You like me

　　Mum drops me off at the venue. The car stops but I don’t get down immediately. We stay in that comfortable silence for a while till she pulls me in for a hug. She must know how much I need it because I’m still shaken by Ben’s presence. 

　　“Are you sure you are okay?” she asks while pulling away from the hug. 

　　I told her about Ben. “I’m fine.” 

　　“Aren’t you curious?” 

　　Now, she sounds like Maria. “Not really.” I just want to finish the rest of school without any drama. But my mind seems to think otherwise. It keeps pushing memories of me and Ben back to the surface. I hate my mind sometimes. “Do you think I was wrong to ignore him?” 

　　“You did what you thought was best for you and that’s okay.” 

　　Those words follow me inside the pub. On a regular day, Mum will never let me in a pub but she is worried about my nonexistent social life and excited at the possibility of me making new friends.