Pretty Crier

"You're really something." Natty remarked with a mischievous grin.

"What do you mean?" Ben replied, puzzled.

"You little shit!" Natty shot back, her tone sharp.

How did he end up in this situation? Mr. Sam had sent Ben on yet another task. He had been naive to think that Mr. Sam would ease off just because he had made some friends. After completing the errand, Natty had pulled him aside for a confrontation.

He felt taken aback. He had never really interacted with her before. Aside from that group activity, their paths had never crossed. Honestly, he had almost forgotten she existed until this moment. He was baffled by her accusations.

"I don't get what you're talking about," Ben replied, folding his arms defensively.

"You're clever and crafty, aren't you?" Natty said, a feigned smile playing on her lips.

Ben was fed up with her antics. "I don't—"

"Are you and Mr. Sam dating?" she interrupted, her eyes narrowing.

Ben gaped at her, stunned. What was going on? "W-What?" he stammered, lowering his arms in disbelief.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know about your conversation with Mr. Sam the other day," Natty said, her grin turning sinister.

Ben felt his stomach drop. She had overheard the exchange with Mr. Sam? This couldn't be real.

"You know, I wouldn't even care. But then you had to drag Liam into your little scheme. He's not gay," Natty nearly shouted.

Ben was left speechless, utterly bewildered. He was aware that nothing was happening between him and Mr. Sam, but if Natty spread this rumor around the school...

"What? Are you surprised I know your little secret?" Natty laughed, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

"Given how Mr. Sam consistently asks you to do things for him, if I were to share your conversation with him with the entire school, you can guess what the outcome would be," Natty remarked, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Why?" Ben questioned, puzzled as to why she was singling him out. They hadn't even exchanged words before.

Natty rolled her eyes with impatience. "Don't ask me anything. Just steer clear of Liam. That is, unless you want the whole school to hear about your chat with Mr. Sam," she warned, adjusting her pencil skirt before striding away.

Ben pinched himself, wondering if he was caught in a bad dream. Why was this happening to him? It was all Mr. Sam's fault. Why couldn't the man just leave him in peace? Now, he faced the prospect of being ridiculed and bullied because of it.

Feeling defeated, Ben trudged back to his class. What was he supposed to do now? He sat in silence, lost in thought, unaware of the worried glances Liam was casting in his direction.

Should he confide in his parents before things spiraled out of control? He certainly didn't want to become the center of attention for such an unpleasant reason.

"Ben."

"Ben."

"Ben." Liam snapped his fingers in front of Ben's face, pulling him back from his reverie.

"Are you alright?" Liam asked, noticing the distressed expression on Ben's face.

Ben blinked, struggling to collect his thoughts. He glanced over at Natty, who was happily chatting and laughing with her friends. Shaking his head, he replied to Liam, "No."

"Come on." Liam took Ben's hand, guiding him away from the classroom and into a shaded area a short distance away.

"What's going on?" Liam asked, concern etched on his face. He had never seen Ben like this before.

"What am I going to do, Liam? Natty knows." Ben choked back tears, desperately trying to hold them at bay.

"I don't get it, Ben. Know what?" Liam questioned, gently holding Ben's face in his hands.

"About the conversation I had with Mr. Sam. She knows, Liam." Ben's eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill over.

"What?"

"She said she'd tell everyone at school. She's going to spread the word that Mr. Sam and I are dating." As the tears began to flow freely, they marked his cheeks.

"Why would she do that?"

"I have no idea, Liam. If she goes through with it, I'll be the target of bullying. Everyone will believe her instead of me." Ben broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Liam wrapped his arms around Ben, holding him close and stroking his hair. "That's not going to happen, Ben. I won't let that happen

Ben cried silently into Liam's shoulder for a moment before pulling back, realizing he needed to regain his composure.

"But how does she even know about the conversation? When I got back, the area was empty. Nobody was around." Liam said, puzzled.

"I'm not sure; she just mentioned that she knows something about it. But... she didn't share any details about the conversation," Ben said, drying his tears with his sleeve.

Liam pondered for a moment. "Perhaps she doesn't truly know what Mr. Sam said to you. She might just be guessing he said something strange. I should talk to her and find out what she really knows," he remarked, casting a concerned glance at Ben. He hated to see his Ben upset.

Ben agreed with a nod. "I was thinking about talking to my parents about it too."

"That sounds like a solid plan. And remember, I was right there with you that day. If she says anything, it'll be our words against hers," Liam reassured him, gently cupping Ben's cheeks.

Ben felt a sense of relief knowing Liam had his back. "Now I feel a bit foolish for crying," he admitted softly.

"Not at all; anyone in your position would feel scared. Besides, you're a pretty crier," Liam replied with a grin. And he was being honest.

Ben felt heat rise to his cheeks as he looked down at his feet, transitioning from fear to relief to embarrassment—all thanks to Liam.

"Thanks for everything," Ben murmured softly.

"Not a problem," Liam replied, his gaze fixed on Ben's dark eyes.

He still held Ben's face in his hands, their noses only a few inches apart. Ben nervously wet his lips, uncertain of his next move. He could feel the warmth of Liam's breath as they inched closer together.

As their lips brushed against each other, Ben instinctively shut his eyes, but they quickly pulled apart when a voice interrupted them.

"What are you two up to?" Casper asked, his expression one of surprise.

"N-nothing," Liam stammered.

"Nothing? You were just kissing—" Casper began, but Liam interrupted him.

"I said nothing," he asserted before walking away.

Casper watched Liam leave, then turned back to Ben. Squinting slightly, he asked, "Were you crying?"

Ben licked his lips and avoided Casper's gaze. "No, I wasn't. L-Liam was just blowing some dirt out of my eyes, that's all. Um, excuse me." He hurried off.

Casper was left puzzled. "But I definitely saw their lips touch..."

«»«»«»«»«

Liam and Ben avoided discussing the incident, both opting to act as though it never occurred—though it was mostly Liam who maintained that façade. When they met again the following day, an air of awkwardness hung between them.

"I had a chat with Natty about her comments. Don't worry, she's completely unaware of the conversation. She was just lying. I mentioned that I went back and was with you," Liam explained.

However, he kept the details of their conversation to himself. When Liam asked Natty why she was stirring the pot, she claimed it was because Ben would make him gay. Rolling his eyes, Liam dismissed her as foolish and walked away.

"Should I still inform my parents about this? I'll need proof so that when he gets dismissed, no one thinks I'm just a privileged kid trying to get teachers in trouble," Ben inquired.

Liam pondered for a moment. "We just need a phone to record."

"Oh, I have one!" Ben exclaimed.

"You do?"

Ben then shared the story behind the phone. Liam nodded slowly, a smile creeping onto his face. "That nickname really fits you after all, 'special kid.'"

"Yeah, I think so too," Ben replied, and they both chuckled.

"You know, I have a plan. But it'll have to wait until he asks you to stay behind after class," Liam said.

"Alright," Ben replied, feeling relieved that things might not turn out badly. Liam gave his hair a gentle pat and glanced at Ben's lips before quickly looking away.

With a teasing grin, Liam said, "Should I start calling you 'pretty crier'?"