Sequel: Milestones: Commitment ›
Milestones: Teenagers
Chapter Twenty-Six
Holding the framed photo in my hands as I laid back on my bed, I let my thumb trail across the glass over Brian in the picture. It was one of us both together, before the summer dwindled away and we both had to leave for college. I missed him a lot, but I guess that's to be expected considering how much time we spent together over the summer. Brian had tried to come up with this plan where we'd try to spend more time alone near the end of summer, just to get a feel of how it would be when fall came and we never got to see each other. Of course that didn't even work on the first try: Brian and I had successfully not seen nor talked to each other for two days, and then I caved and ran to his house one evening. When he had answered the door, I took his face in my hands and kissed him repeatedly until he pulled me inside. We were utterly pathetic, it seemed. But, I guess that's how a summer love works.
Of course, even though we never got to see each other, we still talked over the phone frequently. Our conversations were anywhere from a quick five minute 'How are things going?', to a two hour in-depth thing. My roommate probably thought I was crazy for being on the phone so long, and sometimes she'd get irritated with my constant talking and giggling that she'd have to leave the room. But I didn't really care, because I was getting to have my time with Brian in the only way I could until we both were home fro breaks and vacations.
Amidst all the long talks with Brian, I had also called home to my sister and parents, letting them know how things with me were going. Val kept me up-to-date with all the things the boys back home were doing with their band, and it was exciting to hear how well they were doing with the work on their debut album.
All the thoughts running through my head about Brian and my sister and the boys made me all the more homesick. I wanted things to be how they were in the summer, but I knew that couldn't happen because we all had to move on with our lives.
"Hey... Earth to Michelle," I heard a familiar voice call from the end of my bed. Startled, I almost let the photo frame slip out of my hands. Looking up, I saw Brianna's kind face smiling at me.
"What's up?" I asked, calming my heartbeat and placing the frame back on the table next to the head of my bed.
"You really miss him, don't you?" she asked quietly, resting her hands on the footboard of my bed for support.
"Yeah... I do," I answered quietly.
Brianna was one of the girls who I lived with, though she lived in the other bedroom that was in our suite, and she and I had become quick friends. She had suffered hearing my talks on the phone with Brian a few times, but I never really delved in much to the relationship we had. She'd finally begged me to show her the man who I talked to so frequently, and when I showed her the picture I had of us framed, she cooed and told me how cute we were together - which I could only agree to.
"Wel, now that Ifinally have your attention after calling for you about ten times," she started, the sarcasm light in her tone, which made me smile. "I think that you and I should hop off to the mall, get some cute things to wear, and then go down to a bar tonight and get our drink on."
"Which bar?" I asked as I slowly got up from my bed.
"I was thinking Michael's or something," she shrugged. "Maybe you'll find a cute guy to dance with that'll get your mind off Brian for the rest of the night."
"I doubt it, but alright. When's the next bus leave?"
"In about... ten minutes," Brianna answered, glancing down at her watch, and we hurriedly got out the door and down to the bus stop.
"So, tell me about this Brian character... I've heard his name so much and I know what he looks like and all, but you've never really told me much about him," Brianna requested as we walked down one length of the mall.
"Well... I don't really know. He's adorable. He tries to make like he's some tough guy in front of his friends and in public, but if I get him alone he's ahuge softie. He lets it slip out sometimes when we're with our friends, but they all tease him about it which just makes him blush like a school girl," I chuckled, trying to think of what else to tell her about Brian. "Oh, and he's played guitar since his father taught him when he was younger."
"Is he any good?" Brianna asked, glancing at some of the stores as we passed them to see if there was anything good in them worth looking at.
"Yeah, I guess. I haven't heard him play much, but my sister and our friends all say he's really good. Our friends actually wanted him to join their garage band before they started to make their first album, but he told them he was too good to play with them."
"Well, that was a dick thing for him to say," Bree said, a bit put off.
"Well, even the guys admit it was true... They've claimed him kinda to be the best kid around town who can play... Though Brian does have a bit of an ego sometimes. But with some things I guess he has a right to be."
"How'd you meet him?"
"Funny story actually... I have a twin sister, like I told you, and when I went from being home schooled to going to the public school with my sister, he actually thought I was her and would wave at me in the halls. Kinda freaked me out, so I tried to ignore him a little. Then he came over to our house once with my sister's boyfriend, Matt, and I came downstairs and he called for me using my sister's name. He flipped out when he realized that she and I were twins, and we kinda just hit it off after that. That was actually at the very beginning of school, and we didn't start dating til the end, at prom," I explained, telling Brianna most of the story. I decided to leave out the part where we randomly hooked up, and then the little love-hate game we played, messing with each other's heads. It was in the past, and as far as I was concerned, didn't matter anymore because Brian was mine.
"That's cute. So where's he off to now?" she asked, a little smile playing on her lips.
"He's up in Los Angeles at the Musicians' Institute... Said he wanted to be a studio guitarist just like his daddy."
"Ohh... So how is he in bed?" she slipped out slyly, and it took me a second to catch her question before I was laughing loudly, causing a few people to turn and look our way.
"Way to be blunt... But... He's pretty damn good. I have no complaints whatsoever. But then again, I have no one else to compare him with," I added, a blush creeping up my cheeks.
"Awh, that's cute he was your first. I think you should have him come down for a weekend so I can meet him."
"You know, that's actually a great idea." Soon we were coming up on a store that was a favorite of mine, Charlotte Russe. "Oooh, lets go in here," I said excitedly, practically dragging Brianna in behind me.
I woke with a groan the next morning, burying my face into Brian's pillow that he had let me take to college with me, stretching my entire body before opening my eyes. The clock on my bedside table read a quarter past noon, and my cell phone was vibrating next to it.
I reached out, taking the phone and seeing Brian's name on the caller ID. A smile automatically came to my face and I answered it.
"Hello?" I asked groggily.
"Hey baby... You just wake up?" I heard Brian ask on the other end.
"Yeah.... Brianna and I went out to the bar last night."
"Oh, did you have fun?"
"Yeah for the most part. There was some guy who started to dance with me, but I kinda snuck away from him cuz it made me think of you and then I kinda felt depressed cuz I hadn't talked to you in a couple days..." I trailed off.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, babe. I've been busy, which is kinda why I called you," he said, his voice almost sounding nervous.
"Well, what's up?" I pressed, sitting up and glancing at my roommate to make sure I hadn't woken her up.
"Uh... I'm dropping out of college..."
The line was silent for a moment as I took in what he had said.
"...Why? You've only been there for like two months, baby," I asked, confusion filling my head.
"Well, it's not really what I thought it was going to be. That and the guys called me up and asked again if I wanted to be in their band, so I kinda told them I would. I'd rather have a job I'll love with my friends, you know?"
"And what if all that falls through?" I asked, not really mad at him for his decision, but more confused than anything.
"I'll just have to worry about that if the time comes," he answered, and I could just see him shrug his shoulders.
"So are you back home now?"
"Yeah, I moved back a couple days ago, which was why I was so busy."
"Well in that case you should come down here and see me for a weekend. My friend wants to meet you anyway," I said, basically asking if he wanted to or not.
"I think I can definitely arrange that. You know, considering I haven't seen you in two months and all," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice which caused me to smile too. "Anyway, I gotta get going baby. I have to meet up with the guys to record on the last song they have to do, and since the rest of it's already done without me, it'll be the only song I'm on," he said with a chuckle.
"Alright, well have fun I guess. I'll call you later, alright?"
"Sounds good to me. Bye baby."
"Bye," I mimicked, and hung up the phone. It was weird that right after I explained the whole story of Brian thinking he was too good for the band to Brianna, he decides that it'll be fun to make music with his friends. I was happy about his decision, cuz it would help hold us all relatively in one place together, but it was just an abrupt change. I'd have to get used to it was all.
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Here's another update :) Hoping for a few more today, but I have to go and clean up stuff so we'll see.Hope you all enjoyed it
xoxo