Browan

Chapter Eight

(Leaked picture from season 3.)

Rowan's POV

I was walking to the next class when some kid randomly stopped me.

"Do you take it from behind too?" He smirked.

I didn't say anything but continued walking. He yanks my hand and I winced.

"Just a daily reminder- you're an ugly hoe." He smirked.

"What the fuck did you say to her?!" Brandon pulls him away, shoving into a locker.

I backed up, some people glanced at us.

"N-nothing." The boy stuttered.

"Don't talk shit to her again, alright?" Brandon lets go of him.

The boy nodded and quickly walked away. Brandon looks at me but doesn't say anything. I was about to thank him but he walks the other direction.

I adjusted my backpack and looked down, walking to my next class. I finally arrived, sitting down. I waited for class to start.

After a few minutes, Brandon comes into class late. Brandon makes up a random excuse, and gets away with it. The teacher explained to us what we were doing, and then handed out paperwork for us to do.

The class worked in silence, doing the Algebra problems. I stared down at the paper, thinking. Brandon really does care for me. He's just still upset at what I did to him. I wonder how long it'll take for him to forgive me... at least he has to forgive me.

I looked over at him and locked eyes with him. He was already looking at me. He was thinking about me. We both looked back down at our papers.

At lunch time, I sat with Elisia. This time we sat inside because it got colder. We both ate our food in silence. I looked up and saw Brandon and Trevor.

"Mind if we join?" Trevor says, already sitting down.

Brandon gave Trevor a look, not wanting to sit with us. Brandon sat down across from me anyways. It was just silent at our table, I wouldn't say it was awkward, but the atmosphere was weird.

One question is running through my mind. When will he forgive me?

After lunch, there was a free period where we were able to do whatever we want. Elisia probably went to the grotto with Ash or something, so I was alone. I didn't really know what to do so I just leaned against the wall and used my phone. After a few minutes, I looked up and saw Brandon walking through the hallway alone, his phone in his hand.

"Hey Brandon." I call his name.

Brandon turns around and sees me. He gave me a look of, 'I don't want to talk right now' or something like that. Brandon walks over to me.

"I told you to leave me alone." Brandon says.

"I know, and I'm sorry. What I did was fucked up and I shouldn't have done it. I regret it, okay? I'm sorry. I just want to go back to the way everything was. When will you forgive me?" I asked.

"I don't know. That's what I wanna know." Brandon says.

"I'm sorry, Brandon." I frowned.

"Stop saying that. I know you're sorry." Brandon furrows his eyebrows. "But just saying your outfit seems a little odd today..."

"What?" I raised my eyebrows.

That was random.

"I mean... I'd picture you around in just my t-shirt so.." Brandon winked at me.

I admit that gave my stomach butterflies.

"What? Stop playing with my feelings Brandon..." I lowered my voice, looking around.

"I'm trying to lighten up the mood here, okay?" Brandon says. "Now what did you want?"

"I already asked the question." I said.

"Oh. Right." Brandon says. "Well just leave me alone for another week and we'll be fine, and we can be... whatever you want us to be. Okay?" Brandon says, acting like it was nothing. Brandon walks away.

Was Brandon playing with my feelings this whole time? Was the kisses fake? Was his feelings fake? Is he just doing this to get under my skin? Brandon's acting like this whole situation is like nothing. 'And we can be... whatever you want us to be.' He doesn't care. I should stop trying.

But I didn't.

After school I walked home alone. I couldn't find Brandon anywhere. He probably left early or something.

I laid in bed, reading a book that I stopped reading 3 months ago. An hour later, I went to Brandon's room. He still wasn't in there. What was he doing? Was he hanging with Trevor?

I texted Brandon, but five minutes later he didn't respond. I went to the kitchen and made snacks to lighten up the mood of Brandon not being home. As I started cooking, the door opens. I hear panting. My heart stops, and so I stopped cooking. I ran over to Brandon, who was all beaten up badly. He was clutching his stomach.

"Brandon..." I grab his hand.

"W-wait.." Brandon stutters, he can barely talk.

He limps over to the bathroom. I followed him and watched him throw up blood in the toilet. My heart stopped.

"Should I call my dad? The police?" I asked him.

"D-don't." He stutters.

I helped him over to the couch and I grabbed some med supplies my dad kept in the cabinet. I gave him water to drink and an ice pack for him. I wiped the blood off his face, helping him out.

"Who did this to you?" I asked.

"M-my dad." His voice shakes.

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I went to go confront him." Brandon says. "And he beat me."

Tears slipped down from my eyes. I hugged him and he hugs me back. I pulled away and I put my hand on his cheek, furrowing my eyebrows. Who would do this? To their own child?

I looked up at him and locked eyes with him. We stared into each other's eyes, for what seems like years but only seconds. We slowly leaned in, our lips almost touching until dad opens the door. We pulled away. Dad comes over to the living room and sees us.

"What happened?"