."

"And he's just a regular human, right?"

The blonde nodded. Then his nodding slowed and he added, "Well, he has my game cartridge."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Your what?"

He pulled out a cellphone from his back pocket, stating, "I-I'll explain later. I can't be late or else he's going to make me play soccer with him."

I paused. "Why is that a punishment?"

"Listen, the kid is half-Latino, I'm pretty sure he's gonna kick my ass. I'll see you later, since I need to give Jeff his lunch."

"Don't worry about that," I said. "I'll handle him. You go. Be careful."

There was a sudden looseness about him as he stared at me with awe. "Thank you, Sheba," he said, a big grin slowly making its way onto his features.

Afterwards, he closed the door and I was left standing outside in the hall. A quick flash of light flickered from the crack under the door and I figured he left. Holding the list in my hands, I walked down the hallway again to go downstairs. As I walked, I kept thinking about how awkward Ben had gotten, how coy his expressions were. And I wondered how that boy I Purified could make him act in that way. A part of me was curious on a friendly sense, while the other was curious on a cautious level.

I need to know more about what's going on.

...

Reese's POV

It was my first day of suspension, which I suppose isn't something to be proud of, but at least I'm off. The local park was fairly empty for late-morning. I laid across a picnic table, tossing a soccer ball up in the air repeatedly. Ben was supposed to be here at 10:30 but it's already 10:31.

Footsteps started pattering on the grass from my left and I turned my head to spot Ben. He was running to me as fast as he could, holding a hat on his head to keep it in place. Once he finally arrived, he whipped it off and leaned on his knees as he panted.

"I...I'm here!" he announced, exasperated.

"You're late," I chimed, sitting on the edge of the table.

"What?" he gasped, then checked his phone for the time. "It's only a minute past ten-thirty...!"

"And you're a minute late," I said. I nonchalantly bounced the soccer ball onto the picnic bench.

He wiggled and shook his arms around as he groaned. "But I'm wearing white pants....!"

"You should have thought about that before you decided to strut here like it's Gucci," I teased him. Without a warning, I tossed the ball at him and he fumbled to catch it. As I hopped off the table, I grabbed my nearly-empty backpack and said, "The soccer field is open, so let's get to it."

"Can't my punishment be something else? Like, I don't know, doing your homework?" Ben whined behind me.

"If I had any, but I'm suspended, so no homework for you."

"What if I be your man-servant for a month?"

"At this point, is there any difference?" I jested in a snarky tone of voice.

"Pleeeeaaaaaase?" Ben caught up next to me, giving me a pouty, desperate face. I shook my head and replied, "Put those legs to work, pervert. C'mon."

"Dammit...," he grumbled, adjusting his hat irritably.

When we got to the soccer field, Ben tossed his hat on the ground next to my backpack. I motioned for him to pass the ball and he did. Instead of catching it, I let it fall by my feet so I could roll and bump it around. Looking at Ben, I could already see the awe and exhaustion on his face as he watched me.

"You know how to play, right?" I asked, stepping on the ball to hold it still.

"Maybe," he murmured.

I smirked. "Well, this isn't any regular soccer game. In fact, this isn't soccer at all. With me, this is pure fútbol and I'm gonna play like it is."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see."

"Oh no--."

"Try to get the ball into my goal," I said, pointing to the goal behind me with my thumb and pushing the ball forward. Ben glanced down at the soccer ball at my feet, calculating how to go about this. Then, as soon as I saw the sparkle in his blue eyes I added, "And no teleporting, by the way."

"Fuck...," he muttered, the sparkle fading away.

Eventually, he figured something out and stepped forward to get the ball. As soon as his foot touched down, I swiped the ball and veered to the right. Without waiting, I kicked the ball straight into his goal with perfect aim. When I turned around, Ben was gaping at me like he had just been slapped across the face. Raising my arms up in the air, I shrugged and said, "Should've came earlier."

A few moments later, we were back to standing in the center with the ball between us. Ben seemed more determined to get the ball this time and was quicker to step forward. Like the first time, I was able to swipe the ball from him and veer to the right. This time he reacted better and ran with me. I kept dodging from side-to-side, taking the ball with me. Ben was starting to get more intrusive, coming closer to touching the ball with his feet. Before I let him do that, I did a quick juke and spun around him. In the process, he fumbled and fell over onto the ground. I laughed triumphantly and kicked the ball straight into his goal again.

Ben sat up, shaking bits of grass out of his hair. "This is not remotely fair," he said, frowning.

"Just be more aggressive about it," I advised. "This isn't some puny, little-league soccer we're playing. Here." Standing next to him, I held out my hand for him to take. He stared at it for a moment before grabbing it, then suddenly tugging me down. Taken by surprise, I fell onto the ground next to him, watching him get up in a hurry. The second he ran forward, I knew he was going for the ball.

Despite his dirty move, I grinned and got up to chase after him. He glanced back, yelped when he saw me running, and quickened his pace. I was able to catch up with only a few feet between us, but didn't cover that distance in time. The blonde leaped for the ball and tumbled into the net. He cradled it tight against his chest, turned away from me so I wouldn't grab it. I slid to the ground beside him, saying, "C'mon, don't pull this. Let go of the ball...!"

"No, it's mine!" he exclaimed.

"Gimme the ball!"

"No! Stop it! No!" he whined comically.

"Ben!" I ended up crawling on top of him to slip the ball out of his arms. In the struggle, Ben squirmed onto his knees and I toppled over onto the grass. As he tried getting up, I grabbed his legs and pulled him back down. No matter how much I tried to get the ball back, Ben wouldn't let go of it. Eventually, I had to resort to drastic measures.

Popping my knuckles and shaking my hands, I geared myself up for what I was about to do. While Ben focused on protecting the ball, I loomed over him and began tickling his sides. His eyes widened and he burst into laughter, scolding me as he did. "Stop it! I'm not giving you the ball! No! No!"

His legs kicked around as he giggled and squirmed. All of his attempts to crawl away from me failed as I kept dragging him back to me and tickling him.

Finally, something happened, and Ben tossed the ball away with a loud, "YEET!" I was too distracted by the ball gone projectile that he was able to push me over onto my back and run away. This time I was faster to get up and follow after him. Before he could pick up the soccer ball, I caught him and wrapped my arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides.

"No! This is abuse! I plead the fifth!"

"The fifth doesn't apply here," I remarked.

"Then I plead the other amendment...!"

"Do you know the U.S. amendments?"

"Probably not."

I rolled my eyes as I pushed him out of the way so I could grab the ball again. Suddenly, a huge weight landed onto my back as he piggybacked me.

"Oh my god, you're so fat," I joked.

"Don't body shame me! I love myself and that's all that matters," he argued.

I wasn't able to stand for long and ended up falling onto the ground again. Ben got on top of me to hold me down for a few moments. Then, he started going for the ball again and I trapped him in my arms. Despite this, he kept wiggling around and inching forward more and more, until he was practically crawling over my head.

"Dammit Ben, don't put your crotch in my face," I grumbled.

"You know you want it," he remarked.

"Bitch, no," I muttered then pushed him off. When I tried getting to my feet, I suddenly got a hat to the face and stopped in my tracks. Ben ran forward and finally picked up the soccer ball. Then he kept running, and running, and so did I, but I was too late. The blonde wraith dropped the ball on the ground, reared back his right leg and kicked. The ball went straight into my goal and I groaned.

"Ha!" Ben exclaimed happily. "You see that? I did it! Suck it, Reese's puffs!" He proceeded to stick his tongue out while pointing to his crotch.

"No thanks," I said, "I don't feel like being a ho today."

"So any other day would be good?" He wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed.

After I retrieved the soccer ball again, I told Ben, "I guess I'll give you that win."

"Can we take a break now?"

"No," I deadpanned. He whined and lazily flailed his arms. Patting his shoulder, I said, "This time, you have to play the right way."

"Fine," he muttered and followed me back to the center of the field so that we could do another round.

After twenty minutes the both of us were drenched in sweat and getting to the point where we could barely run. Ben got better at taking the ball from me and his kicking is great--maybe a little too great. He ended up kicking the ball all the way up into a tree.

"Ah, come on," I huffed.

"I'll get it." Ben went ahead and sprinted towards the tree. When he got to the trunk, he jumped up and grabbed onto the nearest branch. By the time I got to the tree, he was already climbing up. The ball had gotten stuck by the outer branches so he had to be meticulous with every step he took. I waited underneath the ball to catch it just in case. Ben got closer and started rattling the branches to get it loose, but that didn't work. With a harrumph, he climbed farther until his body abruptly jerked downward. It took me a few moments to register that he had just slipped, and it was too late when I realized what happened.

As fast as I could go, I ran forward to try and catch him but missed by a second. What made things worse was that I tripped over his legs and fell right on top of him. He groaned in pain and I muttered an apology. To my right, I heard the thud of the soccer ball on the ground and Ben and I sighed in unison. Carefully, I lifted myself off of him and glanced to see if he was alright. Thankfully, he didn't look injured but his facial expression seemed done with life.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He looked at me and managed a playful smile. "I mean, with you on top of me, I think I'm fine."

"Pervert," I remarked, rolling off of him, to which he responded with a saddened 'aw'.

"By the way," I added, "I think your shirt got torn in the fall."

"Huh?" The blonde wraith sat up and checked his gray shirt. Sure enough part of the side was ripped away. The both of us looked up to see a strip of gray cloth hanging in the branches. "Aw, crap...," he mumbled.

Standing up, I said, "Don't worry, I'll lend you my hoodie."

"Ah, you don't have to--." But I was already walking away to my backpack. I opened it up and pulled out my hoodie, which I cleaned so there wasn't any blood on it. Along with that, I grabbed Ben's hat and returned to him. Without a heads-up, I tossed the hoodie onto his face and the hat by his legs. I sat beside him on the ground as he thanked me and removed his shirt. Glancing at him, I was a little surprised by how fit he was. I always took him to be a little skinnier, less toned, but I guess I was terribly mistaken.

Once he had my hoodie on, he tossed the torn shirt aside without a care. He patted his stomach where the hoodie bunched up and commented, "Cozy."

We sat under the tree together, staring at the park around us. More people were coming in to walk, or jog, or play. I decided we could take a break now and laid across the grass. Ben kept sitting up with his arms rested on his knees. There was silence for a good few minutes and during that time I ended up closing my eyes.

Images flitted through my mind of the Corrupted with its multiple oozing eyes, and of a black, shadowy figure looming over me with so much malice. Both entities seemed to merge, creating an even more vicious monster than when they were separate. I felt that horrible poison slither through my veins again and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. Struggling became harder and harder and I was desperate for it to end and--

I woke up with a start, bolting up from the grass, breathing heavily. Ben was still beside me, leaned away as if I had startled him, and I'm sure I did. After the initial adrenaline had faded away, I sighed and wiped my face with my shirt. "Was I asleep?"

Ben nodded.

"For how long?"

He shrugged. "I'd say fifteen minutes."

"And you didn't wake me up?"

"You looked peaceful," he replied.

All of my adrenaline had left my body and it was easier to breathe. I laid down on the grass again, staring up at the tree branches above me with a stern frown.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Ben asked in a quiet tone of voice.

I nodded and murmured, "Yeah. They tend to happen when I take quick naps."

"What was it about?"

"The Corrupted I fought," I answered. "And...something else, but I'm not sure if you'd want to hear it."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his expression dull. "Was it your dad?"

"Something like him," I muttered. "He's always a shadow, which I hate even more than actually seeing him. It's like he's such a coward that I can't even see him in dreams." Glancing at his sullen face, I smirked and added, "Don't worry, I'm not always spouting out stuff about my dad. I'm just going through another relapse."

"Relapse?"

I nodded. "It's something that happens: unwarranted dreams about my dad, sudden thoughts about my past, anger issues. The lot. I'm usually more irritable when I'm relapsing, but I think I'm coping better thanks to you."

A sheepish smile met his lips and he murmured, "Thanks to me? Really?"

"You've been keeping my attention," I admitted. "It's nice doing something different. I see why you like hanging out with me."

Ben only smiled and stared off ahead. Then, he asked, "How can you be so casual about what your dad did to you?"

"His ass was sent to prison ten years ago," I stated. "By now I shouldn't even be thinking all that much about him, but there's something wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you."

"From what you've seen of me," I retorted. "You haven't seen me at my worst, and I'd rather you didn't."

"Why?"

Meeting his gaze, I said, "Because then you probably wouldn't like me. You'd think I'm an asshole and leave. That's what everyone else has done. My friends don't last."

Ben flashed a kind smile despite the mood and replied, "Do you want me to last?"

I paused for a moment, staring into his eyes. Quietly, I mumbled, "I don't know..."

He chuckled. "Well, so far I'm enjoying our time together. I don't find you the least bit terrible. To be honest, I was expecting things to go the other way around: you coming to despise me."

"I mean, you're an idiot, but not a stupid idiot," I joked and he lightheartedly shoved my shoulder.

"So, you don't want me to leave, is that what you're saying?" he questioned with a jaunty ring to his voice.

Rolling my eyes, I sat up and answered, "If you want to think that way, go ahead; I won't stop you."

"Oh, you like me," he chirped, bumping my head with his hat. I chuckled and snatched it from his hand to toss it on top of my head. It landed in a lazy position but Ben gave me the 'top-notch' gesture anyway.

"Are you bothered when I mention my dad?" I asked him.

He played with the hoodie strings as he responded, "Yeah. But I'm sure anyone would be if they didn't know your story."

"I won't talk about him anymore."

The blonde wraith's shoulders tensed and he insisted, "It's fine, Reese. It's saddening to hear but it's your life. I'm not in a place to judge. If it helps to talk or rant, then great...!"

"Talking it out and ranting hasn't worked, from my experience," I replied. It really hasn't. Therapists were a waste.

"Then don't do it to relieve stress," Ben said, "just talk. I'm a great listener, ya know!"

I laughed softly and turned my head to look at him. "Why do you care so much about me?"

His warm smile reached his eyes as he said, "You're a good kid, Reese, even if you don't think so. You're an interesting human, and I really like being around you. Plus, I'd rather place my thoughts and worries on you than on myself. I've had enough of stressing myself out. Like I've said, you're my break away. A little spot of freedom in a world of crazy."

Listening to his words, all I could do was understand. I understood on a more personal level than a general level. "A spot of freedom in a world of crazy" was something that video games were to me, was what riding my penny board felt like, was what finally being happy had been. The look in his eyes is sincere and I recognize the longing for escape in his blue irises. I've seen it in Hunter, in Mom, and in myself. And I wondered what Ben could be going through that he doesn't talk about, doesn't show me, doesn't even want to think about to the point where he sets his thoughts on me instead. And I felt compelled to keep those thoughts on me.

I didn't say any of this to Ben. The only thing I told him was, "Alright. I'll talk more, if it helps to distract you."

He chuckled. "Not really the purpose I was going for, but I'll take it."

"But not today," I said. "Today we don't think about anything. Let's just be free."

With gentle fingers, he lifted the hat off of me to fix my hair. After that, he set it back down correctly and replied, "That's fine by me."

Holding the hat in place, I got up and gave Ben a hand. "Well, now that that's settled, let's play another round."

"I thought we were done," he whined as he stood.

I smirk. "After that nap, I'm well-rested and ready to go, so you best up your game now..!"

"Dammit," he groused.

I picked up the soccer ball and wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders. "No need to pout, I'll go easier on you this time."

"You say that but I can see the betrayal in your eyes," he muttered, and I chuckled. We walked back to the center of the field again and started yet another round of casual fútbol. Well, casual for me, that is.

...

The next day I hadn't gotten to see Ben since he had spent his time trying to track down a Corrupted that was "being a little bitch", as he told me. So instead of running about outside, I spent my day cleaning the apartment. I would play the Majora's Mask game but I'm grounded from Hunter's room completely until I'm back in school. My brother went as far as to lock his bedroom and hide any trinkets that I could use to pick the lock (he's getting smarter with my antics).

It isn't so bad mopping the floors, vacuuming the carpets, dusting the furniture and cleaning the restroom until it's sparkling new. It only sucks when you have a shit ton of supplies to lug around and suddenly the 409 runs out so you're fucking screwed and spilling water everywhere to clean the toilet and you know you have to clean that shit up too so you're just so frustrated that you can't even be bothered to be frustrated. At the least, Mom will be happy with my work.

After I made sure the entire apartment was organized and spotless, I finally sat down on the living room couch to rest. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I was half-expecting it to be Ben (he's the only one that texts me so frequently), but it was Mom.

-mijo, i know this is sudden and a sucky thing of me to do, but can you go out and buy milk and eggs from the little mercado nearby? i'll pay you back when i come home later tonight. i just won't have time to do it myself.

I texted back, telling her I would go and do as she said.

-thank you! :) are you doing okay by yourself??

-Yes, mama. The apartment is clean and I'm alive and well.

-perfect! just how i want things to be.

After I finished messaging her, I got up to change into different clothes than my baggy shirt and shorts (pretty sure they're covered in dust and sweat by now...). Once I was changed, I grabbed my wallet, spare keys and penny board (the original one) and headed for the front door. In a few minutes I was out of the apartment building and cruising down the sidewalk on my board. It wasn't until I was glancing up at the sky did I think to check the time. I checked my phone and it was about 2pm. I started cleaning at 11am. Well, shit...

While I was on the penny board, I took in the scenery of my area. My thoughts traveled to other things, most of those things involving Ben. It's sad that I realize how mundane my daily life is without school and without him. If he hadn't shown up, I'd still be playing video games and watching YouTube as entertainment. Not that I don't enjoy those things anymore, but I'm actually going out and doing stuff now.

Then I remembered what I had promised Mom, about making a friend. Is Ben my friend? We do spend time together; running around, talking about random crap, joking around and making fun of one another. But that's just the physical stuff. Don't friends become personal with each other? I've shared personal things with Ben, but he never mentions anything about himself other than the fact that he's super cool (he's such an old person).

I guess he's my friend. We've only known each other for a few weeks but the guy has already bought me lunch and taken me to NYC. Oh, and he's also saved my life--there's that.

A few blocks ahead I spotted the little market that Mom likes to visit to get quick groceries. I passed one more block when a car had raced out of the market's parking lot and into the street. For a moment, I thought that the idiot driver was in a rush and was going to get themselves killed like that. My impression changed when the car swerved and missed a few more driving by. Before I knew it, the car caught the edge of an SUV's front bumper and both vehicles spun. Since the SUV was heftier it didn't spin much, but the car had swerved hard and fast into a telephone pole. The noise of the crashing was jarring and excruciating to hear. It reminded me of when that Corrupted had rammed the car from Artem's shop and sent the entire thing tumbling with me in it.

I stopped and got off my penny board, staring ahead at the horrific accident with wide eyes. The owner of the SUV hopped out of his vehicle, looking both shocked and angry at the same time. Other vehicles stopped in the middle of the street, hesitant to maneuver. I stood still, watching the car, waiting for a sign that the idiot driver was alive. A few moments later I realized that maybe I shouldn't be standing around like a dumbass and call 911.

As soon as I reached back for my phone, the driver's side door busted open and a body fell out. But what had all of the vehicles around haul ass out of the area and myself gaping in terror was the black mass that clung to the body. It was bad enough that the body was bloodied with scratch marks and bites, but I realized now why the car went so out of control and felt terrible for my previous thoughts.

The black mass loomed over the driver's corpse, its mouth like a leech's as it sucked at the bloody chest. When the Corrupted finally let go, its mouth was a cavernous hole lined with jagged teeth. There weren't any eyes from what I could see and it's body was built like a bull's--hooved feet and a hunched upper body. It was grotesque in every way and I wasn't sure how much longer I could bear to look at it. But I had no choice but to keep my eyes on it as it cried a guttural, watery growl and bounded forward into a passing truck. The truck was pushed back towards me and I quickly leaped out of the way so I wouldn't get hit.

I landed on the ground, heart racing and body jittering from my adrenaline and horror. As sneakily as I could, I got up, grabbed my penny board and hurried to the nearest building to hide away. While I ran, I heard the unmistakable cry of the beast behind me and ran faster. I ended up running into a restaurant and recognized this as a terrible idea.

"Fuck--." But I had nowhere else to go. Looking back through the glass doors, I saw the Corrupted coming towards the building. Then I looked at all of the people in the restaurant and at the employee at the front, who was giving me a concerned look.

If I don't get out now, I might die. If I escape without warning these people, they'll all die and it'll be on my shoulders. If I stay here any longer, I and everyone else here will probably die.

Fuck it.

I ran for the front counter, grabbed the microphone and announced, "Everyone get out of the restaurant now! There's a monster coming this way and it'll kill all of you! Get your asses up now or you'll get eaten--thank you and please live!"

After that, I ran further into the restaurant to get to a back exit. People were already freaking out and in a hurry to leave but I sprinted past all of them. By the time I got to the kitchen entryway, there was a loud crash of glass, followed by panicked screaming and crying.

I ducked into a corner and pulled out my phone to get to my contacts. As soon as Ben's name popped up I practically slammed my thumb against my screen. I called him and waited as the dial tone droned every few seconds, meanwhile patrons were crying bloody murder. I hoped nothing was getting bloody at all.

The moment Ben said 'hello' I exclaimed, "You need to get over here now!"

"Why?"

I facepalmed. "You said to call you if a monster ever showed up, remember?"

"Ooooh, shit."

"Yes, oh shit indeed, so get your ass over here now!!!" I yelled.

"Okay, okay, hold the phone away from you."

Without questioning it, I held my phone away from myself, facing the screen forward. Suddenly, the Corrupted lurked around the corner, uttering a low hiss that sent shivers down my spine. It spotted me with whatever eyes it had and shrieked with ferocity. Out of everyone in this restaurant, I don't know why it decided to charge towards me with its leech mouth gaping wide.

And suddenly a bright, white light flashed from my cell phone.