Dangerous Data

"Are you quite done 'taking it all in' as you put it? I still have work to do," Ben rudely sneered at me. What an ass, I thought.

"Uh," I struggled to find words for some reason, "Yeah, sorry." I then stepped aside and let him resume to type without looking at the keyboard; something I never learned in school. At least, that's what it sounded like...typing without pausing to look down, my biggest fault in writing. I still typed with vigor, it's just not what they wanted....whoever they were. You know what I mean, right?

"No comments from the peanut gallery?" Ben spoke above his loud, annoying typing. Looks like our moment in the hallway was short lived after all.

"No, sorry." I replied with disappointment radiating from my vocals. I didn't mean to be so transparent emotionally, but I just was.

He must have took it as disappointment from me not pissing him off because he retorted, "Maybe you're starting to like me."

My cheeks started to turn crimson as I nearly barked without thinking with clenched fists, "In your dreams, Mr. Harvard!"

Then it went silent....Well, not completely silent as he was still typing. The click, click, clickity, clack, of the keyboard was more deafening than ever in that moment. I looked away from him since it was nearly like looking into the sun. Noticing there were no windows in this room, I was kind of freaking out now.

The anxiety I felt was similar to the one I felt back when that evil woman tried to force me to class that one day. I won't get into much detail since I don't want to just yet, but the pit of my stomach felt bigger and bigger with each inhalation of oxygen I took. It was like the air I breathed was poison. Every word of,'You need to go to class or we'll file a police report' made me want to regurgitate all over the wicked witch....Who she looked like, by the way.

Then a voice was speaking to me in this odd daze of mine....a masculine voice....a condescending, masculine voice....Ben? Yes, it was....but what was he saying? I was focusing in on a blurry figure...him...God, he is so cute. Just what is he saying? Let's find out....but I can't.....Why is everything fading away....No....Please....Not now....

I woke up in a bed. A comfy bed, mind you. I also woke up in a over-sized shirt and boxers. Weird would be an understatement, really. This is only because someone would have had to undress me and...Ben! Holy matrimony! He saw me undressed?! What the hell?! I wasn't wearing a bra either....Oh. My. God. That fucker! I sprung up out of bed to kill him and soon noticed the strong moonlight hitting me through the large, Italian style windows. It's nighttime...but how late? I looked around for a clock, but none was in sight. I cursed and finally got out of bed to probably yell at Benjamin....and to find a time, of course.

The door creaked open as I tried my best to mute it. Turns out I was in the narrow corridor again, where me and Ben had our little moment. Why do I call it that? God, I'm such a hopeless romantic sometimes I tell ya. I then heard a loud moaning coming from far away in the house. It sounded like a woman moaning. Intrigued, I followed it to the basement to which it got louder and louder. "Does he have a sex dungeon down there?!" I whispered to myself, "No, stupid! He isn't like that...maybe he likes watching porn really loud...or something..."

Then a feminine voice moaned loudly, from a hidden room, "Ooohh...BENJAMIN!"

Halfway down the steps and I was ready to turn around, "Yep. Definitely sex dungeon; I'm out!"

Just as I was about to turn around and break for it, I heard something coming from what sounded like Ben, "I love you, Karen."

Karen? Who the hell was that? Then it came to me like math comes to Stephen Hawking, Ben is not always alone...like me. I quickly headed back up the stairwell and back into the nice bedroom that Ben left me in before I went exploring where I shouldn't have been exploring. I just sat on the bed and moped at this point. I was sad, but not surprised.

After awhile of just sitting there and basically pouting, I went back under the covers and back to sleep.

***

As I woke up, I was overlooked by Ben. I nearly jumped ten feet at this figure looming over me, "Co-Could you not do that?!"

Ben was already dressed in a pressed purple shirt and nice slacks, "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." He then sat on the bed perpendicular to me.

I then calmed down as the tiredness hit me like a bullet train hitting a rabbit who happened to be on the tracks, "Wha....What time is it?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Early; seven o'clock." He coolly replied.

"Why so early?"

"I don't know. You're the one who woke up, not me." I glared at him. Is this how it was gonna be for the rest of....the time? Just how long were we going to be working together? Until we get killed? I didn't know. I hated not knowing, but I was good at ignoring things like this. However, this was getting difficult to ignore. I averted my gaze and he must have noticed because he said, "You're thinking about something, tell me what it is."

"It's not important," I was mostly trying to convince myself that as I attempted to leave the bed, but he grabbed my arm right before I could exit the mattress.

"You wouldn't be frowning if it wasn't." Was I? I didn't even notice. I just frown all the time and I had just gotten used to it over the years.

"Just how long have you been up?" I changed the subject, I didn't need the bullshit this early in the morning.

"Couple hours."

"Okay, now let me go," I really had to use the bathroom, "I have to pee."

"The term, 'use the bathroom' would have sufficed, Dakota," Ben then let me go and I went to door. But then I turned around because I didn't know where it was. He must have read my mind because he then said, "The door across here. That's the bathroom."

"Ah, thanks," and Ben smiled halfheartedly. I turned around and went into the small hallway while shutting the door behind me. Then I walked into the large bathroom, "Man, everything's bigger on the inside..."

As I sat on the toilet and conducted my business, I thought about last night's little adventure down stairs in the basement. I'm just glad he didn't catch me. Otherwise, we would've had a major issue...more major than the one we have already. Scratch that, nothing is more major than the issue than the one we have already, but we don't need any interpersonal conflicts. Or any more interpersonal conflicts, that is. We already can't stand each other...I think. God, I don't know. I put my head in my hands disgust and then I heard a slight knock on the door and a muffled voice behind it, "You alright in there, Dakota?" It was Ben.

How long was I in here for? "Ye-Yeah! I'll be out soon, sorry."

"No, no, take your time. I was just wondering." I then heard him walk away. It sounded like he cared about me from time to time, but when he or I realized it he would stop. The same went for me, so I never said anything. It's only because if I did, wouldn't that make me a hypocrite? I got up and finished my stuff on the toilet and went to face the mirror and wash my hands. I flushed the toilet, of course. Then I went back to my thoughts while staring at myself in the mirror. I was fine with being a hypocrite, I've been one all my life. I believe all humans end up that way. It's just whether you're in denial or not. I'm just not. I came to terms that humans have a good side and a really shitty side. I would say 'bad side', but that would just be under putting it, really.

I realized I was still washing my hands. I then turned off the cold water and dried them off on this really, really soft towel. "This Ben, he really has it made..." I whispered to myself. As I walked out the bathroom and shut the door behind me, I heard cooking going on in the kitchen. Interested but not really hungry since I never am this early in the morning, I sauntered over past the living room to find Ben doing just what I expected.

Adorned in a cute, pale green apron, he saw me and greeted me, "Oh, hey. I hope you like baby portabellas..." he trailed off as he was focused on cooking. I didn't care, I just liked that he could cook so well.

I asked him, "Where do you keep your plates and utensils?"

"Utensils," He pointed over to a drawer near the sink, "Plates and cups are above that drawer."

"Th-thanks..." I rushed to grab my stuff where indeed it was there.

"No problem." I then sat on my usual stool and waited. I then heard my father's voice echo in my mind, 'Back in the old days, you would be serving him!' I shook my head as he served me. "Something wrong, Dakota?" His voice brought me back to reality.

"Oh! Ah, no! Nothing's wrong! It looks really good, actually!" I grinned a little too much.

Ben cocked an eyebrow as he served himself some, "Okay....Well, enjoy."

He's definitely onto me, I thought as I blew on the hot mushrooms and took a bite. Wow, was it good! Better than the potatoes were yesterday. He sure did have a talent....I'm surprised he didn't go into culinary at Harvard or some other school. I had to ask as he sat next to me on the other stool, "Why didn't you do culinary?"

Ben went quiet. This was obviously not the first time he was asked this. He then spoke, "I told you I was set up.... right?"

I went silent as I tried to remember and then I did, "Yeah, I do... sort of. You only mentioned it once."

He sighed and put down his fork, that's when you knew shit was about to go down. He had gotten more somber, "I usually tell people that IT was a bigger calling, more money. However, I'll tell you the real reason."

Oooh, I get the real reason? Nice! I had to play it cool though, "Oh-Okay."

He glanced at me and back to his food. Ben then picked up his fork and picked up a mushroom with it and twirled it around as he spoke with a serious tone, "My father, he convinced me to start hacking computers. To, well, get into computers in general. I wanted to be a chef. A Television chef when I was younger..." He then chuckled and burst out laughing, but a depressed laugh. It's like the smile I was talking about, but much...much worse. I could feel each cry for help in each jest. He then continued, "Then I wanted to become a culinary professor when I was about fourteen. When my father heard that he....he...." Ben almost choked up. It was almost inaudible, but I heard it start from his heart. Funny how things did that.

I didn't know if I should press on, but I wanted to know so I could help. But the thing about help is, it only works if the person wants it. It's a mutual thing. It took me years to learn that and I don't think Mr. Harvard here wants help from Ms. Drop Out...At least, not right now on this particular thing. However, Benjamin went on, "He laughed at me. Said to me 'no one needs cooks anymore, son.' I know that isn't true but when you hear that from your old man at that age it hurts!"

He placed his fork down on the plate still with the portabella on it. I had to say something, but what? What could I say? So I just finished the story, "So, you joined IT to please him?"

He looked at me angrily. Oops, I of course said the wrong thing. "No, I hacked his computer and showed all the kinky porn he had of the neighbor to my mother."

"O-Oh..." Mother Mary and Joseph, this guy is brutal!

"Yeah..." Ben stood up from his almost untouched food, "You can eat mine if you're still hungry....I'll be in the computer room." He then stormed out of the kitchen like a bat out of Hell.

As I ate alone, like I usually do, for once it felt....lonely. For once I also felt genuinely sorry for Benjamin Kensworth. He just wanted to be a culinary star...or a professor...or something involving the art of cooking and his father just kicked him in the mental groin when he was young. Sure the whole porn thing is probably why he got boosted through Harvard, but not through the right school at Harvard.

"I guess me and you aren't so different after all, Kensworth..." I then took a mushroom off his plate and ate it.