Carson Hughes
I barely remembered the ride home, my thoughts swimming through my brain and making it too hard to focus on one thing. But I ended up in my driveway anyway. From the time I left the house earlier to now, Mom had made her way home from work. It wouldn't surprise me if she had already fallen asleep.
I slowly opened the front door and tiptoed into the house, expecting to find Mom asleep on the couch.
"Hey baby," she greeted me, coming out of the kitchen.
"Hey," I replied, my tone bland and quiet.
Her face fell, like she instantly knew something was wrong with me.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Don't say nothing. I see the look on your face. I know it's not nothing."
"I broke up with Vinny."
"Oh, honey," she said, taking me into her arms as tears formed in my eyes. "It's okay."
"It doesn't feel okay," I sniffled. I had to bend down awkwardly to be able to press my head against her shoulder. She placed one hand on the back of my head, stroking my hair.
"It'll hurt for now," she said. "But you'll become stronger from this."
"I just... I feel like I let him down," I cried. "His dad, his brother, they were so against us at the beginning and I just proved them right."
"No," Mom denied, rubbing my back. "If this relationship wasn't working for you, then you did the right thing. Vinny might be disappointed but he cares about you, so he will understand."
"The thing is he's not disappointed in me, he blames himself," I said, letting out a shuddered breath. "And I don't blame him for anything."
What Vinny was going through was beyond me, and it was beyond him too. He didn't always know how to manage his emotions and I truly believed he was working on it, but it was too much for me to stay. I couldn't stay with him while he worked on it and I thought maybe our relationship made it worse for him, added more pressure for him to do better.
"I love him, Mom," I admitted in a whisper.
"I know, sweetie," she cooed in a comforting tone. "But I'm proud of you for knowing when you need to walk away. I wish I knew that at your age. Would've saved me a lot of heartache."
I didn't think any heartache could be worse than what I was feeling right now.
"How about we watch a movie?" Mom asked, pulling her phone out. "I'm just going to call Paul and let him know I'm not going to make it over."
"No, Mom," I groaned. "Don't cancel on Paul for me."
"Carson," she said in a stern tone. "I'm staying home with you whether you like it or not. Paul will understand. I'm sure he's had to comfort Spencer through some heartache."
Yeah, and probably heartache from the same person too.
"We're going to stay here. I'm going to order some pizza for lunch and we're going to watch funny movies," Mom said, standing from the couch. "I'll be right back.
We did everything Mom said we would for the rest of the day. The two of us had gotten through two and a half movies before she fell asleep on the couch beside me. When I noticed her sleeping, I shut the TV off and cleaned up the pizza boxes from the table, putting the leftovers in the fridge.
The last few hours with her had taken the pressure off my heart. I felt lighter, though still saddened.
The next morning, Mom had made me a big breakfast and the two of us ate all of it. Later on in the afternoon, she had to go to work for the night.
"Are you sure you're okay by yourself?" she asked. "Why don't you invite your friends over?"
And no sooner than the words had left her mouth, my phone lit up with a cal from Logan. I excused myself to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, man, how you feeling?" he asked. "Sorry I didn't call last night. I was with Vin the whole time."
"It's fine," I told him. I was busy with Mom anyway. "What's up?"
"Me and Dana are trying to get everyone together," he said. "Seems like it's been a while since it's been just all of us and we wanna talk about something."
"About what?"
He was silent for a moment. "Just... something. You'll see when you get here."
"Here as in your house?" I asked. "Logan, I don't think that's a good idea for me to go there."
"You two won't even have to see—"
"Why don't you guys just come here?" I suggested. "My mom's working tonight. We'll have the house to ourselves."
"Okay, sure."
And with that, we said our goodbyes, Logan promising they would be over later.
***
Vinny Taylor
I woke up the next morning to Logan getting up from the bed. We had fallen asleep side by side the night before. He had gotten up and talked to our parents, giving me some time alone, but he came back at night. It was comforting having him there. It reminded me of when we were kids, having sleepovers in each other's rooms at a time when life was simpler and we were closer.
Logan didn't notice I had woken before he left the room, gently shutting the door behind him.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes before looking over at the clock. It was just after seven, a time I was used to waking up at.
My mind immediately went back to the day before, to Carson and the sadness in his voice, the urge to get him out of my room before he saw me cry. But then I also remembered the promise I made to myself. The promise to not let this break me.
And with that reminder, I got out of bed and put on my running clothes. After brushing my teeth and wetting my hair, I went downstairs and called for Luna. My parents and Logan were already down there, each with a cup of coffee in their hands in the kitchen, looking surprised to see me as I entered.
"I'm going to take Luna for a run," I told them, grabbing myself and Luna some water. She came running into the room when she heard me call her name, her nails clicking on the floor.
"You're... going for a run?" Dad asked, placing his cup down on the counter.
"That's what I just said."
"Are you feeling okay?" Dad asked, stepping closer to me as I put Luna's harness on and attached her leash. "We heard about yesterday, about Carson."
"I'm fine," I casually replied. And I actually felt like I meant it.
"Are you sure—"
"Dad, I'm trying this new thing where I don't act like every time something bad happens, it's the end of the world," I cut him off.
He looked surprised, losing the next words on his tongue.
"Well," he stated, clearing his throat. "That's, uh, that's good."
"Are you going to eat something before you go, honey?" Mom asked.
I looked at her for a moment. She seemed like she was trying her hardest to hide her concern for me, but I still saw it. So I nodded and walked over to her by the cabinet.
"I probably should," I said and she smiled at me.
After quickly toasting a bagel and slathering some peanut butter on top, I ate the food as I walked out of the house. Once I finished, Luna and I ran out of the neighborhood and toward the park.
I was always afraid to tire Luna out too quickly, so I slowed my pace down to a light jog and she happily trotted beside me. She loved these runs as much as I did. The dog had so much energy and there was only so much she could burn off running around the backyard.
I breathed in the cool air as I made my way to the park. The ground was littered with fallen leaves, my steps causing them to crunch beneath me.
The park was nearly void of people with it being so early in the morning. People doing their own runs or riding their bikes waved as they passed me. I never understood waving to the people you pass in the park like you knew them, but I was also trying to change my outlook on life, so I waved back.
By the time Luna and I finished and headed back to the house, an hour had passed and Logan's car was missing from the driveway.
I brought Luna in the house and filled her bowl with water so she could drink.
"Where'd Logan go?" I asked Dad as he sat in front of the TV. I sat down beside him after giving Luna her water.
"He went to pick up Dana, then they're going to Carson's later," Dad replied. His own eyes widened at the sound of Carson's name leaving his lips and he looked at me like he had just made a huge mistake.
I rolled my eyes. "You can say his name, I'm not going to freak."
"You're really taking this surprisingly well."
"I cried my eyes out last night and that was enough for me I think."
Dad's gaze settled on me like he was trying to find some hidden meaning behind my words, like he thought he had to read between the lines.
"Dad, seriously," I said, trying to convince him. "I'm fine. Yeah, it sucks being dumped but I'm okay."
He smiled at that and threw his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm proud of you," he said, squeezing my shoulder.
And with hearing that, my eyes started to sting, but I didn't let him see.
***
Carson Hughes
"So we're gathering here now?" Isaac asked as he stepped into my house.
"I really can't go to Logan's right now," I told him.
"Holy shit," Isaac replied, sitting down on the couch. "Did you and Vinny break up?"
I nodded with a sigh. "I broke up with him yesterday."
"Oh, damn, that sucks," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry."
"It's fine, but can we just... not tell the others about it right now?" I asked, sitting beside him. "Logan knows, I'm sure Dana knows, but I just don't wanna talk about it with everyone and I have no idea what this thing is Logan wants to tell everyone."
"Yeah, I won't say anything," Isaac said, leaning forward in his seat. "This might be a bad time to tell you, but I'm back with Spencer. Like for real this time."
"Really?"
Isaac nodded. "I figured, why not? He likes me, I like him, the sex is good."
"Well, I'm happy for you," I said. Isaac deserved to be happy. Just because my relationship fell apart didn't mean I was looking for everyone else around me to crumble too.
"I guess part of me didn't wanna try with him because I thought he was still into Vinny," Isaac admitted. "But I don't know, I thought I'd give it a chance."
"I don't think he is," I assured him. "I've seen them talk while they were both over here a couple times. Spencer just seems to want Vinny to talk to him, nothing else."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot your mom is dating his dad," Isaac said.
Hadley and Archie showed up together a few moments later, leaving us waiting for Logan and Dana.
"Does anyone know what this is about?" Hadley asked, throwing herself down beside me. "Do you think they're breaking up? Would they tell us like this if they're breaking up?"
"They're not breaking up," Archie denied, crossing his arms as he sat on the recliner. "I bet they're, like, getting married or something."
"In high school, Arch?" Hadley questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, like in One Tree Hill."
"That is fictional."
"Doesn't mean it doesn't happen."
"You're a fucking idiot," Hadley said with a scoff, looking down at her phone.
"She's probably looking up maid of honor dresses right now," Archie said to us, earning a glare from Hadley.
I stole a glance at her phone and saw that it was opened to texts with Darren and shook my head at Archie.
Logan and Dana entered the house a moment later, hands clasped together as they made their way over to the loveseat.
"Sorry we're late," Dana said, resting her and Logan's hands in her lap.
"What's going on girl?" Hadley asked, leaning forward in her seat. "You got me worried."
Logan and Dana gave each other a look.
"Well, there's no sense in beating around the bush," Logan said, looking at each of us.
"I'm pregnant," Dana said after taking a deep breath. Logan rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "And I'm keeping the baby."
Suddenly, Archie's marriage idea didn't seem so far fetched. I looked at Logan and saw the calmness on his face like he had prepared himself for this, like the two had known about Dana's pregnancy for a while before this.
"Oh my God!" Hadley exclaimed. "I'm going to be an Auntie!" She got up and rushed over to Dana, squeezing herself beside her on the loveseat and hugging her.
Dana laughed and hugged her back, letting go of Logan's hand.
"Wow," I said. "Um, congrats? I know it probably wasn't planned..."
Logan snorted. "Definitely not."
"I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but why are you keeping it?" Hadley asked, causing Archie to let out a loud laugh.
"You bitch," he laughed, hunching over. She glared at him, showing him her middle finger, before turning back to Dana.
"I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm just curious," she assured Dana.
"It's fine," Dana laughed. "I just... I guess I just really want this baby. I almost went through with an abortion, but then we told Logan's parents and they were so supportive and I guess I just wasn't as scared anymore. So I wanted to keep the baby."
"So you haven't told your parents?" Isaac asked.
Logan shook his head. "Only my parents, Vinny, and you guys know."
"What are you going to do when you tell them?" I wondered. It wasn't a secret how religious Dana's parents were. They would either kick her out or force her and Logan to get married.
"I've been secretly moving some of my stuff over to Logan's over the last couple days," Dana replied. "That's why we were kinda late. We were moving some stuff while my parents aren't home."
"So you'll live there?"
"That's the plan," she said. "I just need to get enough of my stuff out of the house before we tell them and it'll be harder to go back there."
"If you need anything, I'm here to help, I swear," Hadley said with a hand over her heart.
Dana thanked her and gave her another hug.
"So when do we find out if it's a boy or a girl?" Archie asked. "I guess it doesn't matter. The kid will have so much fun with Uncle Archie either way."
"You think we're going to leave our baby alone with you?" Logan questioned.
"Not while they're a baby," he said. "When they're a toddler, like two."
"No."
"I go to my first appointment next week," Dana told us. "It'll probably be a while before we know."
I was shocked, to say the least, about the revelation. But when I looked at the two of them, saw how happy they were, I could tell they were going to be the best parents this kid could ask for.
***
Monday morning at school felt like I was back at the beginning of the year. Having a few days off for Thanksgiving made it even harder to go back to school. I was dreading it all over again.
But when I walked into English class that morning with Isaac, and saw Vinny sitting in his usual spot with a book in hand, I suddenly wasn't dreading it anymore.
I hadn't seen him or spoke to him since the weekend when we broke up, but seeing him now, sitting in the seat he knew was next to mine, made me happier than I thought it would.
Vinny didn't notice us enter the room. He was to immersed in his book to even look up. Isaac shot me a look when I began walking over to him, like he thought I was about to break down at the sight of Vinny.
"Hey," I said, sitting down on my chair beside Vinny. He looked up from his book and smiled at me, bending the corner of the page to keep his spot as he closed it.
"Hey," he replied.
"I'm glad you still sat here," I told him.
"Me too."
This moment put my heartache on pause. Seeing Vinny and him not avoiding me was not something I expected. I fully expected Vinny to keep his head down and sit at the back of the class, steering clear of me at all costs. But this was a pleasant surprise, one that I welcomed with everything in me. One that made me think I didn't have to lose him completely.
"I'm sorry for, uh, kicking you out the other day," Vinny said, clearing his throat and looking down at his desk. "I just needed some time to myself to, uh, process."
"It's okay," I assured him. "I understand."
It had hurt at the time when Vinny told me to leave. It ripped my heart out and threw it on the floor, but looking back on it, I did understand. He did what he had to do for himself. He couldn't tell me he loved me back as I was leaving him, it would hurt too much. And he couldn't keep me in his room while he tried to process what had happened. He need his space, his time, and I wasn't entitled to that.
And it seemed as though it did him well to make me leave and have time to himself, with the comfort of his brother, because when he looked at me, it wasn't with sadness. It was with the same adoration he always did.
I didn't see Vinny again until gym class where we played a game of handball. He was on the opposite team, but he was actually trying which was something new for him.
Logan was acting strange. He had a glare set on Seth wherever he went, his focus completely on him.
"What's going on with you?" I asked him in a hushed tone as we walked to the side for a water break.
"Nothing." His voice was low, muttered.
"Did Seth mess with Vinny again?"
That was all I could think would make Logan act like this. Seth didn't have the best track record when it came to Vinny, and Logan knew it. Something must have happened and I felt myself get anxious, waiting to find out what it was.
"It's nothing," Logan said.
It clearly wasn't. When class ended and we went back to the locker room to change, Logan's hard glare stayed on Seth. He didn't take his eyes off him. He looked like he was two seconds away from ripping him apart.
And Seth noticed.
So did Vinny, and he walked over to his brother shaking his head.
"Whatever you're thinking about, you need to stop," Vinny told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Logan continued scowling and was about to say something to Vinny before Seth interjected.
"What are you looking at me like that for, Logan?" Seth asked with a glare of his own, his shoulders squared like he was readying himself to pounce. "Did Vinny tell you something?"
That was enough to set Logan off and I was too shocked to move.
Logan jumped at Seth, his fist slamming into his face as he knocked him to the ground. Seth must not have been expecting it because Logan got a few more punches in before Seth fought back.
No one in the locker room moved for a moment. It was like we were all frozen in a state of shock, none of us seeing this coming. Except Vinny.
"Logan!" he shouted. "Logan stop! He's gonna beat the shit out of you!"
Logan was too enraged to listen. He was holding his own better than I thought he would until Seth turned them over and slammed Logan's head into the ground.
Vinny rushed over to them and grabbed onto Seth's shoulders and, surprisingly, pulled him off his brother.
But Logan didn't stop there. With bloodied knuckles and face, he charged after Seth again, punching him repeatedly and shoving him against the lockers.
No one intervened. I was frozen, knowing I should step in and pull Logan away, but unable to move.
"Logan!" Vinny yelled again. "Logan, it wasn't Seth!"
I didn't know what he meant by that. I looked over at him. He looked desperate to get him to stop.
"Logan!" he shouted again.
Logan used all his strength and shoved Seth against the lockers again.
"Logan!"
No response.
"It was Darren!"
Both of them stopped, their gazes shooting over to him. Logan looked at him with wide eyes.
Seth's eyes looked black, like something had taken over him.
And then he charged at Vinny.
**
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