Tales From The Baker Family

"Have you eaten?" I shook my head as she sat down eggs in front of me.

"Mom... Is it bad that I haven't slept with another girl after Bri?" I mentally slapped myself.

"No, it isn't Cole. You still love her. You're showing yourself how much she meant to you," she sat down next to me.

"It hurts," she took my hands.

"It will. You have to remember, you have Casie. You still have your career. Just put you first. Time heals all wounds," she hugged me.

"Thanks," I got on Facebook.

First thing I saw was Briley kissing another guy. He was blonde. I felt my heart break a little bit more. I shrugged it off and closed my laptop.

'Love sucks. Especially when she's still on your mind,' I tweeted.

"I hope you know she's dating," Dubo looked right at me.

"I know," I smiled.

"Let's go party!" I got up and jogged upstairs with him.

"Get packed. We're going to Texas," I rolled my eyes and walked into my room.

I grabbed my clothes and threw them in a bag. I saw the collage Briley made for me on my birthday. I forgot her's. I kissed it and sat it down on the table.

"Ready to go?" I nodded and followed my black friends down the stairs.

"Let's go!" I laughed.

-

The bus was home. There was something missing, but I was pretty much whole. I was with my family.

"Turn the radio on!" Slim yelled at Deuce.

All I heard was 'For The First Time'. None of them knew it was Bri and I's song.

"Oh these times are hard. Yeah they're making us crazy, don't give up on me baby," I was singing along with it.

"Why do you know this song?" they stared at me.

"Don't ask," I rolled my eyes and put my headphones in.

"Briley!" the face palmed.

"Now you get it," I laughed.

"Bro. It's been almost eight months. C'mon!" I flipped him off.

"So fucking what. Get off my ass about it," I went into my happy land and stayed there.

I watched their faces go from being upset to being concerned. I rolled my eyes and took the blunt being passed around.

"I wrote a new song," I smiled.

They grabbed my mac.

"Name?" I laughed.

"Her Song," I put my headphones back on.

I watched their faces as they listened to it.

"This is sick," Slim smiled.

"I'm playing it at the show, since Sam asked me to," I laid back and slowly fell asleep.

-

Texas was a dry state. All I can say. It was hot.

"I'm going to get caffeine and wake the fuck up," I walked into a small coffee shop.

There was a really pretty girl working. She was blonde.

"Hey!" she waved at me.

I studied her and realized she looked so similar to Briley. I walked up to her.

"Hot tea," I smiled.

"Sure thing! Kells," she winked.

"Are you related to Briley Marks?" I looked at her.

"That's my younger sister," she looked confused.

"Oh," some country song was playing.

"I know who you are because of her," she handed me the tea.

I took out my wallet and handed her my ten.

"A lot of people know who I am because of her. What story do you know?" she motioned for me to sit.

"I know about you. Like... I know how you drank yourself to death because she walked out on you," Briley was never one to lie and that hurt.

"It sucks that everyone knows I'm a hardcore alcoholic. She kept it in check," I smiled and took my phone out.

I showed her my favorite picture. She smiled.

"She's engaged honey. Her new boyfriend is a douche bag. Have you heard from Keisha lately?" I realized she knew it all.

"Nope. Keisha left like right after her and Slim got in a fight. She just wanted some alone time. All I know," she took notice I blew over the fact Briley was going to get married.

"You know... I asked Briley about her best memories in Ohio. All she told me was spending nights with a crazy, insane Rager. She showed me a few of y'alls videos. They were cute. When you'd do something stupid, she'd be right there following you. She smiles more with you," I bit my bottom lip.

"She was always happy. That's just it. When I met her, she was smiling, but she was broke. When I first met her, she was always playing piano. It was nice. She could sing pretty. I would make her sing me to sleep sometimes," I laughed.

"Sam was like that! He'd get scared and she'd sing to him. Then I moved in with my ex-boyfriend and we lost contact. She stopped claiming me. Max did too. Then Sam doesn't really remember me," she shrugged.

"She always talked about Sam. I had no clue who you are. I just noticed it happened to be called Marks Coffee shop," I smiled innocently.

"We have good coffee, but I make the tea," she smiled proudly.

"I make brownies at 2 a.m," I laughed.

"I've heard so many hilarious stories about you," she was flirting!

"I know none about you, but if you see Sam... Tell him his best friend is hunting him down," I took a drink of the warm tea.

"I will. Get out of here before Travis and Briley return," she want back to work and I walked outside into the blistering heat.

-

"It's fucking hot!" I looked at Slim.

"Keisha's ignoring me!" he sat his phone down.

"Chicks suck," I got up to walked around the park.

"It just occurred to me you haven't talked about Briley today," I flipped him off.

"It occurred to me your an ass," I walked right into a kid.

"What the fuck?" I was faced with green eyes.

"Sam?" I smiled.

I was attacked with hugs.

"Kells! Oh my God!" he was crying.

"I hate the fact your sister's engaged," I pulled away.

"You ain't the only one," he crossed his arms.

He sat down on the bench. I sat on the ground in front of him.

"Tell me about him," I looked up at the fifteen year old.

"He's stupid. He's kind of mean to her. He tells her all the time to look good. She's much more of a doll now than she is a person," he sighed.

"I see her Twitter posts all the time. They make me mad sometimes," his eyes glittered.

"She hasn't said one word about you. She said, although she's a bitch now, that she's taking me to your concert," he had a shit eating grin on his face.

"I wonder how that's going to blow over," I rolled my eyes.

"You are still her wallpaper on her phone," he covered his mouth so fast it was like it had been there.

"I am?" I could feel my heart starting to race.

"Yeah. You and your Stitch," he giggled.

I flipped him off.

"Casie loves that thing," I got up and sat next to him.

"So, I stalked your Youtube... How was New Years without us!" I rolled my eyes.

"Fuck that!" I smiled.

"Seriously!" he smiled.

"It sucked. I actually woke up and almost called her, but Keisha took my phone and I didn't see it for a week. Literally. I miss her. I really do. I hate her, but I miss her," I watched his face.

"She definitely don't hate you. I watch her sometimes when she's by herself. She'll go through your pictures and smile. It's not a fake one either," I could feel my heart breaking a little bit.

"She has no clue how much I've drank in the past eight months she's been gone. As shocking as it sounds, I've poisoned myself now about four times. Once intentionally. My friends are ready to kill me," I laughed.

"I'm single again," I hugged him.

"Relationships suck. Get wasted and party hard," I sat back.

"That's what you do! I sit at home and listen to stupid shit from Max. He's turned into a jerk too... I miss living with you. I had fun," he shrugged and threw a pebble.

"Yeah. I'm not much fun to be around anymore. I'm never sober," he looked at me.

"Depression hurts," he looked down.

"No, love hurts. Eight months since she left. Eight months and it's like my world isn't real. I fucked up. I miss her," I coughed.

"I've got to go. Briley's going to get mad if I'm not home before she gets home," he hugged me and walked away.

She had changed and it wasn't for the better.