By Your Side

Chapter 7: Creaky Floors

Brandon's POV

My focus is still over my shoulder towards the bottom of the stairs as I turn the corner to enter Callie and Marianna's bedroom. Once I scan the room quickly, I see Marianna's face buried in a book. I could tell she wasn't really reading the book because she looked really pissed off. " Hey, what happened? Is Callie okay?" I mutter as I point behind me.

She scoffs and shakes her head before looking up to scowl at me. "Don't know. Don't care." I put the pieces together and figure out that they had just been fighting and that is why Callie was running away from me. I knew it would happen sooner or later. She had that indescribable look in her eyes. Callie was bound to snap on someone, and I am just glad it wasn't on either of our moms.

"You should cut her some slack."

She barely allows me to finish my sentence before retaliating. "What? Why are you defending her? You don't even know what happened?"

"I'm just saying- She is going through some stuff right now."

"Yeah Brandon, we're all going through some stuff right now." Her eyes roll unnaturally far back into her head.

"Okay, you're right. I get that, but Callie is dealing with even more than you are at the moment." I stand there awkwardly with my hands on my hips. "Maybe you can just respect that and give her some space if that's what she wants." Based off of the look on my sister's face, I know she is not in a rational mind set and this conversation will not end in my favor.

Marianna takes a deep breath to try to keep her cool and her voice changes to a much calmer tone, which surprises me a little. " Why does she need space. What is Callie dealing with that the rest of us aren't?" She stares at me with her arms crossed waiting for a response.

Even though I know she will not like my answer, I tell her that I cannot say anything.

"Ha. Figures. God, I'm so sick and tired of everyone in this house keeping secrets from me."

"It's not like that" I pointlessly try to reason.

"Then tell me!"

"Marianna, I can't tell you. You need to just let this go!" For the first time in this conversation I began to raise my voice. I am actually proud of myself for not yelling back at my stubborn sister. Normally, I would have, but someone needs to be the voice of reason and it clearly isn't going to be her. I wish that I could just give in and tell her what is going on so that she would just back off but I know that I can't do that. Not yet at least.

"Screw you all. Get out of my room" she muttered under her breath.

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Later that afternoon Stef calls Mike asking him to stop by their house. Once he arrives Stef and Lena meet him on their front porch so that they can talk without any kids hearing their conversation. "What's going on? Is everything all right?" Mike asks showing concern.

Lena sighs as she takes a seat on the swing by the window. "It's about Brandon... well him and Callie." Mike continues to stare at the two women in front of him urging them to go on. "Well, it turns out that their relationship was a lot more serious than we though."

"What are you talking about? I thought that was over a long time ago."

"Yeah, we though so two." Stef pouted.

"Well then what makes you say that there is anything going on between them?" Lena looks over to Stef, who has her head tilted towards the sky. She figures that she would let her wife tell him what happened.