Play the Game Boy (BWWM)

chapter 19

Faith

I woke up to the screeching sound of my alarm clock this morning. I sulked out of bed and rushed from room to room to attempt to tame my hair, brush my teeth, get something to eat, iron a blouse and put together a decent outfit before I could miss my bus.

After yesterday night's little debacle with Brendan, I wouldn't expect him to come pick me up from home to work as we had kind of ended the evening on a sour note. And so I had to get re-accustomed to the bus life though I had to admit, riding in Brendan's car had been hella nice. And it wasn't just because it was a nice spacious car —although it did edge up the experience— but because all we did was fool around and laugh when we were around one another.

I slurped down some scalding hot coffee before zipping on a jacket and exiting the apartment. I sprinted down the stairs until I reached outside. I was about to make a run for my departing bus when a car cut me off.

The blue Bentley.

Brendan still showed up.

He signalled me to get in and I did so, thankful that he was here.

"Thanks," I hushed out as I strapped on my seatbelt. "I didn't think you'd show up."

"I promised you I'd pick you up every morning, that ain't about to stop today," he said as he sped off, the expression on his face sober.

The atmosphere was tense and the awkwardness was almost tangible when I decided to break the unsettling silence between us :

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said last night."

Brendan shook his head.

"No, you had to. It was weighing heavy on your heart and you weren't totally wrong. I was jerk to you. I never apologized for the way I let you down when you never let me down."

He looked back at me intensely and I couldn't look away. It was an apology I never thought I'd hear after all these years, but it was the closure that I needed to begin to fully trust Brendan again.

"I guess I owe you an explanation," he continued, focusing back on the road so intently you'd think a script was etched on the lines of concrete. "You see, I stopped hanging out with you when you started to like Chad. It sounds so stupid and immature, but I hated the way you looked at him because I wanted you to look at me like that. And when you didn't, I tried making you jealous by hanging out with other girls. But you didn't care. You only had eyes for him."

I could recall it so clearly. I'd been infatuated with Chad for as long as I could remember up until very recently. I couldn't believe I'd been obsessing over somebody for so long without realizing the person who had once been my best friend saw me the same way I saw Chad.

Brendan sighed. "And then I tried getting over you by getting with different girls but they weren't you and the only thing that did was create a reputation for myself. I became Brendan the player. And I've tried so hard to make it up to you, but you still can't trust me and while I get it, it still hurts."

I bit on my bottom lip, not believing I was about to utter the next words that came out of my mouth.

"I trust you Brendan. You were my best friend at one point in time, and even if we hit a rough patch, I still can't find it in me to hate you forever. Hell, I can't even find it in me to be mad at Meghan."

He chuckled ironically. "I saw you two hug it out at the event yesterday. Can't say I wasn't surprised."

"I tried to understand her point of view without getting angry. I mean, I get why she'd be attracted to you, you're not exactly ugly."

"Faith Tristens, are you saying that I'm hot?" he asked with malice as he wiggled an eyebrow up and down.

"I am not saying that to you," I laughed out.

"Not even to make me feel better about being told I was heartless?" he said with a pouted lip.

I looked up from his lips and into his damn blue eyes.

"Brendan, you are so... damn... smoking... stupid for thinking that I'd fall for this stupid bribe," I laughed and he simply rolled his eyes even though I noticed the hint of a smile on his mouth. "But anyways, I'm just glad I can put this chapter behind me."

"You're really gonna let what Meghan did to you slide? Just like that?" he inquired, a bushy eyebrow raised in disbelief. I shrugged and he scoffed. "I would not have spoken a word to her for at least a month if I were you."

"Well, I have to admit it was out of character for me to forgive her so quickly but that's only because of what Nadine told me last night." Brendan raised an eyebrow, probing me to continue. "She told me about how you didn't judge her when she told you about how she and Mason broke up. You just listened. And that's what I did with Meghan."

Brendan smiled, his eyes still riveted on the road. "Oh well, well, well, it seems the student might have surpassed her teacher."

"Shut up," I laughed, lightly nudging him.

"Don't front Tristens, you looove to hear my voice," he mocked as we stopped at a red light. His face was turned towards mine and even if we were just joking around, my heart thudded loudly in my chest, as if it was bound to explode.

"Oh, do I?" I teased with a smile.

"Uh-uh," he replied, fixing my lips.

An invisible magnetic force pulled me in towards him, but before I could feel his breath on mine, the car behind us honked.

The light was green.

Brendan rolled his eyes before driving off. Somehow, I couldn't care less that the moment was ruined. I knew with the utmost certainty that I'd have many other ones to make up for this one.

The blue Bentley slowed into the parking lot and I slid out after hushing out a quiet bye his way. When he sped away and I got inside of the building, I couldn't help but feel at peace.

Brendan and I would end up together, I just knew it.

I felt so blind to not have noticed the signs before. It was basically written in the stars that the two of us would get together eventually. I was his person and soon enough, he'd become my person.

It was simply a matter of how and when now.

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||  ||  || a/n ||  ||  ||
me : faith, brendan, just get tgt already!!
also me : stop it, you're going too fast😭

lol anywaysss, i posted a new story (a few months back I believe) called INFLUX and I really put a lot of effort in my writing for that book and it would mean the WORLD to me if you could just check it out and tell me how you feel about the concept. that's it, thank you for coming to my ted talk, have a nice day y'all!✨