Benjamin Dragon - Awakening (The Chronicles of Benjamin Dragon) (2 page)

Chapter 3
: Repercussions

No one said a word as the small family climbed into Mr. Dragon’s BMW. Benjamin sat in the back staring at his knees.

His mom turned around in her seat. “Are you okay, Benji?”

Benjamin nodded, but kept his eyes downcast.

“Look at me, honey.” The lawyer voice was gone. She was his mom again.

He looked up at his mother, and he couldn’t stop the tears. They ran freely in steady streams and cascaded down his cheeks and onto his mussed shirt.

“I’m sorry, mom. I didn’t…”

“It’s okay, honey,” she said as she handed him a tissue.

“I’m proud of you, buddy,” said his dad. “Your first fight. I remember my first fight. I was in third grade. The kid’s name was--”

“Not now, Tim,” Benjamin’s mother said.

Mr. Dragon shrugged and refocused on the road ahead.

“Are you okay, Benji?” she asked. “Let me see your hands.”

Benjamin sniffed and wiped his nose. “I’m fine, mom. And it’s Benjamin, remember?”

Mrs. Dragon put her hands up in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, I forgot. But you know you’ll always be my Benji, right?”

Benjamin nodded at his smiling mother. She didn’t always understand him, but she tried in her own way. It wasn’t easy being an only child to two parents like his. They were so successful and popular. Benjamin was almost the opposite. He wished he could be like them sometimes.

His mother patted him on the leg. “Where would you like to go eat to celebrate your first day at your new school?”

It was a ritual they had every time they moved. Since he could remember, his parents tried to lessen the sting of a new home by spoiling him a little bit. They thought they could somehow distract him of the fact that he’d have to figure out a new house, new school, new teachers and trying to find new friends.

“I’m not really that hungry, Mom.”

“Why don’t we go home and get changed. I’m sure you’ll feel better after a quick shower. I heard they’ve got one of those great wood fire pizza places you love.”

+++

By the time they got home it was decided that Benjamin’s dad would go pick up the pizza and bring it back to the house. They were still unpacking, but they could sit on the couch and eat. Mr. Dragon always made sure the TV was the first thing installed when they moved to a new home.

After carefully rinsing his injured hands, Benjamin soaked in the hot shower. He let the soothing stream spill down his body. Losing all track of time, he closed his eyes, replaying the fight in his head.

A knock on the door shook him from his thoughts. It was his mom.

“Honey, dad’s back with the pizza. Come get some before it gets cold.”

“I’ll be right down, Mom.”

Reluctantly, he shut off the shower and grabbed his towel.

Three minutes later he walked downstairs, pulled by the smell of fresh hot pizza. His favorite was pepperoni, mushrooms and basil with lots of cheese.

Coming into the living room, he saw that his dad was watching some sports show on TV, cramming pizza into his mouth as he sat glued to the commentary. His mom was at their small dinner table leafing through work files as she picked at a mixed green salad. She never ate much. Benjamin didn’t know how she did it. She looked up as he ambled in.

“You’d better get some before your father eats it all.” She motioned toward the kitchen counter where an enormous pizza box sat with its lid cracked open. There was a picture of a fat Italian guy with a white hat tossing a pie into the air on the top.

“Smells good,” said Benjamin.

“It is,” said his dad through a mouthful of cheese and mushrooms.

Benjamin grabbed a plate and loaded it up with two huge slices. They were so big that they flopped over the ends of the plate and drops of pepperoni grease dripped onto his hand. He attacked the pizza as he walked to sit down on the couch. His dad glanced over.

“Slow down there, champ. Don’t want you to get a stomach ache.” He chuckled.

Benjamin nodded and swallowed. “I didn’t know how hungry I was.”

“That’s what happens after a fight, buddy. All that adrenaline goes away. Always happened to me after a big game. There wasn’t a buffet on campus that could fill me up.” Benjamin’s dad had been an All-American quarterback in college.

“Guarantee you’ll sleep like a baby tonight.”

Benjamin looked tired. Dark circles threatened to drag his eyes down past his nose. He yawned before taking another bite of pizza.

His mom walked around the couch and sat down next to him. Benjamin’s dad got the clue and clicked off the television.

“Honey, I wanted to talk to you about the fight today.”

“Mom, I…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not angry and neither is your father. We just wanted to find out exactly what happened.”

The look of sincere concern on their faces wasn’t normal. Benjamin knew his parents loved him, but they usually left him alone. He didn’t blame them. He’d learned to take care of himself.

Tears came to his eyes as he recounted the tale.

“Are you sure you didn’t hit the other boy?” asked his dad.

Benjamin shook his head.

“So how did he get thrown back, Ben?”

His dad always called him Ben and his mom called him Benji. It was one of those weird things that parents do. It’s like they think they own a different part of you.

“I guess I must’ve just pushed him really hard,” said Benjamin.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they digested the story and their dinner. Benjamin wiped his eyes and yawned again.

“Why don’t you go get some sleep, honey,” said his mom.

Benjamin didn’t protest. After a kiss on the cheek from his mother and a pat on the shoulder from his dad, Benjamin made his way back up to his bedroom.

His head hit the pillow and immediately he fell into a deep slumber.

Chapter 4: Friends

Benjamin was dressed and ready for school when he sauntered downstairs for breakfast
.

“Good morning, sunshine,” his mother called from the kitchen bar.
The always-present mountain of paperwork rested next to her meal of grapefruit and non-fat cottage cheese.

“How do you eat that stuff, Mom?”

“What? The cottage cheese?”

He nodded.

She shrugged. “I guess it’s an acquired taste.”

Benjamin opened the fridge and looked inside. Someone had placed the leftover pizza into an oversized Ziploc bag. He opened it and grabbed a piece. His mom noticed.

“See, I don’t know how you eat cold pizza for breakfast,” she said.

“I guess it’s an acquired taste, Mom.”

She rolled her eyes and refocused on her work.

“Do you mind if I walk to school today?”

“Actually…I know you’re not going to like this, but I think we should go to the hospital to check on that boy.”

Benjamin’s eyes went wide.

“What?”

“Look, honey. I know what I said in the principal’s office yesterday, but I’ve found that sometimes just going and saying you’re sorry works wonders.”

“I don’t know, Mom…”

“Do you trust me?”

Benjamin nodded glumly. Could he really say no?

They both finished their breakfasts and headed to the garage. Benjamin slowly climbed into his mom’s Lexus and buckled himself in.

+++

Ten minutes later they arrived at the local hospital. Benjamin’s mom asked for Nathan Pratt’s room number from the white haired lady at the information desk.

“Room 402.”

“Thank you.”

Benjamin skulked behind his mom as they boarded the elevator.

When they reached Nathan’s room, the bully was talking to two adults. It turned out it was his mom and dad.

Benjamin had expected a lot of screaming, all directed at him. None of that came. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt were really nice. They both apologized to both Benjamin and his mom, and then made a red-faced Nathan do the same.

“I’m so glad you both came,” said Mrs. Pratt.

“We were just talking about calling you,” said Mr. Pratt nervously. He was wearing soiled overalls with a logo on the front. Benjamin didn’t recognize the company. “I just want to let you know that Nathan will be properly punished for what he did.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that, Mr. Pratt,” said Mrs. Dragon. “What do you say we adults go out in the hall and let these two make up?” She smiled sweetly to her son. He knew that look. It was the same look she’d given him before he had his first swim lesson. It was like she was saying, “You’ll do it and you’ll like it.” With a smile, of course.

The Pratts agreed and left with Benjamin’s mother.

The two enemies were alone. Neither knew what to say.

“So what are you in for?” Benjamin asked cautiously, thinking a joke might cut the tension.

Nathan grinned. “The usual. Lobotomy.”

The two boys laughed nervously.

“I’m sorry about hurting you,” offered Benjamin.

“It was my fault, dude.” He winced after saying ‘dude.’

“What’s wrong?” asked Benjamin.

Nathan grimaced and waved his hand. “No bigs. Just a couple busted ribs.” He patted his chest gingerly.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It’s not so bad with the drugs. I hope they give me some for home.”

“Yeah. That would be sweet.”

“Yeah. They make me a little funky in the head.”

“I bet.”

An awkward silence blanketed the room.

“When do you get to go home?”

“They said sometime today. I don’t mind it so much, but I don’t think my parents are happy about paying for it.”

“Paying for what?”

“The hospital bill.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. My dad’ll probably make me work it off down at the car shop. That’s what I had to do when I ran mom’s car into a light post.”

“You can drive?!”

Nathan shrugged. “Kinda. My grandpa taught me how to drive his truck out on the farm he used to work on.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah.”

“So how did you wreck your mom’s car?”

“I took it out one night when my parents were working late. Tried to keep it on the down low by keeping the headlights off. Made a turn too quick and BAM. Bye-bye light post.”

Benjamin laughed. “My parents would’ve killed me.”

“I thought mine would too. Got grounded and had to fix it myself down at the shop.”

“You know how to work on cars?”

Nathan nodded. “Started messin’ around in the garage when I was a kid. You know anything about cars?”

“Nope.”

“Too bad.”

“Maybe you could teach me?” Benjamin suggested.

Nathan paused to think about the request. “As long as you promise to not chop your finger off.”

“Okay.”

Before they could finalize their plans, the three parents re-entered the room.

“Everything okay in here?” asked Mrs. Pratt.

The two boys nodded.

“Good because I’ve invited the Dragons over for dinner.”

Benjamin and Nathan moaned and rolled their eyes. Why do parents always make you do things you don’t want to do?

Chapter 5
: Distracted

The other kids stared at him all morning. Was he destined to be the school freak until graduation? Benjamin tried not to think about it and worked hard to focus on what the teacher was saying. He kept his eyes downcast, taking detailed notes.

“So when General Washington got the news about the advancing British forces…” droned Mrs. Dewberry. Benjamin probably knew more about history than she did.

Distracted, he doodled a picture of George Washington standing on top of Mrs. Dewberry’s head. It was a good likeness. He wasn’t happy with the way he’d drawn Mrs. Dewberry’s dress. Turning his pencil over to use the eraser, it slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. No one noticed.

Benjamin bent over to pick up the pencil. Before he could grab it, the pencil hopped up into his hand. Benjamin jumped in surprise, knocking his textbook to the floor in the process. The room went quiet as the students’ gaze flew at him. His face flushed deep red.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Dragon?” Mrs. Dewberry asked, crinkling her nose impatiently.

“Uh, no Mrs. Dewberry…sorry.”

“That’s all right. Now please retrieve your textbook so that I might continue.”

Benjamin hurried to comply. The blonde haired girl sitting next to him giggled and whispered to her friend. People were pointing.

“Eyes on me, students!” Mrs. Dewberry ordered, punctuated by a clap of her hands.

Benjamin relaxed. He inspected his pencil carefully. No strings. No magnets. How had it flown up into his waiting hand? First the thing with Nathan, and now this? What was happening to Benjamin Dragon?