Or So You Thought

The Shot Of The Heart

Brian POV

"I said GO TO SLEEP!" I scream up the stairs. MJ has been up the past hour, yelling about water & shit. Malcolm said he'd be back in two hours & that was two hours ago. Any minute, he'll walk through the door & wonder why his son is still awake when he was to go to bed three hours ago. "But I'm not tired! I want water!" MJ yells back. This kid, geez! "I said no more anything! GO. TO. BED!" I swear I'm going to lose it. "I need to pee!" Okay, now he's just plain old lying. "Then why would you want water?" I ask. Why am I still yelling from a stairwell? "It helps!" he replies back. "No! You'll just have to go on yourself because you're not getting up!" "Fine! Clean up my pee then!" Valid point but it's not my problem. "Take your ass to be-" "Brian Maxwell Felton?!" My heart stops beating. I know that voice. I'll always know that voice. I turn to confirm what I knew already. "Mom?"

Ari POV

"Don't pity me Ari, please" Melvin says as I walk toward him. "I don't pity you," Yes I do. "I was actually going to accept" I was? Yeah, I was... I think. "Now, that's just cruel" he says with a very small smile. "Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance though" I say as I walk back to my classroom, making sure to put extra sway in my hips. It seems to get boys hot & bothered. Well, Brian does anyway. I mentally smack myself. I really need to stop letting myself think about him. "No I want it" he says, walking after me. It? "You" I correct him. "What?" He didn't catch on. "You said 'it'. I'm not a thing. I'm assuming you meant 'it' as in "you" as in me. If not, then this relationship will end even before it begins" I don't know why Melvin saying 'it' pissed me off so much, but it did. "I meant 'it' as the chance you were trying to give me. I apologize if I offended you" So, that wasn't an insult? Good. Now I don't have to slap anybody... At least, not yet. "Apology accepted. I'm late now & you are are too. I'll see you after class?" I ask, this time really going in the classroom. "It's Relief Week but yeah, I'll see you afterwards" he says with a smile. As I sit down, I check my phone for any messages. None. Of course not, that would be the beginning of the end.

I am pissed to the highest hill. I haven't seen Brian all day. He wasn't even at the café. It's almost two am so he literally has been dodging me all day. How dare he? I hop off of my bed & immediately start hot-tailing it across the street. By the time I get to his door, I'm fuming. I don't even bother to knock, I just start banging. I hear shuffling in the room. I know he's in there, the bastard. I decide to be very impolite & let myself in. "Melvin? What are you doing in here?" I thought Brian hated Melvin, though he seems to be the only one. Why would Melvin be in his room? "I left something & that other guy who's here said I could come get it" he says while moving the area rug up. "What is it? I can help" I offer. "A pen my grandpa gave me. I thought I left here but maybe I didn't" he says as he rises to his feet. I hope he finds it. I know that if it were me, I'd know exactly where I left it & something or someone is getting hit if it's not there when I come back for it "What the hell are you doing in my room Zalowski?" I hear Seth's booming voice from behind. What?! Now I'm really confused. "What is going on?" I ask. "I don't know but I do know nerd boy needs to roll the fuck out" Seth says. "Calm down Seth. He's just here to get his pen back" I reply. Seth turns to look at me like just said something in a foreign language. "What are you talking about, what pen?" Okay, a piece is missing to this puzzle. "Melvin told me he was in here & that he lost his pen" I explain. "Melvin lied to you. He hasn't been in here since the room check & he didn't drop anything because Brian & I cleaned everything once he left. You better tell her the truth Zalowski." I'm really getting sick of people lying to me. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's lying. "Were you lying to me?" I ask. I think I may have made a terrible mistake. "No. I lost my pen & I started here since this was last room I checked before I went to your hall. I looked & it wasn't here so now I'm leaving" he says, pushing past me. Now I feel terrible. I immediately accepted the accusation Seth made against Melvin without even getting the whole story. Why do I feel like I've done that before? ... Oh well. I have to apologize. "Look Melvin. We thought something-" "Don't say we" Seth cuts in but I ignore him. "We were wrong". "Maybe she was wrong. I still think-know that I'm right" Seth adds in. "Will you-? Anyway, I am sorry... So is Seth" I jab him in the gut before Seth can counter. I love Seth but he's quick with this mouth & it gets him into some stuff that could've easily had been avoided if he just stayed quiet. "I accept. I'm going to keep looking for my pen. Thanks guys" Melvin says walking away. "Don't apologize for me. You know I hate that. I wasn't sorry" Seth says as he pushes past me to his door. Why is everyone pushing past me today? "Where is Brian?" I ask, changing the subject. "I don't know. He left to go see his brother at about 11 this morning. Said something about an emergency but I haven't heard from him since" Seth reveals. I feel like a total bitch now. Why am I so stupid? Why else would he just up & leave like that? Even if he was pissed at me, he would still go the café with the guys. Clearly, it's their chill spot. My stupidity & I. "Where'd you get that bracelet from?" Seth asks, pointing to my wrist. "Melvin. Do you like?" I ask. It's kinda weird that he'd notice it. "I'm not sure yet. There might be a problem here" he says as he looks over at Brian's dresser. What?!