Brent's P.O.V.
Brent kept his eyes on his phone as he walked slowly on a street in Los Angeles, still keeping himself aware of those around him so he wouldn't get bumped in the shoulder, or vice versa. He ended up stopping as he almost bumped into a motionless and plump man in a suit, who didn't even look back at him. Right as he touched the other man's coat, Brent forced himself to stop scrolling a Twitter feed and look up.
Much to his surprise, he saw a large group of people filling up the sidewalk, with only a small space by the street that other people that had to get places shuffled through. Most people, like Brent himself, stopped in front of the crowd, though, to see what they were looking at.
As Brent caught sight of a large glass window on the side of a building with the news, he also saw people leaving the group, shaking their heads. Then Brent realized that what was on the other side of the glass was about ten television sets running the news. He excused himself as he put his phone in his pocket and squeezed through the distracted Californians.
As Brent made it just feet from the glass, he began to hear the news anchor's words. It was about the government, but it seemed a bit more like breaking news.
"---have stated that there is more progress. Carter himself has noted that he is specifically focusing on his method of separating the social classes, to create the organization that the nation has not yet seen. While he does this, the rest of what's left of the White House is reportedly putting together their elaborate plans to truly reshape the nation. They state that it is a much bigger and better thing for the U.S., which they've begun to call, 'The Great Reformation.'"
The anchor took a pause. Brent registered this and couldn't help but think of Drew---Brent tried not to care, really, but as much as he could, he needed to accept that this is happening. This 'Great Reformation' is what it says it is---a ginormous reformation of the United States. Something that he needs to come to terms with, like Drew, because it'll be soon when he can't avoid it. They can't.
Brent looked up from where he was looking, which was at the bottom of the glass. Just as he did so, the anchor on TV furrowed his eyebrows and his lips tightened so show he was concerned. He cleared his throat and said with obvious difficulty, "And now for the breaking news..."
So there is more. Stuff we don't yet know.
Brent found his hands trembling. For the first time, he felt scared about the government. Other people around him were touching his back and shoulders, craning around his tall figure to see the TV, and Brent also became aware that these people were also probably scared. He wasn't alone.
"Before the government takes control of the press in a matter of weeks, they have told all news and radio stations to tell citizens that the United Kingdom has turned against the United States and declared war."
People around Brent gasped. Brent felt his heart struggling to make regular beats. He felt himself gaping but couldn't help it.
The anchor struggled to find words, though he had them right in front of him, Brent knew.
"Press Secretary Yvette Simmons will give more information soon, but for the time being, has told us that they are making most of these changes to accommodate for the war that is coming. As for when it comes, no one has any clue."
The anchor looked down a moment, at the papers sitting in front of him. But no, not for references, he was struggling with the news, despite that very thing being his job. Then, lips still tight with likely frustration and worry, he looked up and said lightly, "Now to Adriana Fierro giving us a message from the Bowery Residents' Committee."
With this, Brent looked away from the TVs beyond the glass and down at his feet in thought. He couldn't comprehend what he'd just heard. The U.K. turning against us? No, we're allies, they wouldn't just do this out of nowhere, it doesn't make sense...
The people surrounding Brent slowly began to file away from the crowd and go their separate ways as Adriana Fierro talked about her committee. Brent, too, backed away from the glass and kept walking where he was. He took his phone out again to text Drew, to see if he already knew about it. There was a good chance he did.
On the other hand, as Brent pulled his contacts up, he got a call from Addie. He answered it almost immediately, getting out of the aftershock of the news.
As Brent greeted her, he smiled because he knew well that he was interested in Addie, and was ready to admit it. They'd been talking quite a bit over just a few days, and gotten to know each other well. But not enough. Brent thought.
"Hey!" Addie replied to his greeting.
"What's up?"
"I was, um, wondering if..."
She trailed off. Brent got curious, but hoped it was the answer he was thinking of.
"If?"
"If you'd like to get lunch today?"
Brent got butterflies, which was something he wasn't prepared to admit as much.
"Yeah, of course." He answered, which was probably said far too quick.
"Oh, well, cool! How about we meet up somewhere?" Addie sounded surprised. Brent let this go, "Yeah. I'm already in L.A. so anything works for me."
"Okay. I'll text you a place."
After this, it was an awkward silence. For a second, Brent wondered if she hung up on him, but looked to see that she hadn't.
"So...what's new?"
"Huh? Um, I'm just, uh, getting my shoes on, I'll text you the place in a second, sorry," Addie muttered. Brent almost laughed at her silliness and let her continue, "But something crazy happened yesterday, you wouldn't believe..."
"I wouldn't believe it, huh?"
"Well, last night Ramona left Shawn and she and Ryan are actually a thing!" Addie exclaimed, her voice becoming clearer. This hit Brent with a slight shock, but more so because they should've already been "a thing" by the sounds of it.
"That's pretty awesome. She finally left that douche?"
"Yes! It was so satisfying to see that dick go, you don't even know..." Addie replied. Brent laughed at this, then Addie said, "Well, I gotta go, I'll text you the place. See you in a bit, Brent!"
"See you." Brent responded just before they hung up the phone. Addie texted him the place, a small cafe just a few blocks away from where he was now, and half an hour later Brent waited outside and soon saw her getting out of a taxi just down the sidewalk. He was stunned by her huge smile. She waved enthusiastically at him and he waved back.
As they greeted each other another time when face-to-face, they headed inside the cafe. At the large group of people inside and the long line, though, they looked at each other. Brent tried to not get lost in her eyes.
"You wanna go somewhere else?" Addie tore him from his daydream in the beautiful green surrounding her pupils.
"Yeah. We don't have to eat anywhere fancy." Brent shrugged, finding himself smile a bit. Then he saw Addie glance down at his mouth a second, the corners of her lips turning up as well. Then she looked away and Brent felt her hand grabbing his right as she led him back outside. To his minor dismay, she let go of it as they headed back out on the sidewalk.
"Where do you wanna get food then?" Addie asked, pulling her white t-shirt down to keep it from hiking up with the wind. Brent shrugged. Then he had an idea.
Just fifteen minutes later, they had burritos from a food truck, one without a long line, in their hands and now walked along a nice walkway by the nearby pier, one that was surrounded by green grass and trees on either side. It was fairly empty too, other than a couple of joggers passing them.
Brent and Addie ate while asking more questions about each other. It was mostly Brent questioning her, and he hoped he wasn't coming across as weird.
"What music are you into?" Brent asked.
"I like reggae a lot," Addie replied, "You?"
Brent shrugged, "I like most rock."
"Mmm." Addie nodded, taking a bite of her burrito. There was a pause before she asked him back, "What are your hobbies?"
Brent had to think, "I don't really have much time for hobbies. I'm usually working on stuff for the band when I can. Ryan and I usually work the most when it comes to the producing and songwriting portions of our stuff."
"I see." Addie said back. Brent raised an eyebrow at her, "What about you?"
"Well, I don't do much either, seeing as I work whenever I can. My job doesn't pay too much, unfortunately."
"What's your job?"
"I'm a waitress at Olive Garden. Not that exciting."
"Well, the ones in Los Angeles are usually pretty high end, so you should get a bit of money."
"Enough to pay my bills." Addie sighed. Brent felt it was his fault that Addie's mood had gotten a bit low. He tried to change the subject to something lighter.
"Well, do you have a ridiculously embarrassing moment you'd be willing to share?"
Addie laughed a bit, which comforted Brent a bit more.
"God, do I have so many!" She exclaimed. Brent chuckled, then she told him, "One really interesting one is of my twenty-first birthday."
"Oh geez," Brent muttered, "I think I know where this is going."
Addie giggled at this, "I think you do, too."
Then she took another bite of her burrito before continuing.
"Anyways, Ramona and Lynn took me to a bar to drink legally for the first time---Johana wasn't yet of age and was working, I don't think you know her, and Ramona wasn't of age either but she still went. Anyways---and I ended up getting a little too drunk. I did karaoke to Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time or whatever it's called and fell off the stage halfway. Beat that one."
Brent burst out laughing at her story, which she told quickly. He wasn't sure if he could beat it, let alone think of a time he felt truly embarrassed. Yeah, there were many, but he usually did well in forgetting them.
"Not sure if I can beat that, that sounds pretty embarrassing. How did you feel?"
"Well, I don't remember it, but I can tell you the hangover was not pretty. Not to mention Lynn and Ramona don't let me live it down whenever they remember, which is thankfully not often."
Brent laughed again, and Addie laughed along with him. Their hands touched again, their fingers barely grazing the other's. They both said nothing about this, and the breeze calmed them and caused a halt in the conversation.
Soon, Addie turned to Brent and asked him, not what his embarrassing moment was, but something a little more intimate and personal.
"If you knew you were going to die this evening, who would be the first person you'd go to and what would you tell them?"
Brent had a hard time finding a way around the truth on this one. He looked over to his right, to the beach. The water moved back and forth on the golden sand that was perfectly flat, no footprints to disturb it. Brent got lost in it; not the blue by the horizon, but the white foam at the edge of the water because it seemed hesitant, not unlike himself. Back and forth, back and forth. Unable to stay still or make up its mind.
Brent looked back at Addie on his left. She was looking at him with those searching, peculiar green eyes. They prompted him just to say it, but not entirely. Not come out with it bluntly, but just softly enough, like the small waves just lightly grazing the land, giving it just a glimpse of the sea.
"I'd tell you that I would have loved to spend more time with you."
Addie beamed, her ardent eyes sparkling even more, "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're not dying this evening then, isn't it?"
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Sorry this is late!!! Really, I am. One of my friends says she was waiting until like one in the morning last night for me to update and I feel so bad, oh gosh. But how do you guys feel about "The Great Reformation" and Brent and Addie being a thing?? What would be their ship name, Braddie? Lmaooo.
Also, I thought I should inform you guys that there are six updates left, and they all involve Ryan and Ramona so this is the last bit you'll get of the outside circle in this book. Come the next one, the guys will be a much bigger part of the picture and it won't be so much about Ramona/Ryan. In fact, I switch main characters from Ramona to Ryan, just so you know. Hope you like this information! I don't usually give this much but I'm honestly so excited for the rest of this trilogy to take place and to see what you all think of it! Thanks for the patience and love!! xxx
P.S. I found this worthy of a note, but Shawn's birthday takes place four days after this, on March 28th, in which he turns 26. We can all imagine he spends his birthday drinking, right? Most of you will probably laugh at his despair, since he's not exactly happy about the Ramona situation. But I also tell you this because a good portion of time passes between this update and the next one. Okay, now I'm done!