new girl // brandon arreaga

21

brandon

i wake up and my head is throbbing, my eyes feeling hazy with a layer of sleep in them. i go to move my arms but one is trapped under cassie, her hair sprawled over my skin as she peacefully snores. i carefully reach over to grab my phone to check the time and see 13 missed calls.

all from kayla.

confusion churning behind my headache, i look to see the time stamps when she called me. it was three in the morning.

groaning, i slowly move my arm from underneath cassie's body and tuck her in the blankets again, covering revealed skin. i don't remember what we did last night, but from the looks of it, it was a good time.

what i do remember was the exchange of words we shared; our lips both forming the words 'i love you.' thinking about it makes my heart skip a beat as i can vaguely remember her lips making the shapes and sounds, but the memory is implanted in my brain.

it makes me feel guilty as i leave the room to call kayla back.

my insides churn with tar as i call her, my stomach feeling full and heavy with annoyance, fear, and regret. the phone only rings two and a half times before i hear a desperate voice on the other end.

"brandon?" kayla's familiar voice asks.

i sigh and lean against the wall, my voice hushed as to not wake up the sleeping beauty in the room. "yes?"

kayla lets out a breath of relief and i wait for her to say something.

"i need to talk to you." she tells me.

i rub my head in an attempt to soothe my headache. only half paying attention, i mumble an "mhm" and wait for her to continue.

"in person, brandon." she pleads. she sounds disoriented and distraught, her voice sounding the way it did when we split. it sends an unexpected pang through my chest as i recall the emotional moment. kayla was devastated and i was confused, unsure of how i was feeling except for the fact of relief our facade of love was over.

"what's going on?" i ask, peeking in the room to see if cassie's stirred or woken up.

there's a long pause before kayla answers my question, and just as i start to get impatient with her, she speaks.

"my parents are splitting up," she says, finally.

i stay silent as i process the statement. her family always seemed so happy; her parents were always so in love regardless of work and life and whatever else came in their path. her news shocks me and the first thing i feel is sorrow and empathy.

"kayla, i'm so sorry." i say. "is that why you called so many times?"

"yeah," she says. "i was freaking out and needed someone to talk to... and you were the first person who came to my mind."

everything inside of me screams to hang up and simply say sorry, but my mind tells me that i need to be here for her. i don't know how to help but i know that if i don't try, i'm going to regret it.

"is there anything i can do?" the words come out of my mouth before i can stop them and i lightly hit my head against the wall. stupid, i tell myself.

kayla answers quickly. "yeah, actually. would you mind meeting me for coffee? i think it would help calm me down."

swallowing my pride and knowing it means i'll have to leave cassie, i agree. "sure," i forcefully say. "i'll meet you in fifteen minutes at Joe's."

"alright," kayla says. "thank you."

i hang up the phone before she or myself can say anything else and stand there, tugging at my hair. i genuinely don't want kayla in my life; i don't want the drama she brings, the popularity contest that she makes everything. but i know that if i were to ask her for help, she would help me. and even if it takes everything in me, i still get dressed, kiss cassie on the forehead, and send her a text as i pull out of the driveway that something came up.