Beakman

Hey, if you’re reading this, my name is Benny Beakman. I was a high school graduate living in Snicketsville, Arkansas with my parents. We moved there about two years ago, and I soon found a job at a grocery store owned by Neal Hays, who seems somewhat abrasive until you get to know him, at least. I never went to high school here, so I didn’t meet many people my age, but I did know some of the guys at Neal’s store. Bill McKenzie, for example, is a year younger than me, but we still talk sometimes. Then there’s Hunter West, who, personally, I don’t care for. Who would after being smacked in the butt? I never understood that, but anyway.

Other than that, I didn’t get out much. It wasn’t because I didn’t have a car. I actually had a nice Beetle. It was mostly that there was not much to do there, at least not when you don’t know many people. Instead, I was often in my room, playing music, and listening to my parents telling me to stop. When I did go out, I drove to a nearby cafe to get coffee, and occasionally took looks at the girls coming in. I didn’t have a girlfriend, so what else was I going to do, actually talk to them? There was this mixed girl that worked at the cafe. Her name is Cassie, and I just wanted so bad to strike up a conversation, but alas, I never mustered up the courage to do so. One day, I was in the cafe, but there weren’t many people inside. Although, to be honest, nobody really spoke to me, anyway, so it wasn’t very different from when there were a bunch of people.

Finishing up my coffee, I went home.

I’m back in my room, on my computer. It’s still daylight outside, but, nobody’s blowing up my phone to invite me out, so I’m gonna hit the sack.

I woke up at eight in the morning and needed some coffee, but that day, I didn’t feel like spending $6 on a cup of bland coffee, so I just got some for free, at home. On second thought, I went to the cafe to try to say something to Cassie.

Back in the cafe, I didn’t see her right away. Figures. I was trying to talk to her, and she was not there. After a few moments, I was about to leave, when I thought I saw her walking in. I motioned for her to come sit down.

“Hey, Cassie. How are you?” I said, shakily.

“I’m good. You?” she said with a pretty smile.

“Good,” I replied.

“Are you busy today?” Cassie asked me in a sweet voice.

“No, I’m off today. What about you?” I asked, looking at her.

“I’m working this afternoon,” she said.

“I don’t mean to keep you, then,” I said, drinking coffee I intended on not buying.

“You’re fine,” Cassie said.

“If I asked you something, would you say yes?” I asked, nervously.

“Depends on what that is, Benny,” Cassie said, chuckling.

“Would you?… Never mind,” I said, pulling myself in.

“What is it?” she asked patiently.

“Go on a date, w-with me?” I finally uttered.

She paused and after a few seconds, gave me a grin.

“Sure, Benny. I’ve seen you here many times. I thought you were kinda cute, but I just couldn’t find the right words. I’m a bit antisocial, you know?”

A light bulb went off in my head. Here I thought I would be speaking to a woman way above my league, but she was kind of socially awkward, too. Oops.

“Yeah, I understand,” I said.

“When do you want to go?” she asked, pushing her glasses up, something I despised about wearing glasses myself.

“Your choice, Cassie,” I said.

“How about now, in this cafe?” she asked, taking off her coat, under which, I noticed she was wearing a yellow shirt with jeans.

“That’s sounds nice,” I said, beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around her. She exuded, to me anyway, someone who just wanted to have another person’s company.

For the next hour, I sat in that cafe with possibly the greatest woman I had ever met, talking about different hobbies she enjoyed, but she also listened to me, something I hadn’t seen in even my own family sometimes. I didn’t want it to end, but when it did, she said to me,

“I’ve had a really nice time, Benny. I’ll see you later.”

Responding simply, I said,

“Me too.”

And that was it. It all happened so fast, but I didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, I truly felt alive. I know that sounds stupid, but it’s true.

I definitely wanted to see her again soon. I didn’t know where to go, but I decided it was probably best to head back home.

When I came in, my parents were in the kitchen and my mom asked, as she always does,

“How was your day, son?”

“It was really great, actually. I went on a date with Cassie. And-” I was cut off by my mother, who being her nosy self, asked,

“With the cafe girl? I didn’t know you liked her.”

“She’s something, isn’t she, son?” my father said,chiming in and nodding his head.

“Yes, she is. We have a lot of things in common. Anyway, I’ll talk to you guys in the morning,” I said, heading up the stairs, but I heard my dad mention,

“There’s a surprise on your bed. It’s good, I promise.”

“Thanks, good night,” I said quickly, wanting to enter my fortress of solitude, aka my bedroom and see what my “surprise” was.

When I entered, I saw a letter on the bed. Surely, it wasn’t from the college I applied to near Bentonville. I mostly applied so I would be near my Uncle Brian, and my grandparents, who live there as well. Hurriedly, I tore open the envelope, and to my surprise, they accepted me.

I sat there for a moment, unable to conceive that I actually was accepted into a university, especially one I wanted to actually get into. Gaining my composure once again, I ran down the stairs and blurted out to my parents, who were in the living room,

“I got in! I got in! Woo!” I shouted.

“That’s my Benny, going to college,” my mother said, her voice quivering.

“Don’t cry. This is good, I’ll finally make friends, maybe,” I said, smiling.

“Now, son, you remember to focus on your schoolwork, not people. You know that,” my dad reminded me, as he did often.

Going back upstairs, I finally went to sleep a little after 11, and when I got up the next morning, I thought about Cassie. I’ll miss her, for sure. Can’t say the same about Bill and Hunter.

My dad came up and said,

“I told your uncle about you getting into that school. He said he’ll help you with an apartment,”

“I don’t need any money, Dad,” I said, shortly after witch he sharply replied with,

“I know. He meant he could help you find a realtor. You foot the bill. I told you that, Benny,”

my dad said.

“I don’t expect anyone to pay for it, but me,” I said. One thing my dad always told me was that nobody is entitled to anything unless they work for it.

“Let’s get going, then,”

“Alright, son,”

“Wait, let me go see Cassie real quick,” I said swiftly.

“That’s fine. Go. And hurry up, I don’t have all day,” my dad joked.

Jumping in my car, I sped down to the cafe, and just in time, I caught Cassie leaving.

She smiled and when I hopped out, she stopped and said,

“Hey, Benny. What’s going on?”

“Cassie, I wanted to tell you. I’m not staying here. I’m going to college near Bentonville. I just wanted you to know,” I explained

“Really?” she said with a confused look on her face.

“What?” I asked, sitting down in one of the chairs outside.

“I’m going near Bentonville myself,” she said, and immediately I asked,

“What college?”

“Uh, Northwest Arkansas, the community college,” she answered.

In my head, I was jumping for joy. That’s the same college I applied for! Calmly, I responded with,

“Me too.”

Instead of talking much, she simply smiled, and left, saying,

“See you there.”

Afterwards, I drove back home and I saw my dad in the driveway. He said,

“Let me in.”

“There you go,” I said, and for the next hour, we didn’t talk much, and, save for the few stops here and there, we trudged on nonstop. When we made it to my uncle’s place, I felt so good to actually see him.

After he helped me find a decent realtor, I started renting an apartment close to the college and, although Cassie was my only friend for a few months, soon I started finding people just like Cassie. Well, not just like her, but they did something that the people in Snicketsville never did, and that was accept me for who I am. Thank you for taking the time to hear my story, and may you find the same happiness as I finally did.