Chapter 36- You Live and You Learn
“Hey.” I smile as I exit Blake’s room and see Brody setting in the light pink chair across the hallway.
He seems to be pretty absorbed in one of the many magazines on the side table when my voice breaks his concentration. He quickly lays it down when his eyes meet mine and stands up to meet me. I could still see the worry etched upon his face for me and it made me feel good that he care so much.
“Hey.” He replies. “How is everything?”
“Good,” I nod. “He’s just recovering. I don’t think he’ll be getting out anytime soon though.”
“I didn’t think so.” He agrees wrapping an arm around my waist. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Yes, please.” I say a bit overeager. I never cared much for hospitals and I had spent more than enough time in one today so I was ready to go back to school.
“Come on. I think we’ll make back to school just in time for lunch.” He says.
“Good. I need to talk to Grace anyway.” I say as Brody walks me down the hall. Now that the worst is over I can finally get some answers from her. It was time.
The lot is full once we arrive at school. Many students are standing by their cars laughing and talking, seemingly enjoying their lunch hour. Currently we had only missed the first fifteen minutes of it so there was still plenty of time to let everyone know how Blake was doing.
I’m sure his friends still had questions.
“Hey, I’ve gotta go find Kyle, I’ll meet up with you in a minute.” Brody says abruptly as we exited the vehicle.
“Oh…okay.” I pause. “I guess I catch with you later then.”
He rounds the car and gives me a quick peck on the lips before mumbling “later” then leaves me to scour the mass of students alone. I wasn’t exactly sure what had in such as rush, but if he wanted me to know he would have told me. I really don’t want to be the prying girlfriend even though I was genuinely curious. I guess I’ll just have to wait until he tells me.
I mumbled a few excuse me’s as I pushed my way through the people and came to the school entrance. Right now Olivia and Grace should be sitting down to eat so it should be hard to find them at our usual table.
The lunch room was almost as busy as the parking lot but not quite. Most people preferred to eat outside, so it would always be somewhat busier out there.
When I enter the cafeteria I spot my two blonde friends sitting next to Thomas, Jake and Sarah. Some unknown girl was holding Jake’s hand but I don’t take to time to think about it. I am too busy looking for Hunter and Blake’s other friends.
As I get ready to find their table I feel a light tap on m left shoulder causing me to turn around and face to person getting my attention.
“Hey,” Hunter says. “I was hoping you’d be here. How’s Blake?”
He wasted no time getting strait to the point. Concern shown through his eyes while he awaited my reply.
“He’s okay. Pretty banged up, but ok.” I state easing his worry.
“Good.” He nods relived. “The guys and I were gonna go see him after school. I didn’t think I’d be able to this morning, what with his family being there in all, so I thought I’d give them some time.”
“That was very considerate of you. I’m sure they’re grateful for that.” I say. “With everything going on with Kristen and the kids things have been a bit hectic with them.”
“I should say so.” He replies. “I mean we’re his friends and we can hardly believe it. I mean who would have thought Blake would end up having kids?”
I had to giggle at that. It was rather hard to believe. “Not me, that’s for sure.”
Even though I had my differences with Hunter, I had to admit he was an alright guy. I guess we all make mistakes sometimes. It would be wrong of me to hold this one incident over him forever. Maybe it was time to for me to move on from it. Not just for me, but for Grace too. If she truly like him then I would try to as well.
“I know. Remember that time we all went to that amusement park and that kid threw up on his new shoes. He flipped and made the girl cry.” He chuckles humorously. “I thought for sure he wouldn’t want to have any after that.”
“That kid was my cousin, if you don’t remember, and that’s not the only thing she’s done to him.” I reply. “He’s never had very much luck with kids.”
“Very true.” He agrees in laughter for a moment before becoming serious. “I am glad he’s ok though.”
“I know. Me too.” I nod. “He really can be a great guy.”
He ran a hand through his tasseled black hair and glanced nervously around the cafeteria before looking back at me with a form of regret in his eyes. It seemed as if he honestly felt bad about something.
“You okay?” I question.
He holds his breath a minute before finally letting it out and then sighs. “Not really. I just gotta say something.”
“Okay.”
“I know this is probably isn’t the time, but I owe you an apology. I know you didn’t want to hear it before, but I’d like to try again. I’m really sorry about the whole janitor’s closet thing. I really didn’t know what Blake had planned. He said he just wanted to talk to you and I-”
“It’s alright.” I interrupt. “That was weeks ago and it’s not important anymore. I’ve moved on from it and so should you.”
Wait, really?” He asks clearly being taken by surprise.
“Yes.” I assure him. “It’s forgotten and now I think we should just start over.”
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” He smiles, holding out his hand. “Friends?”
“Friends.” I repeat before shaking his hand.
To my surprise, it felt like a weight has lifted from my chest with the fresh start. What I told him was the truth. I really did want to move on from it and it felt good to do so. It’s amazing at how much grudges can hold you down. This feels much better this way.
I do believe Hunter is a good guy he just had a momentary lapse in judgment, but haven’t we all at some point? We’re only human. In all the time I’d known him he had never done anything to hurt anyone so I knew he was someone I could still be friends with. That’s the whole point to you live and you learn, isn’t it, because you do.
“Hey, you’re back!” Grace shouts once she sees me when passing by and paces over to me. She still had a look of worry on her face so I guess she hadn’t heard the news yet either.
She quickly passes a glance to Hunter then back to me before I have time to pick up on it. “How is he?”
“Banged up, but he’ll make it.” I say thankfully.
“Really, that’s great.” She replies with much relief. “How’s everyone else?”
“The same.” I nod “They’re all gonna be fine.”
“I’m glad. They will be too.” She says pointing to Olivia and Sarah’s table behind her.
Olivia and Sarah still hadn’t spotted me yet and were still talking to each other with Kyle and Jake. Thomas and Brody weren’t at the table so I assume they must be together somewhere talking. That must have been why he left.
“Well…I guess I’m gonna go.” Grace says awkwardly at the silence that between us.
“Uh….yeah. I’ve gotta go too.” Hunter says clearing his throat.
Just as both of them get turn to go their separate directions I immediately take the moment to stop them. I can’t believe they were still keeping this from me.
“Wait! Both of you get back here.” I demand keeping my serious look.”
Grace and Hunter both stop in their tracks and hesitantly turn to me.
“What’s going on here?” I ask.
Grace’s eyes widen to my questions and she quickly passes a look to Hunter who looks uncertain.
“W-what do you mean?” She stutters.
“I mean between you two.” I clarify motioning between them.
“Nothing.” They say simultaneously.
Seems a little to rehearsed to me.
I raise my eyebrow to both of them. “Oh really? So there’s nothing you’d like to tell me?”
“No.” They both say again.
Grace carefully avoids my stare and looks anywhere else she can. I could tell she wasn’t quite ready to give the information yet which makes me a little sad. I don’t know why she doesn’t think she can tell me. Friend’s tell each other anything. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this a secret. I’m not great at secret keeping.
Then suddenly, an idea starts to form in my mind and I have to conceal my evil grin to keep from giving me way. I’ve got it! I’ll force it out of them and I know just the way.
“Okay, I guess I was wrong. I just thought I could detect something between you, but since I’m wrong…” I trail off and turn to Hunter who still looks unsure about the whole thing. Maybe he was considering giving in and telling me. “Hey Hunter, there is this girl in my science class who likes you and wants to know if you’ll go out with her sometime.”
“What?” Grace shrieks before she realizes it then blushes.
“Is something wrong?” I tease.
“No, of course not. It’s just that…I-I know that girl and she’s not interested anymore. Yeah, she has a boyfriend.” She rushes out.
“Well she didn’t yesterday.” I smile then turn back to Hunter. “So, Hunter, you interested? I’m sure she has this lunch. I can get her over here if you are.”
He starts looking around rather nervously then at Grace. “Um…well I uh…I…”
“Okay just stop.” She says defeated. “You win. There is something going on. Hunter and I are…well together, sort of.”
“Ha! I knew it.” I shout. “I knew it all along. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What? How? How did you know?” She questions flabbergasted. “And why aren’t you mad?”
I have to hold myself back from laughing at her and try to compose myself.
“Mad? Why would I be mad?”
“Well, you know…because you don’t really like Hunter.” She says quietly.
“Didn’t.” I correct. “But I was wrong about him. He’s a good guy. And even better if he’s into one of my best friends.”
She stares at me as if I’ve just grown two heads. “Um...I’m sorry. What?”
“You heard right. I’m saying I’m ok with it.” I reply.
She shakes her head at me as if in a trance and continues to stare at me. “But…what happened?”
She was undoubtedly having a hard time believing what I was saying to her, but I wasn’t sure why. Was it that surprising I was so forgiving? I didn’t realize I was one for holding grudges. Well except for Megan…and Blake. But before them I was a very forgiving person. I guess life changes you.
I’m still the same person though. Just someone one who has been put through something, but it didn’t change who I was completely. I’d still be supportive of my friends no matter what.
“I just had a realization. I don’t want my issues to get in the way of your happiness. You should be with who you want.”
Grace literally joys for joy at my confession and hugs me with all her strength. As I start to feel the loss of air in my lungs she lets go of me and smiles. “You don’t know how much that means to me. I mean we didn’t plan for this to happen, it just did. I wanted to tell you for so long, but I was afraid you’d be mad at me, then you’d ask me to break up with him and I knew I would because friends come first, even though I really, really like him. Even now when I think about lying to you and everyone else I feel so bad and think I’m a bad fr-.”
Hunter quickly places his hand over her month to stop the rambling and I give him a much appreciative nod. When she starts, you can ever get her to stop. Unless your Hunter that is.
“Sorry,” She blushes when he lets her go. “I guess I get carried away sometimes.”
“Yeah.” I agree with a laugh. “But someday you’ll have to tell me the story. I’m a curious one you know.”
“I know. Will do.” She says with a smile. “But right now, since you already know, can I spend the rest of this period with my boyfriend?”
I hold up my hand shooing them off in a hurry. “Please, you don’t have to ask me. Go, be with each other. I’ve got my own boyfriend to find anyway.”
She giggles and wastes no time tugging on his arm and pulling his from the lunch room with a large grin on her face. Yep. Those two are quite smitten. Who am I to stand in their way?
After grabbing an ice cream from the vendor I make my way to Olivia and Sarah, who are now sitting alone at the table, both typing away to someone on their phones. I wasn’t sure at what point Jake and Kyle left, but I was most grateful. I haven’t spent time with just girl friends in a while so now was as good a time as any.
“Hey.” I smile as I sit down beside them interrupting their phone conversations.
“Hey,” They both greet me cheerfully.
“We just heard about Blake. I’m glad he’s ok.” Olivia says sincerely.
This is why I love my friends. They may not be Blake’s biggest fans, but they’re not heartless. Sincerity is no exactly an easy trait in friends to come by, in high school. My friend’s though, are the best. I wouldn’t trade them for anyone.
“Me too.” Sarah piped in. “So when is he getting out?”
“Don’t know. It will be a while though. He has broken ribs.”
“That sucks. Then I guess he can’t come to-.”
Sarah was quickly cut off by Olivia’s nudge to her side and she quickly shut’s up. She gives Olivia an apologetic smile and looks away.
“Come to what?” I ask suspiciously.
“Oh nothing.” Olivia swiftly covers up. “Just a little thing going on tonight?”
I raise my eyebrow to them both genuinely interested in their sudden obscurity. “Thing? What thing?”
It wasn’t often that anything was going on, on a Monday night. In fact it was one of the most boring nights of the week.
“Just a little get together that’s all. Nothing important.” Sarah says then looks down at her phone. “Oh look, is that the time? We better go prepare for our next class before so we’re not late.”
I give them both puzzled looks as they begin gathering their things and look down at my phone to check the time as well. 1:43Pm. We still have fifteen more minutes. It doesn’t take that long to our lockers.
Just as I look up to remind them of that they are already speeding away from me in the opposite direction.
Okay….
Why is everyone acting weird today?
I shrug, trying to brush it off and open my nutty buddy to eat it.
“Hey babe,” Brody says landing a kiss on my cheek and plopping down beside me.
“Hey.” I greet. “What kept you?”
“I had to find Thomas. We had some things to discuss.” He explains before biting off the end of my ice cream.
“Hey,” I whine. “That was mine. You took the best part.”
I stare down at my half eaten cone before sending a glare in Brody’s direction. How dare he take my snack? And my favorite ice cream at that.
That ice cream thief!
“Well if you don’t want it anymore…”
He quickly grabs the remaining cone in my hand begins to scarf it down before I can object. How rude. Just as I’m about to berate him for the incident he gets a message on his phone and checks it before quickly clearing it off.
Too bad I didn’t get a look at its contents first.
“That was that?” I ask crossing my arms over my chest trying to look serious.
“Nothing.” He obviously lies.
Something is up. I can tell. I wasn’t born yesterday.
“You know you’ve been acting kind of weird since we got back to school. In fact, everyone has. Would you happen to know anything about that?” I question.
“Nope.” He says easily and goes back to his phone after it beeps again.
Ugh. This is killing me! What is with all the weirdness? It feels like everyone is hiding something.
Somehow I feel Brody is at the root of it too.
I stub up like a child that don’t get their way and cross my arms refusing to look or speak to him until he tells me the truth. Yep. Brody Bauer was getting the silent treatment.
“I’m going to get me something to drink. Want anything?”
Silence.
“Farrah, hello?” He continues when I don’t answer.
Silence.
“Babe, don’t be like that.”
Silence.
“Fine,” He sighs. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
I continue looking away from him until I am sure he’s gone then I allow myself to turn back around. That’s when I notice one of two things. First being that Brody has left his phone behind and two he had a text message.
Hmm… it is awfully tempting.
But no…no I can’t do it.
However…if he is hiding something don’t I deserve to know?
No Farrah, no! It’s none of your business. You’ll just have to trust him.
But I want to know.
Listen to the voice on reason on this one.
Fine, I won’t look! I let the curiosity eat me alive.
I was almost completely convinced to do the right thing when his phone beeps again. Okay, that’s it. I can’t do it. I have to look.
Once make sure Brody is nowhere around I hurriedly check his messages to see them both from one person which made was the first thing that worries me. Second was what the messages say.
Sarah: Don’t you dare back out after school. I think we should still continue as planned.
Sarah: And don’t worry about Farrah. She’ll thank you for this later.
My heart sank. Oh no. Not again. I can’t have fallen victim to this a second time. Am I really that naïve?
My throat begins to tighten and my eyes hold unreleased tears as I’m unsure what to do with them. This can’t be happening. Brody would never do this to me. He wouldn’t.
That’s when I realize something. I’m right, he wouldn’t. And neither would she. I can trust them. They’re not Blake and Megan. This must be something else, but what?
Brody’s voice suddenly plays from behind me as I hear him speak to someone before I start to panic. Oh no. I read his messages! I betrayed his trust, now he’s gonna be so mad at me. What do I do?
Clear it off and play dumb, the voice in my head speaks.
But that would be wrong.
What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
Ugh. I am so bad. I quickly do as instructed and clear off phone before he has a chance to realize it. I can’t believe I did that. Why?
“Hey, that was the bell. Are you coming?” He asks picking up his phone and sliding it in his pocket.
Imagine that, I didn’t hear it. Maybe it’s because my guilt is louder than I realized.
“Oh, yeah.” I nod and quickly stand up.
He grabs my hand and pulls me down the more crowded hallways still leaving me as guilty ever. Maybe I should just tell him and get it over with. He is sure to notice what a nut I am then. This is terrible. Well maybe I can wait until after school. No need to cause a potential scene now. Then he can tell me what the message was all about. I hope.
At the day’s end I was going insane. I needed to know what that message was about. Why couldn’t he tell me about it? And even still, with him sitting next to me, taking me home he hasn’t mentioned a word. It was bugging me.
That’s it. I have to bring it up. It’s the right thing to do. Apparently that’s what my stupid conscious keeps telling me anyway.
Just get it over with.
“You want to come over to my house for a bit? My parents won’t be home till tomorrow.”
“Um yeah, sure.” I mumble.
“I’m glad you’re so excited.” He replies in heavy sarcasm. “What’s wrong?”
Okay. I have to do it now.
“I looked at your phone during lunch and I know I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry!” I blurt unattractively.
I carefully glance in his direction expecting him to burst with anger and yell at me, but instead he looks at me and laughs. Yep. Laughs. I don’t think this moment could have been more unpredicted.
“Are you okay? I’m a little worried. Why aren’t you upset?” I ask hesitantly.
“Because I already know.” He chuckles. “I planned the whole thing. I saw you at do it.”
“You did?” I ask taken by surprise. “Why?”
“So you would leave me alone and quit bugging me about it.” He confesses. “I knew you find out sooner or later anyway.”
“Find out what?”
Just as I ask Brody pulls up to his house filled with cars parked outside. There had to be at least twenty cars here. Were his parents having some sort of dinner party I didn’t know about? I thought they were gone.
Then it hit me. Get together? That’s what Sarah meant today at lunch. But why would she keep it private. Was this for me?
“All your questions will be answered when we get inside.” He says as if reading my mind.
Brody rounds the car and opens the door for me and waits for me to get out. With his hand held out, I take it and he closes the car door behind me and leads us up to the house. My mind was running wild with all the possibilities of why we were really here.
Once we reach the door, Brody places his hand on the handle and pushes it open without much force. Without chance to realize what’s happening at least half the kids in our school jump out at us and scream “Happy Birthday!”
Birthday?
Once my heart rate slows down from all the excitement I glance at Brody with a puzzled look. “But it’s not my birthday. It’s not until-.”
“Next week, I know.” He finished with a smile.
I furrow my eyebrows up at him still failing to comprehend. “Then…”
“It was my idea,” Sarah interrupts. “I figured this way, you would expect it. Was I right?”
Oh. Of course. How did I not see this coming?
I nodded in confirmation. “Right.”
I can’t believe they had gone through all of this just for me.
And all of these people…how did they get them here?
“The bad boy has connections.” Olivia whispers in my ear as she gives me a birthday hug. “Check out the gift table.”
I look past the loud music and now dancing teenagers to the corner of the room where a gift table is in fact piled high with gifts. More than I would have imagined. It was surprising.
“Come on.” Brody says pulling me along behind him.
“Where?”
“I want to give you my gift now.” He smirks.
I could only imagine what he was thinking.
“Now? But we have guests.”
“You’ll love it trust me.” He says pulling me into an empty dark room.
I smile and close my eyes getting ready for what I assume is about to happen when I feel a piece of paper being put in my hands and sense the light turn on.
Maybe I was wrong. Well this is embarrassing.
“For you.” He says looking at the paper I was holding.
This must be good.
I slowly glance down at it and am a little puzzled when I look over its contents.
“It’s my college.” I say.
“And now, mine.” He replies.
“Wait, you got in?”
“Thanks to my dad,” he nods.
“That’s amazing. I don’t even know what to say. That’s a perfect gift.”
“That’s not the gift.” He says. “Turn it over.”
There’s more? I quickly do as he says and turn it over to see a medium sized brown house in the picture.
“I don’t want to appear to presumptions, but I rented us a house near campus while we go to school together.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was the bad boy actually asking me to what I think he was or was this all my imagination? If so, I never wanted to return to reality.
He moves closer to me and wraps his arms around me gently and smiles. “I know it’s like six months from now, but Farrah. Will you move in with me after graduation?”
If it wasn’t for Brody holding on to me right now I’m not sure I’d even be standing. Of all the things I had expected today this had not been one of them.
“Yes. I would love to move in with you after graduation. More than anything.”
Looking at what my life was like only months ago and now, I couldn’t imagine it being anymore perfect. Although what had happened between Blake and I was tragic, I wouldn’t change a thing. If I did, I wouldn’t have Brody.
Sometimes in life we have to endure some terrible things, but it’s only to shape our future. All things happen to us for a reason, we just have to get through the tough times and on to the better. And hopefully with a bad boy by your side when you do it. It’s more fun.
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A/N
Well, not quite a month since my last update, but almost. I tried to make this chapter as long as I could with it being the last chapter and all, so I hope you enjoyed it. Farrah and Brody’s journey has come to an end but don’t worry. I’ll be adding on two bonus chapters about Olivia and Thomas’s meeting, along with Grace and Hunter’s. The epilogue to this story will be up in a few days as long as I have the chance to write it.
If you would like to post what you would like to see from the characters in a few years down the road in the comments section feel free and I’ll take it into consideration.
It’s been a pleasure writing for all of you and I’m gonna miss this book and the characters so much, especially Farrah and Brody. Thanks for all the amazing support guys. Until next time….
Brittany
P.S. Remember epilogue up soon! And please don’t remove the story from your library if you wish to be updated on the publishing of the book. You can also like my Facebook page (Brittanyleigh8) and follow me on Wattpad for updates as well. (Not proof-read) This chapter and book, including title needs to be edited. That will be done before publishing. However if you notice any horrible mistakes please point them out and I’ll be glad to fix them.