Always and Forever

It was five minutes into the lesson just before lunch on a Wednesday afternoon, the teacher Ms Kelly was boring on about something I wasn’t really listening to while Kelsey spoke about some guy she was with last night.

The classroom door burst open and Brendon Urie strutted into class. He glared over at a group of girls that were sitting at his desk. Fearfully they packed up their belongings and moved to the front of the class immediately. Brendon sat down. His hair was unusually messy and his lips were even more swollen than usual.

“Alright class!” the history teacher spoke up “You’re getting a project on war in history.” The whole class groaned “I’m going to let you choose your topic of the war...but I’m choosing you partners.”

She started by putting people who never talk to each other. Kelsey ended up with Derek Anderson one of the art freaks while I waited patiently to see who I was with.

“Brendon Urie,” the teacher called out his name while the rest of the class held their breaths “is with Holly Miller.”

My jaw dropped and twenty four eyes were immediately glued on me. I stood up, collected my books and walked to the back of the class where Brendon sitting staring at me as I walked towards him.

“Urrh...Hi...I’m Holly” I said nervously. He stared for a few seconds more before turning his attention back to the wooden desk.

“Brendon,” he said “but you’d already know that.”

“Uhhh, okay, well up for this I don’t really know what to do you can choose if you want I mean I don’t really mind. It’s up to you actually I mean whatever you want to do I’m f-fine wi-”

“You’re rambling” he said cutting me off.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Listen, I really don’t want to be here and I’ll probably get going in about five. I’ll meet you outside school and I’ll follow you to your place okay?” he said not really giving me the option.

I nodded quietly, terrified of having him come to my house, he wasn’t exactly the type of guy my parents thought was good for me.

After a bit of an awkward silence he grabbed up his books and left silently. Once he left I let out a breath, that went better than expected but what was I expecting? And what was going to happen tonight?

We got out of class, Kelsey immediately latching onto my arm.

“You have to go ask to be changed. Now.”

“What? Why?” I said, I didn’t think being his partner was that bad for the group.

“Apparently, well I was speaking to Jess in the corridor just before and said that he him and his girlfriend got into a fight just before last class. Apparently he hit her really bad, she’s in hospital.”

“What?” I gasped “Who’s his girlfriend?”

“Oh, no one knows who she is; apparently she goes to school out of town” Kelsey told me “you can’t study alone with him.”

I glanced back at the classroom Mrs. Kelly was packing away her books from the lesson. I sighed and went back inside. I felt guilty about changing partners without even giving Brendon a chance. But I had to, my friends were right; it was for my own safety.

“Excuse me Mrs. Kelly?” I asked nervously walking towards her desk.

“Yes Holly?”

“Um, I was wondering if I could change partners.” I said quickly.

She sighed loudly “I know no one wants to be partners with Brendon but you’ve been put
with him, there’s no one else I can put you with, and everyone else is taken.”

“But please Ms. I’ll go by myself.”

“No Holly and that’s final” she said sternly.

***

The rest of the day passed too quickly for my liking as they usually did when you were dreading something. When the bell rang I quickly rushed out to my car and of course, Brendon was there waiting for me on his bike and followed me home.

“Well, this is it” I said standing outside of my house once we had gotten home “Umm, there doesn’t seem to be anyone home yet, mom must be picking up my brother and sister from school, they’ll be here soon-”

“Can we go inside?” Brendon said bluntly.

I blushed and rushed forward to unlock the door “It’s not much,” I said and it’s probably
pretty messy, I’m sorry, it’s just that I have-“

“Yeah whatever, you’re rambling again.”

“Oh sorry.”

He followed me quietly as I led him upstairs to my room where we laid our books out and attempted to work. We mainly just sat there in an uncomfortable silence.

“Oh Holly you’re home early do you-,” my mom burst into my room without even knocking first.

“Gee mom” I rolled my eyes “What happened to knocking, I could’ve been getting changed.”

“Well I sure hope you wouldn’t be getting changed with a boy in the room with you. What have I told you about having boys in your room and with the door closed?”

“Umm, nothing” I said honestly.

“Come on, both of you, downstairs now, I’ll make you some cookies.” she said before leaving.

I turned to see Brendon looking at me with a smirk on his face “I’m guessing your parents aren’t ones for privacy.”

I smiled back so Brendon could talk like a normal human being and packed up our books. “Aren’t your parents like that?” I asked.

Brendon just shrugged and continued to pack up.

My little brother and sister were home meaning that there was lots of noise.

“So what do you want to do this project on?” I asked raising my voice above my sister’s screaming.

Brendon shrugged.

“Well I was thinking maybe about how the war affected the people back at home.” I suggested.

“Nah, how about how it was in the trenches?”

I nodded “Yeah that’s a great idea.”

I winced when Brendon’s arm brush against mine and he looked up at me with a disgusted look on his face and mumbled something under his breath.

“I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch that.” I said.

“What?”

“What you just said, I missed it.”

He raised his eyebrows “I said that you’re exactly like the rest of them.”

“What? No I’m not” I said stubbornly.

“Yes you are” he said ridiculously “That was a perfect example; you just believe what everyone else says. I bet you’re counting down ‘til this torture is over just so you can go back
to your little group.”

“Well I’m working with you so obv-”

“You tried to change, I overheard you” he said packing up his books “I don’t even know why I bother!”

“Brendon I’m sorry, just one of the other girls said-’

“Exactly! See you believe everything they say! This was such a fucking waste of time” he got up, took his jacket and left, almost knocking over my dad who was coming through the front door and left speeding off in the opposite direction on his bike.

“Holly, what are you doing with boys like that?” Dad asked seriously.

I rolled my eyes and went upstairs slamming the door behind me. I sighed loudly as I lay down on my bed well that went well didn’t it.