Brandy
I start getting ready for Benji's big party. I've been to a ton of his birthday parties before and to say they are extravagant is an understatement. I slip on my new blue dress and start doing my makeup. I add a tiny bit of blue eyeshadow on my lids and a touch of black mascara. I smooth my lips with cherry lipgloss before slipping in a dangly pair of silver earrings.
I text Miles and ask if he is ready to leave soon. He texts me back about five minutes later and tells me that he will meet me out front shortly. I don't even know why I'm bringing Miles, to begin with. It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing and Natalie was practically forcing him and Miles wants to come. I'm sure it will be fine.
I slide into my black high heels... yes, high heels, and head downstairs. I see Miles waiting by a cab and he smiles at me from a distance.
"You look stunning," he says.
I blush. "Thanks. You look good yourself."
We hop into the cab and before we know it, are parked outside The Palace—which truly is grand. We head inside and into the room in which the party is being held and it is completely full. Fancy people dressed in even fancier clothes wander around with pink champagne and caviar.
"Wow," Miles says. "This is..."
"I know," I agree.
"Where's your boyfriend?" He asks as we pour ourselves a drink.
I search the room but am unable to locate Benji. "I actually don't know." I pull out my phone to text him and wait for his response.
Miles and I sit down at a table as we wait for Benji to appear. We talk amongst each other for a bit as we swallow yet another drink of champagne.
"I thought you didn't drink," I remember. "You said you've never had a drink in your life."
"True," he says. "But this is some expensive ass champagne. I'd be an idiot not to take advantage of it," he jokes.
I laugh. "I hope you're having a good time. I know this isn't really your scene."
"How do you know this isn't my scene?" He asks with a smile.
I shrug. "Is it?"
"No," he says with a laugh. "But I don't mind trying something new. Plus, I want to meet the infamous Benji."
"He isn't infamous," I say. "Play nice, okay?"
"Of course I'll be nice," he says. "There's no reason for me not to."
Ten minutes later, Benji's mother pops up in the front of the room with a microphone and an announcement. "Good evening, friends and family, and thank you kindly for making an appearance at my son Benji's nineteenth birthday party!" Everyone claps as Emily continues her little speech. "Please give a warm welcome to my son, Benji."
Benji comes out of a room with Natalie's hands wrapped around his. I can tell he is forcing a smile. My heart drops as I watch everyone cheer for them as people shake his hand like he's the king and she the queen. I swallow my pain with another drink. I shouldn't be feeling this bad at my boyfriend's birthday party but what can I say? He's with another girl.
"Are you okay?" Miles asks me.
I nod. "No."
He chuckles a bit. "Should we go say hi?"
Miles and I approach Benji and Natalie who is finally free after being surrounded by people. Benji and I catch each other's eyes and he smiles genuinely. We meet in the middle and I breathe deeply as I anticipate this encounter.
"Brandy, Miles, you guys made it!" Natalie says happily.
"Benji, you know Miles, right?" Natalie asks Benji. "Miles is Brandy's boyfriend."
Benji's eyes widen as he looks back and forth between Miles and me. "Your boyfriend?" He stammers as he looks me straight in the eye. "You... you have a boyfriend?"
I bite my lip in nervousness. I try to speak but nothing comes out. I nod as I attempt to say "mhm."
"It's nice to meet you, Benji," Miles says as he reaches out his hand.
Benji scoffs. "You, too," he says as he ignores Mile's handshake. "Brandy, can I talk to you?" He asks me.
"I'll see you later, babe," Natalie says as she walks off.
"I'll just... leave you two alone," Miles says quietly as he also takes off.
When it's just Benji and I, I attempt a smile. "What's up?" I ask.
"Who the hell is that?" He asks. "Your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend," I laugh. "Don't worry. Natalie ran into Miles and i while we were at the mall and she assumed we were dating. We went along with it because I knew she was getting jealous of me," I explain.
"What were you doing with him at the mall?" He interrogates me.
"Well, I ran into him. He helped me pick out this dress. Do you like it?" I ask.
"Of course I love it, Brandy, you look beautiful. I just can't believe you were out with that douchebag."
I narrow my eyes at him, kind of surprised by his attitude. "What's wrong?" I ask. "We're just friends."
"There's no way that guy just wants to be friends with you. You're telling me he's never made a move? And then you invite him as your date to my birthday?"
"Okay, it sounds bad," I say. Then I realize that he is being completely unfair and hypocritical. "Actually, no," I say. "You're here with Natalie," I remind him. "And you kissed her. I've never kissed Miles."
"I didn't kiss Natalie, she kissed me. And I'm only here with her because my parents didn't give me any other choice. You voluntarily came here with him."
"You didn't have any other choice?" I laugh. "You can make any choice you want, Benji, you're a whole ass adult now. You act like your parents have this total control over you and what? Now suddenly you have to listen to them? What changed? Because the Benji I know has never listened to his parents before," I vent.
We both stare at each other, probably disappointed with how this night is going. I realize that the words I had uttered could not be taken back.
"You know what..." I sigh. "Maybe I should just go."
"You would do that to me?" He asks lowly, clearly no longer mad, just tired. "You would ditch me on my birthday?"
"I just don't know what else to do, Benji. You're being really unfair right now, I don't know if I like it," I explain.
"Just tell him to leave," he says.
"I can't do that," I say. "I can't kick him out, I didn't even invite him."
"Then who did?" He scoffs.
"Natalie!" I answer. "Natalie invited him, I just went along with it. So if you really want Miles to go home then you should tell your girlfriend—the person who invited him here—to tell him to go. I can't do this right now." I walk off, not knowing where to go.
I feel Benji catch up to me and grab my hand, turning me back around. "You know she's not my girlfriend, why do you keep saying that?" He mutters.
I chuckle. "Does she know that?"
"Just stay, okay? Please," he begs.
"Okay," I agree. "You should probably apologize to Miles, though. You were kind of rude."
He scoffs. "I have nothing to apologize for," he disagrees. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Are you kidding me? You were a jerk," I say.
"Fine," he says. "Then maybe you should go find him. It must be a nice change from hanging out with a jerk like me."
"Yeah, it kind of is," I snap. "What has gotten into you?" I wonder. "Why are you so mad?"
"No, you're right. Maybe you should go," he says. "Don't even bother with that special plan you had for tonight, just cancel it."
I was doing fine until he said that. I had something really important planned, something really romantic... and he just doesn't care. My eyes become red as tears run down my face.
"You're such an asshole," I say, shaking my head. "I can't believe it. I can't believe I had this whole plan and you just completely ruined everything, as always."
"What were you planning to do anyway? Lay rose pedals on the bed and turn on Seinfeld?" He mocks me. "Well, maybe that romantic shit works for you but it doesn't suit me."
"I... I was going to give you my virginity," I reveal quietly through my tears, feeling stupid and unwanted. His facial expression quickly changes.
"You were what?" He says lowly. "Brandy-"
"No," I say sternly. "I'm going to go. And don't worry about having to see me tonight because you won't. Goodbye, Benji," I say as I turn around again and head out the door. Miles watches me as I run out in tears and follows behind me.
I stand still outside and take a deep breath of the cool New York air. Tears continue to blur my vision as I think about what has just happened and how awful I feel. Miles finds me outside alone and quickly approaches me.
"Brandy, are you okay? I saw what happened," he says.
"Oh, God, you heard everything?" I cry.
"No, no," he says. "I didn't hear a thing, I just saw you two arguing. Again, are you okay?"
I shake my head. "Definitely not," I reply. "I feel like shit. I... I just got my heart broken right when I was done putting back all the pieces."
"Did he say something that hurt you? Brandy, did he hurt you?"
"Yes," I say. "But it's me, it's mostly me. I hurt myself. I hurt myself by ever getting involved with him in the first place. I'm so stupid."
"You're not stupid," he comforts me, placing his arm around my shoulder. "He's stupid for making you cry. What kind of asshole makes you cry at a big event like that? What were you two arguing about, anyway?"
"You and Natalie," I answer. "He's mad that I brought you and I'm mad that he has another girlfriend."
"I think you have more reason to be mad. It's not like we came here together, right? He's actually dating that girl."
"That's true," I say vacantly. "Thanks, Miles."
"Can I take you back to your apartment?" He asks.
"No, I don't think I'll be going there for a while," I explain. "Can we just... go somewhere else? I just need to get out of here."
"Anywhere in mind?" He asks me.
"Surprise me. Just call a cab," I demand.
A few minutes later, Miles and I hop in the cab and drive off. I look out the window and at The Palace as the car drives off and I wonder just how Benji is doing. Is he as sad as I am? Is he as mad? As heartbroken?
What makes me angry is thinking about how every time we fix a problem, another one rises to the surface. And neither of us know how to handle conflict or fighting so we just flee. We ignore our feelings and we ignore the actual issue. For Benji, he drinks. As for me, I cry.
It wasn't our good communication skills that solved our other fights, it was just luck. Luck, luck, luck and more luck. And until we can fix how we communicate with each other, I don't know how this one is going to be fixed.
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Hi babes! I hope you enjoyed this dramatic ass chapter! A LOT went down in this one, which for me personally, was really fun to write. I believe Benji and Brandy needed to let out their feelings about what has been going on lately, and I'm glad it happened so publicly, to be honest.
Who's side are you on in this chapter? Benji or Brandy?