These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

Damn. I missed a lot today. And I missed Ali punching Kat in the face! Damn it!
I started coughing violently and saw Tom and Frank by me. “Guys, I’m fine,” I told them, “I just have to cough it out.”

When I stopped coughing, I felt someone rubbing circles on my shoulders. I looked to see that it was just Tom and I outside. “Are you okay now?” he asked.

I nodded. “Can we go inside Tom?” I asked him.

He nodded. He hugged me and said, “Come on. Your soup is waiting for you.”

I hugged him back and said, “Yay soup.”

He chuckled. “Wow Chelsea. Wow.”

“Eh, kiss me. Or bite me. One of the two.”

We stood there hugging when Tom said, “If you don’t want your soup to be cold, we really need to go in.”

I nodded and we stopped hugging. I looked at him and looked around before lightly kissing him. He kissed back and I broke the kiss before walking towards the door and inside, Tom behind me.

We walked in and Tom closed the door behind him. We started towards the living room when his phone rang. Jesus that woman never stops calling him. He pulled out his phone and asked, “Hello?”

Suddenly, I could hear what sounded like either yelling or crying. “Kat, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” he asked.

I heard more yelling when Tom asked, “What are you talking about?”

The yelling continued when I heard, “You kissed her!!”

My eyes and Tom’s eyes widened. “Honey, what are you talking about? And who are you assuming I kissed?”

I heard a sarcastic laugh when I heard, “You know who I’m talking about. Rachel saw you with her.”

Rachel? Oh. Fuck. She’s Kat’s best friend. How the hell did she see me kiss him?!

“Baby, are you sure she’s telling the truth? Or is she just saying that because she’s wants us to break up and she wants me?”

She kept yelling at him and I saw Tom start to get mad. Suddenly, Ali walked through the door. “Hey Chelzers! What’s—are you okay?” she asked.

I walked over to her and said, “Come on and let’s go into the living room. Tom needs to be alone. Plus he’s starting to get mad and it’s scaring me real bad.”

Understanding where I’m coming from, she nodded and the two of us walked into the living room.

“Hey sis. Where’s Tom?” Frank asked.

I sat down on the arm of the couch and replied, “Front hallway. He’s talking to Kat. She knows.”

“Shit man,” he said pulling out a cigarette, “That blows. What is he doing about it?”

“He’s trying to convince her that he didn’t do what she said he did,” I replied, “And failing.”

He nodded as we heard the arguing. I flinched every time Tom’s voice was raised. Frank rubbed my arm with his hand.

“Oh come on! Are you done yet?!” Ali exclaimed.

Suddenly, their arguing got worse. “Thank you Ali,” I said.

“Sorry Chelzers,” she said.

We sat around and listened to the arguing when it suddenly got quiet. “Do you think they’ve stopped?” Ali whispered.

I shrugged when I heard the front door close. Okay? Where is he going? I got up and walked out to the hallway where Tom was to see no Tom. I walked to the door and outside and saw him drive off in Ali‘s car. Okay? Why did he leave? And why in Ali’s car?

I pulled out my phone and texted him.

Me: Tom? Where r u goin?

I put my phone in my pocket and waited for him to reply. I walked over to my car and saw Tom’s Escalade still here. I walked over to it and leaned against it. I grabbed my Zune out of my pocket and plugged in the ear buds before coughing a storm again.

After my coughing fit, I checked to see that Tom hadn’t replied. I sent him another text.

Me: Tom?? R u there? U kno u have ali’s car, rite??

I put my phone back in my pocket and started listening to Escape the Fate’s This War Is Ours album. I have trouble listening to their older music.

I shuddered and continued listening. I got through the whole album and noticed that Tom still hadn’t replied. I decided to text him one more time.

Me: Tom, if I did something, plz tell me.

I put my phone back in my pocket. I started listening to “Something” when my phone went off. I grabbed it and saw that I got a reply.

Tom: u didn’t do anything

Me: where r u? and why did u drive off w/ ali’s car?

Tom: I did? *looks at car* oops. Wrong car. Srry

Me: ist k. just come back w/ it.

Tom: *sigh*

Me: wat is it?

Tom: ur gonna hate me and I really hate to say this

Me: wat is it?

Tom: *sigh* maybe it’s best if we don’t talk anymore.

I just stared at the text. Maybe it’s best if we don’t talk anymore. I plopped down on the ground and couldn’t take my eyes off the text. But…but he said he wouldn’t listen to her if she said not to talk to Ali and I anymore. What the fuck?! What did I do?!

I felt my body start to shake when I heard Ali. “Chelzers! Where are--oh there you are. Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked.

I shook my head. “It’s not important anymore. I guess I’m not important to him anymore,” I replied.

She opened her mouth to say something when I saw her reading the text from Tom. She sat next to my on my other side as she glared at it and said, “I’m going to kill him. Oh yes I am.”
I shook my head. “Don’t bother with him. It’s not important.”

“I am going to bother with it! You’re crying for crying out loud!” she yelled.

I took my hand to my face to see that Ali was right. “Who’s crying?” I heard Frank ask.

I shook my head. “Chelsea? What’s wrong?” he asked sitting on my other side.

“I’m tired, I don’t fucking feel good, and to top it all off to make today the worst day ever, Tom’s decided he’s going to listen to the skank he’s dating and not talk to Ali and I!” I replied before getting up and walking inside.

I walked up to my room and walked in. I closed the door and locked it before plopping down on my bed.

“Chelsea! Come out here please!” Frank said.

“What’s going on?” I heard Ray ask.

“Dude! Where the fuck have you guys been?!” Frank asked.

“Bob’s been sleeping and I’ve been trying to find him,” Ray replied.

“What’s wrong with Chelsea?” Bob asked.

“I’m going to kill that dread locked German bastard,” Frank replied.

“Scheisse what did Tom do now?” I head Bill ask.

Frank sighed in frustration. “Chelsea get out of there now and talk to me. I hate it when you get like this,” Frank said.

“Go away,” I said.

“Chella? Can you come out please?” Bill asked.

“I only want to talk to Ali,” I said.

“Sis, Ali’s not here,” Frank replied.

“Where the fuck is she?!” I asked.

“I have no clue. She just left,” Frank replied.

“Chella, please come out here. I’ll give you ice-cream,” Bill bribed.

“I’ll get you a Blizzard from Dairy Queen,” Frank bribed.

“I’ll give you a cookie,” Bob said.

Sighing, I reluctantly got off my bed and unlocked my door. I opened it and was bombarded by hugs. “And just for the record,” Bill started, “Tom’s my brother, therefore I get to kick his ass. After that, if you want, you can as well.”

“Iight,” Frank, Ray, and Bob replied.

“Although I still don’t know what he did,” Bill added.

“He’s decided to listen to his skank of a girlfriend and not talk to Ali and I anymore,” I replied as my eyes watered up.

Bill shook his head. “Come on, let’s go to Dairy Queen. This calls for ice-cream,” he said.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to leave. I just wanna stay here. I don’t feel good,” I told him.

He nodded and said, “We’ll stay here with you. How about we watch a movie in the den? Sound good?”

I nodded. “Let’s go,” I said.

Bill hugged me again before the five of us walked downstairs to the den.