Eccedentesiast (Brandon Darrow)

#Screwed

[#Screwed]
Thank you for loving me even when I tasted of heartache and war.
–Nikita Gill
*****

The next day Trevor, Brandon and I had started working. No one mentioned what happened between Brandon and I last night. Brandon had left a little while ago to get us some food. I sat at a table with a laptop and Trevor sat on the couch with his. "How does flash misconnections work?" I asked Trevor, remembering what Alison had told me.
"It's like an old school message board, you can look for sex, sell drugs, buy slime, post about having parties...There's no Mr. Empty yet," Trevor replied shaking his head.
"Do you think the zoo can watch us through the computers?" I asked.
"Not mine," Trevor replied and I shrugged before taking a post it from his notebook and sticking it over the camera. When I looked again I saw Trevor's report card.
"D's? I thought you were a nerd," I said waving the paper around.
"I am a nerd, it runs in the family genius," Trevor said and I rolled my eyes.
"Okay but what about college?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Guess I just don't give a shit anymore," he answered shrugging and I frowned. "Hey Mr. Empty posted just now," Trevor said and I rushed over to the couch nearly toppling into Trevor as I sat down.
"Yeah?" I asked as I looked at the message. It was just random letters strung together. "That doesn't make any sense," I shook my head.
"It's a coded message, maybe a double transposition. Where's that poem someone sent Zoe? In World War Two, spies sometimes used poetry as the key for a code," Trevor explained.
"Well look at my little nerd," I smirked ruffling his hair. He smacked my hand away before the door opened. Brandon walked in carrying two plastic bags of food.
"Burrito babies," he said holding the two bags up. I rolled my eyes before grabbing Trevor.
"Come on we can figure it out later, I'm starving," I pulled him up off the couch and we walked into the kitchen. He sat down on the counter and I leaned against it.
Brandon handed me a burrito smirking and said, "Don't say I never did anything for you sweetheart." He winked and I rolled my eyes snatching the burrito from his hand. Sean walked in and my eyes widened.
"What is he doing here?" I asked nodding toward him, "He was at the bonfire with Zoe."
"Well duh. I was the one who told him to go, to find out who sent me to juvie. He was the one who told me it was Zoe," Brandon said.
"What about the dance studio? Or Zoe's house?" I questioned.
"Same reason you were, just trying to find her. She did ruin Brandon's life," Sean shrugged. I couldn't help the guilt that crawled up my throat at his statement. I was the one who ruined Brandon's life and I could never take that back.
"What about the pig mask?" I asked remembering when I had found it in his locker.
"That was me, pigmania here," Trevor said throwing a hand up.
"But the mask was in Sean's locker," I frowned.
"Well yeah, they were looking through my locker and Brandon's because of those flyers. I mean, I had to put it somewhere," he shrugged.
"Dick," Sean muttered and I couldn't help but feel guilty that I had told Hailey. If I had never put those flyers up I never would have found the pig mask in Sean's locker. Maybe, just maybe Hailey would still be here.
"Hey uhh did Zoe say anything at the bonfire?" I asked.
"Honestly it was a whole lotta bullshit, some weird witch ritual thing. Kept calling us empties," Sean answered as he shivered.
"Fucking creepy," I muttered and Sean shook his head in agreement.
"Alright well while you paternal twins scour the internet for Mr. Empty, Sean and I are gonna search for Lance broadly," Brandon said pointing between him and Sean.
"We are?" Sean asked raising an eyebrow.
"The way one real man finds another real man," he answered.
"Ha, have you ever done a real man thing in your life," I said rolling my eyes.
"Oh you dream about me doing real man things to you all night long," Brandon said standing in front of me.
"Sounds like a nightmare," I muttered but I couldn't help thinking about last night. The way his lips felt on mine. The way his hands felt on me, I hated that I wanted it to go further but I knew we couldn't. Trevor got up and left the room quickly.
"What's his problem?" Brandon asked looking at Sean.
"Maybe your grating voice made him nauseous," I said as Brandon tried to get a piece of my burrito. I snatched it away and he rolled his eyes. Sean and him walked out but before he was gone he leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"Don't think I don't know you think about me at night when your alone sweetheart, we both know how much we want each other," he kissed my neck before he walked off. When he was completely gone I went upstairs to find Trevor strumming on his guitar whilst sitting on his bed.
"Do you like him?" I asked leaning against the doorframe.
"What? Who?" Trevor said snapping his head to look up at me.
"It's okay if you do Trevor I'm not judging you," I said walking in further. I mean who was I to judge in his choice I apparently felt the same as Trevor did about Brandon.
"I don't like him," he muttered, "Can we talk about something else."
"Fine I've got something else for your nerdy little brain," I pulled out my phone and sat down on the bed showing Trevor, "This was written on the wall the night Zoe died."
He looked at the picture before furrowing his eyebrows, "Dunbar lives."
"What?" I asked pulling the phone back to me.
"Rearrange the letters," Trevor said shrugging. Sure enough after a couple of seconds I saw it as well.
"Dunbar lives," I whispered staring at the phone, "what are you doing tonight little genius," I said looking up at Trevor and smirking.
"No...absolutely not," Trevor said shaking his head.
"Come on," I whined as I gave him my best puppy eyes.
"I'm busy," Trevor answered and I rolled my eyes.
"No you are not. Mr. Empty sent a time and a place and he doesn't know that Zoe's dead. He wants to meet, and me and you are gonna be there."
"You sure?" Trevor asked.
"Yes okay me and you will figure out who he really is. Come on sibling power," I smirked and he rolled his eyes at me.
"Okay fine but only because your dad would kill me if you died," he shrugged and I gave him a hug.
"Thanks Trevor," I said getting up and bounding toward my room. Maybe tonight would be the night to end this.

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