Ever Since

Loren

Driving away in Jeremiah's car, staring ahead completely disconnected from everything around me. I look at the gray clouds in the distance cutting the blue sky in half.

Is this what Bradley does? What he really does? Or did to that poor girl that his dad was talking about? Did he get her to want him just for the game and when she felt something he pushed her away? Am I another incident?

"Fuck" Jeremiah suddenly speaks snapping me out of my thoughts.

He pulls over a few houses down from Bradley's complex since he can barley drive due to his elbows being cut open quite deep from scraping them on the pavement after Bradley shoved him.

"He's such a dick, Loren. What the hell did you do there overnight?" He says with slight judgment in his tone.

I know Bradley too well now that I knew I had to be there. That something was wrong and I had to save him again. Fuck, I'm so dumb.

"He needed me to help him with homework" I lie not making eye contact with him.

"That's bullshit" Jeremiah says facing me. "He invited you to that party, didn't he?"

I'm trying my best to not snap at Jeremiahs attitude towards me because I can't deal with another confrontation in my state. I'm sleep deprived after maybe four hours of sleep and the fight with Bradley afterwards left me drained.

"Did you not hear what I said?" I say flatly.

"Okay, lets pretend that's true" Jeremiah says as he's trying to stop the bleeding. "So you went up there to tutor him and then you just happened to stay the night and now you're a mess?"

Don't snap, Loren. Don't.

"Yes, I didn't have any way of getting back and everyone was drunk so I stayed over and had a fight"

"No wa—"

"And I'm done talking about this. You have no right to question me or doubt me" I snap.

"Fine. Are we going to class or are you going to skip it because of him?"

What the hell?

"Excuse me?" I say rising an eyebrow. I'm starting to feel a vibe I don't like from Jeremiah that I didn't pick up on before. Or maybe I didn't want to.

"You heard me"

"Unlock the door. Now" I say with my hand on the handle.

"No, I can't let you ruin your life because of that shit"

Jeremiah judging me and treating me like he's my fucking dad.

Or brother.

Wait. No no no no.

"Did my brother put you up to this?" I say clenching my fists so hard I'm piercing my skin.

"Brother? What are you talking about?"

"Let me out of this fucking car!" I say livid.