Dead souls - corey scherer

4

ʎzɐɹɔ

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- brandi -

"what?" corey whispers to sam with annoyance. i wasn't stupid, i knew that corey didn't want me staying with him. i didn't want to be coming into his space and ruining his life either, but it's my last option until i can find another job. i don't know what else to do. i can't do this to elliot. "no, sam!" i scratch the back of my neck and laugh lightly.

"it's a- it's okay. i'll figure something out somehow." i check my phone for the time and look to the door. "i don't want to intrude anymore. uh... i'm so sorry for making this awkward, it wasn't my intention. y'all are literally so chill to hang with. please don't think of me as a begger or anything. i should get home to elliot now." i stand to leave, but sam calls after me.

"corey is more than happy to have you inside of his home." sam adds and gives me a reassuring smile. my face becomes heated once i saw the disturbed face of corey. he was anything BUT happy to have me in his home. "right corey?"

"sam, don't push him-"

"no, he wants to."

3 days later

- brandi -

chance said he'd help me move. he owns a big black truck that already packed more than half of mine and elliot's belongings.
i felt my fingertips tingle and my head become foggy when i got to corey's front door. dammit, why did i take his offer. my heart was beating faster than i imagined it would be. i wanted to play this whole thing cool, but the buzzing in my head just couldn't die. my knuckles beat against the front door, and for a moment i felt my heart stop beating. corey didn't answer the door, another man did. he was taller than corey and had light brown hair. his eyes shimmered blue as the morning rays bled into them.

"hey, uh... are you aaron?" i laughed at my awkwardness and looked to the ground for a second. he nods and leans against the door frame.
"i'm brandi, the new roommate?"

"ah! okay, hey brandi. yeah corey told me you're stopping by to start unpacking." he smirked and looked behind me to the black truck filled with boxes and some furniture. "do you want some help?"

"oh no, it's fine. you letting us disturb your house is more than enough help, honestly." i explained and watch his smile sink away. he knows something.

"okay, well let me know if you guys need anything." he walked off and kept the door wide open.

chance and i moved the boxes in, along with occasional help from elliot. the room was large enough for elliot and i to both have our beds at least a couple feet apart. "you should be excited." chance comments as he fell onto my bed. i shrugged and sat across from him onto elliot's bed.

"you may think this is a miracle, but it's really not." chance furrowed his brows as if asking me to continue on. "it's corey," i sigh. "i don't think he actually likes me at all. it was sam who pushed this whole thing onto corey anyway. it's just..."

"brandi, you let too much get to you. so what he doesn't like you? how is that affecting your everyday life?" chance argues and claps his hands together. "i mean honestly, it's not like he's in your head, brandi. he can't affect you unless you let him." i wish i could say his words inspired me.

"my mind isn't built that way. for some reason corey's opinion means a lot to me. whatever he thinks of me matters. it matters so deeply. and to know that he doesn't really even like me kinda sucks. i don't know why... honestly. because i don't even know him. i don't know shit about him. but he causes me to be insecure at best." i describe how i feel, hoping chance would understand it. he didn't. from what i could tell, he's a narcissist. he thinks everyone wants him, he doesn't admit to pain, and won't admit to his faults.

someone entered my doorframe and my eyes immediately switched over to gaze into the persons eyes. "corey," i say and cross my arms to cover myself.

"uh, aaron and i decided we want you to come and hang out for dinner. we got mcdonald's." his posture was weird and i knew he was uncomfortable. "we'll be in the kitchen." i nod and stand to let chance out and to check on elliot in the living room.

"have fun," chance winked and closed the door behind him. elliot was already at the island opening his food with aaron and corey. i was just glad elliot wasn't having an episode currently. once inside of the kitchen, i felt like the sun. nobody would look at me unless it was a quick pinch of a second.
once we all began to eat, aaron started talking.
"so..." he trails off and tapped his fingers on the island. "how long are you guys planning on staying?" i turn to corey and bite my tongue.
"we-we haven't really discussed that."

- the next day -

- brandi -

i decided to speak to corey about how long i'll be staying. it was really all up to him on whether i stay for a couple months, or for a week. everything lyed in his hands. "hey corey," i smirk and stand by the couch where he's sitting. he looks up to me with bags under his eyes. he looked as though he had been crying. i was stuck on my words once i saw his face filled with such sorrow. "i uh- are you doing alright?" he rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"great," he responded sounding more sarcastic then ever. "what did you want to actually talk about?" well damn. i'll tell you what i actually want to talk about, corey. why the hell do you treat me like i'm some villain?

"uh- just about the rent and how long i'll be staying." he pulled out his phon and opened up instagram. "will you-"

"it's free. just buy your own groceries. and i honestly don't give a damn about how long you stay as long as you aren't causing any problems." my breathing hitched with anger and my eyes narrowed. why did he treat me so cheap. it wasn't my place to say anything. "anything else?" i hates how he acted this way because i knew he was full of love. i saw the way he acted around his other friends. he was an amazing guy but when it came to me he was an asshole.

"no. if you need me or elliot, we'll be in our room." i went to leave, but i saw him roll his eyes out the corner of my eye. "why?" i inquired but didn't expect a response. "corey..."

"i don't want to even talk about it." i nod and leave to my room.

- corey -

i knew i treated her so dreadfully but it was all my heart could handle. after devyn i couldn't handle anymore girls. i still don't fully understand the situation, and i wish i did... and with brandi, it wasn't the fact that she reminded me of devyn at all, no it was just that fact that i didn't want to hurt myself even deeper. it didn't matter if it was a romantic relationship or a friendship, i just couldn't handle the rejection again.
    i thought that maybe i could push past it. last night i invited her to eat with aaron and me but it didn't help anything. not even the slightest bit did it make me want to suddenly become best friends with her.