| Time for a Story |
This story first appeared in our writing group’s third anthology, A Little Off the Page
Bennett and Kingsleigh
..sometimes the younger you are, the more you know about love.
Installment 8
Two days revealed that happiness to be short-lived.
Kingsleigh was quiet in the car on the way home, notably quiet. Even her voice was quiet when she finally did speak. “Today wasn’t a good day.”
“How’s that, sweetie?”
“Bennett got in trouble. His homework wasn’t done, and then he couldn’t answer the questions on the pop quiz we took. He almost fell asleep during reading. Mrs. Sumner sent him to the nurse, and then the nurse came and told Mrs. Sumner she was talking to the principal and sending him home.” Kingsleigh gasped for air.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. Did Bennett tell you what happened?” Michelle asked, although she had an inkling. She’d overheard some of the conversations amongst the kids; she’d anticipated this, knowing Doug’s priorities.
“No, he didn’t say anything. I think it was because he was playing football with Marcus and them instead of doing his homework. I heard Mrs. Sumner talking to his mother on the phone. Mom, I think he’s in trouble.” She looked near to tears.
Michelle wasn’t surprised, except at it happening so soon. “How about I call Mrs. Kussler and see if I can find out what’s going on?”
“Thanks, Mom. I don’t like this.”
“I know, sweetie.”
The call to DeeDee was less than profitable. She gave Michelle only two minutes, telling her they were in crisis and she didn’t have time for unhelpful, nosy neighbors, but all that really came through on the call was Doug’s voice in the background, yelling about how every football player had other responsibilities and Bennett would have to figure out how to handle it all. This led into a rant about not letting his own son be the cause for the Redhawks not being the best team in the league. Michelle ended the call in a hurry, discouraged she had nothing to reassure Kingsleigh with.
The next day brought no improvement for Kingsleigh or her mother.
They brought cookies again to share and spread their blanket on the ground. DeeDee’s response was limited to a scowl and an exaggerated shoulder shrug.
“You know the team moms are supposed to do that; I don’t know why you bother. Besides, Doug doesn’t want the boys to have too many goodies.”
But hungry players swarmed the blanket after practice. A few moms came up, too, exclaiming over the home-baked goods and paying compliments to Michelle and Kingsleigh on their baking and generosity. Mrs. Jensen made fast friends with Kingsleigh’s mother, offering Kingsleigh a ride to school if it was ever necessary. “Or even practice, if something comes up that you can’t make it. She’s a good kid, and I think the boys play better with a crowd.”
Kingsleigh stepped aside from all the fuss and scanned the playing field. Mr. Kussler was still there talking to players, Bennett among them. When at last he was done, she saw Bennett point to where she stood and look up at his dad questioningly. Doug shook his head.
But Bennett talked back, Kingsleigh could tell. His head raised, his mouth open, arms waving—she knew the signs. Then Mr. Kussler raised his arm. Kingsleigh cringed. Marcus jumped in and grabbed the coach’s arm. Bennett stormed up the hill, straight for where Kingsleigh stood. Marcus whipped his head around and dropped his hold on Mr. Kussler’s arm. He took off after Bennett.
Bennett reached her first. “Kingsleigh, give me a cookie. Please!” He jerked his head towards his dad. “He didn’t want me to come up here.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. He thinks we shouldn’t have sweets, I guess. Or—maybe that I shouldn’t be talking to you.”
“But—”
Just then Marcus caught up. Breathing heavily, he grabbed Bennett’s shoulder.
“Come on. We need to get back to practice.”
“Practice is over, Marcus, and I’m hungry.”
“You know what coach said—”
“Yeah, no sweet stuff. I don’t care. Mrs. Barnes made these for us, and I want one.” He took the cookie Kingsleigh offered him. “And I want to talk to Kingsleigh, too.”
“Come on, you don’t want to talk to some girl.” Marcus angled himself between Bennett and Kingsleigh.
“She’s not some girl. She’s my friend. She’s been my friend my whole life. Just because I want to play football doesn’t mean I don’t want her around anymore.”
Kingsleigh’s heart gave a little jump, and a warm familiar feeling swept through her heart. Bennett hadn’t abandoned her!
Marcus glared. “You don’t have time to see her anymore. Not while football’s on. Come on.”
“Marcus!”
“Come on!” He grabbed Bennett by the arm this time and dragged him away, back down towards the field where Bennett’s dad stood, fists on hips.
“Hey! Okay, I’m coming!” He didn’t look back.
Kingsleigh felt her mother walk up behind her and place a hand at her back, but she pushed away and brushed the welling tears from her eyes. Maybe he wasn’t abandoning her, but it was clear, Bennett couldn’t come back to her any time soon. The spark of hope she’d felt earlier flickered out, darkening her world.
Everything crystallized when Doug called Michelle later that night.
“Michelle,” he began in curt tones. “I think it’s better if you and Kingsleigh don’t come to the team practices anymore. It’s a distraction. My players don’t need all those cookies. They’re trying to stay fit and you’re undermining that. Marcus tells me Bennett plays better when he’s focused on the ball. Not mooning over that daughter of yours.”
“Mooning, Doug? Really? They’re eight, not eighteen. Besides, boys that age aren’t going to be hurt by a few cookies, especially when they’re in sports. You can’t be serious about this. The practices are open and—”
“Not to everybody. And if you can’t understand this, consider the practices closed: I don’t want you–I don’t want any Barneses at my practice!”
She could feel he was ready to slam down the phone. “Wait! Wait. Okay, we’ll stop coming. After tomorrow. I don’t want Kingsleigh to misunderstand. I think it might be better to not come anymore, too, but clearly not for the same reasons you do. I want her to get the chance to smooth it over with Bennett.”
“Nothing needs any smoothing over. You don’t have to worry about his ‘feelings.’ He’ll be too busy for it to even matter.” Doug’s voice was smug.
“Is that what you think?” Michelle asked. “Doug, do you ever talk to your son? For that matter, do you ever even stop and think?” The words were a mistake the minute they were out.
“Talk to—? Who do you think you are? I’m not raising any snowflakes that spend all day talking about their feelings. God, DeeDee goes on about that enough for any boy! She shouldn’t be hanging around with you either!”
“Doug—”
“Look, you know what? Just stay away from my family. Stay away. Drive your own kid to school and—” He paused abruptly. “No, Marcus, no, they won’t be— oh, yeah. Michelle, I’m not changing my mind, but okay. Make tomorrow your last day and . . . wait. Let DeeDee bring Kingsleigh with her tomorrow. Yeah, I’ll get Bennett here, and DeeDee can bring Kingsleigh. Maybe she can help her understand. Things will go smoother that way. It’s not like I want to hurt her feelings, you know. She’s just a little girl. But I have to think of what’s best for Bennett.”
Michelle took her advantage while she had it. “All right. You’ll let DeeDee know?”
“Sure. I’ll tell her as soon as we’re off the phone. You’ll see. This’ll work out for both of them.”
Michelle set down the phone as gently as she could. If she didn’t control herself, she’d spend all morning replacing it. “‘What’s best for Bennett.’ You wouldn’t recognize what was best for your son if it came in a giant gift-wrapped box with his name on it. Stupid—” No. She had to calm down. She agreed that not attending practices was the best path, but she had to sell the idea to Kingsleigh, downplaying the possible effects it would have on her friendship with Bennett. They’d find other ways to get together. Pee Wee Football wasn’t a year-round thing.
She was sad, though. The kids’ relationship would be altered, maybe permanently. These things happened when you were growing up. People were only in your life for a certain season and then it was time for change. Cameron’s death had been ample proof, but that was different. Most kids are aware that separation from their parents will come. They’re not always prepared for it to be the same with their contemporaries. This was the first time there was change in Kingsleigh’s own group of friends. Michelle would have to help her through it. Somehow, she hadn’t been prepared for the lesson to come this way.
Why did it have to be Bennett?