Always and Forever

I tapped my foot impatiently and stared at the clock watching the seconds tick by and wishing the clock would hurry up and reach one.

“Holly” Carla smirked “Do you realise how desperate you look?”

My eyes widened and I checked myself up and down in the window “Do you think it’s over the top?” I asked looking at my outfit.

“Oh no, not your outfit, just the fact that you’ve been staring at the clock for the past half hour.”

“Oh sorry” I said turning away from the clock.

She laughed quietly.

“So can you still cover for me?” I asked cautiously.

“Yes,” Carla sighed “We’re going to an exhibition and you’re staying at my house okay?”
I nodded nervously. I hated lying to my parents and I hated sneaking around behind their backs.

My two photos had been sold earning me three hundred extra dollars. I made a mental note to pay back dad with the money.

Brendon arrived at half past three and to my surprise, he had a car. He smiled shortly and opened the door for me, making sure I was safely buckled in before starting the car and leaving.

“Brendon, why aren’t you talking to me” I asked after realising that I had been ranting for over half an hour and Brendon had said no more than three words.

“I'm not, your just doing all the talking” he said keeping his eyes focused on the road.

“You would’ve cut me off by now, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Brendon, I know-”

“There’s nothing going on Holly!” he snapped “Will you just quit it!”

I shot him an upset look and turned my head to face the window and turned on the radio to drown out the silence.

“Holly?” Brendon sighed as we pulled out a gas station after an hour of silence.

Most people would have the strength to keep ignore him. He ignored me the same way I’ll ignore him. However, I don’t have the strength that most have and I give in too easy. I glanced over at Brendon, he was scratching his neck awkwardly.

“Sorry about snapping at you” he said quietly “I dunno, it, sorry, I-I, I’ve been y’know, a bit stressed a all that shit.”

I nodded feeling that in a way I knew what he meant, but also having no idea what he was going on about.

He returned to normal after that, popping a few CDs into the radio and singing along to the songs.

“So, you and Aaron huh?” Brendon smiled tightly as we pulled into the beach’s dirt car park. There were already quite a few cars here so I assumed we were late. The sky was a purple pink color with rock pillars littering the beach. I quickly snapped a photo of it.

“What about me and Aaron?”

“You two are like...a thing now” he stated.

I smirked “No, me and Aaron are defiantly not a ‘thing’. What about you?” I asked as we walked down the sand combs to the beach “What’s going on with your girlfriend?”

“Don’t have one” he said simply. He stopped, glancing across the beach before his eyes rested on a small light far down the beach, so far in fact, it was almost out of sight “That’s it” he smiled.

I felt a rush of nervous energy throughout my body which was express in a small shudder.

Brendon grinned nudging me playfully “They’re not that bad. They only bite once they know you well enough.”

“They’ll probably hate me” I shrugged.

Brendon laughed “Not every group automatically hates everyone; I don’t hang around with a group like yours.”

I took no offence to that, in fact, I agreed. I took of my flats and began to walk towards the bonfire, taking way too many photos along the way.

“Brendon!” A high pitch squeal greeted my ears and petite blond flung herself onto an unsuspecting Brendon who immediately tripped over his feet and ended up pinned to the sand by the girl. My eyes immediately narrowed onto the girl and Brendon, anger, hurt and a number of other emotions too difficult to explain surged though me. I wanted that slut off him right now and I wanted to kill Brendon for not telling me that he was already with someone.

But then it hit me.

I don’t know who she is; she is probably just a friend. In fact, she could even be one of his many sisters. Immediately I felt guilt surge though me and, I was left stunned. Stunned at the conclusion I had jumped to and stunned at the thoughts that I had let run through my mind.

I had always been a firm believer of giving people a chance and here I was, calling a girl I had never even spoken to a slut.

“Hi” she squealed pulling me into a tight hug “Ahh, I finally get to meet Brenny’s new girlfriend!”

“She’s not my girlfriend” Brendon said quickly.

The girl waved an arm carelessly at Brendon “Yet.”

I blushed and she linked an arm around mine and began to walk me towards the bonfire.”I’m Amy by the way,” she gushed “Ahh!” she squealed again “You’re going to love everyone! Oh my god! You haven’t told me your name yet!”

I smiled “I’m Holly.”

She let out another ear splitting squeal “That’s so cute, I love it-”

“Amy” Brendon sighed “Please stop with the squealing.”

“Sorry” she said quietly “You’re boyfriend can be really demanding.”

I laughed “Brendon’s not my boyfriend.”

“Yet” she shrugged.

We arrived at the bonfire where a couple of hundred people were scattered around the patch of beach. From a distance, the bonfire looked tiny, well let me tell you, it was massive. The flames curled through the air and the fire wood crackled louder and louder as we approached the bonfire. Someone was playing a guitar and singing softly and I could smell the meat sizzling on a barbecue.

I took a nervous glance at all the people “Please don’t tell me all these people are your friends.”
Brendon laughed “Nah, lucky if I’m good friends with umm, ten of ‘em.

“Okay okay!” Amy squealed “I’m going to get drinks Holly, what do you want.”

“Urhh, water please.”

“And Brendon, you’ll be having a corona?”

He nodded “Shit, you know me too well.”

I smiled as I watched Amy skip off, she oozed a crazy, kooky bubble of energy that automatically made me smile and feel comfortable around her “Is she always like that?” I asked Brendon.

He smiled “Yeah, but you should meet her boyfriend,”

“Exactly the same?”

“The opposite.”

We met Ryan, Amy’s boyfriend and Brendon was right .Ryan was very reserved, quiet and almost had a brooding look about him. He was as petite as she was and dressed in light shirts which may have once belonged to his grandfather.

“If he starts preaching to you about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, feel free to just leave him” Brendon shrugged “I do, no joke, the kid can go on for hours and hours.”

“Brendon!” A tall, tanned man with jet black hair smiled pulling Brendon into one of those awkward man hugs.

Brendon smiled and wrapped an arm around me as he introduced me.

Once the boy, whose name was Gabe was out of ear shot Brendon leant down to me “Be careful of him okay? I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy, but he’ll do anything to get into your pants.”

I nodded and we began walking towards the barbecue.

“Holly” Brendon grinned “Meet Jon and Spencer barbecue and flap jack extraordinaires.”

Both just waved their metal tongs at me seeing as one hand was occupied by a bottle of Corona while the other was holding the tongs.

After a few more introductions, Amy caught up to me and dragged me away to meet “the girls”. The girls were pretty much all the girlfriends of the boys in the main group which admittedly wasn’t many. In fact, there was only three. Michelle, who preferred to be called Mish was going out with Jon, and had been for the past four years, there was also Spencer’s girlfriend Heather and another boy called William who I hadn’t met yet girlfriend Catherine.

Brendon came over with a tall, thin boy; both had a beer in hand. By now, most of the drifters and Gabe (who left with a drifter) had gone, leaving a group of six huddled around the bonfire which had now died down into a cosy campfire.

“And where is my drink William?” Catherine asked as the boys approached.

The taller boy, who I now knew as William cursed under his breath and quickly ran over to the drinks tub.

Brendon rolled his eyes “You one hell of a demanding girlfriend.”

Catherine smiled, showing of her perfectly straight teeth “I’m only demanding because he lets me be demanding.”

Brendon laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist “Do you mind if I steal her?”

Catherine put a hand on her popped him “Yeah, I do, I was talking to her.”

Brendon shrugged, “Too bad, we’re gonna go sit by the fire."

It was getting late and I was pretty tired. William was playing the guitar and singing a song I vaguely remember from primary school. Everyone was having their own small conversations or listening to William play. Brendon and I were sitting in silence; I was resting my head on his chest while he had an arm wrapped around my body.

“Holly” Brendon said quietly “I really, I like you.”

I glanced up at him “I like you to Bren, you’re a cool kid.”

“No,” he cut me off anxiously “I really like you, a lot.”

“Oh” I said sitting up straight. I didn’t know what to do. I like Brendon, I was sure of that but I was scared. I had no idea of what to do in a relationship in fact, I just didn’t know how to be that close with another person.

“I-I” Brendon didn’t even bother to try and finish his sentence before he leaning and I felt his
lips on mine.

I couldn’t help but let the images from the other week enter my mind. But this was different; this was how my first kiss should’ve been. My lips subconsciously responded and move in sync with his. Brendon’s lips were rough from the sea air, but I didn’t care. His full lips captured my thin lips perfectly and he rested a hand on my cheek.

We pulled away and Brendon laughed quietly “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that to you.”

I blushed again and stared shyly at the ground a small smile on my face. Brendon had just kissed me, I was trying my hardest not to get over excited. I looked up noticing that the music had stopped.

“See! I told you you two would be going out!” Amy yelled.

I smiled and looked back at Brendon who pecked me on the forehead “I guess you’re right.”

We got back to Carla’s late and I invited Brendon inside. We talked for a while and sometimes we just laid in silence.

“Okay missy!” Brendon smiled pulling me up “You’ve gotta get ready for bed, we’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“We aren’t doing anything tomorrow.”

“Yet. And I really should get going.”

“But I want you to stay” I pouted.

“Oh no!” Brendon said dramatically “Are you going to become as demanding as Catherine?”

I laughed quietly and got out of my jeans and hoodie and laid down in my tank top and undies. Brendon tucked me in so tightly that I could barely move and pecked me lightly “I’ve gotta go before that drivers curfew bullshit comes in.”

I pouted again “Please just stay a little while longer, until I fall asleep.”

Brendon smiled and turned the light out and I felt the bed sink as he lied down next to me and wrapped a warm arm around my body.