Emotionless Badass

Chapter 8: Get In My Car

"No I already told you I'm not going!" I said annoyed with Vince's continuous pleading.

All he wants is to go to the damn kickback to get high but I am not going to be his god damn designated driver. It's bad enough I keep his drug addiction a secret. I mean sure they knew he used, but they have no idea he's back on it.

I sighed as he pushed the door open "Please Lana." Vince begged.

Kate stared between us both as she walked out her bathroom brushing her teeth and giving us a confused look.

"He wants to go to a kickback to just get faded but I have a s**t ton of homework and don't have time to worry about his ass." I said watching her nod and go back to the bathroom to spit and rinse.

Vince smiled at me "I'll give you the answers to the test Monday." He said smirking.

I eyed him "I already know the answers to it because I do this thing called paying attention." I said watching him sigh "Please Lana. I'm begging you. If you do this I'll never talk about you and Ben again." He said lying.

That's all Vince does is lie, and he'll continue to lie until he gets his fix.

Kate walked out and gave him a glare "You promised me you'd clean up." She said watching him carefully.

He stared at her "I'll clean up when you stop being so pessimistic about your chance of survival." He said watching her cross her arms over her chest "touché." She smirked.

I eyed Vince "Fine, let's go." I said gesturing to the door.

Vince smiled widely and headed down the stairs, I went to my room pulling on a coat and boots while grabbing my purse and going down stairs.

Mom smiled at us both as she walked past the stairs "Where are you two going?" She asked staring mostly at Vince.

I smiled back "Misty invited us to a dinner and since Vince here has a crush on her, I'm bringing him. We'll be back in a couple hours." I said walking him out the doors.

She nodded "Be safe." She called heading up the stairs with Kate's medication in her hands.

I hated night because that's when Kate has to sleep and that's all those wasted hours that I should be spending beside her.

Getting in my car, I pulled out and drove Vince to the kickback parking the car. He got out and I eyed him "Call me when you're ready." I said watching him nod and head inside.

I watched him go into the house and drove down the street stopping as I watched a crowd form behind an old liquor store.

Without even focusing on a face, I knew Ben was there.

He fought the guy off and as he punched him a couple times, I eyed my window, water droplets began falling. It's sprinkling.

I stared back at the men as I parked my car turning it off and keeping the doors locked.

Ben threw a couple more punches, he ducked and blocked four punches before giving one hard punch that made the other guy drop to his knees and fall over.

He took the money shoving it in his pocket and walking down the street as it began pouring rain now.

I watched him continue walking, I waited for him to get into a car but he didn't, he just kept walking.

Turning my car on, I kept the lights off and followed quietly behind him.

Where are you going?

I followed him to an old home, the house looked old and beaten up and he knocked on the door waiting.

A man opened the door and he shoved some money at the guy before the door shut and he ran his hand through his hair walking to a gazebo at a park with tables. He laid down on the table and shut his eyes. I felt the warmth of my heater and pondered my next move.

Everything in me said not to, but I wanted to.

The ringing of my phone drawing my attention. "Lana! Dude Vince is foaming at the mouth! I don't know what the f**k to do Lana!" Mason, one of his buddies was shouting through the phone.

Fuck.

Driving back to the house, I turned my lights on and hurried to the place parking the car and running inside the house. "What the f**k Mase!" I shouted as he just stared at Vince on the floor. Everyone just stood staring.

Dropping to my knees, I picked Vince's head up and lifted him leaning his back to my chest. I have no idea what I'm doing but I know if he goes to a hospital he'll be arrested and pulled from any opportunity of a normal future.

I shoved my fingers down his throat and watched his body jerk, shoving them deeper, I watched him get ready to vomit. "Give me that!" I pointed to the vase and Mason handed me it as I put it under Vince's chin.

Vince began vomiting into the vase and I looked to the water in Masons hand "Give me that and go grab me five more along with a straw." I said watching him run off after handing me a bottle.

Holding my vomit hand out, I stared at the girl "Can you give me a napkin or something?" I asked watching her nod and hand me a napkin off the coffee table.

Wiping my hands, I tossed the napkin in with the vomit. "You see what happens when you do drugs?" I asked them all scowling at their young stupid minds.

They all watched nervously.

I waited for Vince to finish throwing up before I made him drink water after water. "No more Lana." He cried.

Laughing sarcastically I nodded "This is what you get. Stop bitching and drink up. Your body f*****g hates you right now Vince." I said pushing the fourth bottle to him.

After he drank it down crying and shaking, he reached for the vase throwing up in it again.

Good.

"Come on Vince, throw it all up, alright? I need to make sure you throw it all up." I sighed and had him drink another four bottles. He threw up again. After an hour, he was awake and telling all of them how he thought he was dying.

I walked him to the car and left $50 for the vase.

Putting Vince in my car, I watched him fall asleep and so I drove to the park, searching

for Ben.

There he laid on the bench now, asleep.

Parking the car I pulled out the umbrella under my seat and opened it grabbing the blanket from my trunk, going to the boy on the bench.

He was definitely asleep and shivering lightly in his soaked clothes.

I shook my umbrella closing it and walking toward him placing a hand on his shoulder gently.

He jumped and sat up staring at me as he blinked out his sleep "What the f**k are you doing here?" He asked confused and staring at me sighing and running his hand over his face.

"I've got a warm car if you want to come in." I said gesturing to my car.

Ben stared at me with a small Lana glare "I'm good. I like the cold." He said calmly.

I stared at him for a while and placed the umbrella down on the table along with the blanket. "In case you change your mind. There's some warmth and a way to stay out of the rain." I said watching him look to the blanket and umbrella before turning and hurrying to my car getting in and shaking the water staring at Ben as he eyed me carefully.

Pulling out, I drove to my house and helped Vince upstairs.

Hopefully Ben doesn't get sick, or catch pneumonia because it's f*****g freezing outside.

I sighed and changed into cozy pajamas, my mind wandering over Ben the entire night, and it's not that I care about him romantically or anything but it's like passing a homeless person and then not giving them that two dollars sitting in your cup holder. You're not going to use it for anything useful, so you think about how you should've but didn't help.

I should've taken him home.

Sounds a bit extreme, but my house is warm, it's got a shower and a dryer for warm fresh clothes to come out of, not to mention food and water.

I wonder if he lives on the streets, or maybe it's just a bad night?

God dammit.

Sighing, I grabbed my rain coat and rain boots slipping them on and pulling my hair into a ponytail before grabbing two towels heading down the stairs and to my car.

I listened as the lightening and thunder rolled in, my mind thinking of all the ways this guy could die tonight.

My good conscious is something I despise utterly.

Pulling up to the park, I stared at the gazebo and left my car on with the heater blowing. I ran to the gazebo and stared at Ben as he was sitting with his back to me, the blanket wrapped around him while he breathed out cold white smoke.

"Get your ass in my car before I knock you out and drag you into it." I said breathless as I ran to him.

He turned his attention to me, his eyebrow rose as he eyed me over "I'm fine Lana. Go home." He said being stubborn.

I walked over and sat down beside him "I wish I could, honestly but I have this little Lana in the back of my head that won't shut up. She says you're going to get sick and die." I said feeling dumb but keeping my eyes on him scolding his stupidity.

Ben stared at me and as I shivered he took the blanket off him tossing it over me.

I looked at him, and sighed "Please, just for an hour or two. You can just sleep in my car and then I'll bring you back. We don't ever have to bring it up again." I said low.

He watched me with a slight glare, "You're not going to quit are you?" He asked.

I shook my head "Not until you're in my car, no." I said watching him sigh and lean back c*****g an eyebrow at me.

Ben stood and gestured for me to lead as he opened the umbrella and held it out for me.

I walked with him to my side of the car and got in as he walked around it getting in the passenger side closing the umbrella and placing it on the floor mat.

Handing him a towel, I watched him wipe his face and neck before sitting up and placing it under him to his wet pants.

The heater felt so good, and I pulled out driving toward my house.

He stared forward and looked to my radio avoiding eye contact with me.

Parking the car in the garage, I shut the garage behind me and stared at Ben who looked to me "I'll stay in here and just leave out the door." He said gesturing to the side door.

I laughed and shook my head "Come on, don't worry I'm not going to kill you." I said getting out and taking the wet blanket and towels.

He stared forward clenching his jaw before getting out the car and shutting the door sighing.

We headed up to my room, his eyes staring at the room and dropping his stare to Salem who was on my bed licking his leg.

"That's Salem. He's a sassy douchebag." I said laughing and gesturing to my bathroom, "You can shower in there if you want. Or take a bath, I really don't mind." I said shrugging.

Ben stared at me and then my room, I moved to my desk and began doing my homework ignoring his presence.

I watched him in the reflection of the window in front of me, his eyes roaming my room as he awkwardly stood in the middle of the room.

I smiled and hid it as I turned back to him, "Why don't you go shower, and I'll toss your clothes in the dryer?" I asked watching him cross his arms over his chest.

Gesturing to the bathroom, I watched him walk

Into it cautiously.

"Take a warm shower so you don't get sick. Just strip down and hand me the clothes. Don't worry I'll put the money on the vanity so it dries." I said watching his furrow his eyebrows.

He leaned into the doorsill "Are you stalking me?" He asked catching me off guard.

Staring at him I shook my head "No, but I was worried you'd think that. I uh, don't date. Sorry but I'm just not into the whole dating scene." I said shrugging.

His eyes roaming down my pajamas, "Right." He said before shutting the door. When he opened it up, he stared at me "You still have my jacket?" He asked.

I pondered and then nodded as he handed me his wet clothes and the wad of cash.

Placing the money down, I took the clothes downstairs and tossed them in the dryer waiting for them to dry. By the time they finished, I headed upstairs and placed his clothes by the door neatly folded.

Moving the now dry money into a pile, I folded it and used a paper clasp on it before putting it in a clear plastic bag and on the desk beside his phone. 

He opened the door taking the clothes and then shutting it. I kept my focus on the computer to avoid making him uncomfortable.

The door opened again and he walked out looking over at me and running his hands through his short hair pushing it back.

Don't stare Lana.

Don't stare.

Ben's POV:

Don't stare Ben.

Don't stare.

I dropped my gaze to the cat on her bed, I'm surprised she picked a cat that looks like what she would look like if she was a cat.

I'm not sure why I let her bring me here, maybe because my pride is too strong for me to head home. Or it's because I really wanted to see what she lives like, I'll admit I'm a bit fascinated by her.

She watched me from the windows reflection as she looked down at her homework before she stared back at me "You feeling warmer?" She asked staring from her laptop to me and back at her laptop.

God she's so calm it makes me wonder if she does this every night. "Yeah, thanks." I said watching her gesture to her bed. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll wake you up when I'm done. Probably won't be for a few hours." She said staring at her text book and then her screen.

I didn't realize I was just standing there until she stared back at me furrowing her eyebrows "Don't make it weird. Just go to sleep." She said gesturing to her bed again.

Staring at her I walked to the bed not wanting

her to yell at me, she's a very sassy girl, no wonder her cats sassy.

Salem stared at me as I laid down in the bed nervously.

I watched her type away and the glasses on her face made me smirk a bit. I liked her better with the glasses.

I'm sure I watched her for a good half an hour before she shut the book and got up going to her book shelf grabbing another book and eyeing it flipping a few pages. Slowly she moved to the desk tripping over one of her shoes and cursing as she caught her footing and pushed the glasses up with her middle finger.

She went to her desk slowly sitting in the chair and typing away.

I wondered what she could possibly be doing, but she seemed so determined I didn't want to intrude.

It's not homework, we have every class except fourth together and I know that teacher doesn't have homework because it's just a computer class.

A knock came to her door and she carried her book to the door opening it and smiling at Misty.

I eyed the two, Lana sighed "I'm writing. Go sleep in the guest room and I'll see you in the morning hun." She said watching Misty nod drunk before walking down the hall.

Her eyes moved to me and we caught eyes, she stared back down at her book "You sleep good?" She asked tucking the pencil back into her messy updo.

This is a different Lana then the one at school, the one with the pencil in her hair, big glasses on, no makeup and her intelligence showing through her nose in the book. It's a very, very attractive Lana.

She stared over at me, "Go back to sleep. I've got about another hour or two of this."

She said gesturing to the laptop.

I moved my focus to the laptop "What are you doing?" I asked tossing and arm behind my head as I watched her stare at me thoughtfully.

Slowly she placed a marker in the book and shut it, "I uh, I write." She said laughing nervously and crossing her arms over her chest.

Write?

"Books? Essays?" I sat up and watched her stare at the laptop "They're stories, for children. I go to the hospital on Viscon street, it's a cancer hospital for children. They like when I make them books about children like them." She said shrugging.

As if this girl wasn't already perfect, "You write about cancer kids?" I asked getting out of the bed.

She nodded and tucked her stray strands of hair behind her ear smiling softly, "There's one about Jacob becoming an astronaut, and exploring the galaxy." She went to her book shelf taking a book down and walking it toward me.

As she held it out, I took it and stared down at the book, the bald cartoon kid smiling wide as he wore an astronaut suit. Her name on the front of the book along with someone else's name as the illustrator.

This was her book though, she wrote it.

I stared at her thoughtfully "How many of these do you make?" I asked looking to her book shelf.

She shrugged "I've made one every month for the last two years. So I think a little over twenty." She said staring at the book in my hand.

Her smile was soft "I started writing when my grandma died of brain cancer. It was just a way to give kids a chance and a bit of faith." She said staring at her laptop.

If I didn't already want to toss her up against the wall and bang her brains out, I definitely did now.

Handing her the book I nodded "You're a good person." I said watching her c**k an eyebrow "Is that a compliment? Because I'm sure that would tamper with your bad boy persona. Remember, you've gotta stay hard for the streets." She stated placing the book on her desk.

She gestured to the bed "Go to sleep, I've got a deadline to beat." She said smirking and sitting down at the chair.

I smiled and walked back to the bed wiping my face from its grin before laying down and shutting my eyes.

I'd fall asleep and probably dream of her, I don't know how shes doing it, but I think this girls getting to me.