Benni and sky chapter three

***The Misscalls*** A few weeks later, after the bullying incident, Benni felt a newfound confidence. Their shared experience had solidified their bond, and he wanted to do something special to celebrate them. He decided to plan a simple but thoughtful date—a picnic by the lake where they had their first deep conversation. He found the perfect spot, and with a bag packed with their favorite snacks and a well-loved blanket, he pulled out his phone. He called Sky, but it went straight to voicemail. He tried again. Same result. His heart, which had been full of an easy warmth, began to thrum with a different, more anxious rhythm. The silence on the other end of the line was louder than any of Kyle's taunts. He knew that for Sky, silence was a fortress. She had built it to protect herself from the chaos of her past. He just hoped she hadn't retreated back inside it completely. He sent a quick text: Hey. Just checking in. Call me when you get a chance. Hope you and Velvet are doing okay. No response. He waited an hour. The anxiety twisted tighter. Had he pushed too hard? Had his confident stand against the bullies inadvertently triggered a deeper fear in her? He knew her past was a maze of pain, and that some emotions could feel like a threat to her. Maybe his enthusiasm, his need to celebrate, had felt overwhelming and unsafe. His fingers hovered over the keyboard again, this time with a different message. He didn't want to crowd her with his worries. He just wanted her to know he was there. Thinking of you, he typed. No rush to respond. Just want you to know I'm here. Then, he made a decision. Actions, he knew, often spoke louder than words for people like them. He left the picnic blanket and snacks at home. Instead, he took out his art supplies. He thought of the drawing they had completed together on the wall, and the way they had turned something ugly into something beautiful. The next day after school, he went to the library. He didn't see her at their usual spot, so he went to the annex where he'd found her before. She was there, huddled in a corner, with her sketchbook clutched to her chest. She looked small, and lost, and it broke his heart. He didn’t say anything. He didn't press her. He simply sat down a few feet away, took out his own sketchbook, and began to draw. For a long time, there was only the quiet scratch of pencils on paper. The silence, which had been so unnerving on the phone, felt different here. It was a shared space, a peaceful rhythm. After a while, Sky looked up, her stormy eyes meeting his. She saw the familiar comfort of his presence, the non-verbal understanding that he wasn't demanding anything from her. He was simply being there, allowing her the space she needed, but never letting her feel alone. "I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just... Sometimes it gets too loud inside my head." Benni closed his own sketchbook and gently slid it toward her. On the page was a drawing of the two birds from their chalk mural, their beaks just touching. "My foster dad taught me," Benni said softly. "Some things you don’t have to talk through. Some things you just need to draw through. Or sit through." Sky looked at the drawing, a small, fragile smile touching her lips. In that moment, the call, the silence, and the unspoken fear all fell away. Benni hadn’t pushed, he hadn't demanded an explanation, and he hadn't made her feel responsible for his worry. He had simply respected her boundaries, giving her time to come back to him at her own pace. And in doing so, he had shown her the safest thing of all: that his love wasn't a demand, but a quiet, patient, and unwavering presence.