Ben X Page #2

a bandage over his mouth

and told him the headmaster

had said they had to.

He walked round all day

with the bandage over his mouth.

He always brought

a packed lunch with him,

but he never managed

to eat it.

But what are

you supposed to do?

What we always do...

too little. Nothing.

Here's our favorite boy.

Well, Benny-Boy?

Our Boy Jesus.

Leave him alone, guys.

F*** off,

Freddy f*ggot.

It can't be easy, being different,

eh, Benny-Boy?

Whoa!

Better than average, eh?

In fact, we should

look up to you.

You're the man!

Calm down.

Don't get worked up.

Don't get worked up.

Just stay calm.

Smile.

They said

to keep on smiling.

Then it'll stop.

They'll stop.

Movie time!

Action.

F*ggot!

Loser!

F*ggot!

Loser!

Look at me, son.

If you don't tell me,

how am I supposed

to know, Vertriest?

Well, well!

Look who's here.

My favorite clients.

- The 10th visit is free.

- Do you know why you're here?

- I don't know.

- You really have no idea?

Is it a quiz?

Do you think

it's funny, Desmet?

To be honest, I don't think

it's the least bit funny.

Apparently you have been...

how shall I put it?

- Bullying Vertriest.

We teased him,

we didn't bully him.

We do it

to each other too.

But a normal person realizes

it's only in fun, sir.

We try to treat him

normally,

but normality doesn't come

easy for him.

We're not the ones throwing chairs

through windows, sir.

It's not easy

for us either.

That'll do. Save the act

for the playground!

As for you...

now's the time

to open your mouth.

Go on. Go on,

say something.

Tell me what

those two clowns did.

But it's easy

with hindsight.

Well, easier.

That's to say...

you feel like

an old campaigner

after the war's

been lost.

I can't remember how many times

I went to all these schools.

Always the same old story.

At this school

we try to prepare

the pupils

for the harsh realities

of life.

Sometimes we succeed

and sometimes we don't.

About the glass...

The headmaster said

they would let it be...

Thank you.

...if I let them have

another look at me.

I hope we don't meet

again soon.

So do I.

And you'll let us know

what the doctor decides,

whether he'll stay

at this school?

Yes.

Come on, Ben.

Your camera, Ben.

Take a look at it.

Seriously, look at it!

Come on, Ben.

It can't go on like this, Ben.

It just can't.

They come up with a theory

about my personality,

my character.

But they don't

even know me,

and they make me sound

like a monster.

And I wonder...

MARTIAN STRIPS:

Well, son,

are you okay?

Is something wrong?

Do you want

to tell me something?

No.

You've got a message.

Oh, it's from that girl Scarlite.

When are we going

to see her in real life?

Or doesn't that

happen these days?

I'll leave you to chat,

or whatever you call it.

Good night, sleep tight.

Why do they say

"sleep tight"?

How do you sleep tight?

But she was waiting.

For me.

For me, Ben X.

Ben X.

She was waiting...

for me.

NOT WELL:

I'M DEAD

I'M DEAD TIRED

REVIVE YOU TWO-BIT HERO

ARE YOU MAD?

It's nice weather.

Let's go to the hospital again, eh, Ben?

Let's go and see

the doctor.

Tell them everything again.

Dr. Meyvaert will

be pleased to see us.

What is everything?

I wasn't normal.

- I was special.

- You're special.

They all said so.

Your son is hypersensitive.

He's just sensitive.

Emotionally dysfunctional.

A light form

of psychosis.

Just a bit stressed.

Like his mom?

Let me give you this.

We can always take

a closer look.

"Take a closer look."

Closer to what?

WAITING ROOM:

There's always a camera...

that sees everything.

Who's mad and who isn't.

Sir.

It's a waste of time.

Just a waste of time.

You've got to

face up to it, Bob.

It can't go on like this.

We need help.

The kid has no business

being here.

None.

None whatsoever.

I don't want

to lose my mind!

You won't lose anything.

They said, "Just let yourself go."

But they wouldn't

let me go.

A new line.

Suddenly they knew what it was.

I had a bad brain.

Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger's Syndrome.

It's a form of autism.

That's what they discovered.

I've got autism.

Or autism has got me.

The man had spent

but hadn't learned

to leave his nose alone.

It's not easy.

And it won't get

any easier.

But you have to remember that Ben

isn't feeble-minded.

On the contrary,

he's very strong.

You could almost say

strong-minded.

He talks and talks

and talks,

the man who understands me.

He has extraordinary perception.

In fact, he's an extraordinary boy

who, every day,

fights to be ordinary.

The question is, should we help him

to dispel the illusion

that he can live

like a normal boy?

I've heard that

his grades are good.

- Yes. Yes.

- Excellent even.

So why would we take him

out of that school?

Because he's being

bullied to death.

That's why.

Right.

That happens.

It shouldn't,

but it does.

At some point,

they stick a label on you.

Autism.

Do you see?

But that word...

to me, my child was

simply my child.

To me, Ben was Ben.

They're volcanoes.

They're walking

volcanoes.

We don't know

when they'll erupt.

Time bombs living undercover

in our world.

And the reaction often happens

much later than the cause.

We'll just carry on

like before. We can do it.

We won't let them

get to us.

Then my fingers

told her everything.

But she said,

"No endgame without me."

COME:

Come.

END = BEGINNING

The princess of letters

on the other side

of the land...

who is always by my side

when things

get out of hand.

Who knows me

without knowing my name.

Who could put me back

together again.

Who could make me

sleep tight.

She said, "Well, man,

where's your plan?"

The one-word plan.

"Let me help you,"

she said...

"to rise above it all.

To rise above yourself."

Calm down, Ben.

Calm down.

What's wrong

with you today?

Got your phone?

Call me if necessary.

Don't take

any of it to heart.

Give me a kiss.

And don't get worked up.

What exactly

happened that day?

Who can say?

I only knew that he...

I knew how my son felt

by the way he slammed

the door in the morning.

It wasn't a bad door

that morning.

At least

that's what I thought.

HEY MARTIAN,

HE WHO TALKS IS GETTING I

Me, the Martian.

I'd be getting it.

Getting it.

Getting it.

But getting what?

I was always getting it.

Always.

Ben?

Did you see it?

Did you see what I filmed?

Yes.

Right...

I didn't know you were

such a Holy Joe!

Are you okay, son?

You know you can tell me

if something's wrong.

Is there a problem?

- No.

- Okay.

What the hell

do you think you're doing?

Did you think

that was funny?

- Yes, I thought it was pretty funny.

- Am I laughing?

Maybe you haven't got

a sense of humor, sir.

Don't start, Bogaert.

Whoa whoa

whoa whoa whoa.

- You're playing with...

- Fire!

Yes, you're playing

with fire.

Can't you take

a joke, sir?

You should defend yourself, son.

Arm yourself against it.

Arm yourself.

Arm myself. A death cross.

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