Fragile Hearts

Brian’s fingers are stretched as far as possible across the fret board of his guitar, trying out a new note Jimmy is trying to teach him.

“No, no,” The drummer exasperates. “It’s not supposed to sound like that,” he steals the guitar.

“Well maybe it’s not the right chord,” Brian growls. “It’s not even a damn chord!”

“What crawled up your ass and died, Haner?” Jimmy shoots back.

The guitarist immediately backs down again. He shouldn’t be taking his frustrations out on Jimmy, or on any of his friends. They were his own problems, he needed to deal with them himself.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

Brian can feel Jimmy eying him carefully. “So Leana ran into someone the other day while she was out.”

His stomach clenches with dread. Was it Michelle? “Why are you trying to change the subject?”

Jimmy ignores this. “Kasey.”

This throws Brian totally off-guard. The escort Jimmy had told him about? “Really?”

Jimmy nods. “She was apparently a hit with the girls. They all loved her. Well, everyone except Michelle of course.”

Brian groans dismally. “What’s that supposed to mean? She was only a one time deal. I was lucky to convince her to come the first time.”

“I know. It’s just- everyone loved her, man. I didn’t know that was gonna happen. Sorry.”

Brian sighs, massaging his temples. “Please tell me no one expects her to be hanging around a lot.”

Jimmy just shrugs. “I thought you two hit it off well. Good chemistry there.”

Brown eyes squint. “It wasn’t a date, Jim. I’m not looking for anyone. She was just…”

“Just what? A pawn in your childish game against Michelle? Why’d you tip her so much then? When she offered her services for free?”

Brian’s face flushes a light red with emotions. It wasn’t like that at all. “I couldn’t not pay her. Just lay off it, okay? I’m not interested.”

“So what are you going to tell everyone at the dinner?”

Brian is trying to formulate a halfway decent answer in his head when the bathroom door bangs loudly, revealing Johnny.

“Are Matt and Zack back yet?” He asks, scratching at his stomach. “I’m starving.”

Brian and Jimmy look at each other, the latter glaring knowingly before answering.

“I don’t know. They said they’d be fast.”

As if on cue, the entrance door opens, Matt and Zack stumbling in with bags full of takeout food.

“How fucking long does it take to pick up Chinese?” The bass player mutters.

“Why don’t you get it yourself next time, short shit?” Zack fires back, unzipping his black hoodie. “I can’t fucking stand people anymore. They’re all morons.”

Brian, Johnny and Jimmy all look at each other, deciding to shut up and take the food.

Fifteen minutes later, Brian is finishing up his lo mein when his cell phone starts to ring. All of the guys look up curiously as he takes it out of his pocket, screen flashing before his eyes.

Michelle.

Brian gags to swallow his mouthful and rushes out of the room.

“Hello?”

“Brian, we need to talk.”

His heart skips a beat as he struggles to swallow a lump forming in his throat. Or maybe that’s just the lo mein getting stuck.

“A-about?”

“Everything.”

Gears start cranking in Brian’s head furiously. Maybe Michelle broke up with Mr. Mechanic. Finally saw the light. Is she trying to get back together with Brian?

He clears the slippery noodles from his throat. “Alright. When and where?”

He knows he should take a subtler approach, make Michelle feel like she has to work to get him back. But Brian knows that’s probably not going to happen, that he’ll most likely fall straight back into her arms like he always did before he even got halfway through his tough act.

But that’s fine. As long as he gets Michelle back.

Michelle tells him to meet her near the pier at Huntington Beach, and Brian nearly hangs up on her, too excited for his own good.

“Who was that?” Matt asks once Brian bounces back to the control room. “The mysterious girl? She’s not so bad if I do say so myself.”

“No. It was Michelle.”

Everyone stops mid-chew.

Matt gets this ‘oh, this can’t be good’ look on his face.

“I’m meeting up with her now.” Brian grabs his hoodie quickly.

Zack stabs the contents in his white container, not looking up from his plastic fork.

Johnny looks everywhere but at the excited man.

Jimmy just grinds his jaw together once, chewing. Looking intently at Brian through his glasses.

“There something you guys wanna tell me?” Brian asks, slightly annoyed at his friends’ behavior.

No one says a word. Jimmy just shrugs, looking back at his own egg rolls as if to say ‘go see for yourself’.

Brian stomps out the door, intent on doing just that.

He’s early. Earlier than Michelle, which wasn’t out of the normal when they were together.

His mocha colored eyes stare out intently at the stormy grey ocean, predicting rain in the next few hours before a female voice cuts through his thoughts.

“Hey, Brian.”

Brian turns back to Michelle. Who has dyed her hair again. Lost the blond highlights for a dark auburn color. Brian’s lips twitch upward cynically. She knew he preferred at least some light shades in her hair, but she still looked amazing, regardless of those preferences.

“Hey,” Brian smiles back. He puts an arm around her shoulder. That she doesn’t refuse. And leads her along the beach.

He’s happy again. All is right in the world.

They walk in silence for a while until Michelle stops, wriggling her way out of the crook of Brian’s arm.

“Does she make you happy?” She finally asks.

Brian blinks. “What?”

“I’m sorry about what I said back at Val’s house. I was sure she was just your rebound. Another woman. I’m- I’m okay with her, Kasey, as long as she makes you happy.”

His chest tightens. The feeling of a metaphoric heartbreak. Michelle isn’t taking him back. That’s not what this is about.

It takes all that Brian has just to give Michelle the answer she’s waiting for. “Yeah.” A long pause. Deep breath. “She does.”

Michelle nods, offering her ex a weak smile. Going along with him.

“ So you- you’re not calling off the divorce?”

The woman sighs. So much for him moving on. “It’s been almost two months, Bri. My lawyer is still waiting for the papers.”

Brian feels as if he’s been punched in the stomach one too many times, recalling the day he had received them in the mail, thinking they were a joke.

“Yeah, I- I’m still working on them,” he gives off a dejected sigh.

“Okay, well… Whenever you’re done, just send them back.”

Brian nods, feeling just as crappy, if not crappier than the weather.

“There’s one last thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Michelle continues softly.

Brian waits for it.

“He’s coming to dinner next week. My boyfriend.”