Dear Mr. Pessimist {Completed}

~23~ Chocolate Berries and Sad Songs

Dear Mr. Pessimist,

You asked me what my favorite song was, and in complete honesty, I don't really know. I guess. . . I Want To Know What Love is by Foreigner would be it. Don't judge me, you're the one that's obsessed with Tom Petty.

With love,

Syd

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I watched as Bennett slapped the side of Tristan's head again, shocked that Tristan wasn't doing anything to stop it from happening.

"You're such an idiot." Bennett was saying through teeth, "What the hell is wrong with you?" It was then that I saw Tristan finally snap.

"Like you wouldn't have done it, Banks." He snapped, shoving Bennett away from him and back toward where I was standing in front of the open door.

"Before Sydney came along, you would have done it in a heartbeat. Anything to get poor little Bennett laid, right?" I stared at the two boys, my eyes wide.

The only other time I'd seen Tristan pissed was when he had fought with Bennett at the bakery a month ago. But this time there was something different, it was almost like he was trying to throw the blame on Bennett.

"Sure, maybe I'd have one night stands. Maybe I would sleep with a girl every night. But I would never, not even in my dreams, think about taking another guy's girl. Especially without using a con. . . protection." I crossed my arms over my chest, afraid I'd accidentally knock something over on the mantle.

"I didn't know she had a boyfriend." I could tell just by the way his voice wavered that Tristan had known.

"Why? Why her and not someone else? Why my best friend?" I spoke up for the first time all morning, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You sit here and act like it was all me. I didn't rape her! She wanted to do just as much as I did. Why aren't you talking to he-"

"We already did. And Tristan, she's the one that has to deal with the consequences, not you." I said, shaking my head at his pissed off look.

"Bullshit! I got her pregnant, that's my baby too. I have to help her raise it, give her child support and. . . and I'm not going to leave her all alone, Syd. I can't and I won't." For a moment I forgot about what we were talking about, my eyes burning into Tristan's.

He looked. . . scared.

"I want you to talk to her, face to face. No texts or calls, in person." He nodded as Bennett turned around and grabbed his keys from the mantle beside my head.

"Syd, please don't hate me for doin-"

"I don't hate you." I said, "Neither of you. I'm just. . . disappointed, hurt. I still care about you both, but she's a cheater and you're an idiot." I stepped out on to the porch and let out a shaky sigh.

"This isn't my mistake, Tristan. I can't hate someone for doing something stupid, I can only try and help them get through the consequences of it." After a second of silence, Tristan bowed his head and Bennett grabbed my hand, shutting the door behind us.

*

"Don't you dare change the station." Bennett said when I reached for the radio in the car. I sent him a quick look, stifling a laugh.

"Is somebody a Tom Petty fan?" I wouldn't have ever thought someone like Bennett Banks would like Tom Petty. He seemed more like a Metallica or Nirvana kind of guy.