The Desired Effect

Aftermath

Monday 26th December - Las Vegas, Nevada

After the morning drama, Poppy successfully returned to her apartment. Half an hour into her angry walk home, she realised she was in fact lost and decided an Uber would be the only way she could return safely. So that's what she did. When she finally plonked herself down on her sofa she no longer felt so furious. Maybe Brandon was right to an extent. If he didn't really want anything more then it would never have worked anyway. Everyone was temporary in her life so it made no difference to her. To distract herself she decided to give Jaz a call, maybe see if she wanted to come over for NYE. She knew she could rely on her big sister to give her a confidence boost.

Poppy spilled all the gossip to Jaz and just as she expected, Jaz told her to hold her head high and move on. If he didn't want her then it's his loss.

"I can get a flight over on Thursday, I'll land at midday?" Jaz announced, searching her laptop for flights.
"That'll be great, I miss you so much man, we'll have a right laugh!" Poppy responded excitedly.
"Definitely girl, I'm so excited now" Jaz beamed back, "I'll love you and leave you now, I need to pack" Jaz chuckled. "But take care of yourself Pops yeah, I'll be there before you know it, love you" Jaz finished and hung up, leaving Poppy alone in her apartment again. She made herself a brew and sat pondering her life at the kitchen table.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Brandon was hammering the pavement. Avoiding the chaos of his mind, he ran his anger and frustrations out. He ran and he ran until he was well away from civilisation and his only company was the music in his earphones and the heave of his laboured breaths. He glanced at his watch. An hour, he had been running. It hurt him to breath. He came to a stop and winced at the pain of exertion. Giving in, he sat himself on the dirt and felt the heat of the desert sun bake his skin. 'Your so fuckin dramatic sometimes Bran!" he moaned to himself. Gradually, his breathing calmed down and he was thinking straight again. Taking a moment, he observed the impressive landscape and enjoyed the eerie silence.

The silence broke when his phone began to ring. He pulled himself from his trance and saw that it was Ron. He hadn't spoke to him in a while.
"Hey man?" He answered confidently.
"Hey Bran, you alright man?" Ronnie responded, 'you sound out of breath?"
"Oh um, I'm out for a run" Brandon explained.
"Ah, you fancy coming over for a day or two soon, I miss you man" Ronnie suggested.
"I'd love to, I can come over later actually, I'm visiting my folks on Thursday that'll fit nicely" Brandon replied confidently. He loved Ronnie and hated it when they drifted apart. Neither of them could leave it long though.
"Nice one, how's your album coming on?" Ron wondered.
"Its going alright mate, missing your funky beats tho" Brandon chuckled, pushing himself up from the dirt.
"Of course you are" Ron also chuckled with ease, "come over whenever you want later man."
"I'll be over for 5, I'll call you when I'm on my way" Brandon added before the pair hung up and he was alone again in the desert. 'How am I supposed to get home?' he winced, he was miles away from anywhere. Unsure of how he managed, he too eventually made it home and flopped on the sofa.

Later that day - Park City, Utah

"Oh man, I thought I knew the sound of that truck" Ronnie beamed as he opened his door to see his best friend. "Hey man" he greeted him, pulling him in for a man hug.
"Hey Brandon, coffee?" Lisa greeted Brandon from inside the house.
"Hi Lisa, yes please" Brandon smiled gratefully, "its good to see you Ron" they finished their hug before heading inside. It was cold in Park City, very cold. Brandon had gradually added layer upon layer on his drive across from Vegas. He had gone from shorts and a t-shirt to jeans, boots, a long sleeve, a sweater, a jacket and a gilet plus a hat. Inside the Vannucci household it was toasty and homely.

"Dude you've been working out haven't you?" Ron remarked as they settled on the sofas "you've lost weight". Brandon swallowed nervously and nodded.
"It's alright though Ron, I'm alright" Brandon insisted. Ronnie nodded, not wanting to push his friend.
"As long as you're looking after yourself brother" Ron smiled, taking a moment to assess him. Lisa was busy in the kitchen so they had some privacy.
"Perhaps a little too well" Brandon began to cave, knowing Ron sometimes knew him better than he knew himself.
"What's up? I could tell somethings on your mind!" Ron leant forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. Brandon took a deep breath.
"I'm just a bit...y'know, I'm in a rut man" he sighed, struggling to find a starting point.
"Tell me everything Bran, I'm listening" Ron placed a friendly hand on Brandon shoulder. With one more deep breath, Brandon began to spill his soul to Ron. He reeled off the contents of his mind until there was nothing left. He mentioned his anxieties, his depressive tendencies, the album worries, his body concerns, and Poppy. Ron simply sat and listened, humming and nodding when necessary. "Look man, you got this, you know you're capable, you got to find a way to push through, you have people around you, we got you if things don't work" Ron explained. "I love you Bran, you're my little brother for fuck sake" Ron chuckled, pulling Brandon into one more manly hug.
"Thanks Ron, I love you too" Brandon reciprocated. Just then Archie came bounding in and pulled the boys apart, seeking attention from his favourite visitor. "I love you too Archie" Brandon chuckled, reaching down to fuss the dog.
"He definitely loves you too" Ron smiled, returning to this place on the sofa. After showing Archie some attention, Brandon also returned to his spot and the pair relaxed into each others company as they searched for something entertaining on the TV.

Thursday 29th December - Las Vegas, Nevada

"I can't believe they let you live here for free" Jaz announced as she set her huge rucksack down in the living room of Poppy's apartment.
"Well I have to work for them and my wages are less but it's so worth it" Poppy reminded her, closing the door behind them.
"This is awesome Poppy!" Jaz declared wandering around, taking it all in. She was running on caffeine alone at this point having not slept the previous night due to the excitement.
"You can sleep on the sofa, it's a sofa bed so yeah, make yourself at home" Poppy explained, pointing to the sofa bed in question as Jaz finally calmed down and took a seat. "Want a drink?" Poppy asked.
"Yes please, anything with caffeine in it!" Jaz chuckled, sitting herself down on the sofa. "Come tell me about your friend then" Jaz wagged her eyebrows expectantly at Poppy.
"Ergh, where do I start?" Poppy sighed handing her friend a can of ice coke coke before slumping down into the plush sofa herself. "So basically, we nearly slept together..." and story time began. Jaz eagerly sipped her beverage as Poppy detailed the whole situation.
"Wow, sounds like a jerk, maybe he's just going through some shit" Jaz summed up, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Maybe, but either way I can't be bothered" Poppy rolled her eyes sassily.
"Go sis! I tell you what, let's go shopping, let's get some banging clothes and show the man just what he's missing" Jaz winked at Poppy. 
"Hell yes!" Poppy agreed, a genuine smile stretching across her lips, "not just him but all men" Poppy sassed, high fiving Jaz confidently.

The girls hit the shops and splashed out on fancy new clothes for their nights in the town as well as getting their hair and skin done. The pair spent hours searching for the right outfits, Poppy had found a gorgeous silk blouse that was revealing in the right places but still modest enough for her to feel comfortable.
"If you wear that and stick a photo on your insta, honestly lover boy will be crawling back to you" Jaz smirked at the sight of her friend bossing a new found confidence. Jaz then found her perfect little black dress and it initiated a very similar response from Poppy. Hours later they were both satisfied that they had everything they needed for their New Years bender.