Always and Forever

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for cliché’s and the term walking on cloud nine sums me up perfectly right now.
I was in love and was not afraid if Brendon wasn’t. He was, and that made me feel so safe. It felt as if I could take on anything, I was invincible; nothing could hurt me ‘cos I had love.

Oh shit, there goes another cliché.

I really didn’t give Brendon enough credit. When it came to understanding me, he was perfect. I was assured that I wasn’t going to lose him and he promised me that he would wait, however long he had to, he’d wait for me to be ready for him before we took the next step.

Unfortunately, Brendon had caught a cold (so much for telling me that I was going to get sick) and hadn’t been at school for the past two days which means, I haven’t seen him for the past two days. Brendon had a habit of disappearing. Whether it was on weekends or halfway through the week, at least once a month he’d disappear, leaving me with no idea where he was.

With chocolates and a few horror movies in hand I arrived at Brendon’s. I stood outside the front door rocking impatiently on my heels waiting for someone to hurry up and answer the damn door.

“Holly, how have you been?” Mrs. Urie smiled once she answered the door.

“I’m fine thanks, how’s Brendon feeling?”

Mrs. Urie shot me a confused look “I thought he was staying the night at your house.”

Sure, my mom is really going to let him stay the night at my place “Oh...um he’s not, uhh, I haven’t seen him in a few days.”

*****

Two days later Brendon was back at school. He looked drained and withdrawn, but seemed to act normal around me.

We were watching a movie on the couch Brendon’s head in my lap, my fingers running aimlessly through his short black hair.

“Are you feeling okay after your cold?” I asked.

On cue Brendon coughed “Yeah, I should be good soon.”

Lie.

I wasn’t sure if I was being paranoid or if I was actually thinking rationally but I knew that something right here. “Where were you this week? I missed you.”

Brendon smiled and glanced up at me “At home, I was so sick it was yuk.”

“Really? I went to your house; your mom said you were at mine.” I looked down at Brendon. No longer was he smiling up at me instead, he was staring at the screen biting his bottom lip. “Brendon!”

“Huh?”

“I said, where were you? I went to your house, your mom said you were at mine.”

“I was at Ryan’s okay!” Brendon snapped sitting up on my lap “Stop asking so many questions.”

***
Brendon went away for a few days three weeks later and then he was away for another two days two weeks after that. I wasn’t stalking him or anything, I was just being observant. Who wouldn’t be wondering where their boyfriend was disappearing to every month.

“I mean, has Frank ever done that to you?” I asked Carla over a coffee and biscuits at works when Brendon was away again.

She frowned “umm, not that I know of. I mean, wait a second, does he do this every week?”

I shook my head.

“Every second week” Carla raised her eyebrows.

“No, about once a month.”

“Oh okay” Carla tried unsuccessfully trying to brush the subject off.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.” Carla’s tone raised a few octaves.

“Carla”

“I’ll tell you after work.”

“Just hurry up at tell me now” I said anxiously.

Carla sighed “Fine. I’m sorry Holly, and Brendon’s probably a great guy but, sorry, to me, it sounds like he’s cheating on you.”