DELICATE / Brandon Darrow

twenty nine

twenty nine
i should've stayed away from you
FIRST PERSON

I STAYED HOME ALL day just sitting in silence for the most part. I listened to music and tried to keep myself distracted but nothing worked. I really liked music so if that couldn't even help me then I was pretty bad.

It grew late and I still hadn't gotten a text from Rowan so I got up to go to my kitchen and make something to eat.

There's was nothing that made me hungry. I just got frustrated and started to slam the cupboard door over and over again to release my anger.

I was walking back to my room when my phone ringed.

ROWAN:
stinger texted me
ROWAN:
he got a ping from dunbar's phone
ROWAN:
it's at your house!

I looked up and didn't see anybody.

CYNTHIA:
are you sure? i don't see anybody in my

"Cynthia," his voice sent shivers down my spine.

I backed away from him. "Brandon."

He held my bracelet in the air and put it on my desk. "I wanted to bring this back to you," I started to dial Rowan's phone subtly until he knocked it out of my hand. "Just listen to me."

He held me in a grasp so there was nothing I could do so I replied, "okay, I'm listening."

He let go and I tried to make a run for it. He grabbed my arm and I just shoved it off. The only place I could find was my bathroom so I ran inside and locked it.

"Cynthia, listen, I can explain myself!" He yelled through the door.

"You're trying to kill us!" I hollered back, my voice wavering a bit at the acknowledgement to his betrayal.

"No, I'm not! Just listen to me, okay?" He banged on the door causing me to flinch.

"Okay," I whispered but it was a lie. I wasn't listening because I was trying to find a way out. I looked at the window but it was too small for me to fit through.

"-we bonded over our shitty dads, and I gave him advice for his bullies," his voice registered in my mind.

"You're a liar!" I yelled, banging on the door.

"No, I'm not!" Brandon hollered. "I thought it was all your fault! I thought it was all Rowan's fault too! I found Dunbar's phone at Nicki's party," by now, I was leaning against the door, trying to listen to him. "I was going to go get my bag back before the cops came. Look, I was so pissed off because I thought it was all your fault that he killed himself, okay? That's why I took his phone, and I sent you that message that we finish what we start."

"I trusted you," I whispered in disbelief, scoffing to myself. "I trusted you and you just hurt me even more."

"I felt so guilty, okay?" He continued. "That's why when I got the phone, I logged onto Monkey Man's account. I told him that we should make you guys suffer."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. While I was defending him and trying to see the good in him, he was making my life worse.

"I can't believe you," I choked out.

"When Hailey got out, I texted Rowan. When I saw Hailey's face after her audition, I felt so guilty because I was trying to make things better and she was so scared," he confessed. "All I do is make things worse," banging his head on the door. "Then after you and Rowan came and asked me about the project, I followed and scared you too. I saw your face and...I couldn't do it. I- I felt so bad. All I wanted to do was comfort you but I couldn't."

"You're crazy," I shook my head.

"Remember my knuckles?" He asked me. "I felt so shitty that I did that to you that I just punched a wall. I can't do anything right," banging on the door after each word. "Cynthia, I tried- I tried to tell everyone online to stop but King Cobra was- he was telling people to do really bad things to you, Cynthia. You and Rowan. I tried to make it better. I was trying to stop everyone but it was too late."

"You were wearing the mask," I stated.

"It was a trick. I wanted to find out who he was," he told me but I had a hard time believing that.

"You're King Cobra," I whispered.

"Cynthia, I started it but I- I can't stop it," he admitted weakly.

"I should've stayed away from you," I whispered bitterly, more to myself for not listening. "Sean told me and you told me. I should've listened," then it suddenly got all quiet. "Brandon?"

I heard slight footsteps then nothing. I cautiously opened my door to see him gone. I went in my room and found my window opened.

I ran to Stinger's immediately and found all of them pacing the floor.

"Cynthia!" Rowan let out in a relieved gasp, running to hug me. "Thank god, you're okay."

"What happened?" Hailey asked me.

"It was Brandon," I told them. I explained everything to them until Stinger came and told Rowan something.

She looked shocked and then turned to me, hesitating before saying, "Brandon's in jail."

This is where it all ends.