Broken Brent [bxb]

Part 3-23. Happy Endings Aren't Always Happy

Thursday ninth period history class, my teacher keeps today’s newspaper on the top of his desk. I glance at it every day, but today’s headline catching my attention. I lift it up hoping I’m wrong. THREE TEENS DEAD IN MARSHALLVILLE there’s a picture of my friend, Fiona. Marshallville is where Fiona lives. A tear slides down my cheek. Fi is dead.

She actually…. I can’t believe it. She succeeded at killing herself. Something I never got right. I can’t believe it. She’s…she’s gone. 

Fiona Savannah Gibson is dead.

 “Brent, you alright?” My teacher asks.

I look up with tears blurring my vision, everyone else is gone. I blink away the tears. “Yeah,” I almost forgot how easy it is for me to lie.

He squints his eyes, “You sure?” Teachers are always like this with me. I’m pretty sure it’s because of my mental health history. Then again, the only person that really knew me, as Brent, is dead. Someone probably should ask if I’m okay.

I set the paper down and nod my head.

My teacher’s eyes land on the paper, “Oh, God, Brent did you know one of the kids?”

I shrug.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head, “Sorry, teach, I, ah,” I need out of here, “Gotta go, Olive’s coming home.” I head for the door.

“Brent.” He grabs my arm and hands me the newspaper, “If you need to talk, I’m here.”

“Thanks,” I walk out the door gripping the newspaper along with my books.

At my locker, I put all my history supplies in there rightful place. By the time I have everything put away most people have left school. The break has started, nobody wants to be here. I fill my gray messenger bag with the things I need to do my assignments over the break. The newspaper is safe in my hand when I close my locker.

I look at the paper. Dead. Fi is dead. The idea isn’t totally unheard of; she’s tried a few times, but actually dead? Taking two other people with her? What is happening? I talked to her a few weeks ago. Everything seemed fine.

I skim the details. It doesn’t say who was driving, but it was Fiona’s car. They ended up in a lake. She killed herself and two of her friends. I used to want to kill myself, never my friends. That’s something I never wanted.

My phone goes off and I pull myself from the paper.

Ginny: Get your ass out here!

***

“How do you know she’s here?” Peter looks around with disgust. I shouldn’t have let him come. With him seeing all this, I don’t know if he’ll stay with me. I never want to lose him again.

“I just do.” I don’t want to bring up Ben, or I’d tell him this is where we worked together. I just hope no one recognizes me.

“Well-“

“Shh.” I put my finger up. I hear someone coming. If it’s Ginny and she hears that it’s me, there is no doubt in my mind that she’ll run the other way.

The tapping of high heels rounds the corner to the right of us.

Good news: It’s Ginny. Bad news: She walked right into me.

“Sor-“ She stops her ‘sorry’ half way through when she sees who I am. “You.” If evil had a tone of voice, it’d be the one Ginny just used.