Staying in front of the door to just get it over with it. 

Entering to find his mom sitting by the table and scrolling on her phone.

“Mom.”

“Hm.” Putting her phone down and turning to him.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Trying to look serious, but not too serious.

“What happened?” His mom looked at him curiously.

“Mom, I’m-“ His stomach growled and felt the energy leave his body forcing him to sit down.

“Hungry” Chuckles while passing him a granola bar.

“Yes” Forcing it out but still accepting the granola bar and biting into it. “But, I am trying to say something.” She is still chuckling, darn it mom you are messing this whole thing up.

Taking a moment to breathe and finish up.

“Mom, I’m a powered individual?” Trying so hard to take away that uncertain feeling.

“Pfft!” Concentrating back to her, she starts laughing “Ben, are you telling or asking me?” His mom says jokingly.

“Mom, I’m serious” This was supposed to be a serious conversation mom. Trying to get control back of the situation, not letting myself close up otherwise she won’t believe me.

“Ok, ok” His mom said, gathering her breath, calming down and looking attentive or at least trying to.

“What’s your power, then?” In a calm and respectful voice.

Then, I start to look away

“I don’t know.”

Closing and slamming the door on the way out. 

Getting out of here, leaving while mom is still dying of laughter back there.

“Where are,” Hearing giggling in the back “You going, Ben!” Yelled while trying to catch her breath. “Ben!” Releasing more unrestrained laughter.

“Getting out of the house to get some air and respect!!” Yelling back into the house, sadly, he couldn’t re slam the door.

“I can’t believe she did that…” Ben says while holding his head. Yes, he could.

Walking to a nearby shopping district, needing time to think.

While walking, I see someone working on top of a ladder for a little flower shop.  As I naturally get closer, I see what she is working on. As I see her working on the sign, I notice the ladder wobbles with every small movement, which is normal but placing it on the small steps is not and slowly moving to edge while one of the legs was already in the air, even less so.

Slowly walking there looking around for someone to do something as they walked by or glance from a far, but they didn’t notice or care that she was going to fall, but continuing on their day as normal.

It was so easy to just do that as well, he might as well do it too.

“Hey you, you’re going to fall.” Ben said calmly.

The girl caught off guard, surprised that someone talked to her, turning around but being on the very edge it started to be seriously off balance, Ben slowly watching it all unfold decided to calmly hold it still.

She yelps as another of the ladder legs moves from the ground and starts dipping, until she decides that jumping from the ladder was the smart move. Because of that Ben was not able to keep hold of the ladder from falling. As it flipped over and crashed into the ground. The girl barely got her footing from the jump, before she turned to him angry. No surprise there.

Victoria could not believe it, how someone could be so like that, she lived many years in this world and in all her life she never met someone who would purposely hurt her, just like that.

She wanted to explode with so much, she was holding. But he was just standing there without any care.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Shouting at him, the guy just watches on, unfazed, how typical of a guy!

“How dare you!?” Victoria yelled clenching her fists feeling the bubbling power inside her, just before she was able to.

“What is going on here?” Mom said, walking in.

Interrupting her train of thought.

“This guy,” Pointing at him. “Started moving the ladder while I was on top of it,” Watching him “I fell because of that,” His face stayed the same “That, was the loud sound by the way.” Victoria huffed and turned away, how dare he.

Mom nodded like it was normal.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Mom said even if she didn’t show, I could see it. She was furious, I didn’t like seeing mom like that.

He actually shifted and avoided mom’s gaze before answering.

“I saw the ladder moving to the edge of the step, and decided to help because that's the right thing to do, oh, and my mom would be angry if I didn’t do anything.” Tilting his head towards the steps, oh no.

“Oh then she jumped off the ladder for some reason, it made me drop the ladder.” He states without much emotion.

Turning to my mom as she does, giving me a look.

“But, I, he” Pointing at him “Look at him” But with that look, I already knew wasn’t going to win. 

Take that smile away you lame guy, feeling a little wet behind the eyes.

The guy noticed her before wiping off his smile, with his whole arm and everything, weirdo.

“Hmm, thank you for informing me and thank you for trying to help my danger prone daughter.” Her mom smiled. Knowing what was coming up, wait.

“Danger prone!? I’m am not danger prone!?” She yelled, but that look stopped her with a hint of disbelief.

Before getting to leave, her mom stops her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Her mom said.

Before she could answer.

“Are you not going to apologize to someone?” Mom said, turning to look at him.

“I, I” Sighing dragging her arms along, while mom gives me a look.

“Thank you for trying to help.” I mumbled while looking away, she just doesn’t feel it anymore.

Her mom looks at her before looking away.

“Sorry about that.” Her mom says just this dark feeling comes to her.

“Is there anything I can do for you for all the help you have done?” Mom says, why mom?! Letting her arms fall.

“No, is ok” He says, but mom won’t stop at that.

“Mom let him be, if he doesn’t want anything, he doesn’t want anything.” I tell mom, but she won’t listen and asks again.

“Well, what about a single flower?” After looking around and seeing mom won’t stop, “For my mom.” He says moments after, really?

“Is that what you really want?” Mom says with a smile while the guy nods. 

“Ok, then that’s what I'm going to give you.” Mom says happily before turning to me.

“Victoria, can you be a dear and go pick him a flower.” Oh my god mom, typical, sighs, staging her head.

“Ok, momm–” Looking back, and she is already gone. Great.

Staring blankly at the empty spot before moving on.

“Come on, let’s go” Waving him over to follow as he slowly trails inside.

This is so awkward, but I want this over with, so.

“What type of flower do you want?” Asking him.

“The simple kind?” The simple kind?! Wha— right, a guy.

“No, I mean.” No no, a guy would not know about flowers, well most people don’t only the obvious romantic ones, she only getting more and more frustrated, why couldn’t her sister be here and now I have to suffer with all of this, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“Is this one ok?” Showing him a sunflower lily is nothing too fancy but has nice connections with warmth, family and other stuff that is not important right now.

He nods appropriately, does he know—, I don’t care, I pick it up, wrap it in cellophane, before ringing it up and handing it over to him.

We walk back to the entrance before mom comes to us thanking him once again and they say good back to each other, though, I don’t.

“You should be friends with that boy.” Mom says, I sighs. 

“I really don’t want to.” She says exasperated, she can already hear it.

“You need better friends.” Her mom says seriously, I don’t want to talk about this.

Watching him leave—

It was a nice distraction, Ben thought to himself, they were a nice distraction after that whole thing, nodding to himself.

Ben took a step outside, before a guy knocked him down having all his air blow out of him, Ben quickly grabbed the guy’s arm, but accidentally pulled him down with him.

The guy drops something with a light bam but decides to leave it behind in a huge burst of speed.

While in the back hearing Victoria’s mom saying “You really should become friends with that boy.” With a proud tune, which sounded nice, if it weren’t for all the pain.

Hearing Victoria palming her head saying ”I, just, don’t, want, to.” And I want help.

“I know, I know. But you really should” Victoria’s mom clearly not listening.

All he can do is lay down on the ground, having no energy, no movement, all in pain and hungry, looking at a screen saying Re-Recalibrating.