Moving on

Stories

"So when I was Girls United, the first family day I was there, the one where I wasn't allowed visitors because I pushed someone over-"
"You pushed someone over?"
"Yeah, and some glass broke. Can I finish?"
"Yeah, sorry." Mariana said.
"So I was standing at my window and I look down and see Brandon just standing there." Callie said.
"Ok, and what happened?" Mariana asked, her eyes full of wonder.
"I ran out to him and hugged him."
"What kinda hug was it? Was it like a 'oh hey nice to see you' hug or like a-"
"I was running to him and I just felt so sad and alone and I knew the rules and I knew we were breaking them, but we did it anyway." Callie smiled as she remembered what it was like to feel herself in his arms. "I felt so safe."
Mariana smiled.
"Did you ever kiss again?"
"We did, yeah."
A smirk rose upon Marianas face. "When?"
Callie leant against the wall again.
"We had this field trip to this museum and I met Brandon there and...you know."
Callie regretted every word she said to Mariana. But telling someone how she felt was so relieving, and she trusted Mariana. She wouldn't tell.
"God" she laughed out softly.
"I was helping clean out Daphne's apartment and Brandon met me there too." She smiled. "Daphne and Kiara left and he brought my guitar."
Mariana smiled, like she was really just listening to her best friend talk about the love of her life with. But their story was no classical romance tale.
"And what happened?"
"Well we were sitting on the floor talking and then Brandon plays me this song, you remember the one him and Lou sang at the party?"
Her eyes widened. "Wait? That song was about you?" She gasped.
Callie smiled. "Yeah. But at first it was just a few lyrics and a guitar."
"Then you kissed?"
"Yeah. Think more making out in the floor." Callie scratched her head in guilt.
"Oh my god." Mariana replied. "And why am I only hearing of this now?"
"Because what we did was sneaky and forbidden. One kiss, that's all they ever knew about. And look how that turned out. I got put into a group home, Brandon moved out, Jude hated me. If they knew about what really happened a lot of things would be ruined."
Mariana glared at her. It was like she was seeing her in a different light.
"Are you still in love with him?" She asked.
"No. No, not like that. We ended it ages ago and we haven't done anything since so we're done." She replied without even thinking about it.
There was no way she was going to tell her about the Girls United fundraiser and especially not Idylwild. No one was ever allowed to know about that.
"So we done?" Callie asked.
"There's nothing else?"
"No, like I said we ended it ages ago."
"Ok, fine then." Mariana said sliding off the bed and standing up.
"Don't tell, yeah?"
"I won't." She smiled then flicked the light off. "Goodnight then."
"Night." Callie said.
She just sat there in the darkness of her room on top of her bed sheets.
She didn't like to remember Brandon. It hurt to much.
Blinking back tears she pulled the blankets of her bed back and climbed into her bed.

It had been a week since the first day back. By now everyone was into the morning routine and waking up seemed much easier. Maybe not to Mariana who still had to be viciously pushed in the back by Callie to be waken up sometimes.
"Couldn't you make school later in the day." Mariana said as she stepped down the stairs in her pyjamas "day ten o'clock"
Stef smiled.
"I'm the vice principle, Mariana not the government."
"Well technically you work for the government." Mariana said as she slid into her seat.
Callie smiled at how messy her hair was.
"Hey where's Brandon?" Stef asked.
Brandon appeared very soon after. He came down the stairs with weak legs. He wore a blue flannelette shirt with the buttons undone and s white shirt underneath. His hair was still messy and his eyes were shades and still.
"I'm here." He said then sat down in the seat next to Mariana.
"You feeling ok?" Lena asked.
He looked at her tiredly.
"I'm fine." He smiled.
"You look like you haven't slept in weeks" Stef noticed as Brandon reached for the milk.
"At Least those bruises are healing." Lena said.
"Yeah, don't go getting into anymore fights ok."
Brandon poured the milk into his bowl with cereal in it.
"Ok?" Stef said again.
"I said ok." Brandon said shooting them a look.
Stef looked at Lena noticing how their son just behaved.
"Are you sure you're ok." Lena asked again.
"I'm fine ok. Can you just drop it." Brandon snapped back.
They all looked at him in shock.
He stood up and grabbed his car keys.
"Brandon." Stef said after him. "Brandon. You're not driving."
"It's ok, mom, I haven't been drinking." He said sarcastically then shut the door behind him.
"Gee. What's with him?" Mariana asked. "Maybe he's going through his emo faze."
Callie listened on as the door slammed shut behind him and to the sound of his car engine starting, and then to the sound of his car driving away.
"I gotta talk to that kid." Stef said as she shoved her spoon into her cereal.

"So what?, he's not going to graduate?" Lena said angrily as she planted her hands down on her desk.
"No, I'm not saying that." Monte replied.
"Then what are you saying?"
"Brandon's a good student. He excels in music, of coarse, and his math scores are above average. But he's started fights, he's been unmotivated to do any of the work assigned for English and by that rate yes he will fail English." Monte explained.
"So I'll get him a tutor." Lena said.
"I don't think that's the problem." She said sitting on the end of the couch. "His English class now, it's not working for him. He's not getting along with the students and he's unwilling to make friends."
"So what, we change his class?"
Monte nodded. "It's the best thing for him right now."
"Ok. Ok, well I'll call him in and we'll have a chat." Lena decided.

"So have you ever had Mr Hicks before?" Monte asked as they walked down the empty corridor.
"Uh, yeah I had him when I was thirteen." Brandon replied.
"Well good. He's a good teacher." She smiled.
They made there way to his classroom and monte opened up the door.
The class stopped and looked at them.
"Oh, hello." Mr Hicks smiled.
Monte smiled back then walked to the front of the class and mumbled something to him.
Brandon didn't look at the kids. He kept his head down.
"Take a seat Brandon." Me Hicks said as he pointed to a seat in the back corner.
Brandon moved quietly to the back row and set himself down in his elected seat next to some guy with red hair.
"It's perfect timing Brandon. We are just about to start our new subject."
Brandon looked at the backs of everyone's head who sat in front of him.
He tended up when he saw Callie looking at him from the third row just to his right.
He looked away and back to the teacher.
"For assessment this year you must all construct a poem that tells something important to you. Whether it is about your favourite sport or hobby. Even a family member." Mr Hicks explained.
"But for now just brainstorm ideas." Brandon rested his head in his hands and looked across to Callie again.
Smiling gently he took out his pen and jotted down a few words.
When we were outlaws.