Jingle Bells and Parallels

17. Orchid

Chapter 17

~Orchid~

       "Can you leave me alone now?" Alan asked as I followed him down the stairs. "You've been annoying me all night yesterday and now today."

       "Because I'm so happy for you," I said. "I knew you liked Brandon and as it turns out, you had the confidence to do something about it."

       "But you're constantly asking me questions about it," Alan said, walking to the front door to put on his shoes and jacket. "You even texted me at two in the morning asking a random question. You're lucky I was already awake then."

       "And why exactly were you already awake then?" I asked, knowing he was most likely texting his new boyfriend.

       If Brandon was even his boyfriend.

       The only reason I had been annoying him last night and today was because he wasn't telling me anything. All he said, which he told the whole family, was that he kissed Brandon. He didn't say how Brandon reacted or anything like that.

       I deserved to know since I was the most supportive of it right now and was the first one to ship it.

       "He was probably up all night thinking of other ways to betray me," Nolan spoke up from where he was reading on the living room couch.

       "Are you still angry?" Alan asked.

       "I don't know. Are you still an idiot?"

       "I've never been an idiot."

       Nolan snorted and went back to reading his book. "Okay."

       "Stop being so moody," I said.

       "I have every right to be moody," Nolan said. "And I'm going to continue being moody so don't even tell me to stop."

       "I'll get Jerome to come over and tell you to stop being moody," I said.

       "Do it. He's moody about it too. We'll be moody together."

       There was no point trying to talk to Nolan right now so I looked back at Alan. "So where are you going?" I asked. "Going to spend time with your lover?"

       Alan sighed heavily. "Phase three, Orchid. I told you yesterday that phase three was going to start. That's what I'm heading to the mall to do."

       "With Brandon?" I asked. Alan didn't reply as he opened the door to head out. "Oh, come on. I just want to know where the two of you stand."

       "I kissed him, he kissed me back, so figure out where we stand," Alan said before leaving the house, closing the door behind him.

       I looked back at Nolan. "You know Brandon isn't a terrible person, right?"

       "I know that," Nolan said. "I  know he helped you out with Felix and trust me, I'm really happy he did and pushed the love he has for his brother aside but... You have to know that it doesn't help me forget everything he has done and said to me."

       "So you can't even try being happy for Alan?" I asked.

       Nolan grabbed his bookmark and placed it in his book before closing it. "I'll be happy for him when I can get past all the bullying that pushed me to be depressed. And to be clear, Brandon was one of those bullies."

       "Nolan..." I began but he ignored me as he started making his way up the stairs right as Mom was walking down.

       Mom looked at Nolan in a concerning way before looking at me. "Is he still mad?"