SWNOVELS Chapter 14 Noted
Normally I’d do homework or read a book to pass the time, but that was in the 20th century. Now that I’m in the 21st, I can finally relax however I want. I mean, who knows if I’ll ever be back in this century again? I didn’t want to think about it, so I turned on the TV to distract myself. I still couldn’t believe that I actually had a TV in my room again, so I could watch all the shows I missed out on. I grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels, but nothing caught my interest. Not even Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, or Animal Planet. I guess I’m just too old for that stuff now.
“Ahh, there’s nothing good on TV!” I exclaimed. “Ugh, if I knew that, I would’ve happily stayed in 1960.” I remember saying while leaning over the edge of my bed groaning. That’s when I noticed something peculiar below his TV. I had to rub my eyes just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. What I saw was Ben’s N64 system that I completely forgot he had. I figured he wouldn’t mind if I had a go with it. But to be safe I did ask him as I walked over to his mirror that was in the closet, “Hey Ben, can I play on your N64?”
I then smiled and answered,
“Of course you can, Lucas.” seeing Ben mouth the exact same thing at the exact same time as me with a big white 85 number on his Giants Jersey, Jeans and white socks that I was currently wearing.
That never gets old.
Anyway, looking at the dozen or so games, I should only pick one as I probably wouldn’t have another opportunity. But what? So far, the only thing I’m seeing is games that are fun for more than one player, that’s when I spotted Madden 01. That’ll do. I thought to myself. Remembering what Josh did as he got the Mario Kart out, I blew on the cartridge and put the game in the N64 system slot, turned it on and boom, it worked like a charm as the TV immediately switched to the N64 game. Before I even started picking teams, I had to look at the controls. They seemed simple enough to remember so I backed out of that where I obviously picked the Giants and they went against my favorite team The Bears. So I guess you could say I was both player one and player two.
Speaking of which, for someone born the same year as this game, I am surprised at how well I adjusted to the early 21st century lifestyle rather quickly considering I was stuck in the 50s and a little bit of 1960 for like the longest time. My fun was short-lived though as about the start of the 4th quarter of my game, where I was beating my hometeam by two touchdowns, I heard Ben’s mother calling me for dinner. I turned off the game, then washed my hands because I knew his mom would ask me that.
Sure enough, she did. I hated being treated like a kid, but I didn’t want to start anything. Then I smelled her delicious Sloppy Joes. They smelled just like my mom’s used to. My mouth watered as I sat down at the table and saw the brioche buns and juicy meat. She gave me two buns and I took them gratefully. As I was eating, his mom asked his sister, “Since Benji is going to be gone for the next few days, it looks like it’s just going to be the two of us for a while. Aren’t you excited, Meggie?”
She confidently nodded, then his mother asked her, “Are you gonna miss him at all?”
Megan then got up from her chair where I suddenly felt something touching me. I slowly turned my head to the right and saw her thin girl hands with glossy pastel pink fingernails on both my shoulders then it morphed into a hug of some sorts where she said in a baby voice. “Of course, I love my baby brudder.”
She then squeezed me tighter and said, “I’m starting to miss him already.”
You and me and both Megan.
Megan’s sisterly affection was actually kind of nice, but I knew Ben would be embarrassed, so I squirmed out of her hug and said, “Get off me, you weirdo!” I tried to look disgusted, but I think I just looked silly. Megan’s mom said, “Ben, there will come a time in your life when you will come to appreciate this.”
Yeah, not in my lifetime, lady. I thought. Internally laughing at myself.
We were just about to finish eating the delicious Sloppy Joes when the doorbell rang. We all jumped. Megan’s mom asked if we were expecting anyone, but we said no. Megan asked, “Doesn’t Dad come home from his trip from Dallas until Saturday, Mom?”
Megan’s mom nodded, her voice tight. “That’s right.”
“Then who rang the doorbell?” I asked, confused.
Seemed like we all were as we looked at each other, our hearts pounding then shifted our heads 180 degrees to look at the front door as we heard someone still ringing where Megan said,
“Ben, go see who’s out there.”
“Are you crazy?” I asked, raising my voice slightly, “Why do I gotta answer it?”
“Cause Dad said so. You’re the new man of the house now… so go.”
I groaned but had to put on my big boy pants and explore. Walking closer to the front door, the doorbell suddenly stopped ringing and as I opened to see who was outside, I heard some footsteps running away but I couldn’t make out anyone. That’s when I saw a neatly folded schoolbook notebook paper that was addressed to me or BENJAMIN HARPER in big black sharpie.
Before I had a chance to open it, a voice called out to me from the kitchen asking,
“Who is at the door, Ben?” in a slight panic. I was looking at the note, then stared out into distance, hearing and seeing nothing I hollered back,
“Uh it was just… just some ding dong ditchers. No robbers.” stuffing the note in my pants pocket and slamming the front door shut. Walking back to the table, I was met with praise from both of them and was surprisingly allowed to leave dinner early. I took that opportunity to go to Ben’s room and go have a look and see what the hell this note said. HOPEFULLY IT’S NOT SOME LOVE LETTER FROM SAVANNAH. I thought while at the same time trying my best not to barf when thinking of it. Before I closed my door, I looked both ways suspiciously as I wanted to keep this to myself for now and didn’t want any peeping Tom’s or in this case Tammy’s from barging in unannounced. Luckily, I could still hear them chatting in the kitchen.
So I closed the door, sat on Ben’s chair, turned the lamp light on and took out the once neatly folded note that was hopefully still readable as it seemed at least to me pretty squished in my back Jean pocket. Luckily it was still readable, so I put it on my desk and read it almost out loud to myself. I gotta say whoever wrote this has amazing handwriting. It was some of the neatest that I’ve seen in a long time. As I began reading this note, I realized that whoever wrote this, didn’t write it out of love but it was more like out of hate as I got to the end. To me it sounded like a DEATH THREAT. Here’s what it said word for word as I still remember it in great detail as I couldn’t believe that an eighth grader wrote this:
Dear Benjamin,
You played me dirty today and I DON’T like it one bit. Since you think I’m not serious about you taking Allison from me for TWO Days. HOWS this. I will not tell a soul that it was you who pranked the school back in Fifth Grade. I am willing to let rumors of the mysterious prankster finally rest if you just STAY away from her after the two days are UP! AND if for whatever reason I catch you making her cry in the meantime, you’ll be sorry that you ever messed with me!
Mark my words!
Yours Truly,
B.F.
I only knew one person with those initials who’s out for blood and that’s Brittney Finch. Flabbergasted, I put both hands on my head and shouted, “Holy Shi—” and covered my mouth because I didn’t want to attract any attention, as I didn’t even know if I was allowed to swear here. I then quietly said, “Holy Shit. This can’t be real. She can’t be serious. A death threat. A FUCKING DEATH THREAT!” I took a few good deep breaths in and out to calm my nerves to say, “I guess this is all the proof I need. But who do I call about this?” I answered my own question by saying, “Josh. He’ll know what to do. Hopefully he is still up.” So I took out my phone that was still in my pocket and found him on Ben’s contact list and called him.
I anxiously put my ear to the phone and heard it ringing so that’s a good sign. I then heard Josh groggily ask, “What do you want, amigo? It’s--It’s late.”
“I know but it’s very important. It’s a matter of life or death. You got a minute?”
“Yeah, now I do. What’s up?”
“Well, uhh how do I put this? I had an unexpected guest at my house just a few minutes ago.”
“Who?”
“Oh the one and only, Brittney Finch.”
“She was at your HOUSE!?” He asked with a slight panic in his voice.
“Well, not exactly, but someone left a nice little note on my doorstep.”
“Left a note? How sure are you if it’s even her, it could’ve been anyone that did it, even Ally.”
If only Josh was in the same room, I would have knocked some sense into him.
“Dude, stop and think for a second. Who else besides Al hates our guts right now?” I asked.
Josh went silent and made a comment that rubbed me the wrong way.
“Geez, you sound just like Ally.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked, having enough of his bullshit “Cause it seems to be working so far.”
Josh suddenly switched topics and said, “Just because it had her initials doesn’t mean it was her, Ben.”
“Yes, it does, as she threatened me at school while the two of you weren’t around after lunch.”
Josh went silent and stammered.
“She-she threatened you? With what? What could she possibly—“
“Does the incident back in 5th grade sound familiar?”
I interrupted to ask. Josh got strangely quiet for a second which that of itself raised cause for concern.
“Oh, shit. She saw. If word gets out, then….”
“I’m a goner?” I asked. Starting to get worried.
“Worse… expelled. We both could.” He exclaimed, “People aren’t exactly kind to us pranksters, you know, as the prank was my idea. If I were you, I would stuff that note in my backpack or jacket pocket to show Ally first thing tomorrow.”
I did what Josh said and stuck the note in Ben’s backpack. Just then, Ben’s mom popped her head in and said, “Finish up that phone call and then it’s lights out! You have to be up early tomorrow.” I covered the phone so Josh couldn’t hear me as I begged my “mom” for just a few more minutes, saying it was “important”. I pulled the puppy dog eyes, and that seemed to work, because she grumbled an “okay” and closed the door. I thought she’d never leave! As soon as she was gone, I put my phone back to my ear and heard Josh say, “Ben, whatever you do, don’t lose that note. We need it. It may be our only shot to convince Ally to leave Brittney for good.” After a few moments of awkward silence, I said, “Well, I guess I better get ready for bed before my mom comes back and yells at me. Goodnight, Josh, we’ll talk more in the morning.” We said our goodbyes and hung up. Good thing, too, because Ben’s mom walked in right as I put Ben’s phone on the desk. To my surprise, she helped me pack and fold the clothes that I guess had already been pre-planned for tomorrow.
All I can really say for now is that I’m going to be traveling somewhere far away again, but this time it won’t be for a vacation. Instead, it’ll be filled with shouting from his two best friends and a class full of immature 8th graders.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?