Friend or Fiend

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It is Braxton, Damon's brother.

I panic for a second when I realize I don't have a thing to say, but it slowly fades when he starts speaking."Hey..." Braxton's deep voice comes from my phone.

"Um... Hello?" My greeting comes out as a question.

I hear his low chuckle. "I'm not gonna bite," he says. "I just have a...request."

I smile. "Of course I know you're not gonna bite. It's just that you've never called me before, and on that topic, how did you get my number?"

His voice sounds dark and mysterious when he answers, "Secret."

I smile like an idiot, though I have no reason to. I try to keep my grin off, but it keeps tugging back onto my face. I let my lips win because Braxton can't see me grin just because I'm happy...right?

"Fine," I say. "So...not to be rude, but why are you calling me?"

I can almost see his eye-roll. But his tone is patient. "As I said before, I have a request."

I nod but realize that he can't see me. "Yeah...so what is it?"

"Well..." He pauses. "I'm not sure how to phrase this..." Another pause. "You might not be too happy..." A third pause.

I sigh. "What is it already?" I inquire.

I can hear his deep breath. I wonder how bad his request is that he doesn't even want to tell me it. But I don't think his request can be that bad. I mean, my life can't get any worse; with a friend that isn't a friend anymore and a kiss from a boy that I don't even like.

Before he can speak, I add, "My life can't get any worse."

That seems to give him courage because he suddenly blurts it out. "CanyouhelpmegetBrittanyandDamontogether?"

My brows are down and my eyes wide. "Can you repeat that again?" I inquire.

He takes another deep breath, though this one has more exhaling than the one before. "Can you help me get Brittany and Damon together?"

My first response was, "Sure." But when I completely connected what he said, I question him, suddenly suspicious, "Why?"

It seems as if he had this speech was prepared, because his normal shyness is gone. "I need your help because I can't do it all by myself and I think Brittany and Damon belong together. They both have similarities, like the fact that they both are very popular and ignorant. And I hope you will help me, even though you might like Damon and even though he definitely is in love with you."

My lips curl up in response. "Sure," I repeat, and this time, I mean it.

I can hear his sigh of relief. We have many similar ways of thinking! Like the fact that they are popular and ignorant. I think to myself, still smiling. And he must love to sigh! It's so cute.

"So you're fine with it?" Braxton asks me, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah," I reply. "Didn't I say that before?"

"Sure, yeah," he says slowly, "but don't you...like Damon, too?"

I debate with myself whether to tell him what I felt and my feelings win in the end. I sigh. "Yeah - no," I start. "But I don't anymore." Then I start explaining everything from the kiss that didn't spark to trying to make Brittany jealous to the unexpected video of Brittany.

"So," I end, "I want to make Brittany better again."

The first thought I have when I finish speaking is that Braxton is a good listener - he sighs and says "yeah" at the right times, and I don't doubt that he nodded at the correct spots, either. My second thought is scolding myself. Why did I tell all my secrets to him? I scream at myself. He could tell Damon and Brittany!

On the other hand, Braxton is silent, but strikes up a conversation when he says, "Man, you've got yourself into a huge mess!"

I nod, but again, I realize that he can't see me. Instead, I say, "Yep," like it wasn't that big of a deal.

"And you're not like...upset or worried?" Braxton questions.

"Um...yeah, but no," I respond.

"What do you mean?" he inquires, clearly confused.

"Well," I explain, shrugging. "Sure, I have no friends and everything, but as I said before, my life can't get any worse. Oh!" I say when I realize that I haven't told him to keep it a secret. "Don't tell anyone." I add, "Please?"

"Sure," he promises.

I am suspicious. I mean, who wouldn't? You can't always trust a stranger... Not to be rude or anything, I really don't know that much about him, so he counts as a stranger.

"You sure?" I inquire uncertainly.

"Yeah," Braxton replies. "Why? You don't trust me?"

"Of course not," I respond honestly. "I mean, you're a stranger and all, and the teachers always say-" I imitate in a strict voice like a teacher's, "-don't trust strangers."

He chuckles at my imitation and says, mockingly sad. "You say that I'm a stranger. But I'm Damon's brother, who you just kissed you before-"

Braxton realizes what he has said and catches himself before he makes me feel even more worse. The last thing I hear is his voice. "I'm so sorry," he says softly. "Please forgive-"

But his voice gets cut off when I hang up. I am too busy pitying myself to be sorry for what I had just done. I feel my throat burning and tears forming in my eyes. I can feel the salty water making it's way down my cheek, and obviously ruining my make-up.

This is the first time I've cried since second grade, when I vowed to never let my tears shed again, right after my father's death.

I force the rest of my tears to backtrack into my eyes and wipe the tears from my eyes and cheeks, with the backs of my hands. When I look at my hands, I see black spots covering it, leaving streaks. Yep, I was right about the make-up part.

But the knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. I imagine it to be my mom, but it didn't seem possible she would come. I mean, she doesn't care about me or anything, only beer and whiskey, and besides, she's snoring on the couch. The second option is Brittany, but like before, she wouldn't come all the 2 miles after I did all that to her. My heart is pounding when I open the door.

It isn't my mom, or Brittany. It's a boy; a boy I don't recognize.

_____

A/N: So, who do you guys think that boy is? Is he a stalker? How did he get Avalon's address? I would like to know your thoughts on this story, and please comment and vote :D Thanks for reading!