I woke suddenly. The first thing I saw was Ben's face, he looked concerned, he had his hands on my shoulders. I looked to the front seat to see Darcy also looking at me concerned. My gaze passed over her shoulder to see where we were I saw their front garden with Jim, the ninja garden gnome I got for Darcy last Christmas, sitting on the front doorstep looking ready for attack. I looked back at Ben when I looked back at his face, I just broke down in tears. I immediately felt Ben's arms envelope me. "Shhhh, its ok." Ben kept repeating in soothing tone, but I couldn't stop crying. Ben's mum had no idea what to do she just sat there, mouth moving but no words were coming out. She eventually decided that she should go inside, as she did, she grabbed my suitcase out of the boot and said, "come in when your ready buttercup." I just nodded, I couldn't do much else at that point I was full on crying, unable to stop.
It felt like hours before I was finally able to calm down enough to talk, but Ben beat me to it "you want to talk about it?" he said his voice the softest it has ever been. "I don't think I can" I said my voice hoarse and shaking from the amount of crying. "Ok, want to go inside?" he didn't push for answers. "Yeah" as I said it, he shifted his weight and pulled his arms from around me as I looked at his t-shirt I smiled, there was a damp patch right in the middle of his chest. He looked down to see what I was smiling at and smiled too. He got out of the car first and then held his hand out to me "come on, I need a change of shirt and its cold." I just looked at him picked up my rucksack and got out of the car without using his hand. He scoffed and said "there we are your back" I punched his arm and he bent over in fake agony. I giggled and walked up to the front door that Darcy had closed behind her when she took my suitcase in.
Ben came up behind me his keys in his hand, they still had the key ring I made him for his fifth birthday on them – it was a pink pompom with googly eyes stuck on it – I can't believe he kept it. As he unlocked the door a meow could be heard from within, it was their cat Jekyll the evil little thing that gave me the scar on my check, it scratched me then turned around and rolled overlooking for strokes hence the name Jekyll because his mood changes so quickly (for those of you who don't know or weren't forced to read the 'The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'; Jekyll's a good guy who drinks a potion and becomes Mr Hyde a bad guy). As soon as the door swings open Jekyll rushes out and instantly stops just in front of me, he does nothing he just sits there so I bend down to stroke him. Just before I can touch his fur he turns around and bites me. "Ouch" I over annunciate each syllable to exaggerate my point. Ben, who was already picking Jekyll up and putting him inside, holds out his hand and I show him the injury. You can see is tiny little teeth marks each has a bead of blood resting on the top. He pulls a plaster out of his pocket and gently puts it on my hand muttering something under his breath so quiet I don't quite pick it up something that sounds like 'this is why I wanted a dog'. "There you go, all better" he says as he pats the plaster. "Thanks, I should know better than to try and be friends with your cat." He just laughs and pushes the door further open and ushers me inside.
I am immediately hit by the smell of cooking pizza. "Wow, how long exactly have I been in that car?" Ben reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone "about five minutes" he says as he looks back at me. I smile weakly and Darcy pops her head round the corner. "Feeling better Buttercup" I nod, and she continues "I cleared the top bunk in Bens room the other day so you can stay in there, I put pizza in the oven that should be done in about two minutes" I am overwhelmed with information but smile "thanks mum" Ben said and looks at me "want to go set up camp?". When we were younger, we used to get all the blankets and use them to create tents in his room and then pretend we were under siege by some sort of enemy. "Sure" I said and then followed him to his room.
His room, apart from being cleaner, looked exactly the same. Still the same baby blue walls covered in stickers, the same bunk bed that we used to hang upside down from, it hasn't changed since we were younger. The top bunk was clean as Darcy had said, my suitcase was behind the door, I put my rucksack next to it. "You can sleep on the bottom bunk, if you want?" he said. I looked at him and saw a glint of joy in his eyes as I said, "I would like to sleep on the top." I honestly didn't mind but I didn't want to kick him out of his bed. "I'll go get some clean sheets for you." He left and came back with a pile of sheets in his arms. "I didn't know what duvet cover you would prefer?" he said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice, "so went with flowers, I hope you don't mind?" I just shook my head and replied, "I love flowers you know that." He laughed a bit before saying "yeah I never should have doubted myself." I grabbed the pile from his arms and set about making the bed. Ben grabbed the pillowcase and tried (but failed) to get it on the pillow. While I was making the bed, Ben decided to go help his mum with the food, he said that one of the draws in his wardrobe was empty and that I could put my cloths in there for the time being. It just about fitted everything in, as I was finishing, I heard Darcy saying "dinners ready" from the kitchen.
As I came into the kitchen I was immediately hit by the smell of fresh pizza. "Want any help?" I asked and Ben put his head round the corner and said "Sure. Would you mind helping me? I 'm trying to find the perfect movie to watch." I walked into the living room to find Ben sitting in a sea of DVDs. I laugh. "Did you get out every DVD ever made or what?"
"Hey! This is only half of the collection." He replies somewhat proud. I investigate the mess of movies trying to look for the girliest movie possible. Aha. Found it. I pick it up and show Ben. "I fancy watching Grease" he just looks at me not blinking, it's the kind of look that say seriously-you-had-to-go-there. I try to supress the giggle that bubbles up inside, but I can't, and they spill out. Darcy pops her head round the door holding two plates full of pizza, "What's so funny?" then she sees the DVD in my hand "Are we watching Grease then?" Ben just looks annoyed, but he takes the DVD and puts it in. Ben and I bagsy the sofa and Darcy sits in the arm chair.
We watch the movie and eat pizza, Darcy and myself singing along to every song. At some point Ben must have fallen asleep because I can hear his soft snoring after Darcy turns the TV off. "Do me a favour buttercup?" she whispers, "and wake him up." I gently tapped his shoulder. Nothing. I then gently shook him. Still nothing. Then I blew in his ear he jumped up and nearly head-butted me. "What was that for?" he asked his voice slightly deeper after having slept. "Your mum asked me to wake you up, so I did." He raises his hand like he is going to hit me but thinks better of it and slowly drops it. The radios voice sung from the kitchen; Darcy always puts the radio on when she does any chore. "I love this song" Darcy exclaimed as Whitney Houston's song 'dance with somebody' came on the radio. You could see her shadow dancing along to the music. We just looked at each other and laughed.