Tell Me Why - Anthony Trujillo

13

Raegan

I was just organizing my schedule when Jake called me. It was their last day in Texas any they'd be coming home soon.

"Hi Jake." I held my phone to my ear. "Are you okay?" Everyone had been worried that the boys would hurt themselves there. "Everyone is fine." He replied. "Okay." I muttered. "Then what's up?" I questioned. "Faze Banks helped you when Anthony got into a fight?" His voice seemed a little angry which I didn't understand. It wasn't like I made out with the guy. "Uh yes. Why?" I replied confused. "Why didn't you tell me?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's there to tell Jake? He just stopped a fight." I told him. "You shouldn't even associate with him! Like he's literally one of our biggest haters! Him and his little gang are attacking us constantly!" Jake ranted. "I don't get what the big deal here is. It's not like I asked him for help, he was just there." I said. "It is a big deal! Next-" I cut Jake off. He was being ridiculous. "Okay Jake. Next time I'm going to let Anthony get beat up yeah?" I said sarcastically. "You are making no sense so I'm gonna hang up now. We can talk when you're back." I told him. "Bye Jake." With that I hung up, not giving him a chance to say anything.

Why would he be angry over something so small? I mean Banks helped me, not attack me.

"Anthony!" I called, knowing he could hear me. I heard his door open upstairs and seconds later he came walking over to my desk. "What? You want me now?" He smirked as he sat down. I rolled my eyes "Did you talk to Jake about the night you got beat up at Warwick?" I asked. He shook his head with furrowed eyebrows. "No, well I told him I got beat up when it happened but that it." He shrugged. "I don't remember much anyway." He added. I slowly nodded. "Why?" He questioned. "He just called me and flipped because I didn't tell him that Banks helped me or us that night." I explained. "He helped you? I don't remember that." Anthony replied. I nodded again. "That's part of why I couldn't believe Megan. He stopped the guy when he was about to hit me. Someone who assaults women wouldn't do that." I added. "I guess you're right." Tony agreed. "Well, Jake's mad about it which is just stupid. It's not like I tried to be his friend or something." I told him. "He'll realize it. He's just on edge with the whole situation. Everyone thinks he's the bad guy." He told me. "Yeah." I sighed and nodded in agreement.

"You want something to drink?" I asked Anthony as I got off my chair and walked to the fridge. "Yeah. Sure." He replied. I grabbed two bottles of water and made my way back to him. That was when the walkie talkie that we had if we needed to contact the security or the other way around started making noises. I grabbed it from Nick's empty table.

"Here's a man named Xander, claiming to be Raegan's father." Jason, the security guy said. Anthony and I shared a look. He was here..
I pressed the button to talk and spoke, "Don't let him in please." "Alright. Got it." Jason replied. With a sigh I placed the walkie talkie on my desk and sat down. "You think he's gonna leave without a fight?" Anthony asked. "I hope so." I answered.

Just then the front door burst open. Anthony and I jumped off of our seats so we could see who it was. It was him. There he stood, literally going into my house without my consent. "Hey!" Jason yelled, coming in too and grabbing my father's arm. "You can't do that!" Jason told him. "Raegan, please..we need to talk." Xander said. He almost sounded desperate. "I don't think so." Anthony told him with his arms crossed over his chest. He wanted to seem intimidating. "Raegan, please." He pleaded. "Take him out please, Jason." I said to the buff guard. He nodded and started pulling my father along. "You have another brother!" Xander suddenly yelled. "What?" I asked confused. Jason stopped, letting me talk to him. "You have another brother. I need to talk to you about him." He sighed.

I contemplated. I wasn't sure if he was lying or not. I could always throw him out if he was lying. "Let him." I sighed. Jason let go of him and I lead him to the big table next to Nick's desk. "Sit." I motioned for him to choose a seat. "You want me to be there?" Anthony asked quietly. I shook my head to which he nodded and then walked upstairs. I sat down at the other side of the table and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You guys are still close." Xander commented. "If you're here to just 'catch up' you can leave." I told him, pointing at the door. "No need to be so rude." He grumbled. "I'm your father." I scoffed. "You don't get to call yourself my father. You're a father, but definitely not mine anymore. And when you were, you were a shitty excuse of a father." I snapped. "Okay. Okay." He held his hands up in surrender. "Now get to the damn point." I grumbled, wanting him to leave as fast as possible.

"I had another son. He's about your age. I met his mother when I was on vacation here." What he meant to say was that he cheated on my Mom with her and knocked her up. "I visited him and his Mom once in a while." He made an effort to fly to LA for them but treated us like shit. "When he got older he was introduced to drugs and quickly got addicted to all kinds of 'em. A day ago I got a call from his mother that he had committed suicide." He explained. Despite everything it made me sad to hear that. I didn't know him and I couldn't blame my father's actions on him. What life did he live that made him kill himself? "Why?" I asked quietly, my anger suddenly vanishing. "Because he desperately wanted to get his life under control but he just couldn't. He couldn't get away from the drugs, the street.." Xander replied. "What was his name?" Was my next question. "Preston." I wish I would've known about him sooner. Maybe I could've helped, talked to him.

"I wish you would've told me about him when you knew he got addicted." I muttered. "You didn't want anything to do with me." He shrugged. "I didn't want a visit or call but you could've explained it in an e-mail..something I only had to read." I said. Then a thought came to my head.."Is this the truth though? You aren't lying?" I asked. "No. I swear to God..I would never lie about this. He wad my son..I loved him." Xander answered. I nodded, he seemed believable. "But you didn't love him enough to help him out." I looked up at him for the first time since he started explaining everything. What I had said hit him hard because he knew I was right.
"I didn't have the money or anything to do that." He was defending himself like I expected him to. "You don't need money to help someone out of a bad life situation. You could have done something for him! You could have maybe even saved him if you weren't too caught up living your pathetic life!" I was getting angry at him.
"Are you blaming me for his death?" He asked angrily. "No. I'm blaming you for not being there for him when he needed you the most. You knew about his situation. A good father would've done everything to get his son outta this." I replied.

"I think I'm gonna leave now." And there he was, fleeing his problems. "You better." I agreed, standing up. "Here's the invitation to his funeral." He handed slid me a card over the table which I took, but not looking at it yet.

I followed Xander to the door, to make sure he'd really leave. "I hope to see you at the funeral." With those last words he was guided off the property by Jason.

Now that he was gone I felt like I could finally breathe again. My muscles relaxed.

But my mind was racing..