Misfortune by L.Bann (christmas read aloud TXT) 📖

9” I said, looking in the fridge. “Where’s dad?”
“He had to go into work” she replied. “Do you want breakfast?”
“Um, just toast please” and I sat down at the table, looking at the newspaper but not actually reading it.
“So, what are your plans today?” she asked, whilst putting some bread in the toaster.
“Well, I haven’t seen Jenna since Friday, but I think she’s going out today” I replied, not sure of the facts.
“Well, we could go out shopping, if you’re up for it. You know they opened up that mall a few months ago and we haven’t been there yet”
“Ok, I don’t have much money though”
“That’s OK, we could just browse and then get a Starbucks, like usual” she smiled, placing two slightly burned pieces of bread on my plate.
I opened the Nutella jar and started to spread generously. The parts of the bread I didn’t eat, I licked off the Nutella, so none went to waste.
I said thank-you to Julie and went to have a shower. I changed into my tan jeans, my rust coloured boots and a buttoned up grey cardigan with a plain top underneath. I grabbed my brown side bag and put in my phone, wallet and other things to fill up space.
We talked some on the way, but most of the way I listened to my iPod. Not to be anti-social or anything, I just liked music. We spent ages looking for a parking space, but eventually we found one, it was the furthest away from the mall.
When we walked in, we were greeted by the hustle and bustle of hundreds of people shopping. We looked in the shops on the bottom floor first then the second, and just as we were about to go to the third, I saw a food place and we grabbed lunch which was a slice of pizza and a slice of cake. Ironically, the place was called ‘Slices’, not referring to the drinks of course.
We started on the third floor and I actually bought something. The 30 Second to Mars CD, This is War. I thought I’d add to the collection of my iPod these songs since I hadn’t heard them before. We kept looking around but we ended up leaving, but before we did I bought a large coffee Frappuccino, and Julie had a medium Cappuccino.
We got home about 5 and Julie started to make dinner of pasta with pesto. My dad got home just in time for dinner and we ate together, my dad and Julie talking to each other, occasionally asking me things to keep me interested.
After dinner I went into my room with my CD and downloaded it onto iTunes and put the songs onto my iPod. Just as I disconnected, I heard my phone buzzing. It was from Jenna. The text read:
‘So you and Ben got cosy at the park!’
I kept texting back after. ‘Yh, we were hanging out’
‘So, you were on a tree branch, really close, like really close’
“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT???!!!’
‘So it’s true, oh joy!!! And people have eyes, you know’
‘So, what else do you know??’ I hoped she didn’t know about me and Ben getting ‘intimate’.
‘You were making out, and you felt his abs :D’
Crap.
‘Yeah, so we did that, and since you know that I might as well tell you. We went back to mine and we made out again, then he started to feel me up’ I hesitated sending it but I did anyway.
There was a long pause between that text. What the hell. You just don’t text something as crucial as that information was and not text back. Rude. Then my phone buzzed.
‘Sorry, what happened after that …?’
‘Sorry? What took you so long???’
‘I was hyperventilating. HE FELT YOU UP!!!!, lucky xx’
‘Ok, well I stopped him saying, I don’t want this to end up being based on sex, then we got together :)’
‘Aaaaahhhh, happy endings xx’
‘And my dad gave me condoms. He said because Ben and I were getting ‘serious’, we would have to take precautions’
‘Oooh, awkward turtle, much xx’
‘Tell me about it’
‘So, are you going to have sex with him???’
‘Not at this moment in time, I don’t think’
‘Right, I’ll see you tomoz babes xx’
‘Yh, xx’
I turned off my phone and put it on my desk. I got into my pyjamas and put on my iPod to 30 Seconds to Mars. It was probably one of the best CD’s I’d ever listened to. I put my iPod away at exactly half nine and went to bed.
I woke up at 6, had a shower, got changed and went out to breakfast. My aunt wasn’t there yet, but my dad was up.
“Hey, morning” he smiled, looking up from his paper, but then looking right back down.
I grunted in my reply. I didn’t particularly like Monday mornings. I poured myself some cereal and started munching.
I had time to wash the dish and spoon before the bus came.
“Have a good day” he shouted at me, as I left the house. I saw Jenna on the bus and went to sit by her.
“Hey, babe, do you know what Harry wanted to ask you on Saturday?” she asked.
“Jen, how do you know everything? And yes, but it’s none of your business” I replied, looking at her shocked.
We talked on the way to school about our weekends and stuff and we were still talking when our teacher walked into our homeroom. Then along came Harry, but the bright side of that was that he was with Ben. Ben tried to make his way over to me but Harry pushed him out of the way.
“Hey, Daisy I wanted to ask you if it was I that upset you on Friday night” he asked, kneeling next to my seat. I looked up at Ben who looked down at me, widening his eyes, than he sat next to me.
“No, it wasn’t you” I replied. Harry nodded at sat in front of me but turned around so he could look at me.
“Hey” Ben finally said, smiling and reached out to kiss me on the lips, I followed him. As I drew back I could feel Harry about ready to burst and Jenna smiling out of the corner of my eye.
Harry was about to say something but Ben interrupted. “So, did you sleep well on Saturday?”
“Yeah” I smiled. Then I bent closer to him, I could feel Harry’s rage. “I have to tell you something in private”
“OK, when?” he asked. He looked over at Harry for a second then back to me, enhancing the point that we might not be able to keep Harry away.
“Stay behind after registration” I said to him, and then I went back into my chair. I saw Jenna smiling and I smiled back at her. Again, Ben interrupted Harry. Ben grabbed my hand and held it. Stroking the front bit of my hand with his thumb.
“So have you reconsidered my proposal to ask you to prom?” Harry asked, with exhausting from what he was seeing, looking up at me and my hand attached to Ben repeatedly.
“No, sorry Harry” I replied. I saw Ben glaring at Harry and he just turned around, embarrassed.
After the register was taken, my teacher dismissed everyone for their lesson, but Ben and I stayed back.
“I’ll wait for you outside” Jenna said, before walking out.
“So what did you want to tell me” Ben said standing up, but still gripping my hand.
“Well, I tell my dad everything, right, and I told him what happened on the tree and in my bedroom” he looked at me, horrified. “Not in great detail” I reassured him.
He sighed, “So”
“Well, he took me into his bedroom and gave me a pack of” I started. I bent closer to his ear. “Condoms”.
“Oh” he said, smiling and looking at the wall. “Are we going to use them?”
I just looked at him, stunned. “Not at this moment” I smiled.
He laughed and guided my hand and I out of the room. Jenna, Harry, April and Faith were waiting and we walked to lesson together. We got to the designated English room and all sat at the back, Ben’s hand still in mine.
“OK, settle down” my teacher said, as she walked into the room.
Throughout the whole lesson, Ben didn’t let go of my hand, even when I needed to write something, he wrote it for me. If Harry’s eyes were lasers, there would be several burning holes in my hand, plus Ben’s. I think he was worried that he had missed his chance.
At the end of that lesson, Ben and I had to part ways. He gave me a kiss, well, a few actually and left me to go to my next lesson, smiling like the Mad Hatter.
“So you and Ben seem to be getting serious” Jenna pointed out, ignoring the history lesson.
“Yeah” I sighed. I was so happy to have Ben in my life.
Jenna smiled at me and so did April and Faith. I daydreamed about Ben throughout the whole lesson. And through the next lesson.
When lunch came around, I started to look for Ben but Jenna said that we should meet him in the lunch hall. So we stood in line for lunch, I spent my time looking around to see if I could see him. Then someone whispered ‘looking for me’ in my ear. It’d better not be Harry. I turned around.
“Hey” Ben said, beaming down at me. Harry was behind him, sulking.
“Hey” I said, smiling back at him. I couldn’t stop staring at him.
“Um, Daisy, your next” he said pointing at the lunch lady.
“Oh” I turned around. “Sorry” I apologized. Ben was laughing behind me.
We sat down together, Ben next to me of course and Jenna on the other side, to block Harry, even though he tried to talk to me. I replied a few times, not to be rude, but Ben kept talking to me so I wouldn’t have to talk to Harry. Ben put his arm around me waist and throughout lunch time so we half cuddled. We weren’t snuggling together but we weren’t just sitting away from each other.
We started to talk to Jenna as well, because she started to look a bit left out. We finished lunch and went outside, even though it was cold. I started to shiver but Ben gave me a warm hug. Harry couldn’t have looked angrier but Ben didn’t seem to care and he hugged me more tightly. Jenna joined in the hug as well.
The bell went and we had the next lesson together. Harry walked behind us, scuffing his shoes as he walked. Ben and I spent the afternoon together, talking and not paying attention to the lesson.
The bell went to signify the end of the day.
“Do you want to come over to mine?” Ben asked, as we walked out of school.
“Um, OK, I’ll have to tell my dad” I said and got my phone out of my bag. He didn’t pick up so I left a message.
“Just leave me then” Jenna said, frowning.
“Sorry” I apologized.
“It’s fine, do you have the condoms with you?” she smiled.
“Jenna, too far!” I exclaimed and I walked back to Ben.
“My brother’s picking me up today” Ben said, whilst we walked out to the car park. Freddie saw us coming and his facial expression looked confused.
“Hey, Daisy, you coming round ours then?” he said to me as I climbed into the truck. His truck only had three seats in the front, and Freddie was huge, not fat