brenton's girl

two

School was quick for me today, during first period Brenton sat beside me, keeping his leg barely touching mine, he would play with my hair when I laid my head down. During second period my head began to throb and I ran to the bathroom once, thinking I was going to get sick. Thankfully I didn't.

Finally I decided to call home, asking my mom if it was okay with her that I left school after lunch. Surprisingly, she said yes.

"Do you want midol?" Sam asked once I sat at our table.

"You know we're not supposed to have medicine on campus, Sam." I scowled. "But no it's just a terrible headache." Brenton walked up and kissed the top of my head, I looked up and smiled at him.

"Hi." The word came out breathy and I quickly looked away. What is wrong with me?

"Hi." He said back, nudging my shoulder. "Do you feel better?" I shook my head and smiled when he offered me a French fry.

"Thanks." I swallowed and looked at Sam and tony. Carson wasn't at the table yet. "Oh, don't wait for me, I'm going home after lunch." I told Sam.

"How're you getting home?" She asked. "You don't have your car."

"I know, that's why I scheduled an uber." Brenton looked at me with an arched brow. "What?" I asked softly.

"Take my car." He said.

"You're kidding." I laughed at the joke and took another fry.

"I'm serious. Uber's Aren't particularly safe, Leah."

"I'm not taking your car Brenton." I said. "Thank you though." He looked away from me and I noticed his jaw was clenched. I looked at Sam who shrugged her shoulders, and began talking to tony about going out tonight.

I wrapped my arm around Brenton's shoulder and used my fingers to turn his head towards me. "Hey, I'll be okay." I said.

"Text me when you get home?" It wasn't a demand but a question. I nodded and kissed his cheek.

"Okay."  I remixed my arm and rested my head on his shoulder, I continued eating some of his fries, wishing my headache would fade.

•

After lunch I bid my goodbyes and waited for the gray Sudan to pick me up. I got in the back seat and placed my bag beside me, I looked at the woman in the front seat. "That boy looked hesitant to let you go." She told me. I looked at the retreating back of Brenton. "Is He your boyfriend?"

"No, just friends." She started laughing softly. Oh okay then.

The rest of the ride was too quiet and I asked her to play music. "What do you like?" She asked me.

"Anything, really." I said but prayed to the heavens she didn't play metal rock. That was not my style. Luckily for me, she played 96.1, and oldschool 90's music began playing.

"You're school knows you're leaving right? I'm not particularly supposed to pick students up without their knowledge."

"Yes, he knows." Please don't ask for a note.

"Okay." After a few more minutes of driving, I climbed out of the car, thanked the driver and gathered my lanyard. I found the house key and opened the door. Nobody was home and for that I was thankful.

I hung up my lanyard and went to the kitchen that was right through the entrance of the door. I picked out the bottle of ibuprofen and took two pills, then went upstairs to my bedroom.

After changing out of my jeans and sweater,
I slid on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. I texted Brenton, telling him I was home. After a quick conversation I laid in my bed and turned out all of the lights, I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take over my mind and body.

•

"Leah." I groaned and rolled onto my back, my dads voice breaking through my intoxicating sleep. "Downstairs now." I nodded and gave a thumbs up.

He sounded angry. My headache was gone for the most part, barely there, but still there. I sat up in bed and turned on my bedside light. I stood out of my bed and fixed my top, the tank slipped down revealing my bra during my sleep.

"Leah I will not call for you again!" My dad shouted from down the hall.

"I'm coming." I mumbled. I slid on a pair of socks and walked into the hallway, I didn't see him so I walked downstairs. I could hear chatter in the living room. I saw Brenton, tony, and Sam sitting on the floor, eating a bowl of popcorn.

I walked into the kitchen and my mom and dad were standing around the breakfast island. "Hey."

"Why'd you leave school today?" My dad asked. My mom looked annoyed, mirroring my feelings.

"I called mom. I had a headache." I said. I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it.

"You couldn't have suck it out?" He asked.

"No, I felt like I was going to get sick." I told him. "The only class I missed was gym."

"I don't want another call that you've missed class." He said. "If I do, you're not going to Dubai."

I couldn't believe he was acting this way, but then again it is my dad and he's always been this way. "Okay." I said and walked out of the kitchen to join everyone in the living room.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Brenton asked looking up at me.

"I'm okay." I said and opened my mouth, he threw up a piece of popcorn and it barely missed my mouth. "Another." I said laughing. He threw up another piece and I caught it. "Skills." I said and Brenton laughed, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit beside him, I smiled and he kissed my cheek.

"What are you guys watching?" I asked looking at the lawyer commercial that was playing.

"The amazing world of Gumball." Sam said with a smile. I smiled back and watched the flatscreen. This reminded me of Sunday mornings when we were younger, where we would be at Brenton's and his sister, Vivian, would be making us pancakes and we would all be watching Cartoon Network.

"What did Brian need yesterday?" I asked Brenton. He seemed taken aback by interest but pleased none the less.

"He just needed me to sort out some information." He said. "It was about one of the other gangs."

"You couldn't do that over the phone?" I asked softly. I knew my parents were still in the kitchen, I could still hear their voices rambling on.

"Leah." There was a warning to his voice.

"Brenton." I challenged. I captured my bottom lip between my teeth and looked up at him, blue meeting brown.

"Id really appreciate it if you'd stop." He said but there was a teasing tone in his voice.

"Yeah, so would I." Brenton rolled his eyes at me and looked at the flatscreen, watching the blue and orange characters dance around.

"Why can't you just accept it leah? This is who I am?" Brenton asked taking me off guard.

"I see you, violent and dirty. I accept you." I said facing him now. "I don't accept the leaving though."

"You shouldn't. But you're going to have to get used to it. I'm not leaving you. I'm leaving for a few hours." Brenton hold me, touching my cheek.

"I don't think that'll happen." I said softly.

"It needs to."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because you have to be prepared for what I have planned for us." Oh that word. Us. It sounds heavenly rolling off his tongue.

I shook my head softly, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "Right." The sarcasm was spilling from me in tsunami waves.

"What? Scared of temptation?"

"I'm not tempted by someone who promises to leave when someone else calls." I said, turning back into my first position, my back against the couch, still sitting beside Brenton.

He didn't say anything else, I'm guessing because I angered him again. Us. That word continued to play in my mind the remainder of the night. There won't be any us if these are the conditions, I may be tempted but I won't allow myself to follow my temptation.