Boy
Dix-sept.
Ryan didn't sleep. The evening's events replayed themselves over and over until she couldn't even close her eyes. So she stared at the ceiling. Brandon was asleep, his arms gripped tightly around her figure, snoring lightly. She was confused, filthy and depressed. All she wanted to do was talk to her best friend.
"Ryan." She turned her head slightly to look at Brandon, who was suddenly awake and staring at her.
"Yeah?" she said, trying her best to muster a smile.
"Go back," he mumbled, removing his arms from around her.
"Go back?" She sat up and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes. Go back. Go back and talk to Eric, and find out what's wrong there. Because I know you don't want to be with me." She continued to stare at him, at a loss for words. By now, she wasn't sure if this was worth it. She'd been telling herself that she loved him, and planned to stick with him, but now it seemed pointless. By now, she just wanted to be home, in her bed, talking to her mother.
That's when she noticed he was crying.
"Just go back and be happy. I can handle this all on my own," he said, looking away.
"But…" She couldn't find the strength to finish that sentence, because it wasn't going to end with 'I love you', instead it would be 'I don't know how to get home.'
"The train station can take you straight home," he replied, standing.
"So this is it?" Ryan felt as if she wasn't supposed to leave. Like this wasn't the way to do it. It was too abrupt.
"Yeah. Let's go now," he said, pulling on his shirt.
Ryan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but not entirely. Not until she got home; because as long as Brandon was around, things weren't promised.
"Ryan." She turned her head slightly to look at Brandon, who was suddenly awake and staring at her.
"Yeah?" she said, trying her best to muster a smile.
"Go back," he mumbled, removing his arms from around her.
"Go back?" She sat up and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes. Go back. Go back and talk to Eric, and find out what's wrong there. Because I know you don't want to be with me." She continued to stare at him, at a loss for words. By now, she wasn't sure if this was worth it. She'd been telling herself that she loved him, and planned to stick with him, but now it seemed pointless. By now, she just wanted to be home, in her bed, talking to her mother.
That's when she noticed he was crying.
"Just go back and be happy. I can handle this all on my own," he said, looking away.
"But…" She couldn't find the strength to finish that sentence, because it wasn't going to end with 'I love you', instead it would be 'I don't know how to get home.'
"The train station can take you straight home," he replied, standing.
"So this is it?" Ryan felt as if she wasn't supposed to leave. Like this wasn't the way to do it. It was too abrupt.
"Yeah. Let's go now," he said, pulling on his shirt.
Ryan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but not entirely. Not until she got home; because as long as Brandon was around, things weren't promised.