Sunspots and Raindrops

I stretched and I twisted where I was laying and my eyes slowly peeled open. I looked around Brendon’s room. The amount of light in the room told me that it was just before noon.

Brendon had cracked a window and the crisp after-rain air had filled the room through the night. I took a few lung fulls and couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my face.

I looked to my side to see Brendon still asleep at my side. His arms had slithered around me in the middle of the night. I sensed it was because he had given up his blankets to me. I should’ve known that he would’ve suffered through how cold he might’ve been in the night instead of waking me up.

He was too sweet to me.

As I looked at him, the arm of his that was draped across my waist constricted slightly, pulling me across the mattress and against his chest. He murmured something and nuzzled his face into my shoulder, taking a deep breath, and then going immobile once again.

I turned and reached, carefully, to the bedside table for my phone. I had several missed text messages from my mom asking where I was and what I was doing and when I was going to be home. And at that moment, I didn’t have a response and for a moment, I debated on whether or not I even really wanted to talk to her.

But I figured after all the cake and watermelon, she was still my mother. And I still had to respect her…even if she didn’t seem to share the same virtues with her own daughter.

I opened a text and quietly wrote out:

Went to the library. Be back around 1.

I pressed the send button and it was gone. As I went to place my phone back on the table, my fingers slipped and the phone went tumbling off of the side of the tabletop and then hit the floor with a fairly loud thump.

Brendon jolted awake, looking around before asking, “What’s going on?”

I had recoiled and held my arms over my mouth to conceal my smile. “I dropped my phone.” He looked down at me, accusation written all over his face. “I’m sorry!” I pulled my arms to cover my entire face as I laughed.

“I can’t believe you woke me up before noon on a Sunday morning!” He flopped backward, flinging his arms over his eyes as well. “This hasn’t happened since I stopped watching cartoons.”

I laughed and situated myself so that I was leaning against the backboard of his bed. “So, this hasn’t happened since last Sunday?”

“Exactly!” He exclaimed.

We both laughed for a little while and then silence resumed. I wondered what he was thinking as he lay there, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom with a rather blank look on his face. It was the first time that Brendon wasn’t wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

“Hey, Bren,” he looked at me, his eyes already smiling at the use of his nickname. “Thank you for listening to me last night.” He turned sincere. “I know that couldn’t have been easy for you.”

He sat up like I was and met my eyes. “You’re welcome,” he gave a small smile. “I’m just glad I could help.”

I was about to say something when my phone buzzed on the floor. I picked it up to see that I had a new text message from Travis.

I had to keep from groaning and rolling my eyes.

So, have you given the party any more thought?

As I read this, I felt the mattress tremble beneath me. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Brendon intensely observing his pillowcases. He was forcing himself not to react to the text message on the screen on my phone.

I cleared my throat, trying to act like I hadn’t caught Brendon in the act of sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. But I couldn’t be mad at him after how much he’d helped me the night previous.

I turned my phone to him. “What should I say?”

Brendon raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know. Do you want to go?” I detected an underlying sharpness in his voice. He didn’t want to talk about Travis or anything related to Travis.

The shade over his eyes looked like jealousy.

“I don’t know,” I say, keeping cool. “Do I? I’m the new girl around here. What if the other kids don’t like me? What if I get in a fight? What if someone kicks sand in my eyes?”

I could tell that Brendon wanted to laugh. He didn’t want to be sour toward me especially since it wasn’t me that he was sour at, it was the person texting me.

“Okay, okay,” he says, his lips turning upward slightly. “Yes, you’ll probably get in a fight and get sand kicked into your eyes since no body likes you.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. But I didn’t care that much because he was smiling at me. He was letting his envy slide, it seemed.

“So?” I urged.

“So, it’d be wise to have someone you know there.” He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips nonchalantly. He didn’t want to seem eager.

“Someone like you?” I guessed.

“Someone like me.” He smiled brightly at me.

“You won’t let anyone be mean to me?” I asked with a childlike lisp. He looked at the ceiling.

“Of course not.”

“Okay, then.” I grin. “I know my answer.” And I quickly texted Travis.

I’ll be there.

He texted me back a smiley face almost instantly, but I hardly paid any attention to it because Brendon had begun talking to me again.

“Did you know that the first night my mom and I were here, you were in your garage playing such loud music that she demanded I trade her bedrooms? And that’s why I’m in the bedroom right across from yours now?”

Brendon laughed at this and rolled onto his back to stare up at his window. “I remember that day. You came outside and watched us practice for like, twenty minutes.”

My cheeks reddened just like they had that day. “It wasn’t twenty minutes. It was one song!” I elbowed him to put an end to his chuckling but it only made him laugh harder. I nudged him again, and again, his laughter continued. I sat up to thump him on the chest, but he took my hands in his and held them in place in the air. I leaned to free my hands and only ended up leaning against him to the point that I was actually lying on top of him.

I was shocked that he didn’t mind. And I was even more awestruck that I didn’t move away from him timidly.

“Was that your band that was playing?” I asked. He hummed a yes, causing the sound to rumble through his chest on which my ear was pressed. “You guys are very talented.” I comment genuinely.

“Thank you, but it’s really just a hobby. I don’t think it’ll go anywhere.” He shrugged one shoulder very slightly so as to not disturb me.

“I think you guys could get anywhere you wanted.” Again, pure sincerity.

“Thanks.” The single syllable said more than Brendon needed to. He appreciated the compliments toward what was obviously a large part of his life, but he didn’t want to think about it going somewhere per chance it didn’t go anywhere.

Silence enveloped the room and after about five minutes of nothing being said, I realized that my mom would expect me to be home by one and it had to have been about an hour since I woke up.

I carefully removed myself from Brendon himself and then his bed. However, I only got a couple steps before realizing that I was still wearing his clothes from the previous night.

I turned and looked at him with a sheepish smile. He was still lying on his bed, but he had a devilish smirk on his face.

“You can either take the clothes with you or walk to your house in your bra and underwear.” I had to fight a blush, like always. “I don’t really mind either way.” He flashed a perfect smile that reached his eyes.

“Then you will be getting these clothes back by way of a carrier pigeon from my room to yours.”

Brendon escorted me down the stairs. He got my clothes out of the dryer and handed them to me in one big wad. The, after I slipped my damp shoes on, he opened the door for me and walked to the edge of my lawn.

“Text me later.” He says, kissing me on the cheek quickly before turning and walking back to his house.

I couldn’t have yelled out to him if I wanted to. I was too in shock of what I had just happened.

So, I turned and walked into the house. My mom greeted me with an angry face and a tapping shoe. “Where have you been?”

It was exactly one o’clock. “The library. I texted you.” I answered curtly as I made my way to my bedroom. I wasn’t about to let her ruin my good mood.

“Sonny, I think we need to talk.” She called up the stairs after me.

“There’s nothing to talk about, mom.” I say without looking at her. “You’ve moved on and I haven’t.” And with that, I went to my room for the rest of the night.

><><><

The next day, Brendon walked me to school, like always. And then walked me to first period history, like always.

I was beginning to like this pattern more and more.

When he and I walked into choir together, Charlie nudged my arm and looked at me knowingly. Her brown eyes were wide and disbelieving, but incredibly bright. They had a knowing way about them and I felt like there was she knew that I was oblivious to.

But before I could ask her, class begun and the subject slipped from my mind.

And that was the entire week. Brendon. And then Brendon. And then Charlie. And then the rest of the school day with a little Brendon here and there. And then Brendon walking me home. And then me and Brendon spending most of the night talking from our windows or texting each other when the panes of glass separated us.

He was beginning to be my best friend.

Friday rolled around and it was after school. Everyone was excited about Harley’s party. It was the talk of the halls that day and on the walk home from school, Brendon brought it up.

“Are you driving yourself to the party?” he asked.

I realized that I hadn’t thought that far ahead and I shrugged. “No, I don’t have a car and I’d rather not drive my mom’s car.”

“I can drive you.” Brendon offered, looking over at me hopefully.

“I’d like that.” We continued to walk quietly. “What am I going to wear?” I thought aloud.

Brendon laughed to himself. “I would’ve never pegged you for the girl that cared about what she would wear to a party.”

“Well, this is my first public outing here in Vegas. I have to look somewhat presentable.” I tried to reason, but really I just didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.

“Well, I can tell you what the other girls at the party will be wearing.” I looked at him expectantly but when he met my gaze, I knew he was about to throw out an unwanted answer to his own question. “Basically lingerie.”

I groaned. “Super. All of mine is in the laundry.” I pretended to be upset and Brendon smiled at me and we continued to my house.

When I got to my front door, I had the key in the lock when Brendon hollered at me from his lawn. “Text me when you’re ready and I’ll pick you up on the way.”

I gave him a thumb up before going inside. Once the door closed behind me, I started freaking.

What was I going to wear?!

I ripped my bedroom apart trying to find an outfit. I didn’t want to look like a floozy at the party, but at the same time, I wanted to look good. And not just ‘good’ as in nice—‘good’ as in ‘good looking’.

After trying on and discarding at least ten outfits, I finally decided on a cute little black dress my mom had bought me for a family reunion. It had a square neck and reached to the top of my knees. It wasn’t trashy but it didn’t make me look like a prude. I thought it was perfect.

I got out my black flats and called the outfit good.

I did my hair which only entailed straightening it a little and letting it flow down my shoulders. I touched up my makeup and before I knew it, it was five thirty. The party was supposed to start at six.

I grabbed my phone.

Ready when you are.

I sent the message to Brendon and received one from him only minutes later.

Good. I was getting worried. Be there in a few.

And I waited in my living room, my gaze cast outside for Brendon’s car, as my excitement slowly but surely bubbled and grew in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t tell what I was more excited or nervous for.

Brendon’s car gleamed past the window and I announced that I was leaving to my mom (where ever she was in the house) and then was gone.

Brendon was out of the car and holding my car door open for me. His eyes were unblinking as I approached.

“Wow, uh, you look really pretty, Sonny.” His eyes watched as the hem of the dress swished around my legs.

“Thanks, Bren.” I couldn’t believe that I had made him stammer.

My heart thudded in my throat the entire drive to Harley’s. Brendon and I didn’t say much to each other, but every once in a while, I would steal glances at him. He was a determined driver; you know, one of those that never takes his eyes off the road unless it’s to look both ways at an intersection or check his speed.

But this gave me my own opportunity to observe him without him noticing.

He was wearing dark jeans with a black pinstripe button up shirt. I could smell his cologne from where I sat and his hair was in it’s usual “professionally disheveled” look.

He looked great, to say the least.

Why hadn’t I said that to him when he commented me? I felt so stupid.

When we got to the house (which was conveniently located about five miles out of the city limits), the music could be heard from the street. People were talking and laughing and singing extremely loudly and Brendon and I were barely ten feet from his car when someone recognized us.

”Brendon!” a boy shouted. Brendon smiled and approached the boy. He was tall and had brown hair (it was just a shade lighter than Brendon’s) and he looked older than a high schooler. While they talked and laughed, I looked around at the house party.

It looked like something you’d see in a movie. There were people literally everywhere. The yard was littered with red plastic cups, most of which were empty or spill, and there was a sort of haze that lingered over the entire place. But it wasn’t smoke. It was almost like steam…

I could see a pool in the backyard.

“Sonny?” I heard Brendon ask and I reeled by curiosity back to the present moment.

“Sorry?” I inquire, looking between Brendon and the unnamed boy that stood beside him.

“This is Ryan Ross,” Brendon introduced the tall boy. “He plays guitar in our band.”

I instantly smiled at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ryan.” I shook his hand. “I just got done telling Brendon earlier that your band has so much potential.”

Ryan seemed shy. “Thanks.” He says, meeting my eyes only for a few seconds after dropping my hand. He said something to Brendon that I didn’t catch and then made his way back toward the house, but in a direction different from ours.

Brendon took my hand and tugged, willing me to walk next to him. But my eyes were glued on Ryan.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Brendon shook his head briskly. “No, Ryan just has different views on the band than I do.” I could tell that he didn’t want to go into specifics. Not that I’d really understand them if he did…

“He only plays guitar?” Ryan vanished around the corner of the house.

Brendon coughed. “No, he writes most of the lyrics.”

Remembering back to the first song I had listened to, I realized that the lyrics were not exactly happy go lucky. In fact, they were sort of cutting in a poetic sort of way.

“Oh.” That was all I could think to say.

“Come on,” he says, walking forward and pulling me along behind him. “We better go find Harley and Travis and let them know you’re here.”

Brendon didn’t seem happy about it at all.