The Silent Fighter

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Damon's POV

After Sara and I headed our separate ways after school, I made my way to the BMW. Keith was already in the car, waiting. I got into the car and closed the door behind me, gaining Keith's attention from a song on the radio.

"Hey, little bro," he smirks over at me, turning off the radio. "So did you confess your undying love to Sara?"

I looked over at him, mad-dogging him. He raised an eyebrow at me, turning a little in his seat.

"What? Did she reject you?" He joked. I turned in my seat and buckled my seatbelt.

I breathed hard out my nose, before muttering, "No. Worse."

"What?!" Keith asks. "What's worse than rejection?"

"Her boyfriend telling her that he loves her," I sigh, shaking my head. "I'm not talking feelings with you anyway. I should've seen it coming though."

"Well yeah, I guess," Keith muttered, turning the engine on. "I'm with you on the not discussing feelings, if that means anything. I've just never thought about you wanting one person- that's why I've been teasing you, you know."

I nod. "So you wanna tell me why you've even bothered asking into it?"

Keith sighed as we pulled out of the school parking lot. "I'm preparing you for awkward conversation, maybe some violent tension."

"No," I say once realization hits me. "No, please tell me you're joking."

"He's home. Again."

I leaned my head against the dashboard. "You've got to be shitting me," I say up and looked over at Keith. "Can't he just send a damn post card like a normal asshole? Or call the home phone like a good college boy? Why does he have to waste time and come home?"

"I don't know, man, but you know that mom and dad like him home. They're just weird about that stuff. He's their first mistake, which makes him fairly important," he responded sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at the mention of my parents. They could be a really stupid couple of people. Whenever they were home, they always wanted my brother to be there when they were with the same explanation Keith had given, maybe a little less harshly- he was their first born and the vision of a family legacy. When he was done with college, Zeke was going to be running my dad's law firm, which is where we got most of the big g's from. Of course my mom was managing big banquets and designing weddings for all the big celebrities, but that was once or twice a year, so it wasn't huge.

"Let's change the subject again, since we have to see him in less than 15 minutes," Keith sighed as he stopped at a stoplight five blocks away from our house. "How 'bout Sara? I mean I guess there's the fact that her boyfriend said he loved her, but surely there's something for you to work with. Did you ask whether she said it back?"

"Yeah, I did," I responded, looking out the window.

"Well? Did she?"

"No," I shrugged. "But she just seemed so happy, man. I'm sure she does love him, even if she didn't say it."

I heard a chuckle from Keith and I turned to look at him. "I'm sorry. I really need to adjust to this new mind set of your's. In my mind, sleeping with her would be the solution, but it's obvious that Sara wouldn't go for it, and apparently you've gone on some sort of monk code that states you can't have sex with her, or anybody for that matter."

"I never said I wasn't sleeping with anybody," I bite back.

"Oh? So you've been seeing people? I could've swore that you had given all of your loyalty to Sara, but maybe I'm mistaken."

I didn't respond, crossing my arms and staring out the window like a pouting child. I hate it when Keith points something out that is unusual about me, but something that I can't defend myself against.

Keith pulls into the garage and turns off the car before getting out without a word, irritation clear on his face as he closes the garage door by the button on the wall.

"Are you ready to get another glimpse of hell?" Keith asks sarcastically as I close my car door.

"Will I ever be ready?"

"Good point."

Keith and I walked to the front door before reluctantly opening it. I already heard the gleeful chit chat coming from the living room and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. We walked to the living room, knowing there was no way out of seeing our brother.

"Mom, Dad, we're home," Keith announced in the most monotone voice he could pull off. The two of us stood in the arch way of the living room, watching as our parents glanced over their shoulders and motioned over for us to sit down.

Zeke looks at the both of us with a painful expression, but shakes it off as a big smile lights up his face. He walks over to the both of us and engulfs Keith and I in a hug.

"I missed you guys," he says, squeezing us tighter. We awkwardly patted his back trying not to shrink back in what I would say was disgust.

He pulled back, looking at me and giving me a small nod before going back to his spot.

"What the hell got into him?" I whispered over to Keith as we sat on a separate couch.

"I don't know," Keith says, but I can tell by something in his voice that he knows.

**

After about an hour of sitting around and 'socializing', I went upstairs to my room in attempts of getting away from my parents and my brother. Luckily for me, it was a success and I wasn't bothered. I pulled my phone out of my backpack and saw that I had two missed calls from Sara.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I pressed call and put the phone to my ear as it began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sara. I saw that you called me, and sorry by the way for not picking up. My brother is visiting so I was forced to socialize," I chuckled. "What's up?"

"Well I was going to ask if you wanted to go to a party that Olivia wanted to host. It was kind of out of the blue, but you know girls can be sometimes."

"Oh? Well it depends on who all is going."

"It would be the whole grade. She's been wanting to get out there, so she figured having a party would do the trick. So what do you think?"

"I think it'd be cool," I couldn't help but smile. "When is it?"

"It's on Friday. I was actually hoping you could give me a ride," I heard her trail off awkwardly. "If you can't I'll ask someone else."

"No, no it's all good. You can text me your address I'll pick you up Friday," I say quickly.

"Okay thanks, Damon!"

"You're welcome."

I quickly add, "Hey, Sara? Why did you call me to ask me? You are seeing me tomorrow at school aren't you?"

"Yeah. I just- I don't know. Maybe it's because I thought Terrance would get pissed if I asked you for a ride and not him. Sorry if that came out in a rude way, but you see where I'm coming from, right?"

"Yes, I do. Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep yep yep!" Her voice chirps. "Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up and felt the big smile on my face. I shook my head, thinking to myself how lovesick I was, but what was the point? Sara wasn't available, and she just got the three words, yet I had a small sliver of hope. I don't know why, but I did.