b r a y l e n *
TW: mention of anxiety/panic attacks
I think that since my older brother, Tommy, chose to go out of state for college, he told Corbin to keep an eye on me since we're going to the same college. Tommy and Corbin are one year older than me, both in their second year of college, whereas I'm in my first. I don't mind that Corbin hangs out with me, I actually quite like it because I know him, but he's so overprotective--more recently than he has been, especially when we were in high school.
"Hey, Braylen!" Corbin says as he slides into the seat beside me at the outside tables.
"Hey, Corbs," I say.
"Are you going to Holly's party later?"
"I thought about it, but I don't know. I don't really know many people that will be there."
"You should go! I'll be there!"
"I don't know, I might,"
"Come on, have you been to a party yet?"
"No, but we've only been in school for four months!"
"Yeah, and you've missed about thirty party opportunities."
"Fine, I'll go, but I don't know how long I'll stay."
Corbin smiles at me and punches my shoulder.
After my last class of the day, I walk to the apartment building and let myself into mine and Corbin's shared apartment. I'd tried to do dorms but only lasted a week, and had to move into Corbin's apartment after having several panic attacks in one week. Corbin had lived in the dorms last year, but didn't really like it as his roommate was a jerk and hardly cleaned up his space; this way, Corbin has his own room and a kitchen. Corbin was more than open to letting me move into his apartment after I'd called him after my fifth panic attack of the week only on Wednesday. If you hadn't guessed, I have anxiety, especially around new people, and the guy I was supposed to be rooming with was just sending off bad vibes, as well as he tried to get me to have sex with him within five minutes of our meeting.
I'm working on some English homework when Corbin walks by my room and sticks his head in.
"Ready?" he asks as I look up at him. "The party starts in about thirty minutes, but we have to walk a couple of blocks to get there."
"Yeah," I say, closing my computer and getting out of the chair in front of my desk. I grab a jacket and put it on, grabbing my phone and keys. I put my keys and phone in the pocket of my hoodie I have on underneath my jacket and then zip my jacket up.
Corbin and I walk a little bit past campus to a small(ish) blue-sided house with a driveway. I'm not sure if this a student house or fraternity house, though--which I guess both are students, but I mean students from whatever fraternity or not or if it's just strictly for a certain fraternity. Corbin opens the screen door and I walk through the open front door, finding that, there are already several people here, including some who are already hammered. I'm not going to drink, and I hope that Corbin isn't either, but I don't get my hopes up. Corbin grabs my wrist and pulls me over to a group of people--a group of people of which I know no one.
"Hey guys, this is Braylen," Corbin says.
They all look up and wave or smile.
"That's Caroline, Kara, Veronica, Davis, Luca, and Ian," Corbin tells me, pointing each person out. "Avery should be around here somewhere, but who knows,"
I nod, not exactly knowing what to do and trying to hide away in a corner. I sink down onto a chair, looking around but not really at anything specific.
A girl, who I presume to be Avery, comes over and sits beside me.
"I heard you were with Corbin?" She asks.
I nod.
"Ah, you must be Braylen. He talks about you all the time," she says.
"Really?" I ask, trying (and failing) to keep the surprise out of my voice.
"Yep, we've all heard a lot about you. Oh, I'm Avery, by the way."
"Braylen,"
"So...how's college treating you so far?" she asks, trying to make conversation.
"Pretty good...I'm undecided as of right now," I say.
"I was too when I first enrolled. You seeing anyone?"
"Oh, I'm not into--"
"Oh, no, me either, my girlfriend is over there." Avery points at a blonde girl, whom I recognize from high school, Maya.
"Oh, I went to school with her."
"I thought she said she recognized your name before. So, what's the deal with you and Corbin? Are you two..?"
"Oh no, no! No--we're just friends. Actually, he's my brother's best friend.." I say, trailing off.
"But you like him?" she says, saying the thing I was thinking. I turn and look at her.
"I saw how you were looking at him. I mean, he's pretty cute,"
I blush.
"Why don't you say something?" She asks.
"I don't want to be rejected and ruin the relationship with him and I or him and my brother, besides, I'm living in his apartment and I don't want to get kicked out," I say.
She laughs. "He wouldn't kick you out, trust me."
"So, what are you studying?" I ask her, trying to steer the conversation away from Corbin and I.
"Nursing. Pediatric nursing to be specific, or maybe a labor and delivery nurse, I haven't completely decided but I'd be cool with either."
I nod. "That's cool. I'm thinking about criminal justice, but I'm still not a hundred percent sure, but I know the first few semesters you basically just take core classes so I'm still undecided."
"And that is completely okay!" She tells me.
I happen to look up momentarily and see Corbin coming towards us.
Avery elbows me and I blush. Corbin stops in front of me, grabbing my hands and pulling me up to him, grabbing the back of my neck and kissing my lips softly. Whoa. He just kissed me. In front of people. He pulls away and looks at me.
"P-p-please tell me you didn't just do that for a dare or because you're drunk," I mutter, looking at him. If he says yes, then ouch.
"I haven't taken a single drink," he says. "And I don't mess around with dares."
"So y-you did it because--"
"I wanted to. Let's go talk about this, okay?" He grabs my wrist and pulls me through the crowd and out the front door. We stop on the porch, sitting on the porch swing.
He looks at me. "I like you, Braylen," he says.
"Why?" Is the first thing that comes out of my mouth.
He looks up at me with an amused look on his face.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why that was the first thing I said," I tell him. "I like you too, Corbs."
"Wait--really?"
"Yeah. Tommy knows, too. He's known since eighth grade."
"Your eighth-grade year or ours?"
"Mine."
"That means--"
"I've liked you since sixth grade, yes I have."
His face lights up and he smiles at me. "You're so cute!" he says, pulling me into his arms.
I rest my chin on his chest and look up at him. "Let's go home, all of these people are giving me anxiety."
"What were you and Avery talking about?" he asks me as we get up and start walking back towards our apartment.
"Lots of things," I say. "School. Her girlfriend. You."
"Me?"
I nod. He stops walking for a second and turns me to him, leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine, grabbing my hand and sliding his fingers in between mine when he pulls away.
I pull my key out of my pocket and unlock the front door when we reach our apartment.
"I'm cold," I say once we get inside.
"Well, I have an idea," he says.
"And that is what?"
"We cuddle in my bed and watch Harry Potter."
"And that is a good idea," I tell him, kissing him softly. "But I'm still putting warmer clothes on."
"Fair enough," he says, kissing me again.
After I've changed, I walk into the kitchen where Corbin is standing putting snacks and drinks in a basket to take to his room. I look at him, watching him put stuff in the basket.
"Don't forget the goldfish," I tell him. "Goldfish are very important."
He holds the bag of goldfish up, putting it back in the basket. "I've also got chips, gummy bears, grapes, cookies..."
He looks up as if he wants me to approve all of this. I nod at him and he picks the basket up and carries it down the hall to his bedroom. I hang my keys up on one of the little hooks by the front door. A few minutes later, Corbin walks back down the hallway in completely different clothes and looks at me.
"Are you coming?" he asks me. (Not yet, hehe...I'M KIDDING, I'M JUST KIDDING)
"Yep," I say, turning around and walking back down the hallway with him. He sits down on the bed and pulls me down beside him, turning to me and pressing his lips against mine softly before turning the TV on and starting our Harry Potter marathon.
12/17/19
Harry Potter marathons are the best
