In the Band

Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Carson’s P.O.V

“Eighteen…” Brendon said from the other end of his couch. I looked up to see him wriggling his eyebrows and gave him a look.

“Shut up,” I told him, loudly over Spencer’s drum practice from the other room. He just laughed at his own joke.

“Still a virgin, Carson?”

“Where’s Allison?” I ignored his question.

“I don’t know, she comes and goes. Back to the real question,” he moves his eyebrows so much when he talks. I decided to play dumb.

“And that is?”

“Do you still want your virginity, Carson?”

“What kind of high school girl wants her virginity?” I said, bluntly and immediately wishing I hadn’t.

Despite the lightness of the conversation, I could feel my face getting hot. I thought of Ryan.

“Why Carson,” Brendon suddenly sounded offended, bringing his hand to his heart in astonishment. “you’re wonderful and everything, but I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of level just now!”

“Brendon, I wasn’t-“

“For you even to suggest that…well I, I’m just so taken aback.” His voice was getting higher.

I was starting to laugh a little now.

“We aren’t even married, Carson! I never!”

“Brendon,” I started, rolling my eyes.

“Well, if you insist…”

All of a sudden, he crossed to my part of the couch and was on top of me on all fours, with his hands on either side of my hand and eyes boring into mine. My heart started racing as my eyes widened

“Oh, shit,”

Just as quickly as he got on me, Brendon jumped off and I turned my head to see an uncomfortable-looking Spencer. I just laughed nervously as my face burned. Brendon said something and walked into the kitchen, but I was too embarrassed to hear him.

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The next day, I was sitting at lunch with Nick. Allison was at a different table, probably talking about football.

I just sat there, eating my sandwich, and this girl passed me. I would’ve thought nothing of it, had she not been blatantly staring at me with wide eyes. She then went to her table and I saw some of her friends looking over.

“What’s her problem?” I said.

“Huh?” Nick answered, looking longingly over my shoulder. I glanced behind me, seeing Allison leaning over a table and talking to Brent Meyers.

“Don’t worry about it,” I told him, “she hates him.” Nick just sighed.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Nick said glumly. “Anyways, I have other things to worry about.”

“Like what?”

“Have you seen the way she looks at Brendon?”

“Oh, young love,” I said sarcastically.

“I just wish I had a chance.”

Later that day, I was back at Brendon’s apartment along with Spencer and Ryan. We were waiting for Jon to come with some microphones. Since I had come over right after school, I started reading my book. I didn’t realize it then, but Brendon sat with his laptop on the opposite side of the couch just as he had the previous day.

“Charles Dickens needs to die,” I said hostilely, breaking the previous silence.

“He’s already dead.”

“I need to go back in time and kill Charles Dickens.”

After that exchange, Brendon went back down to his computer as I did to my book. Staring at the pages angrily, I continued trying to read the abomination that is Great Expectations.

Suddenly, Ryan came storming in from the kitchen.

“Ryan, c’mon!” Spencer yelled behind him.

Before Brendon could even register his presence, Ryan pulled back his fist and punched Brendon in the face.

“What the hell, man?” was Brendon’s angry reply. Ryan jumped on him and they started to wrestle on the couch, yelling at each other and struggling to throw more punches. Brendon’s computer came crashing to the ground.

I sat there, not knowing what to do. My first instinct was fear; I’d never seen them like that.

Spencer came up and tried to pry them apart. It took a while before Spencer managed to shove Ryan away.

In a rage, Ryan ran towards the hallway. We all stood up and followed him from a safe distance.

Ryan entered Brendon’s bedroom through the open doorway. Brendon stopped and I came to a halt behind him, but Spencer ventured forward and attempted to grab Ryan’s arm. Ryan roughly shrugged him off.

After I saw Ryan reaching for the handle of the glass sliding door leading to the balcony, I noticed that Allison was sitting with her back to us, a pair of headphones over her ears. Ryan closed the door behind him. The three of us stood silent, unsure of his next move.

Despite his previous aggressiveness, Ryan removed Allison’s headphones with the utmost care. He had this intense look in his eyes.

Gently, he reached his hand out to turn her chin towards him and inched his face closer to hers. My heart was beating out of my chest.

I think Allison was as shocked as I was when Ryan kissed her.

It almost felt like someone had taken a chunk out of my heart and it started to clench up to desperately fill the hole. I wanted to look away, but the universe told me I couldn’t.

When they broke apart, Allison said something. Now, I’m no lip reader, but it was his name.

“Ryan,” She looked at him in a way that’s impossible to describe. It said everything, though.

He didn’t look at her the same way. In fact, he smiled devilishly right through the glass door. Allison noticed and followed his stare to Brendon’s fuming demeanor.

Then, she noticed us staring.

Suddenly, her anger appeared and she shoved past Ryan to open the door. Ryan stumbled backwards falling against the railing. After she had the door open, she paused and looked straight forward.

“I’m not your puppet, Ryan,” she spat. No matter how angrily she said it, the real emotion shone through: hurt. Ryan didn’t even look at her; he just continued to bore into Brendon’s eyes, almost like he was silently saying: I won.

She made her way through the room, her head down against the stares. It turned to slow-motion when she passed me. She had sorrowful eyes.

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Hello, you! It's been soo long! Remember when I was going to upload every Monday? Well, I sure did fool you! I have a perfectly good reason for this too: I'm a jackass. I hope you enjoy the chapter anyways. Despite the shittyness factor.

Who is your favourite character? I think I've asked this one before.

What is your favourite part about the story?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and fan :) Happy Thanksgiving!