Brilliant Bones

Glory and Gore

Conner

Sisters. You love them and therefore have to save them from their mistakes.
Jessie told me what happened, and I was suddenly shook by anxiety and all the other possible ugly feelings that I could endure. We had barely been at the dance for even an hour and Gabrielle and Kaia had managed to get themselves into trouble.
The girls had gotten bored quicker than us and decided to walk to the small CVS about five minutes away from the school. The girls had decided to be stupid and be complete assholes and attempt to buy alcohol from the CVS. Of course , their lack of ID and identity failed them. This led their fucked-up brains to be even more stupid .Because they attempted to steal...and failed.
Gabrielle had called from Preasly Place Police Department...from a jail cell.
On our way back to Jessie's car, Nicole carried on crying. I didn't understand why she was crying. The other crazy thing was that Nicole was holding my hand the whole way out. I only asked her why she was crying once we were outside where no one was in sight. The pounding of the music could still be heard and I even had a feeling that was what was making her cry.
"I fucked up!" She cried.
"No , you didn't ". I reassured.
"I should've been watching her". She muttered.
As we reached the car, Jessie turned around and stared at us like we were circus freaks.
"Nicole, Gabrielle is fifteen years old. She doesn't need you watch over her! It's completely her and Kaia's fault what's happening!"
Nicole slowly nodded, tears still rolled down her face.
Jessie opened the bus doors for us and we jumped in. As we jumped in, we sat next to each other in the double seater. We sat down, Nicole's eyes immediately looked up and sparkled.
"Conner"? She said as Jessie started the car.
I looked at her, her eyes glistening.
"I-I...I want you to be my friend ".
My eyes widened, my eyebrows raised, my heart fluttered, my brain started to fly.
"I also want you to be my friend ". I replied.
I suddenly heard Jessie release a ginormous sigh from the front seat. We were driving by then and were almost on the road.
"You two are so slow", she groaned, "you guys have been on the friend level since last month".
"No, we were just co-workers back then". Nicole argued in a mouse-like tone.
Jessie just groaned.
I looked to my right to look at the road. We were passing the school. The music could still be heard even from Jessie's car. It didn't actually sounds like music, just pounding and the sound of a thud.
It was as if we were driving away from a massive heartbeat.
I looked down at Nicole again . I then stared at her for about two minutes.
She was slightly slumped on the bus seat. In the gap between us maintaining our friendship and then me looking out the window, she had pulled her hair out of the ponytail it had been in. She was wearing very light makeup, whilst she usually wears heavy eye makeup. Her cute and marvelous freckles were as visible as ever, they made me want to stroke her face where they lie. Her perfect nose hung high and her long nostrils inhaled the same air I inhaled.
Her eyes seemed heavy, but were suddenly jerked awake when the movement of the car suddenly stopped.
"Okay ,we're here". Jessie announced.
I looked out my window to see not the police station, but the sight of Preasly Central. We were parked next to this Italian restaurant. I could also see some children in the street in their costumes and holding their candy sacks.
"Jessie", Nicole yelled, "this isn't the police station! This is Joon's Dance Cafe!"
Jessie turned around to face us. A serious and determined expression lay on her face. She had just shut down the car and had the keys dangling from her tough hands.
"Your sisters aren't going to dump their problems on your shoulders! I'm going to make sure of that!
"If we go to the police station, they'll ask us for a minimum of $500 to bail Kaia and Gabrielle out. Therefore, we'll have to call your parents and they will be mad at you".
"Why would they be mad at us"? I asked.
"It will look like you're trying to cover up the girls' mistakes and lie about what happened tonight. They'll see your 'superman action ' as you being irresponsible and immature. You'll get in as much trouble as the girls".
I gulped.
"Jessie might be right", Nicole said, "I never did anything like this when I was Gabrielle's age. If I did, I would have to live with the consequence. I don't want to her to think that I can just bail her out all the time".
Jessie shuffled in her seat whilst I thought her reasoning through. Kaia barely ever offers me help with anything. She always expects me to save her but she's as dumb as a post when I need her. I knew Nicole was thinking from a different angle to me. She was thinking about teaching her little sister a lesson and preparing her for the real world.
"Fine". I said.
Jessie clapped her hands.
"Perfect!"
"What are we even doing"? Nicole asked, guilt flooded her face.
Jessie opened her door and jumped out of the car. She came to us and pulled the sliding doors of the car open. A smirk was on her face, I could she had a plan brewing.
"We're at a dance cafe, Nicole. What do you think we're doing"?
As Nicole looked at me with excitement all over her face, I was trying to hide the worry on my face. I felt like I was forgetting something extremely important. I just couldn't remember what it was.
Ugh, I thought to myself, probably not that important. I'm just being stupid .

Nicole

Despite the fact that we sat down at a table and even ordered refreshments, Conner and I went onto the dance floor and didn't return to the table for what seemed to be hours. Unlike our school , Joon's played a wide variety of music(electronic, house and rap was not included, all the music I don't really enjoy. I say 'really' because it depends what kind of rap). It was also completely empty, like a graveyard.
We just danced and got lost in time. I didn't know what Jessie was doing the whole time. When I saw her again,she was approaching me with my ringing phone I her hand.
"Where have you been"? A sweat-soaked Conner asked her as she approached.
"Making out and having fun with one of the waitresses ". She replied with a neutral tone.
"Wow". I said.
She then showed me that my phone was ringing. I looked at the caller ID terribly quickly , especially when I saw it was my dad. I answered immediately.
"Hello". I said as I answered the phone.
"Hi Nic, where are you"?
I cringed.
"What"?
"Where are you"?
"Joon's Dance Cafe with Jessie and Conner".
"Who's Jessie"?
She was still standing right next to me, staring at me as I talked. Conner was also listening to me. I felt like I was a spy playing out a mission whilst everyone told me what to do.
It felt like I was in Homeland.
"My friend".
I saw that Jessie raised her eyebrows. Tonight was the longest I had hung out with her and I was already calling her my friend, Conner and I had spending time together for more than a month.
My dad scoffed before saying another word.
"Ma and I just bailed Gabrielle out of jail".
I gulped and adjusted my tone to sound surprised.
"What was she doing in jail?!"
"She and her friend Kaia attempted to steal a six pack of beer from CVS".
"Oh".
"You don't sound surprised, Nicole".
"I am".
He sighed.
"Please just get home, we need to talk".
I heard myself gulp.

Conner

As Nicole spoke on the phone to her dad, I felt my phone vibrate in my gangster pocket. Surprisingly, it was my dad. I was surprised because my dad never uses his phone during Shabbos. I immediately knew it was about Kaia. I answered very slow, knowing I was in for a lecture.

Me: Hello
Dad: Conner da the fuck are you?
Me: Out
Dad: Jesus, I told ya you only allowed at school dance, not anywhere else, dog.
Me: Sorry
Dad: Why you not at da house

If you hadn't noticed, the grammar in this dialogue sucks. I was extremely angry at my dad when I wrote this so that's why he sounds like an uneducated hobo.

Me: I'm having fun
Dad: I just bail Kaia out of slammer
Me: Oh my god, why was she there
Dad: I don't know, you probably know
Me: I don't
Dad : Liar
Me: No
Dad: Do you know what time it is
Me: No
Dad: Eleven-at night
Me: Oh my god
Dad: That's why I call
Me: why
Dad: TO TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE A USELESS BROTHER AND FORGOT LAURA AT SCHOOL ! SHES TOO SCARED TO WALK HOME AT NIGHT AND IS STRANDED THERE

I thought my heart had just exploded. That's the thing I forgot! I forgot my sister at school! I felt like smashing my whole face into a mirror.

That's how the night ended. Nicole and I ended our conversation with our parents and left the cafe. Jessie drove back to the school to find Laura waiting in front of the school. I only saw once we were in the car that there were about eighteen missed calls from her on my phone .
She even sent a stack load of texts, one from an hour ago telling me that the dance was over and she wanted to go home.
I felt like vomiting all over myself.
Laura just got in the car, told me I was an asshole/dick/wanker/ piece of shit/ motherfucker and I just let her cuss all over me. She just sat in the back and sulked, ignoring all my apologies.
I had fucked up. Tonight had been completely chaotic. Yet, I know I will never forget it.

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Brilliant Bones is currently on a break whilst Dancing on Eggshells delivers its last few chapters

-Kearin💐