Okay, this is my first submission to this site, so I don't know if I should have split it into chapters or if I've rated it lower than I should have. In the interest of getting me better acclimated to your ways, don't be slow to tell me what I've done wrong.
Ben wasn't an outgoing person. This is why he amazed himself so much when he let out a supposedly simple word.
"Hi."
The girl smiled at him as she walked past. Why had he greeted her? He rarely spoke to most people he knew, let alone strangers. Attractive though those strangers might be.. Ben snapped himself out of his thoughts and returned to the pages of his book, intent on keeping himself from any other... interaction. He turned the page of A Midsummer Night's Dream and lost himself for a while in the world Shakespeare built around him. He enjoyed reading outside, it was nice to have the sun's embrace keep him warm as he read the works of the Bard. He sat upon a large rock on a dirt path through a wood. The town he lived in was large and encompassed said wood, so many people took the footpaths to cut down their journey. In the summer the traffic was especially heavy, with the attractive weather and the various plants in bloom all bringing people to linger in the wood. Most just passed by and left Ben to his reading. Some who knew him threw him a wave.
"Hi."
He did it again! What the Hell was he doing? What had brought him to say it, yet again? This time, the girl didn't just walk on. She sat on the rock across the path, just opposite him.
"Hey." She spoke with a New York accent, "What're you reading?"
"Complete Works of Shakespeare." Ben hoped that this would bore her enough that she'd just move on.
"Which play?"
Crap. She cared. Social situations were not his area of expertise. "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
"Oh, that's one of my favourites." The girl whipped a strand of dark-blond hair away from her face with a flick of her head, "I feel that it's better performed than read."
She had a nice face, once he looked. Of course, hormones made him think the same about most girls, but this was different. She didn't just look beautiful or attractive, but pleasing. Her nose was small and her eyes wide, looking at almost everything with a bright cheeriness. He then realised it'd been about half a minute and he hadn't answered. "Uh, I wouldn't know about that. I've never had the chance to see any of his plays performed."
"You have to, it's just not the same experience reading it from a book. I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I?" She giggled a little as if she introduced herself to everyone as a matter of courtesy, and had forgot clumsily. Perhaps she did. It seems like she might be the kind of person to do that.. "I'm Denise."
"Benjamin, it's a pleasure." He was being honest, too. For some reason, he was actually enjoying her company. "I don't think I've seen you before-"
"My mom and I just moved here last month. Speaking of her, she told me to be quick. I'm only supposed to be going to the store! I'll see you around, Ben."
"Bye, Denise."
With that, Denise dashed off down the earthy path. Socializing. T'was scary stuff, and no mistake. Hm. Ben liked when his thoughts slipped into that lovely Shakespearean dialect. It happened often when he read it and it was almost instinctive. He sighed and looked up. The sun was beginning to decline in the sky above the surrounding trees. He got up and set off for home, walking along the path with his book under his arm. He turned left as he came over the fence leading to the woods. Damn. Three boys he knew from school were sauntering down the path in his direction. He didn't care for them. He kept to the left of the path, kept his head down and hoped not to be noticed.
"Oi, it's Shakespeare!" Hell.
"Aye, it is!"
He raised his head and pretended that he hadn't noticed them and was pleased, "Hello, Dave, Mike, Shaun."
Dave stepped towards him, right in his path. Any hopes of walking on was lost, "Let us read your book, then." Ben attempted to simply coil away as Dave made a grab for his book, he stepped onto the grass and tried to walk hurriedly past. Shaun headed over quickly and grabbed him by the arm.
"Let 'im read your book!" Shaun insisted as though it was a genuine request. Mike rushed up behind him and slipped the book out of Ben's grasp. He handed it to Dave who flipped it to a random page. He recited a passage from Hamlet that he had little chance of understanding.
"Doesn't make any sense, this. 'Ave it back-" Dave tossed it at Ben. He fumbled with it in an attempt to catch it and it fell to the ground, "Can't speak English, that Shakespeare!" Shaun gave the book a little kick as Ben leant down to pick it up. He hurriedly moved over to it and snapped it up. He straightened up and walked over to Dave.
"I'll have you know that the Bard of Avon had mastery of the English language far beyond your limited comprehension." What. The Hell. Was he doing? As Dave's stare met his own, the rage that had flared from Dave's insult soon died down behind the incredible fear of his apparently imminent death.
"Are you sayin' I'm thick?" Dave was awfully close to him now.
"I think he was, Dave" Mike advanced on his left while Shaun silently approached on his right.
Dave grabbed Ben's shirt and looked threateningly down his eyes. He could see the fear. He wanted to smile, but it would spoil the thrill that came with knowing Ben was afraid.
"I think you oughta put him down." Denise had appeared from nowhere. She was standing with her hands at her hips, her left clutching a plastic bag holding what appeared to be milk and bread.
Dave looked between his captured prey and Denise, slowly making her way towards the group.
"Somethin' tells me you're not about to give him a hug, and any other course of action wouldn't be very nice." She talked as if saving nerds was everyday to her.
"What are you gonna do about it?" Dave turned a little towards Denise and Shaun backed off so he could get a good look.
"You're right, I can't really do much about this can I?" It was a second or two before Denise brought her fist at speed from her hip to his face. Dave let go of Ben and staggered off, clutching his nose with both hands.
"You bitch!" Dave pulled one hand away from his nose and formed a fist.
"Hold this." She handed her bag to Ben, while he stared at both near-combatants.
"Dave, she's a girl!" Mike voiced his disapproval.
"She's a f***ing bitch! She punched me in the face!" Dave swung his head around, blood caked under his nose. He formed another fist. Meanwhile, Denise was already geared up, two fists hovered over her chest as she hopped from foot to foot. Shaun and Mike had joined Ben in backing to the edge of the road to observe the chaos.
Dave made the first move, rushing like a madman to land a blow on Denise. She ducked under his fist and circled behind him. He twisted on his heels and rushed at her again, fist prepared to crush her shoulder. She hopped back and he crushed air. She moved back forwards and lashed a blow across his neck. She wasted no time in getting behind him and digging her knee into the back of his. She elbowed his back, knocking him to the floor. She knelt on top of him.
"Give?"
"F*** off!"
She grabbed his head by the hair and wretched it up, "I won't hesitate to slam this into the asphalt. You give?"
"Fine, just get off me." She let him up and he began rubbing just about every place he'd been hit. Mike and Shaun moved off from Ben as Denise walked over. The delinquents hurried off with Dave cursing under his breath.
"Uh, your bag." Ben handed the plastic bag over, "Thanks for that."
"No problem." She took the bag and began walking with him.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that."
"Well, that first punch, I learned from a guy I knew who taught kendo back in America. Well, officially he taught kendo, but he'd teach anything from martial arts to flower arranging if you asked nicely. The rest, I improvised."
"Nice improvising. So, is your house this way?"
"Yeah, Jones Street."
"Isn't it quicker to go back that way to get to Jones Street."
"Yeah, but this way's more fun." They shared a smile.
EDIT: Split it up now. It was originally in three parts, as I submitted it periodically to DeviantArt, making it really easy to split once more.
Unless you don't want to, that's fine. Again, welcome! Please PM me once you split this up, and also PM me if you have any questions.
