Confident

21- Slap

The rest of the day had gone pretty smoothly for Brooklyn. She met up with the girls in her next class, and completely ignored Harry, which was difficult since most of the students spent half the class looking between Brooklyn and Harry, hoping that some drama would happen.

She had tried to find Brandon, but he had disappeared- or gone into hiding according to Alice.

At the end of the day she walked out into the carpark with Violet and Jasper took them both to work.

Brooklyn was grateful that Harry didn't come to the diner that evening. She nearly had a heart attack when Ace and Kal walked in, but they remained a pair.

"I'm home!" Brooklyn called as she walked through her front door later that night.

"Hi, honey!" Her aunt called. "Can you come into my office?"

Brooklyn got to work untying her apron as she made her way to her aunts office and smiled when she saw her. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that dinner is in the fridge and... I need to know what happened to Brandon's face," Lisa said and Brooklyn shifted awkwardly.

"He didn't tell you?"

"He comes home with a black and blue face and tells me that he walked into a tree," Lisa said and crossed her arms over her chest. "Brooke, please, I just need to know."

"I think it's pretty obvious what happened," Brooklyn said.

"So it was a fight?"

Brooklyn nodded. "Yes. And I'm afraid to say it was not in Brandon's favour. It didn't last very long." Brooklyn could have easily told the complete truth, but something within her didn't want her to tell on Harry, even after what he did.

"Gosh," Lisa sighed. "That's not like him."

"I'll talk to him," Brooklyn said. "Don't worry."

"Thank you, dear," Lisa smiled wearily. "Anyhow, how was school."

Brooklyn couldn't help but laugh. "You do not want to know."

*

Brooklyn knocked onto the door of Brandon's room and pushed it open, poking her head round.

"Come in," Brandon sighed, looking up from him laptop. He was sitting on his bed, dressed in navy pyjamas.

Brooklyn walked in, holding two mugs of steaming tea and handed one to Brandon. "Hey," she said softly and sat down at the end of his bed, crossing her legs. "How are you?"

"Fine. My ego hurts more than my face," Brandon said.

Brooklyn looked at Brandon's bruised face. "You've got a lovely shiner," she said sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, B, I was stupid."

"Yes you were," Brooklyn nodded.

"You were meant to say that I wasn't stupid!" Brandon gasped and Brooklyn laughed.

"No, you walked up to the scariest guys in school and yelled at them. What did you expect to happen? I saw Greyson beat someone up on the first day of school!"

"Harry is usually a lot more... reserved. He usually sits there looking bored, adds a smartass comment once every three hours and rolls his eyes at people. I never thought he would take a crack at me!" Brandon said and shook his head. "Guess I was wrong."

"I guess you were," Brooklyn said. "You know he gets angrily easily. I was shocked he punched you, but I wasn't really surprised."

"Thanks," Brandon said.