To Catch A Lie

6

I was with Max in the morning, in the parking lot.

A fast car parked up really roughly besides us and out came Brandon.

I don't think he saw us there because he slammed his car door and was about to walk away.

"Brandon!" Max called out to him.

We saw Brandon stop but he didn't turn around.

I could tell he was contemplating something.

He turned around and searched until he saw us.

Max waved him over here.

"Wassup." Max did his bro hug with Brandon.

"Yeah." Brandon mumbled.

His reply didn't even make sense.

There was an air of awkwardness when he turned to me.

He pursed his lips and nodded. I gave him a small and foreign smile as he looked away.

"You alright man?" Max asks him with a worried expression.

"Sure." Brandon responds.

Something was wrong. He seems off.

We all began walking. I was next to Max and he stood next to Brandon.

"We all have the same class right? AP biology?" Max asked, trying to start a conversation.

Both Brandon and I didn't reply.

We all knew the answer anyway.

I suddenly felt a dull ache on my shoulder and realised someone had barged into me.

It seemed like an accident so I let it go.

"Are you alright?" Max asked me.

It's not like it hurt. "Yeah." I smile.

Brandon stopped walking and turned around.

"Oi." He called out to the guy that just barged him.

"Bra-" Max placed a hand on Brandon's shoulder. Brandon looked mad. His teeth and fists were clenched and he was breathing heavier.

"Don't worry." Brandon muttered as he walked towards the guy.

"Don't you have something to say?" Brandon spat out at him slowly and threateningly.

The guy laughed and looked at me with an evil smirk, "no." He says.

Brandon smiled, he then chuckled.

Then his right hand swung and collided with the guys jaw and all hell broke loose.

I heard the contact from where I stood.

Max went to intervene whilst everyone else formed a crowd around them.

I couldn't see what was happening, I didn't want to. He wasn't my concern so I turned and walked away towards the building.

When teachers emerged all the students dispersed and from where I stood I could see Brandon stood there with his fists clenched. His eyes came across mine and our eyes fought.

We both then walked away.

I headed inside the building and he headed away from it.

I know I shouldn't have walked away, I should've stuck to my cover and went to tend to him but I couldn't.

I didn't want to.

************

"Did he say anything to you?" Max asked me as we sat down at our table in the lunch hall.