She Is The Sea (A Brucandy Story)

Fallout

"Brandy, baby!" her ex-boyfriend said cheerfully, hugging her without asking. "I've missed you so much! How have you been?!"

Brandy wasn't falling for it. "Ryan, what do you want?"

"Um... Aren't I allowed to see the only woman I ever loved again?" he asked nervously. Brandy raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, fine. My fish stopped singing, and I need them fixed before I can try to sell them again."

"Oh, no. What happened?" Brandy asked, her voice lacking any emotion.

"I tried to sell them to a kraken," he explained. "She tried to eat them and damaged the voice boxes."

Brandy rolled her eyes. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any spare sand dollars, would you?" Ryan asked. "I'll pay you back!"

"With what? You've never made any money from those fish," she pointed out.

"Well, uh... Uh..." he stammered, not sure what he could give her. "I could... I could give you another chance."

"You could give me another chance?"

"Sweetie, don't echo me," Ryan said. "You may have pushed me away, but I can wipe the slate clean and we can start over. What we had was pretty great, right?"

"I, uh, don't feel comfortable dating an ex who asks me for money in return," Brandy explained nervously. "Plus, I'm kinda already seeing someone."

After showering in Brandy's sink, Spruce carefully dried himself off, wrapped a small towel around his hair, and after a brief look in the mirror, he slipped back on his pants. Just before he could put his shirt back on, he began hearing voices. One of them was obviously Brandy's, but he wasn't sure about the other. It did sound familiar, however.

“Uh... Define ‘seeing someone,'" the second voice said. It sounded masculine, which made Spruce worry.

“His name is Bruce," Brandy answered. “He's kind, handsome, and unlike you, he supports me."

“Oh, not that silly cooking dream again," the other guy said in displeasure. “It's one thing to cook for your family or for Thanksgiving, but in the big leagues with the big boys?"

“I'm joining the cooking fest in two days," Brandy explained. “With Bruce's help, I finally made enough money to enter. And I think I'm good enough to–"

“So, you won't give me money, but you'll take it from your rebound?" Ryan scoffed. “Never took you for a hypocrite, Brandy."

“He offered to help," Brandy informed him. “And he's not a rebound, he's–"

“How long have you been seeing this guy?" he interrupted.

“Three weeks," Brandy answered.

“And we've been together for four years," Ryan said. “I got you out of a difficult situation, and this is the thanks I get?"

Brandy rubbed her arm in apprehension. “If I give you the money, will you leave me alone?"

“That could work!" Ryan said with a grin.

Feeling defeated, Brandy headed over to the drawer to take out the money to give it to her ex-boyfriend, but just before she could pull it open...

“Brandy, what are you doing?"

Completely ignoring the fact that he was still shirtless, Spruce stepped outside of the bathroom with a questioning look on his face.

“Bruce!" Brandy exclaimed. “I was just, uh..."

“You're hooking up with this guy?!" Ryan laughed. “How does he even get–"

“For your information," Spruce interrupted, “I'm actually making an effort, unlike the guy who took off because he was afraid to!"

“You don't know what you're talking about, shorty."

“My life, my love, my lady is the sea," Spruce repeated the song lyrics. “You may not get it, but she is the sea. To me, she is."

Brandy felt touched as she heard those words. Could be possibly really mean that?

“Wait, I know you..." Ryan realized. “You're the guy from the beach!"

“Wait, you guys already met?" Brandy asked Spruce.

“Well, I..."

“He came to the island right before I left," Ryan answered. “I remember him less round, though."

Brandy noticed Spruce's scowl disappear as he looked down in shame. At that moment, she had enough.

“Okay, you need to leave!" Brandy shouted, opening the drawer and pulling out the box. “Just take your money and get out of my life!"

Spruce's eyes widened. “Brandy, wait!"

“Oh, I'll be happy to get out of your life!" Ryan yelled, taking the box before walking away.

“Hey, come back here!" Spruce called out, attempting to run after Ryan before Brandy pulled him back by the hair.

“Let him go," she told him.

“I can't just let him go!" he insisted. “He took your chance to do something you want with your life!"

“It doesn't matter what I want," Brandy said tearfully.

“Of course, it does!" Spruce insisted. “Brandy, you are talented! The rest of the island needs to see that, too!"

“Easy for you to say," she scoffed. “You don't know what it's like to have everyone make you feel like you're not worthy of the life you want."

“Maybe I don't, but at least you actually have a clue!" Spruce argued. “My whole life, I've been the Heartthrob! I was never allowed to be anything other than that! But look at me now! I mean, look at me!"

Brandy blinked in confusion as the handsome blue Troll gestured to himself, mainly his pudgier midsection. She knew it was there for a while, but why was he making a big deal about it?

Spruce sighed, feeling emotionally drained. “Brandy... who am I?"

“You're Spruce," she answered.

“No, I'm not," he denied. “Spruce is the Heartthrob with popping abs that you could boil an egg over... Not this. I don't know who this is. What do you see when you look at this?"

Brandy just stared in silence. All she saw was someone who she thought genuinely cared about her, and who she cared about in return. Someone who lit up her world, who she enjoyed having around... Someone she loved.

“I don't understand," she finally admitted.

“I knew you wouldn't," Spruce muttered, removing the towel from his now dry, purple hair. “Which is why this can never work. I'm sorry, Brandy, but it's over."

“Spruce..." Brandy gasped tearfully as he opened up the door and began to walk out. “I thought you were different, but I guess I was just fooling myself again."

Spruce stopped in his tracks once he heard her say that, but did not dare to turn around. He felt his heart break as she slammed the door right behind him.

At least getting off the island just got a lot easier.

For the record, I don't think they celebrate Thanksgiving on Vacay Island, but since Christmas was briefly mentioned in TBT (don't overthink it), I just put it in there for dialogue.

Have a nice day. ✌️