𝑫𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑶𝑵𝑫 𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑺

[ CHAPTER NINE ]

[ D A Y T W O , P A R T T W O /
D A Y T H R E E ]

⟡

Dylan kept his eyes focused on the road as he finally brought his thoughts into question.

"Hey B, how's studying with that Campbell girl?"

Brandon turns his head away from the passenger window to stare at McKay, but before he could say anything, Kingston spoke up from the backseat.

"Oh yeah, how pissy has she been?" Kingston asks with a mocking smile.

Brandon turned his head to Kingston with narrowed eyes. "Okay, now you gotta chill out, K. Campbell isn't as bad as you make her seem, man."

"B, you barely know the chick."

Curious, Brandon ignores that and voices the question that had been on his mind since yesterday.

"What even happened between you guys anyway? She ignores your existence most of the time and you constantly trip about her."

Kingston glares at Walsh. "No I don't."

"Yes you do." Brandon and Dylan retort back in unison.

Kingston scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Man, fuck y'all. And since you wanna know so bad B, our breakup wasn't pretty, especially for her—happy now?" As soon as he finished talking, Dylan's car pulled up right in front of Kingston's house.

Dylan eyed one of the cars in Kingston's driveway before glaring over at the boy in the backseat.

"Walker, I thought you said your car was in the shop."

"Okay, I lied....truth is that my car is on empty and I didn't wanna pay for gas." Kingston dashes out of the car before Dylan could reach over and get his hands on him.

"Thanks for the ride tho, McKay!" Is the last thing Kingston says before hurrying inside his house.

Dylan shakes his head before putting the car into gear again. "Cheap-o." Dylan mutters before he nudges Brandon. "Not that I mind you stayin' at my crib or anything, 'cause I understand, but do you think your Pops has calmed down yet?"

Brandon looks over at the healing scar on his left palm. "Who really knows, man?"

"So you're just not gonna go back home? What about your sister and your mom, what if he puts his hands on 'em, B?"

Dylan's words brought on a very long silence in the car, and it stayed like so until Dylan parked the car in front of the McKay residence.

"I'mma go get my stuff, then, I'mma go home."

⟡

Brandon let out a large sigh of relief when he walked in and saw his mother and sister unharmed and sitting on the couch waiting for him.

His mother took him in her arms the moment Brandon closed the front door behind him.

"I missed you."

"I missed ya too, Ma."

They had dinner that night, just the three of them, all ignoring that the eldest man of the house wasn't there.

Brandon didn't have the heart to ask why until he was upstairs in his room with Brenda, who nosed her way in.

"Where is he?"

"Maybe work, maybe some bar, maybe down in a ditch somewhere. Who cares?"

Brandon stares down at his reflection on the floor.

"I certainly don't."

⟡

Friday, the day of the test, finally came and Brandon surprisingly was not stressed. Tasha watched him stroll into last period with a smug smile on his face. Once he plopped down in his seat beside her, she asked him if he was ready.

"I got a great tutor, course I'm ready." Brandon says with so much confidence that Tasha was especially thankful for her dark skin in that moment.

About 15 minutes after the test was passed out, Tasha went up to Hornet's desk to turn her paper in. Hornet doesn't have to look up to know it's her since she always finished first. When Tasha turned around to go back to her seat, she was surprised to find Brandon behind her.

Brandon gave her a small yet nervous smile before he turned in his test, shocking Hornet as well.

When the dismissal bell rang half an hour later, Tasha pulled on her backpack and turned to Brandon in curiosity. "How do you think you did?"

Brandon pulls on his backpack too. "I think I knocked it out of the park thanks to you," neither of them could contain the smiles that grew on their faces, "and no doubt, you did amazing." Brandon compliments, prompting Tasha to shyly look away.

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you, Baby."

Tasha and Brandon leave the classroom, Tasha leading in front while Brandon trailed closely behind. Once they reach the hallway, they look to each other apprehensively. "Uh, so, see you later?" Tasha says lamely. Brandon chuckles. "Isn't today your last day of detention?"

"Yeah, I'm about to head to the library right now but you don't have to come this time. I won't snitch on ya to Wilson and I'll make sure Mrs. Tuff doesn't either." Tasha rambles, hoping she sounded convincing.

"Are you sure? I'm fine with—"

"Yes! I'm sure! Go have fun." Tasha presses, waving him off. Hesitantly, Brandon leaves Tasha to go meet up with his friends.

Tasha lets out a relieved sigh once the quarterback disappears down the corridor, thankful that she didn't have to see him until Monday.

For when he left, the butterflies in her stomach did as well.