Ben There

Chapter 5
Srill Mid-March; Teeth, Toys, Sisters

Chapter Description: Boys just want to have fun! (At least some of them do.)

Still Mid-March; Teeth, Toys, Sisters

A blonde chimpanzee in a calico dress plopped down right next to Ben’s computer, and he said, "Kathy, knock first. And Samantha almost landed on my keyboard. She coulda’ messed stuff up. What do you want?"

"Sorrrrreeee," Kathy said, "But mama told me to come in here, ’cuz we’re gonna read a story here tonight."

"Why in my room?"

"So you can hear it too, a’ course. Mama said you wouldn’t come to my room, so we have to do it here.

"Mom!" Ben yelled.

His mom called back, "I’m on my way. Just be a sec, honey."

Kathy said, "You can either sit on the bed with us, or you can sit at the computer and pretend to not listen, but the sound has to be off."

His mom came in and said, "OK, everybody ready? This is supposed to be a really good book and funny too."

"Mom! I’m too old for bedtime stories."

"Maybe you are; maybe you aren’t. Your daddy listens to books when he’s on long car trips, you know, and sometimes other times too."

"Why aren’t you making Vicky do it too then?"

"She’s read this already. She recommended it. Come on over here, Benji. It’ll be fun."

"No, I’m gonna play this computer game."

"He can be so fussy, can’t he, Kathy?"

"Yeah. He’s an ol’ kerplunk sometimes."

"Yeah, but he’s nice sometimes too. Let’s keep him."

Kathy was giggling and said, "I guess so. He was even nice to Vicky tonight."

"Well, that was probably just because it’s her birthday. But they are nice to each other when they think no one is watching."

Ben’s mom read two long chapters that night, and Ben stared at his computer the whole time, but he was laughing in all the right places. Wednesday, two nights later, he sat on the bed with them.

**********************

"Well, Mr. Collins," Ms Vanderjung said to Ben, "I have lots of news for you today. Which would you like first: the good, the bad - it’s not terribly bad - the even better, or the one I don’t know what you will think of?

Ben shrugged and said, "The last, I guess."

"That would be that Ms Stern told me you read "Pride and Prejudice" last fall at your old school, and since they are just starting it, you won’t have to attend that class for a few weeks. However, she does think you should do some work on grammar and vocabulary, so you will have worksheets and have to meet with her or one of the other teachers.

"Also, I don’t think you should spend even more time in the library, so I’m going to have you go over and help with a Math class in the junior school that period. Danielle Doucet helps with that class too; would you mind doing that?"

"Yeah, I guess that’s OK. I like doing things over there. When would I have to meet with this other teacher though? After school everyday?"

"We will decide that later, not every day though. The good news is that I’ve seen your midterm grades already, and you did quite well over all. But you did very badly in Music. You didn’t get your grade up after all those missed assignments early in the term, Ben - That’s only tiny bad news - It is just an elective, and I think you should move from Music into an Art class."

"Is the art class in the junior school too? I’ll only have two real classes left."

"No, it’s over here, but there are some junior schoolers in the class."

"Ms Vanderjung, are you doing this ’cuz I’m shrinking’?"

She sighed and moved from behind her desk and pulled a chair over next to Ben’s. "That’s not the only reason, Ben, but it is part of it, yes. - Mostly, we’re doing it so you can be happier. Are you having any problems at school because of your size?"

"People ask if I’m a genius when I’m in the big kids’ classes, and it bugs me. They think I’m a kid because I’m little, and they don’t even know me."

She put a hand on his shoulder, and said, "Uh-huh, I can see that happening. What else?"

"Someone almost ran over me in the hall. And it’s not like I’m the only short person, why do they think I’m a kid all the time?" Ben spent most of his time with his friends who were nice, but now that he was talking about this, these things did bother him a lot.

"It’s all OK, Ben," Ms Vanderjung sad, rubbing his back. "You know sometimes it might be better to just not correct people when they think you are younger - it’s their mistake, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"And do you think it would be better if you could spend all the time in the junior school?"

He did, though he hadn’t thought about it before. He liked being over there a lot now. He said, "Yeah. But I can’t, can I? I got ’a get the credits and stuff -- or would I have to meet with teachers alone."

"Oh, Benji. Don’t worry about the credits, please. We will take care of all that when it’s time to. But I need to talk to your mom or dad before we can start."

"She’s comin’ this morning to take me to the dentist. Can you talk to her then?"

"Of course I can, Benji. Of course."

"And if I do this, I’ll still get to be a Junior next year, right? It’s just temporary. And graduate on time?"

"Benji, you will be a junior next year. I promise."

****************

"Well, Ben," the dentist asked, "do you have any elephant blood in you?"

"Huh??"

"Elephants have five sets of teeth, and keep growing new ones their whole lives. People usually only get two. But you, young man, have at least three. Look at these x-rays."

"Wow, Benji!" his mom said.

The dentist said, "It’s not unheard of; you aren’t going to get on TV or in record books because of this, but it is something I’ve only seen a few times in my practice."

He pointed at some fuzzy white spots on a little picture and said they were new teeth inside Ben’s gums,

"Neat!" Ben said.

"And they are coming in fast and furious too. The ones you lost last week have already grown all the way in, and it is very crowded in there. I think we should pull a few by next week, to make some room, rather than wait for them to be pushed out."

"My daughters are seeing your partner next Tuesday, could we do it then?"

"You’ll have to talk to Angie about that, she runs my schedule and gets mad if I interfere, but Tuesday wouldn’t be too early."

While his mom was talking to the lady at the desk, Ben was watching a little girl, about Kathy’s age, playing with a marble game in the waiting room. She said, "You can share, if you want."

He fed marbles to the ramps on the other side of the contraption until his mom called out, "Come on, Benji. I’m done."

Then the little girl said, "Hey, are you that Benji that was in my PE class? Remember? I’m Cyndi!"

Ben looked closely at her and said, "Yeah. I remember. Where have you been lately."

"Oh, Miss Douglas said I didn’t have to come do warm up an’more, ’cuz I eat lunch at the junior school now. But I’m still in the class and all."

"Oh. I gotta go; see ya’. ’K?"

At first Ben thought maybe he wasn’t shrinking that much, because Cynthia was still shorter than he was.

His mom said, "Is that a friend of yours, Benji?"

"Yeah, she’s in a class of mine." Then he wondered why Cyndi was in upper school; she seemed really young.

He would have thought about that some more, but his mom said, "There’s time to get you back to school for the last two periods, but you really need a haircut and some new shoes. Which would you rather do?"

"Haircut and shoes, of course, but you’re not going to come in with me are you, mom? I’m too old for that."

Fifteen minutes later his mom told the barber at the children’s haircut place, "Middle of the ear, top of the collar, the fake sideburns and bangs; no layering."

Ben said, "I can tell her myself, Mom!"

"OK," the lady barber said, "and how do you want it done, Blondie?"

Ben said, somewhat nervously because he never had really known what to say to barbers, "Just a trim. Not too short. Kinda what she said, ’guess."

"Good choice," the lady said, "You’ve got a wise child, ma’am." Then to Ben she whispered, "We call this the semi-bowl cut. You’re lucky because some mom’s like real bowl cuts -- think of the dorks in amimes. You will drive all your girlfriends wild with this cut and all that blond hair."

"I only got one girlfriend. Amber."

"Oh, and what’s her hair like?"

"Nice, I guess. Long. You know. Redish-Pink kinda."

After the barber shop they went to a department store to get Ben’s shoes, and his mom caught him looking at the toys. She said, "You know what? Danny is coming over one day while you’re out of school next week. Do you want to get something you two can play with? You still have gift cards from last Christmas, don’t you?"

"He’s coming to my house? Why? Is Amber coming too?"

"No, just Danny, and he’s coming to play with you, of course."

"But mom, he’s a little kid, and I’m not!"

"I heard both of you had a great time, and nearly destroyed a coffee table. Didn’t you like him?"

"We didn’t break it, and it was an accident. I was just trying to help Amber by keeping him busy. That’s all."

"Benji, look at me. Did you have fun at Danny’s, or not?"

"Yeah, I guess?"

"Did you play with his toys? And did you watch cartoons on Saturday? And did you laugh like a hyena, because that’s what Mrs. Stewart said you two sounded like."

"I guess. Kinda."

"So, baby, why do you think you have to be embarrassed about having fun?"

"Because I’m fifteen."

"I’m a whole lot older than that, and I like to have fun. You can too, honey. Now what do you think you and Danny would like to play with next week?"

Ben sighed, then he did it again deeper, and then he said, "He’s got remote control race cars. But do you think I could get some that are for off road driving? I used some of my gift card for Vicky’s birthday present, and they’re a lot."

"Oh, that sounds good. Let’s go see what you can afford, and maybe I can help if it’s not enough. If you do decide to be too big for them, we’ll give them to your Daddy because I know he isn’t that old yet."

Ben giggled, and his mom said, "Ah, that sounded nice. Can you do it some more?" And right there in the store she tried to tickle him.

"Mom, stop it! OK, do you think it’d be OK for me to get my Legos back from Kathy?"

"I think so, sweetie. She doesn’t use them often. And there’s more in the attic too. She can come into your room and play with them, right?"

****************

The very next night Ben’s mom and dad had to go out to a neighborhood meeting right after dinner. Vicky was told to get Kathy bathed and into bed. Ben wasn’t given any job at all except to take his own shower.

He knew he couldn’t complain about it because he had griped about babysitting before, and Vicky was now officially old enough to have the job, so he went straight up to his room so he wouldn’t have to watch Vicky being bossy all night.

Anyhow, he had the blocks he’d taken from Katy’s room yesterday, and it had been along time since he’d built anything with them, and he needed some practice, and so that’s what he’d do, and they could just use the TV and the den all they wanted.

Yet, it didn’t take long before he felt like he was confined to his room, though no one had told him to stay there, and he wondered when Kathy was going to come up and start bugging him - and if Vicky wasn’t thirteen all the sudden, they could have built something neat tonight together. Then he heard Kathy and Vicky in the bathroom, and he knew Kathy wasn’t coming, and he felt very lonely.

But Kathy charged into his room wrapped in a towel and said, "Benji, Vicky says she’ll read us one chapter from the book, but we gotta get ready for bed fast enough, so go take your shower now!" and then she ran out.

Like there was ever any way that was going to happen! Ben concentrated on the airplane he was building. He used to build it a lot, but had forgotten how.

Then Vicky walked in and said, "Com’n, hurry and take your shower. It’s almost Kathy’s bedtime."

"Just go away! I’m busy!"

"But Kath said you stopped at a real exciting part last night, and she doesn’t want to wait to hear what happens next. Don’t you want to hear it too?"

Ben didn’t answer.

"Well, you have to take a shower anyway, and it’s time to now."

"You’re not my babysitter. So shut up. And you’re not seeing me in my underwear."

"OK, but we’re going to start the story in about ten minutes so, please, hurry."

"If she wants to hear it, I can read it to her, Vicky. You’re not bossing me around."

"Yeah, but it’s my first time ever babysitting. Let me read it to her, please, Benji."

"Don’t call me that!"

"Amber and Danielle call you Benji. So why can’t I."

"Because they’re my age, and you’re not."

"Kathy calls you that too."

"That’s different too."

"Because you like her and hate me, right?"

Then Vicky left without waiting for an answer. And Ben felt bad, but mostly he just felt real, real angry, and even when Vicky sent Kathy in to negotiate a truce, he told her to go away.

At almost ten o’clock, Ben was still sitting on the floor working with his blocks, or looking at them anyway, and Vicky walked in and said, "Can I help you with that?"

"NO!!"

But Vicky sat down on the floor anyhow and started putting pieces together, in all the wrong ways of course, but Ben still ignored her.

"Ben, why did you get so mad?"

"I wasn’t mad. You were being bossy and acting in charge of me. And I’m oldest! And I don’t have to take a bath before the story, and I could have read it to Kathy."

"Yeah, you’re right, I guess. But I wasn’t meaning to be bossy, just it’s my first time taking care of Kathy though though, and I really, like, just really wanted to, you know, do the whole thing. I made the mistake of trying to wash Kathy as well as her hair too. She got almost as mad as you did."

"Mom still sometimes does that to her."

"Yeah, but she’s Mom, right? Dad said you were still in your boxers when he picked you up Saturday. Why wouldn’t you just change for bed when I asked? Amber and all them have, you know, I mean, seen you in boxers, and Kathy said you listen to stories like that sometimes. That’s only why I thought it’d be ’K. What’s wrong with me seeing you in them so much?"

"’Cuz you’re not my boss and because you would tease me. ’Specially about my legs, and I only did it at Amber’s ’cuz Danny was, and I didn’t want ’a embarrass him."

"Benji -- oops, I meant to say ’Ben’, really. Ben, can I tell you som’thin’? -- I love you. I mean, I really LUV ya’. -- just shut up and listen, ’cuz I ain’t saying this stuff very often, bro."

Ben tried not to do it at all, but still he almost smiled when Vicky said that.

"OK? Listening? I know I’ve been a real a-hole brat for a long time, and I’ve been mean to you a lot. But you’ve been just as mean to me! And I didn’t want to, but I was just too dense to figure out anything else.

"Ben, you are the nicest guy I know, really it’s true, but then you try to be a big shot and screw it all up. And especially with me. Really.

"So I’ll make you a deal. I’ll never ever tease you again - not ever, ever; never in your whole life - if you do something for me, please. Wait! - it’s not even a deal - I promise that without something back, but can you still just try to do something for me, please?"

"What? Let you see my legs?"

"Nope. Harder than showing off your sexy, naked legs."

"Let you call me baby names?"

"Harder than that even."

"OK, then what, Vicky?"

"You gotta let me be nice to you."

Ben didn’t say anything because that was such a dumb condition -- he couldn’t think of anything sarcastic enough to say. Then Vicky almost messed up her promise by saying, "OK. I made the promise. But you need to kick all your toys under something and hit the showers. If you’re not in bed in ten minutes, I’m going to have to tell mom and dad and, though it won’t be, you will think I’m being a mean tattletale."

"How come you get to stay up later than me. That’s dumb."

"I asked ’em, and Dad said that some people just need more sleep than other people. That’s all. And you need it ’cuz you had a hard time with moving and lots lately, and I’m probably a big part of that lots, I guess, but I’d still have to tell ’em."

It was not because Vicky had told him to, or threatened to tell on him, it was because he was starting to get tired anyway; really, it was; that Ben rushed in and took a two minute shower. At ten-oh-two Vicky opened his door a crack and saw his light was still on.

"I’m just going to finish this chapter that Kathy’s heard already. You can tattle on me if you want." Ben said.

"How much more do you have?" Vicky asked and sat down on his bed. While he was counting the pages, she took the book and said, "Show me where you’ve gotten to."

Ben pointed, and Vicky started reading aloud. Then she started rubbing Ben’s head, and Ben noticed, but it didn’t bother him at all. -- In fact, he only snickered and said, "Stop it!" when, after she had finished the chapter, she kissed him.