After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch22 - Bro to the Rescue

A/N

you didn't think i was done uploading, did you? ;P

END A/N

Paige wakes up the next day groggy, eyes sticking together.

He'd had a horrible night. Dream after dream of him and Brandon falling out, each worse than the last.

"Br'ndon..." Paige mumbles, feeling for his phone. "G'tta call Br'ndon..."

"How's about you wake up first?" Leaf offers. "So you can actually say things?"

"D'n't be mean t' me..." Paige yawns, rubbing his eyes. "I c'n..." He clears his throat. "I can talk just fine."

"What time is it even?" Leaf asks. "He might still be in school."

"Lemme check..." Paige says, finally getting his phone. "It's 4."

"Ah. He should be home then."

"Yeah," Paige nods. "Let's call him."

"Hold on," Leaf says, stopping Paige right before he can hit the call button.

"Huh?" Paige blinks. "How did you...?"

"Don't worry about it right now," Leaf says, shaking his head. "Before you call, do you even know what you're gonna say?"

"Well, honestly? I was gonna see if he wanted to talk to you so we could prove we were telling the truth..."

"Without telling me first!?"

"Sorry! I-I thought you'd be fine with it!" Paige defends. "Besides, you're kind of the reason I'm in this mess. I think you can apologize for it at least."

"Ugh. I didn't even say anything."

"That's the issue!" Paige stresses, pressing down on Brandon's number. "Now, we're calling Brandon and you're gonna say sorry, okay?"

"..."

"Okay?" Paige stresses.

"Okay!" Leaf huffs, holding up his hands and rolling his eyes. "Okay."

The two sit in silence now, watching the phone ring. And ring. And ring. Until-

"Heyo! Iiiiit's Brandon!" crackles from the receiver. "I'm supes busy right now, so-"

Paige groans and hangs up. "Great," he laments. "Now he won't even answer my calls."

"....Maybe he just missed it?" Leaf offers weakly. "Try again."

So, he does. And again, "Heyo! Iiiiit's Bra-"

Click!

"...Maybe he missed that one too?" Leaf actually sounds a bit worried. "One more time. C'mon."

Paige isn't very hopeful when he tries again. In fact, when the receiver starts suddenly reciting the voice message again, way before it should, Paige is about ready to throw his phone at the wall.

Instead, he drops it, despair filling him.

"He doesn't want to talk to me!" Paige wails. "You messed it all up!"

"I didn't do shit!" Leaf defends.

"I know!" Paige shouts. "That's the problem!"

"Look, I'm not happy Brandon's not picking up either, you know!" Leaf huffs. "Believe it or not, I know he's like a brother to you, 'cause he's like one to me too!" Leaf gives the feeling of looking away. "I care about him too."