Chapter Eleven

LIAM BENJAMIN

I cried out in extreme annoyance, crawling over my body. I hurriedly removed the earphone from my ear. I also turned off my phone without stopping to play Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, which gives extra irritation to my system.

The door of my room slammed open and Mom spat, who looked like she had just taken a bath and was confused. “Benji! What's wrong with you?” She approached me and helped me get up from falling on the floor, “what happened to you? It's only 5 in the morning, why are you screaming?”

Does it mean it's morning? Did I sleep that long? I didn’t realize I was asleep because I was reading a book while listening to music.

“Benjamin, what's going on? What's your problem?” Mom asked now lying in front of me with her forehead furrowed.

“Nothing mom. I just… I was just having a nightmare.” Yes. It was a damn nightmare!

The expression on her face looks startled. “Nightmare? About what?”

I remember again the face of that woman who were smiling is pure. Then.. then—argh! I don't want to worry about him or even think about her! Even though she is so beautiful and a goddess in my eyes, I want to avoid remembering her anymore because she is so disgusting!

I answer my mom with bored tone in my voice, “about annoying and untidy stuff. That's all.”

She looked at me as if she couldn't believe my answer, “how annoying and untidy is that nightmare, huh? You screamed, it was like someone is going to kill you.”

If she only knew how disgusting I saw, she might even scream louder than I did. I know it's sounds overreacting but, no one couldn't blame me! I really hate filthy attitude and with such a beautiful woman, I saw? That's why I acted irrationally. Period.

“Benji, take a bath and have breakfast. I've already prepared your food.” She picked up my book on the floor, put it on my study table, and then left the room. I do what she said a little early to prepare for school.

After I took shower and get dressed, I went straight to the kitchen. I caught up with Mom, who was preparing my lunch for lunch. Here we go again, she's making me my lunch again.

I'm always reminding her that I will do it because I'm grown up, she really doesn't want to listen to me.

When I got to the dining table, I sat down and started eating. While eating, I noticed that Mom's hair didn't seem to be combed very well, I tell her about it. She might forget to fix it before she leaves.

“Mom, your hair is still a mess.”

“Leave it alone, son. It'll be fixed when it's dry,” she just smiled and didn't even look at me.

She still continued to do so. I sighed. She doesn't really care what she looks like, even though she looks like a maid in her manner. I don't want to see her like that, it breaks my heart every time I see her in that look. Mom deserves to take a rest. She is always too tired at work, but she still gets to take care of me.

“Mom, I told you that you shouldn't take care of my things every morning. You should just focus on your work.” She just laughed, yeah, as usual. She always laughs at all my reminders every time. She thought I was joking with what I was saying.

“Benji, it's normal for me to do this. Why, I can handle you, so I'll probably take care of you, and one thing," She cut off what she was doing and came up to me to pinch both my cheeks. “Mommy loves this baby Benji so much that even if I am tired, I'll think about you!” And she smothered me with a kiss on the cheek.

I feel awkward on what she did, I forced myself to let go of her grip on my cheek. “Mom stop it!” She starts calling me baby Benji again. When will she stop calling me that? “I'm not a baby anymore, Mom! Can't you see? I'm big, oh! I'm taller than you.”

She just laughed at me and hugged me tightly. “Benji, you're still a baby even if all hair on your body grows.” I was even more taken aback by what he said, and I tried to get out of his embrace.

“Mom! I can't b-breathe!” She chortled even more and teased me hard, then kissed me on the cheek again. She released me immediately after rubbing my face.

“Hurry and eat. I'll take you to your school, okay?” I didn't want her to bring me to her way on work, but I couldn't lie down because she had turned her back on me to take his bag to the bedroom. I just finished my meal and went back to the room to get my things.

Mom and I went to school. At first, I refused what she wanted, but she insisted because her route would also take my school to the hospital. And now, I'm sitting here at the passenger seat of my mom's car. Eight minutes just passed, and we arrived at school instantly.

She stopped the car right in front of my school. I kissed her on both cheeks and bid my goodbye. I got off the car immediately because yeah, I don't want to be late to enter the room because Sir Pao might be ahead of me again when entering.

I was only three steps away when Mom suddenly called me, “Benji! Don't forget to tell me when you have a crush—”

I didn't let her finish what she was going to say because she was opening up that nonsense crush thing again. “Yeah, I got it. Just go to your work, “I waved my hand to tell her that she was leaving. She just laughed at what I did.

“Okay! Have a splendid day ahead, son,” she started the car and leaves.

I'm going straight to the entrance gate, I don't know if many are looking at me again? When I passed by to a fellow student, they look at me, as if they have just seen a person for the first time. Or maybe they don't think I'm human, so they're just look at me like I'm a different creature? When I pass a group of students, they whisper after they look at me.

I feel anxious because of the looks and whispers around me. I don’t know if I’m just imagining, but I don’t really feel good about the looks they give me. Do I have dirt in my face? Is my uniform dirty and messy? Before I was completely anxious and upset, I accelerated my walk to my room.

When I stepped into the room, Sir Pao was still gone. I winced because the view I got in the room was not pleasant. It was so chaotic, the chairs and tables were not in the right place.

My classmates are really apathetic, are they blind, and they can't see as if a storm has passed through our classroom? Even though I was disgusted with the layout of our room, I still went in and walk straight to my seat. I put my bag on the table and opened it. I pulled out the novel book I was reading last night and wore earphones so no one would bother me, if anyone would attempt.

As soon as I opened the book I was holding, I had a girl classmate run towards my seat. She pulled up a chair to sit next to me, it was itchy skin girl. Didn't she see that I was doing something? Doesn’t she also feel like I don’t want to bother? And I want to avoid talking?

“Hello! You are Liam, right?” She asked while giggling as if someone's tickling her armpit. “I'm Clara by the way,” she held out his hand to me at once, as if I hadn't heard anything and I continued reading.

Her hand remained reaching out to me and waiting for me to shake hands with her, but I still ignored her introduction. I want her to feel that I want her to get out of my sight, I don’t want to talk, and I want to be alone. Soon she lowered her hand and stood up.

“Tss, handsome but snobbish, hmp!” She sighed and turned her back on me. It was good,, and she felt that I didn't want anyone to bother me.

Some of our girl classmate approached her. I don't know if they were her friends. They just look at me from their seat and seem to be staring at me. Why? I did nothing. I just don’t want to talk, and I want to be alone, is that bad?

Even though I felt like I was going to be overwhelmed by anxiety, I ignored them and continued my reading. I was just stunned to turn the page of the book I was holding with someone spoke near me.

“Maybe it's better if you plug the earphone into your phone, so it looks more real that you're listening to music.”

-AndyThoughts-