The Saints Can't Help Me Now

The next week is spent visiting old friends and family that I haven’t seen since high school graduation. They all ask about Bam, and each time my body tensed up and I managed to squeak out that he was fine. I’m not sure why everyone’s assumes that we’re still together, maybe it’s because we were inseparable for a long time during junior high and high school. Johnny called me every night and told me he missed me. It was sweet and let me know that he really does care about me.

My trip was winding down. It would be about a week until the Jackass crew came to West Chester, and until Frieda flew back to California by herself. I don’t know what was going on, but I had begun to feel sick and not hungry most of the time. I would eat toast and not be hungry the rest of the day.

On Saturday night Frieda and my mom decided to go the bar. I declined and decided to stay with Matthew, although our grandma was more than happy to take him. They decided to go to dinner at a barbeque place since Frieda had never had American barbeque and then go to the bar in town. I ordered a movie on pay-per-view and watched it on the couch with my little brother. He crawled in my lap and fell asleep halfway through, and I gently pet his hair as he slept while I finished the movie.

The movie ended and I carried Matthew to his bed and tucked him in before returning to the living room. It was getting late, so I wondered where my mom and Frieda were. I soon feel my pocket vibrate and answer the phone, expecting it to be my mom.

“Where are you guys? I just put Matthew to bed.”

“What? “I drop my phone, scared of the male voice I hear over the phone instead of my mother’s. I quickly pick it up. “Min?” I swallow hard and sit on the couch, suddenly feeling dizzy. He says my name again.

“Hello Brandon.”

He sighs. “Don’t call me that. I just wanted to talk to you. I miss you.”

“I’ve been gone for two weeks and all of a sudden you randomly decide to call me?”

He sighs again. “Mini, I’m sorry we didn’t talk about what we were, I just thought we felt the same way, I didn’t know we had to discuss it.”

“I don’t trust you.”

He sounds frustrated now. “That was a long time ago, I’ve changed. Why can’t you give me another chance?”

“I don’t believe in second chances.” I close my phone and throw it across the room. It vibrates again and I ignore it, assuming Bam is calling me back. I think being away from them helped me decide. I want to be with Johnny… I think. My thoughts are interrupted by my mom’s old crappy car crashing through the side of the house.