Billie and Brandon: Unpredictable Circumstances

23

"Brandon Adams! Stay right there!" Drew yelled, stomping through the parking lot where Brandon was standing by the curb, waiting for his father to pick him up. She had Prince's wrist in a vice grip and was tugging him brutally towards Brandon.

Other students in the back parking lot turned their heads in surprise at Drew's outburst, looking a little shocked at the livid brunette. No doubt, they were all completely confused by the wide array of distinctly non-Drew emotions she'd been showing all week.

Brandon sighed and turned to them, his expression blank and shoulders slumped. He'd been that way all week, unexpressive, fatigued, and lacking some emotion.

"What do you want, Drew." He muttered.

She was undeterred by his dejected tone.

"Prince told me, okay?! He told me the real reason why you and Billie broke up! Why did you keep that part a secret from me?! You think Jellybean isn't yours?!"

Brandon's eyes narrowed, and he shot Prince an irritated glare. Prince rose his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, I'm sorry man. But Drew cornered me! She didn't believe your explanation was a valid enough reason for Billie to disappear off the face of the earth!"

"How could you even think for a second that Billie was telling the truth that you're not the father?!" Drew shouted, her eyes watering with tears, "And all this time I've been so worried thinking she didn't love you and it turns out this is all one big stupid mess that isn't even true! I know Billie, Brandon. She honestly would not have lied to you about being Jellybean's father! And she would never use you to get support! Why would she need to when our family was supporting her this whole time?!"

Brandon clenched his fists, the sharp glint in his eyes looking even more harsh from the shadows of bags under his eyes.

"Yeah? And how would you know that? You weren't there when we broke up" He spat. "What reason would she have to say that I'm not the father in the first place other than that being the truth? People don't just throw statement around like that for no reason, you know?"

"I don't know why she said it! But why would you doubt her?! This is Billie we're talking about! Your girlfriend! We've been friends for years! She would never do that to you."

"I know!" Brandon shouted angrily. Students in the parking lot jumped in surprise from the dark tone laced in his words. Brandon was usually gentle and charming, but the past few days had seen him as this angry, nearly violent guy. Most people had just been keeping away from him because he seemed to be in a very volatile mood recently. "I know I shouldn't doubt her, but you weren't there! You didn't see her face when she told me! It was so full of guilt and shame like she was honestly telling me the truth. She looked me in the eye, Drew. She looked me in the eye and told me that Jellybean wasn't mine and that she used me and that she didn't love me! What else was I supposed to think except that she was telling the truth?! What the hell else am I supposed to think now?"

"I don't know!" Drew threw her hands up in exasperation. "But there is no way that what she said was the truth!"

"How the hell would you know?!"

"Look, Brandon!" Drew snapped, "Billie always tells me when she hooks up with people! She always would tell me! That time you guys slept together after the party and you left, you know what she did? She told me she regretted letting you go. She cried and was sobbing about how she'd ruined something good! She was upset that things had ended so badly with you, and she knew she'd never be able to sleep with anyone else after that! And the last guy before you was Jayden sometimes last February before they broke up! There is no way you're not the father!"