Together From the Start

SIXTEEN

Chapter Sixteen| Destiny

"COME OUT, SWEETNESS. I MISS YOU," Brandon yelled from outside the house. 

Can nothing in my life ever go normal? A simple holiday, birthday, party. Nope, not when Destiny is around, some type of bullshit has to happen. 

Marcus and Nick stare outside the other window, cracking up. I send a death glare their way. 

"Boys, as funny as this is," my mother smirks, before looking at me. "You shouldn't laugh at your sister's crazy ex-boyfriend."

I exhale, "I'm just going to go outside before he does anything crazy."

"I'll go with you," Trev said. 

I hold my finger up, "Nope, you won't." And wave it around, "None of you will. I can handle myself."

I grab a random coat from off of the rack and step into my Santa slippers. Storming on the front door. Hearing the music more clearly as I walk outside. His attention turns to me as I stomp toward him on the salted walkway. 

"Brandon, what the fuck are you doin?" I whisper yell at him.

Mrs. Harper, the neighbor across the street is clearly watching us from her living room. 

"Baby, I'm just doing whatever I can to get you back," he declares with his arms in the air. 

"No, you're not. You should be back in D.C. with your family. Not harassing me."

His smile disappears, "Come on, sweetness, it is not like that."

I cross my arms over my chest.

"Do you really think I'm harassing you?"

"Uhh, yes nigga because that is what you are doing."

He sighs, throwing his hands up in the air. Then, sitting down himself down in the mountain of snow on the curb. My eyes widen as he broke down. 

"I just don't want you to leave me, I know I screwed things up, and I'm sorry," he sobbed. 

This nigga is really crazy.

I hesitate not sure what to do with myself, before kneeling down to him. 

"Look, Brandon, I'm sure y'all find other people," I roll my eyes at the fact that I'm even comforting him. "But, we've grown apart from each other. And sometimes growing apart is not a bad thing."

He sobs even louder, I look up. Mrs. Harper pretended to clean her window sills. 

He swipes his eyes, "You're right. I'm sorry again, for all of this."

He stands up, takes his speaker, and heads toward his car. "Bye."

I wave, and he quickly pulls off and out of sight.

Well, that was easier than I thought.

Turning back towards the house, all of the blinds close rapidly. 

I swear I can't right now. 

I head inside the house, taking off my coat and slippers. Going into the living room, everyone is in there is trying to not act like they were obviously all up in my business. 

"Can we all just pretend like that didn't happen? Like this was a normal Christmas eve, and no one showed up at our door. Can we do that?" I pleaded.

The room was filled with an agreement. 

"Well," my mother clasped her hands. "On that note, I have something I want to share with you all." 

She picked up a brown cardboard moving box and placed it under the mounted TV. As I sit down on the only empty couch, she pulls out dusty, black VHS tapes that look like they came through a time machine from the 90s.