Consequences

⟡fifteen⟡

Brinley slept off her anger and by the morning she was feeling oddly calm for a Monday morning. She felt invincible, yet fragile at the same time. She was stronger than ever, yet still had a delicacy to her. And although she was feeling powerful, she was missing something.

Or some things.

After getting showered and dressed, Brinley realized that she was missing a key element in her morning routine. Her makeup. She had taken it over to Holden's house to get ready for their disastorus Sunday dinner, and in her fit of rage, she stormed out of his house without even thinking that she left her things in his room. And now she had to go over there again.

During Brinley's makeup-less drive to school, she thought about the previous night. She yelled so loud that she could have woken Holden's brothers, but then again, she doubted Alfie was asleep so early, and Theo was in his dorms. Holden yelled so loud that she was surprised the neighbors didn't call the police.

-

After school she had finally gotten up the courage to talk to her boyfriend. It seemed like they were always having these fueds and then making up after school. Before they dated, they would go days without speaking to each other after a misunderstanding, and then after school they would make it better. Now that they were dating, Brinley wondered if they could even do that.

Before approaching Holden in the hallway, Brinley was approached by all of her friends. She had spent the night before blubbering to them all on a mass video chat.

Gina was the first to comfort Brinley, which was typical of her. Lia got angry at Holden, as if Brinley and Lia shared their emotions. They were truly like sisters. Selena didn't say much. She was shocked that the boy who had been rambling about Brinley all night at the party could possibly have intentions to leave her. Sophie, one of Selena's best friends who had recently joined their friend group as well, was a bit more vocal about her dislike of the situation.

"Fuck him! Who needs men? Not you!" Sophie exclaimed, earning a small chucked from Brinley.

"Whatever you do, don't sleep with him." Lia warned.

"I wasn't even planning on that, you dumbass." Brinley rolled her eyes, lightly slapping her friend on the shoulder.

"Well if you do sleep with him we still support you, even though it would be incredibly dumb of you." Selena responded, which earned a slight eye roll as Brinley walked over to Holden.

"Hey," Brinley said, tapping Holden on the shoulder. He turned around and she continued. "so I left some stuff at your house last night. Can I stop by later and pick it up?"

"How much later?" Holden held no emotion in his voice.

"Why does it matter? Is your side hoe coming over?" Brinley mentally laughed at her comeback.

Holden's straight face twisted into an angry one.

"I'll be there after 6:00." Brinley said and she walked past her crowd of friends that attempted to eavesdrop on her conversation.

-

At 5:02 Brinley walked up to Holden's door, knocking three times. Before the door opened she noticed a sleek black two door car in the driveway, she had never seen it before. Brinley didn't have the time to think about it when the door was opened by an older woman. She had dark brown hair with gray roots. Her smile looked exactly like Holden's.

"Hi, you must be Brinley. I'm Suzanna. It's so nice to meet you. Holden is up in his room I think." Brinley could barely get a word in as Suzanna quickly spoke, shook Brinley's hand, and went back into the large kitchen.

Brinley walked up the carpeted stairs to Holden's room. The first one on the right. As she reached the top step, she heard a woman's laugh and the slight strum of an acoustic guitar from the other side of Holden's door.

Brinley was confused and even angrier than she had been last night. Is this really how he tried to get over Brinley? Were they done now? Was this it? Would she catch him cheating so soon in their relationship?

Hot tears welled up at her eyes, but before they spilled down her cheeks, she opened the door.

Brinley caught her breath as she saw a pink haired girl sitting on Holden's bed, but there was also another boy sitting on the floor, holding a guitar in his lap. Holden, who was also sitting on the floor, also held an acoustic guitar.

"I thought you said 6:00?" Holden stood up, handing the girl his guitar and going to the corner of the room to grab Brinley's things.

"My plans fell through so I thought it would be fine to come a bit earlier. If you would've told me you have company I wouldn't have come." Brinley felt her chest tighten. She wanted the leave the room. She felt the other boy staring at her, possibly judging her.

"Well, here." Holden handed her the bag. "You can, uh, stay, I guess. If you want."

"I have to go. Carter is in the car." Brinley lied and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Seconds later the door opened again, and just as she was about to tell Holden off, the girl spoke.

"Are you okay?" Brinley turned around, taken aback by this girl's strong British accent. "We can talk if you'd like. Girl to girl."

"I'm fine." Brinley shook her head and attempted to walk away.

"Wait!" The girl stopped Brinley from leaving. "I'm Jade, and my boyfriend in there, the incredibly fit one, is Enzo."

Brinley was relieved that she had a boyfriend.

"You look really upset and I'm here to talk to if you'd like. That's what girls are for right? Listening to each other, because men can't?"
Brinley chuckled a bit and then thought of something. "Would you like to come to a sleepover tonight? It's a girl's night thing at my friends house."

"Only if we can gossip about our boyfriends, because, oh, let me tell you girl," Jade put her hand on Brinley's shoulder and the freckles under her eyes seemed to glisten with mischief. "He's a fitty, but oh does he make me mad."

"Then it's settled. Would you like to come with me now or have Enzo drop you off later?"

"Oh I'm coming with you. But first could we stop at our apartment? I need to grab some clothes."
"You live together?"

"Yep! Moved here together from London the day after I turned eighteen." Jade looked proud of her accomplishment. "Wait, let me go tell Enzo that I'm leaving."

"I'll be downstairs." Brinley called back and began her descent down the stairs.

Brinley peeked into the kitchen to see Suzanna still hard at work making dinner, but before Brinley turned around she felt a familiar hot breath on the back of her neck.

"You look prettier than ever." The older boy said.

"Alfie?" Brinley whispered, matching his voice level.

"I heard you and Holdy fighting last night. Trouble in paradise?" He took a hold of her arm. "Let's go talk about it."

"Let go of me." Brinley whispered back, yanking her arm away. She was scared and intimidated.

He was about to grab her arm again when Jade bounced down the steps. "Do you think we could pick up my friend Sophie as well? She'd love to meet you."

"Yeah. Definitely." Brinley said quickly, walking out of the house followed by the older girl.

"What the hell was that?" Jade questioned Brinley once they got into the car. "I saw him grab you and I wanted to yell at him but he kind of freaks me out."

"I just think he's rather possessive." Brinley pretended to brush it off.

"Well the Sophie thing was just to get him away, but we can still get her if you'd like."

"Of course." Brinley smiled, happy to have new friends, but also hiding the pain and confusion that Alfie brought into her life.