Brandon

five

SEPTEMBER

I had stayed up until my dad came bursting through the door, clearly drunk, singing A Sunday Kind of Love by Etta James. It was him and my mother's wedding song. He sang it when he was missing her. He missed her most when he was drunk. I was staring at my ceiling fan going round and round. My phone was right next to me. I had already sent a text. Turns out Brandon's number was on the fridge under "Dumbass" in my dad's handwriting. Probably for emergencies. I looked at my phone again, probably for the 6th time.

'Hi it's Blue'

I was embarrassed. I shouldn't have texted so fast. No response yet, probably not ever. Okay, I was overthinking but I couldn't help it. I liked him, more than anyone I've ever liked before. Did the kiss mean he liked me too? He said he thought about me, that had to mean something. He said he thought about my body too, and the way he kissed me. It was dirty. He was dirty. A dirty dirty old man.

Old.

He was turning 30 next month. October 18th. I had forgotten how much older he is than me. It didn't matter, I was 18. The only person it would matter to was Dad. I wouldn't tell him anything, Brandon wouldn't either.

 I couldn't believe it. We kissed. 

I groaned and shoved my phone under my pillow and heard Dad's door slam. I tried to sleep, but heart couldn't stop beating faster and faster.

Sunday passed quickly. No texts or calls from Brandon. He didn't even come over to watch old western movies with my Dad. I had to make dad breakfast because he was hungover and I did my math homework. 

I didn't really do it. I didn't know how. 

I wish Brandon were here because whenever I did it at the table on the nights he were over, he would look over my shoulder and gruffly tell me how to do it. He worked as an accountant, in the fancy office building with his fancy suits, so he knew how to do everything we were learning.

Monday I met up with Opal in front of school before the first bell. She was sitting on the steps with tears in her eyes. I ran up two at a time and hugged her tightly. "What's wrong?" I asked softly. I tucked my hair behind my ears and stared at her face confused. She started sobbing and I grabbed her hand. "Jackson cheated on me!" She sobbed. I could push telling her about the kiss to later, if I will even tell her anyway. 

"Oh my god what?!" I almost screamed. That ugly, fat, douchebag.

"He was at your dad's concert...with Emily!!" She lifted her head when she said this, her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet. I was mad. How could he do this? "I didn't see them at all! How do you know?" I asked confused. 

Poor Opal. I knew he was a jerk. 

"Look Blue." She showed me her phone, It was all over facebook. Jackson and Emily were kissing and dancing. Right in the back was my dad and I immediately looked for Brandon. The pictures were blurry but I could see his big shoulders. 

I frowned and looked up at her, "Oh... I'm so sorry." I wrapped my arms around her and petted her head. "He was an asshole anyway." She laughed because I rarely cursed and nodded her head in agreement. "He came to my house yesterday," Opal admitted. "After I called and told him I knew what he did."