Lost and Found, Chapter Ten
Title: Lost and Found
Rating: PG-13
Centric: High school twins.
Status: Complete.
Summary: At age seven, Joel is abducted, taken away from his home forever. At age seventeen, he’s on top of the world, a popular jock who gets everything he wants, courtesy of his rich parents. But he isn’t happy. What happens when the past he’s denied existing comes back to smash his perfect life into pieces? And when he finds the twin that he had convinced himself was just a figment of his imagination, can he deal? Or will the horrible impairment Benji faces prove too much for him to handle?
“I can’t believe you two are related, man,” Jesse says, glancing past Joel into the stands to where Robin, Josh, and Sarah sit, Benji situated closer to the bench in his wheelchair. Hitting the tip of his bat on the dirt-compacted ground a couple of times, Joel shakes his head.
“He’s really not that bad, Jess,” Joel chews his lip, glancing over at the opposing team. Tonight his team is playing their biggest in-city rival, the Crusaders, and deep in his heart he knows all the pressure of the outcome rests on his shoulders.
“Not that bad?” Jesse repeats, kicking a small patch of dirt repeatedly with the toe of his shoe. “The kid is a full-out freak. His family is dirt-poor and you somehow are related to the whole she-bang? I’d say that might by a bit of a problem, bro.”
Joel shrugs.
“Yeah,” Danny says, coming over. “Admit it… blood is blood.”
“So, what, just because we’re related, or used to be, you’re all going to dog on me, now?” Joel snaps, becoming increasingly annoyed while slipping into cool-guy mode.
Danny and Jesse look at each other, shrugging while suppressing smirks.
“You two are seriously messed up,” Joel shakes his head. “Just because he’s worthless, doesn’t mean I am.” Joel instantly feels bad about the words spilling from his mouth, but these guys need to know that he’s not a loser. He can’t risk losing his position in the ranks of popularity by admitting that he actually likes Benji.
“Whatever, man,” Jesse laughs. “When are you getting out of the Freak House?”
“It’s more like a shed, dude,” Danny smirks. “They’re holed up in the Alterson building.”
“Ouch,” Jesse winces, once again glancing past Joel towards the stands. “Shit dude, you better make sure you don’t catch anything. That place is nasty.”
“Yeah,” Joel offers a half-hearted smile, ignoring the fact that the “shed” felt more like home than his parent’s mansion. “I don’t know, man. I’m hoping not too long. I was thinking I could get my parents to pay them off, maybe give them enough so they can go back to where they came from, you know?”
“Definitely,” Jesse nods. “Get rid of them so you never have to see them again.”
“Yeah,” Joel agrees. “The way I see it, whoever took me from them did me a huge favor.”
“Okay, guys, come in,” their coach yells to all his players from the dugout.
__________________________________________
The game was a dream game for Joel. He scored a run and pitched a couple of hitless innings. Then, tied in the bottom of the ninth, he got a homerun to win the game. It was perfect, he reasoned, an added bonus that he had people there to watch him.
Making his way across the field through high-fives and calls of congratulations, Joel is beaming. Pushing through the gate to the spectator’s section, he looks to his group of spectators expectantly, his face falling. They don’t look happy… but sad. And angry.
“What’s wrong?” he furrows his eyebrows, no response. Opening his mouth to inquire further, Benji pushes past him in his wheelchair.
“Benj…” Joel starts.
“Don’t talk to me,” Benji snaps, stopping dead in his tracks.
“I… what?” Joel’s mouth hangs open in confusion.
“I said don’t talk to me!”
“Benjamin…” his mother starts with a tired sigh.
“No, Mama, don’t. He doesn’t care.”
“What are you talking about?” Joel pushes, beyond confused by this point.
“Don’t act like you fucking care about me, about us, because you don’t,” Benji continues on his tirade. “Don’t act like you didn’t fucking just say all that shit and don’t try to act like you didn’t mean it.”
Joel’s jaw nearly hits the floor. He had heard him.
“No, no, I…” he stalls. “I didn’t mean it. Shut up- I didn’t! I was just… I was just saying that stuff because…”
“You’re lucky I’m in this chair, or else you’d be hurting right now.”
“Benjamin, that’s enough,” his mom sighs. “Joel, I think it would be best if you were to go right now. We’ll settle something with… your parents,” she clears her throat. “I don’t think this is going to work out.”
Joel opens his mouth to say something, but ends up nodding instead. He can’t defend what he said, and he can’t take it back. So slowly he turns, shock in his eyes, and leaves. His family doesn’t want him anymore. And he can’t blame them.
Rating: PG-13
Centric: High school twins.
Status: Complete.
Summary: At age seven, Joel is abducted, taken away from his home forever. At age seventeen, he’s on top of the world, a popular jock who gets everything he wants, courtesy of his rich parents. But he isn’t happy. What happens when the past he’s denied existing comes back to smash his perfect life into pieces? And when he finds the twin that he had convinced himself was just a figment of his imagination, can he deal? Or will the horrible impairment Benji faces prove too much for him to handle?
“I can’t believe you two are related, man,” Jesse says, glancing past Joel into the stands to where Robin, Josh, and Sarah sit, Benji situated closer to the bench in his wheelchair. Hitting the tip of his bat on the dirt-compacted ground a couple of times, Joel shakes his head.
“He’s really not that bad, Jess,” Joel chews his lip, glancing over at the opposing team. Tonight his team is playing their biggest in-city rival, the Crusaders, and deep in his heart he knows all the pressure of the outcome rests on his shoulders.
“Not that bad?” Jesse repeats, kicking a small patch of dirt repeatedly with the toe of his shoe. “The kid is a full-out freak. His family is dirt-poor and you somehow are related to the whole she-bang? I’d say that might by a bit of a problem, bro.”
Joel shrugs.
“Yeah,” Danny says, coming over. “Admit it… blood is blood.”
“So, what, just because we’re related, or used to be, you’re all going to dog on me, now?” Joel snaps, becoming increasingly annoyed while slipping into cool-guy mode.
Danny and Jesse look at each other, shrugging while suppressing smirks.
“You two are seriously messed up,” Joel shakes his head. “Just because he’s worthless, doesn’t mean I am.” Joel instantly feels bad about the words spilling from his mouth, but these guys need to know that he’s not a loser. He can’t risk losing his position in the ranks of popularity by admitting that he actually likes Benji.
“Whatever, man,” Jesse laughs. “When are you getting out of the Freak House?”
“It’s more like a shed, dude,” Danny smirks. “They’re holed up in the Alterson building.”
“Ouch,” Jesse winces, once again glancing past Joel towards the stands. “Shit dude, you better make sure you don’t catch anything. That place is nasty.”
“Yeah,” Joel offers a half-hearted smile, ignoring the fact that the “shed” felt more like home than his parent’s mansion. “I don’t know, man. I’m hoping not too long. I was thinking I could get my parents to pay them off, maybe give them enough so they can go back to where they came from, you know?”
“Definitely,” Jesse nods. “Get rid of them so you never have to see them again.”
“Yeah,” Joel agrees. “The way I see it, whoever took me from them did me a huge favor.”
“Okay, guys, come in,” their coach yells to all his players from the dugout.
__________________________________________
The game was a dream game for Joel. He scored a run and pitched a couple of hitless innings. Then, tied in the bottom of the ninth, he got a homerun to win the game. It was perfect, he reasoned, an added bonus that he had people there to watch him.
Making his way across the field through high-fives and calls of congratulations, Joel is beaming. Pushing through the gate to the spectator’s section, he looks to his group of spectators expectantly, his face falling. They don’t look happy… but sad. And angry.
“What’s wrong?” he furrows his eyebrows, no response. Opening his mouth to inquire further, Benji pushes past him in his wheelchair.
“Benj…” Joel starts.
“Don’t talk to me,” Benji snaps, stopping dead in his tracks.
“I… what?” Joel’s mouth hangs open in confusion.
“I said don’t talk to me!”
“Benjamin…” his mother starts with a tired sigh.
“No, Mama, don’t. He doesn’t care.”
“What are you talking about?” Joel pushes, beyond confused by this point.
“Don’t act like you fucking care about me, about us, because you don’t,” Benji continues on his tirade. “Don’t act like you didn’t fucking just say all that shit and don’t try to act like you didn’t mean it.”
Joel’s jaw nearly hits the floor. He had heard him.
“No, no, I…” he stalls. “I didn’t mean it. Shut up- I didn’t! I was just… I was just saying that stuff because…”
“You’re lucky I’m in this chair, or else you’d be hurting right now.”
“Benjamin, that’s enough,” his mom sighs. “Joel, I think it would be best if you were to go right now. We’ll settle something with… your parents,” she clears her throat. “I don’t think this is going to work out.”
Joel opens his mouth to say something, but ends up nodding instead. He can’t defend what he said, and he can’t take it back. So slowly he turns, shock in his eyes, and leaves. His family doesn’t want him anymore. And he can’t blame them.