11-15 creativity bash No 3

Ben sat at the breakfast table, picking at his piece of toast. He sniffed a few times and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his dressing gown. The hands of the clock ticked slowly round, until they hit upon 11:00 am. His brother Bryan came through the door, with his usual grin on his face.1

“What’re you looking so happy for?” demanded Ben.2

“Ahh, Benjy, my dear baby bro” said Bryan. He knew very well that Ben hated to be called Benjy. He also hated to be reminded of how young he was. Ben thought that now he was 16 he should be treated with the same respect as everyone else. Everyone regarded him as the baby of the family, which annoyed him, as he was now nearly an adult. He was also sick of the way people looked at him if he remarked that he thought a certain young lady looked quite nice. After all, he thought, why shouldn’t I be interested in girls as well? I am 16.3

“What do you want? You don’t even live here anymore. Can’t you just leave us alone? Get back to your own house, we don’t want you here. You bring your fans with you all the time. Can’t you get it through your head we want our own lives, our own space? Mam and dad treat you as something really special, and whatever you do to me, I try to get you back, and I always get told off for something which is your fault. Everyone treats you as some kind of a god. Well, your not, you’re just as human as I am, so just get stuffed!” 4

Marie, their mother, heard the noise and came downstairs with a look on her face that was familiar to him. He stopped her before she could open her mouth.5

“And don’t even try to tell me off. I’m sick of it. All of it. I don’t care what you say or do. I’m my own person and I can do whatever I want. I’m old enough!” Ben stormed out, slamming the door behind him. He heard a scream from the old lady next door, and dashed back inside.6

“Damn!” he exclaimed, running upstairs to put some clothes on. He’d forgotten that all he was wearing was some underwear, a pair of tatty blue slippers, and a dressing gown. Downstairs, the sound of his brother wetting himself laughing, drifted up to his ears, fuelling his anger and his embarrassment. To his horror, the sound of footsteps came to his door. 7

“I think you’d better apologise to the lady next door,” said Bryan almost crying with laughter, “you gave her a funny turn. No wonder, with a body like that. Ooh, young man!”8

“Oh shut up!” said Ben, trying hard not to laugh himself. “It’s not funny.”9

“Oh really? Then why are you trying not to laugh? By the way, I happened to notice while you were sprinting up the stairs, your dressing gown flew up and revealed a rather attractive but familiar pair of knickers. They’re mine, aren’t they?” enquired Bryan.10

“No, thank you, they are mine. I bought them yesterday with the money I earned from working in Virgin Megastore.”11

“Ooh Ben, you are a good boy, you’re still a Virgin” teased Bryan.12

Ben went red. “Look, just bugger off out of my room. Go and annoy someone else.”13

“Certainly,” replied Bryan, “with pleasure.”14