Chapter 8
I'm almost done chapter 9, as well. So that should be up later tonight.
It was Saturday morning, and Stu was dead bored. He had absolutely nothing to do today, thanks to his grounding. He couldn't watch anything, talk to anyone, play his guitar, nothing. His mom had even taken away his cell phone so he couldn't text or call anyone.
He was sprawled across his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. He had been doing this since he woke up. Stu listened to his stomach growl. It had been doing this for about an hour, but he did his best to ignore it. He did not want to go downstairs and have to talk to his mom. It growled again, more urgently.
"Ahh, fine! Have it your way! I'll go eat something! Geez..." Stu stood up and walked to the kitchen quietly.
"Good morning, Stuart," his mother greeted as he entered the room.
'Son of a bitch, I didn't think she'd actually be in the room.' He thought as he walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a slice of whole-grain bread. 'I was hoping she would be in the living room...'
"'Morning." Was all he said out loud. He slammed the bread into the toaster and waited for it to toast. The room was silent except for the sizzling of the organic scrambled eggs that his mom was cooking for herself.
Stu suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, mom?" He asked quickly.
"Yes?"
"Could I co to the library today? I have some homework that needs to be done." Stu said fake pleadingly.
"You're grounded." She reminded him simply.
"I know, but it's not like I'm going to be doing anything fun there. And I don't know anyone in this town, so I have no one to secretly meet up with. I'm only going to be working on school stuff."
She thought about this for a moment.
"Well... I suppose." She said, a little unwillingly.
"Great! I mean, uh, thanks. I'll leave after breakfast then." He said, trying not to sound excited.
His plan, however, was not to do homework, but rather see if Ben was there so they could hang out, and finish their story. Plus he didn't really want to be stuck in the house with his mother for two whole days with nothing to do.
After he finished eating his toast, Stu practically ran up the stair to grab his school stuff and shove it in his backpack to make his lie look true. Then he ran back down and out the door before his mom could say goodbye. Once he was about about two blocks away from his house, he slowed to a stop at the bus stop. He sat down at the bench and waited. He looked around. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, no clouds in the sky, birds all over the place, chirping, and leaves still green on the trees. It was early enough in the fall that they had yet to change colours and fall off.
Stu was watching some little kids across the street at the park kicking around a soccer ball as the bus pulled up. He stood and got on the bus, dropping some change in the change collector, and taking a seat towards the back. He pulled out his mp3 player, put the earphones in his ear, and lost himself in the music as he gazed out the window at the passing buildings.
Half an hour later, he hopped off the bus outside of the library. He looked around as he walked toward the entrance, to see if Ben was maybe just getting there. He didn't see Ben at all, even as he walked into the fiction section. Stu sighed sadly and sat at the table closest to the classics shelf, where he had found Ben the last time.
'I hope he comes here at some point today,' Stu thought, as he pulled out his homework. 'I guess it is only 9:30. He might sleep late on weekends.' He set out to work on his assignments, figuring he may as well do them now. He had nothing else to do, right?
Hours later, around 1 o'clock, Stu was reading a book. He had finished his homework back at 11, and needed something to do, so he picked up a random book from the classics section. It was boring, and kind of hard to understand, what with the way it was written.
"I don't understand how Ben can read this stuff," Stu mumbled under his breath.
"How I can read what?" Someone asked. Stu glanced up and practically fell off of his chair when he saw Ben standing right in front of his table.
"How long have you been standing there for?" Stu asked, startled.
"I dunno, a few minutes? I was waiting to see if you would notice me." Ben smirked, "you didn't, so I got bored."
"Damn, man, you're quiet!" Stu exclaimed, a little louder than her should have in a library.
"Thanks. It's a talent." Ben sat at the chair across from Stu, and set a coffee cup on the table, and his bag on the floor. "So why are you here? I thought you were grounded?"
"I am. But I convinced my mom that I was just going to the library to do school work, when I was actually hoping to run into you. I figured we could keep writing," Stu explained. "But as it got later, I got worried that you wouldn't show up. But I have nothing to do at home, so I stayed and just picked up a book to read." He pointed to the book he had been reading.
"I see. Well, I sleep really late on weekends. Today I actually got up a little early for my tastes," Ben shrugged his shoulders. "So what book are you reading anyway? You said you couldn't understand why I read it?"
"Oh, yeah, it's uh..." Stu picked up the book and showed Ben the cover.
"Ah, yes. Pride and Prejudice. I like that one." Ben smiled a little.
"How can you like it? It's written all..." Stu was at a loss for words. "...Weird. And hard to understand!"
"That's just the style they wrote in in the 1800's," Ben chuckled.
"Oh. Well, it's difficult. I don't care for it." Stu made a face and pushed the book away.
"The classics aren't for everyone." Ben laughed.
"That's for sure." Stu nodded. "So, let's work on the story?"
"Oh, I didn't bring the notes... I didn't think I needed them" Ben said.
"Ah, that sucks!" Stu slumped back in his chair. "I was hoping that you would bring them just in case."
"Just in case what? I met up with you by accident?" Ben rolled his eyes. "I was told you were grounded and couldn't go anywhere. How was I to anticipate that I would meet up with you at the library?"
"Woah, calm down man, I didn't mean it in a rude way!" Stu sat back up. "I just thought you might try to work on it yourself, or something. I mean, I'm glad you didn't, but you never know, right?"
"...I guess," Ben said, looking less miffed.
"Well, I brought my note book. We could continue the story from memory," Stu suggested, pulling said notebook out of his backpack.
"Sure, that works." Ben looked calm again.
The boys set out to work on the last few pages of their story, pausing every once in a while to come up with ideas or, in Stu's case, crack a joke. They finished in about an hour and a half.
"Awesome! We're done!" Stu did a little dance in his chair.
"Well, we'll have to read through the whole thing to edit it... Then we should type it up on the computer... But after that, yes, we'll be done." Ben looked a little cheerier, regardless of what he was pointing out.
"Dude, are you trying to bring me down?" Stu asked jokingly.
"No, just stating the facts."
"Same diff."
"Whatever. Do you want to meet up here again tomorrow to read through the story?" Ben asked. "Then I can type it up tomorrow."
"Sure, that would be perfect. As long as my mom let's me out of the house again." Stu said. "There shouldn't be any problem, but if I don't show up..."
"Why don't I just give you my cell number? That way you can call me if you can't make it." Ben suggested.
"Oh, that'll work!" Stu cheered right back up. Ben wrote down his number in Stu's notebook, and passed it back to him.
"Awesome, thanks man." Stu grinned, and put the book back in his bag. "I suppose I should get home, it's nearly three..." Stu stood up. "I'll see you here tomorrow, then. 11:00 sound good?"
"Make it 12:00, if we're getting here early," Ben said.
"Alrighty. See ya then!" Stu waved and Ben to whatever he was going to do now. He smiled as he walked out into the sunshine and took a breath of fresh air. He plopped down on the bus stop bench and waited, still grinning away.
It was Saturday morning, and Stu was dead bored. He had absolutely nothing to do today, thanks to his grounding. He couldn't watch anything, talk to anyone, play his guitar, nothing. His mom had even taken away his cell phone so he couldn't text or call anyone.
He was sprawled across his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. He had been doing this since he woke up. Stu listened to his stomach growl. It had been doing this for about an hour, but he did his best to ignore it. He did not want to go downstairs and have to talk to his mom. It growled again, more urgently.
"Ahh, fine! Have it your way! I'll go eat something! Geez..." Stu stood up and walked to the kitchen quietly.
"Good morning, Stuart," his mother greeted as he entered the room.
'Son of a bitch, I didn't think she'd actually be in the room.' He thought as he walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a slice of whole-grain bread. 'I was hoping she would be in the living room...'
"'Morning." Was all he said out loud. He slammed the bread into the toaster and waited for it to toast. The room was silent except for the sizzling of the organic scrambled eggs that his mom was cooking for herself.
Stu suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, mom?" He asked quickly.
"Yes?"
"Could I co to the library today? I have some homework that needs to be done." Stu said fake pleadingly.
"You're grounded." She reminded him simply.
"I know, but it's not like I'm going to be doing anything fun there. And I don't know anyone in this town, so I have no one to secretly meet up with. I'm only going to be working on school stuff."
She thought about this for a moment.
"Well... I suppose." She said, a little unwillingly.
"Great! I mean, uh, thanks. I'll leave after breakfast then." He said, trying not to sound excited.
His plan, however, was not to do homework, but rather see if Ben was there so they could hang out, and finish their story. Plus he didn't really want to be stuck in the house with his mother for two whole days with nothing to do.
After he finished eating his toast, Stu practically ran up the stair to grab his school stuff and shove it in his backpack to make his lie look true. Then he ran back down and out the door before his mom could say goodbye. Once he was about about two blocks away from his house, he slowed to a stop at the bus stop. He sat down at the bench and waited. He looked around. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, no clouds in the sky, birds all over the place, chirping, and leaves still green on the trees. It was early enough in the fall that they had yet to change colours and fall off.
Stu was watching some little kids across the street at the park kicking around a soccer ball as the bus pulled up. He stood and got on the bus, dropping some change in the change collector, and taking a seat towards the back. He pulled out his mp3 player, put the earphones in his ear, and lost himself in the music as he gazed out the window at the passing buildings.
Half an hour later, he hopped off the bus outside of the library. He looked around as he walked toward the entrance, to see if Ben was maybe just getting there. He didn't see Ben at all, even as he walked into the fiction section. Stu sighed sadly and sat at the table closest to the classics shelf, where he had found Ben the last time.
'I hope he comes here at some point today,' Stu thought, as he pulled out his homework. 'I guess it is only 9:30. He might sleep late on weekends.' He set out to work on his assignments, figuring he may as well do them now. He had nothing else to do, right?
Hours later, around 1 o'clock, Stu was reading a book. He had finished his homework back at 11, and needed something to do, so he picked up a random book from the classics section. It was boring, and kind of hard to understand, what with the way it was written.
"I don't understand how Ben can read this stuff," Stu mumbled under his breath.
"How I can read what?" Someone asked. Stu glanced up and practically fell off of his chair when he saw Ben standing right in front of his table.
"How long have you been standing there for?" Stu asked, startled.
"I dunno, a few minutes? I was waiting to see if you would notice me." Ben smirked, "you didn't, so I got bored."
"Damn, man, you're quiet!" Stu exclaimed, a little louder than her should have in a library.
"Thanks. It's a talent." Ben sat at the chair across from Stu, and set a coffee cup on the table, and his bag on the floor. "So why are you here? I thought you were grounded?"
"I am. But I convinced my mom that I was just going to the library to do school work, when I was actually hoping to run into you. I figured we could keep writing," Stu explained. "But as it got later, I got worried that you wouldn't show up. But I have nothing to do at home, so I stayed and just picked up a book to read." He pointed to the book he had been reading.
"I see. Well, I sleep really late on weekends. Today I actually got up a little early for my tastes," Ben shrugged his shoulders. "So what book are you reading anyway? You said you couldn't understand why I read it?"
"Oh, yeah, it's uh..." Stu picked up the book and showed Ben the cover.
"Ah, yes. Pride and Prejudice. I like that one." Ben smiled a little.
"How can you like it? It's written all..." Stu was at a loss for words. "...Weird. And hard to understand!"
"That's just the style they wrote in in the 1800's," Ben chuckled.
"Oh. Well, it's difficult. I don't care for it." Stu made a face and pushed the book away.
"The classics aren't for everyone." Ben laughed.
"That's for sure." Stu nodded. "So, let's work on the story?"
"Oh, I didn't bring the notes... I didn't think I needed them" Ben said.
"Ah, that sucks!" Stu slumped back in his chair. "I was hoping that you would bring them just in case."
"Just in case what? I met up with you by accident?" Ben rolled his eyes. "I was told you were grounded and couldn't go anywhere. How was I to anticipate that I would meet up with you at the library?"
"Woah, calm down man, I didn't mean it in a rude way!" Stu sat back up. "I just thought you might try to work on it yourself, or something. I mean, I'm glad you didn't, but you never know, right?"
"...I guess," Ben said, looking less miffed.
"Well, I brought my note book. We could continue the story from memory," Stu suggested, pulling said notebook out of his backpack.
"Sure, that works." Ben looked calm again.
The boys set out to work on the last few pages of their story, pausing every once in a while to come up with ideas or, in Stu's case, crack a joke. They finished in about an hour and a half.
"Awesome! We're done!" Stu did a little dance in his chair.
"Well, we'll have to read through the whole thing to edit it... Then we should type it up on the computer... But after that, yes, we'll be done." Ben looked a little cheerier, regardless of what he was pointing out.
"Dude, are you trying to bring me down?" Stu asked jokingly.
"No, just stating the facts."
"Same diff."
"Whatever. Do you want to meet up here again tomorrow to read through the story?" Ben asked. "Then I can type it up tomorrow."
"Sure, that would be perfect. As long as my mom let's me out of the house again." Stu said. "There shouldn't be any problem, but if I don't show up..."
"Why don't I just give you my cell number? That way you can call me if you can't make it." Ben suggested.
"Oh, that'll work!" Stu cheered right back up. Ben wrote down his number in Stu's notebook, and passed it back to him.
"Awesome, thanks man." Stu grinned, and put the book back in his bag. "I suppose I should get home, it's nearly three..." Stu stood up. "I'll see you here tomorrow, then. 11:00 sound good?"
"Make it 12:00, if we're getting here early," Ben said.
"Alrighty. See ya then!" Stu waved and Ben to whatever he was going to do now. He smiled as he walked out into the sunshine and took a breath of fresh air. He plopped down on the bus stop bench and waited, still grinning away.