Consequences

⟡twelve⟡

Holden hadn't spoken to Brinley in a week. He wanted to, but she always shut him down immediately. He mentally called her a bitch every time, but he didn't mean it, and if he did, she was his bitch. That is, if she allowed herself to be his.

Last week was the second time they drove home in silence. He had freaked her out again. Maybe he had aggravated something deep within her. Maybe she just really didn't like him. Whatever it was, it made Holden almost ready to give up on dating. He tried putting a pin in it, coming back for it later, when she was ready.

But his plans were once again destroyed by this girl he wanted to be with so badly.

It was a Monday afternoon, the last bell had rung and Holden was taking the books out of his locker and stuffing them into his backpack. He had so much homework.

"Uhm," The brunette who had been avoiding him cleared her throat, "can I take you somewhere?"

Holden shut his locker. "Oh, so now you want to talk to me? Only when it's convenient for you?"

Holden let his voice down, speaking close to her face. He was mad, to say the least, and he was stubborn, but so was she. This conversation could end one of two ways. They would either end up screaming at each other or Holden would lay down his pride and comply.

"You," Brinley jabbed a finger at Holden's chest. "told me whenever I'm ready so you can calm down."

"You," Holden copied Brinley's actions. "have been acting like a bitch so maybe I'll take that statement right back.

"You sprung up some crucial information about my past with no warning. You really expect me to just calm down after that?"

"What happened after I dropped you off?" Holden's tone switched to a softer, more understanding one.

"I confronted my mother about it." Brinley twirled her fingers out of anxiety.

"And?" Holden urged her to continue.

"And she lied to me for eight years." Brinley was blunt with her words and actions. She didn't want to fight, but she wasn't giving up so easily.

"What happened after that?" Holden kept his voice quiet, pulling Brinley into an empty classroom for privacy. "Are you guys okay?"

"She said she and my father didn't agree with your parents' 'lifestyle' or something like that." Brinley considered stopping there but a little voice inside her kept the words flowing from her mouth. "And then I called my ex boyfriend."

"Oh." Holden didn't know what to say. He knew exactly why Brinley's mom had lied. He knew the 'lifestyle disagreements' were much more than just that. But he didn't understand why Brinley thought it was best to go to some bloke who he assumed had broken her heart. Why couldn't Brinley just go to Holden instead?

"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told him." Brinley started. Holden thought she would open up about her eight years in Pennsylvania. But he was terribly mistaken. "I told him that I wanted him to move on from me. I didn't want him to wait on someone who wasn't going back to him. I don't want you to wait either."

"Brin," Holden began, but was interrupted.

"I'm not finished." Brinley scowled at him. "When I fall for someone, I fall hard. If we start something between us I'm not going to let go easily. I'm gonna fall in love with you and that's the problem. I don't know if I can love you like you deserve to be loved."

After waiting a few seconds to see if she was truly finished, Holden spoke. "Well guess what? We've already started something. I've taken you on two dates. Both went bloody awful but I fell for you more each time and you can't keep doing this to me. You lead me on and then crush me. I don't care if you don't love me. I love you, Brinley Cornelia Jacobs. I've loved you since the third grade. Since before I even knew what love was."

"Holden" Brinley began but this time she was interrupted with Holden's light kiss on her lips. He was gentle and loving this time. Not like their first kiss at the beach which was fueled with lust and passion.

"Don't say anything." Holden pleaded. He had laid down his pride for her. "Please."

"But..."

"I don't care if you don't love me. Say it when you do. Don't lie to me." Holden's eyes were closed as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Okay." Brinley finally let down her pride as well. "I want to be with you, H. Is that okay with you?"

Holden didn't respond, shocked that she even accepted the offer from last week, and falling in love with the one letter nickname she had just given him, the tall boy just hugged her tightly.

The two teenagers stood in the middle of an empty calculus classroom holding each other like their lives depended on it.

-

Carter laid on the worn couch, running his fingers through his curly blonde hair, eyes focused on the cartoons that played on the television that looked much too modern for the old fashioned house. Brinley walked in the door and set her backpack down in the dining room, but Carter never even bat an eye, he was too focused.

He finally noticed his older sister when she wrapped her arms around him and gave him an eskimo kiss, as they usually did. Their relationship wasn't like most sibling relationships. Sure, they argued here and there, but Brinley always felt more protective and motherly for Carter. And all Carter knew was how much he loved his sister.

Adelaide noticed Brinley and made her way down the narrow staircase, "Grandpa is up in his study. Do you want a snack dear?"

"Sure," Brinley walked into the kitchen with her grandmother. "I also want to tell you all something, but I'll wait 'til mom gets here. We are having dinner here, correct?"

-

By the time dinner rolled around a short few hours later, Brinley was nervous. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was racing. It's just my family, she said to herself, they won't hate me. But all of those thoughts were thrown out the window as Adelaide remembered that Brinley had an announcement, "Brinley, dear? You wanted to tell us all something?"

"Uh, yeah," Brinley set down her fork and cleared her throat. "As of today, I am seeing someone."

She paused, and no one said a word, so she continued.

"Romantically. Officially. As of today." Brinley realized she was repeating herself so she stopped and waited for a response.

"That's wonderful! Who is it darling?" Harold smiled, proud of his granddaughter, and slightly sad because she seemed to grow up too fast. Adelaide rose her eyebrows, having a suspicion on who it was.

"His name is Holden Bell. He's wonderful." Brinley smiled, excited that someone was happy for her.

"When will he be coming around for dinner?" Adelaide asked. She knew that Harold had no idea about the issues with the Bell family. No one had ever told him. No one ever had the heart to tell him that his favorite granddaughter was moving away because of this boy's family.

"Holden? It's been ages since I've seen him. Please bring him for our Sunday dinner."

"Harold!" Adelaide snapped.

"Grandma, I know I was friends with Holden when we were little. Mom told me."

Adelaide seemed to calm down a bit, yet she still seemed on edge for the rest of dinner.

-

After dinner Brinley ran up to the guest bedroom, calling Holden, and spilling about everything that had happened during her dinner.

"So? Will you come Sunday?" Brinley finally asked.

"Anything for you."