New Day
Brandon was already awake and up by the time Courtney opened the bedroom door.
She walked looking the same as she always did, just with a little messier hair.
Brandon was at the sink rinsing his breakfast bowl when he heard her and turned around.
"Hey." He said quietly almost as if he was surprised to see her.
"Morning." She replied drawing all her attention to the cupboard where she searched for a mug. "I need coffee."
Brandon sat down at the bench and scratched at his messy bed hair.
"So about last night I-"
"No, I, I shouldn't have said anything." She interrupted as she grabbed the pot of coffee and poured it into her mug. "It's none of my business what happened."
Brandon nodded slightly as he accepted her apology, but he was still curious to why she acted like that in the first place.
"Was it Callie? Is that why you were..."
Brandon began but his words began to fade.
Courtney swallowed nervously then sat down across from him.
"No, it wasn't Callie."
Brandon frowned. "Then what?"
Courtney gripped her hands around the mug and stared down into the black liquid inside of it.
"I got fired from the Smoke House."
Brandon tensed up. "What? Why?"
"They cut a few people actually. The new owner wanted 'new' faces."
"So what they just fire you?" Brandon argued as he raised his hand up gesturing the stupid idea.
Courtney raised her eyebrows as if to say yep and then took a mouthful of coffee.
"I'm gonna have to get another job and"
"Yeah, I'll find one too." Brandon nodded.
Courtney looked to him. "No, you have school and piano to play, Juilliard to get into."
"Yeah and?" Brandon frowned. "I'm not going to Juilliard any way. It doesn't matter."
Courtney smiled understandingly.
There was a slight pause then Courtney spoke again.
"You should probably go back home."
Brandon looked over to her.
"Your moms will be worried. Do they even know where you are?"
"Yes." Brandon said. "They don't care where I am. I can't go back there."
He shook his head slightly as he looked away from her.
"What happened? At the house?" She asked.
Brandon looked back to her.
"Every time I ask you you don't say anything."
Brandon let out a sigh as his eyes drew to the bench.
"Callie told."
"What?" She replied almost stunned.
"Moms know that we were together and that we had sex and that everything she told the judge was a lie." Brandon explained as if he was reading it off of a card or something.
"Why did she tell?" Courtney asked almost sounding angry.
Brandon looked to her. "The lady she was working with on an app basically paid of reporters and she just couldn't keep it in any longer."
Courtney took another mouthful of coffee.
"Well, you have to go back now."
"What?" Brandon frowned.
"You're really gonna let Callie go through it alone?" She argued.
"She's strong." Brandon said almost in a whisper. "She can handle them."
"What you can't?"
Brandon rolled his eyes back realising every girl he ever liked had something against his coping mechanisms. Lou and his position as a composer, Courtney about him leaving home, and Callie just about everything.
"Today I'm gonna go look for a job and you are gonna go back home."
She got up from the seat and walked over to him gently placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Goodbye."
Brandon looked at her and grinned slightly.
"Ok." He said then got up and made his way to the door feeling ready.
He slid down on the cold leather seats of his car then turned on the engine.
"Hey, are you alright?" Mariana asked as she laid down on her stomach on her bed and looked at Callie.
"Fine." Callie replied in an dull, plain sigh.
Mariana frowned. "Really? Cause you're kinda laying on the floor."
Callie still laid on the floor of her bedroom. She just laid like a lifeless, still corpse, if you minus her slow steady breathing that seemed frustrated and her fingers intertwining with the loose loops of the carpet.
"Don't even worry." She continued.
Mariana frowned then sat up and dangled her legs down at the end of the bed. She was almost nervous to say what she was about to say.
"Is this...is this about Brandon?"
Callie leant up and held herself off the ground with her elbows. "What?"
"Is it why you won't talk to anyone?, why moms yelled at you? Is it because of Brandon?"
Callie swallowed a mass building in her throat.
"Why would you think that?"
Mariana looked away and shrugged gently. "I don't know it's just..." She looked back to Callie sternly. "Maybe there was more to you two than we knew."
Callie looked at her answer eyes shifted to her feet.
She pushed herself up and sat relaxed on the floor with her legs crossed.
"Callie?" Mariana continued growing nervous of her unanswered question.
Callie wiped her eye and sighed quietly. "You know it doesn't even matter, you're gonna find out soon anyway."
Mariana adjusted her position on the bed almost deciding if she should sit on the floor with her.
"Know what?" The nerve in Mariana's tone grew stronger.
Callie breathed in deep then she spoke.