"Okay, so you all should know why we're here right now. But, for those who aren't very sure, I'll clear it up for you." Elliot sounds very professional, almost like he's done this type of thing before. "Think of it as Couple's Counseling."
"We are SO not a couple!" Brennen and I yell at the same time. I swear I just heard Eliza whisper "jinx".
"I could NEVER date someone as stuck-up, self-absorbed, uncaring, two-faced, pig-headed as that guy!" I accuse, pointing at Brennen.
"And you honestly think I could date someone as egotistical, insensitive, over-bearing, and as big of a jerk as her?" Elliot raises a hand to interrupt our brutal verbal warfare.
"Ok, Fake Couple's Counseling. And instead of ruthlessly insulting each other, I have a better idea." Brennen sighs and shakes his head while I slump back into the couch.
"How about a mediation?" Eliza suggests.
"How about we just go home?" I imitate her under my breath. Apparently it isn't 'under my breath' enough. Oops.
"How about you shut your mouth and get this over with?" She snaps back, an irritated look clouds her face. I hear a low snicker and turn to glower at the most probable culprit. Brennen has an small smirk on his face, and his eyes are darker, angrier. I narrow my eyes at him, but they immediately shoot open when I see a Nike sneaker being flung at him. Brennen gasped when it hit him square in the chest, and looking around, a smile appears on my face when my eyes fall upon Jack, minus one shoe. Brennen starts to stand up, but Sam, surprisingly calmly, push him into the confines or the couch. A small chuckled escapes my throat, and Brennen glares at me.
"Really Natalie? Can't fight your own battles? Gotta have someone else protect you, right?" Growling through clenched teeth, Brennen waits for a reaction. I have to distract myself from how gorgeous he is!
"Actually, Brennen, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, but it's convienient to have some friends. But, you obviously wouldn't know what that's like." I calmly inform him. I must have hit a nerve, though, because he instantly looks hurt. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I'm reminded of what happened at my house earlier, he has the same expression on his face. But there is no way I can take that back now. Right?
"Ok." Elliot remarks slowly. "Now that we're all calmed d-"
"B? Honey? Are you ok? Where are you? Hellooo?" No one has to even guess who's coming down the stairs before we see her. Amber descends to the basement pretty quickly, despite her four inch stilettos. She half-sprints over to the couch where Brennen is, ignoring Eliza.
"How in the heck do you know where I live? Or that we'd be here? Hey! Answer me!" Amber just rolls her eyes and huffs before speaking.
"I followed you, duh! B disappeared so I asked someone where he went and they told me all of you left. Then I went outside and some druggie told me you were going to your house. Ok?" Everyone's eyes widen at her report. Eliza was advancing on her, I had to do something.
"E! Hey just chill! We don't need a homicide on our hands." Eliza calmed down a considerable amount, and I know she doesn't hate me now. She's still seething, but at a safer distance. Amber pulls Brennen up off the couch and engulfs him in a tight hug. Sensing Brennen can't breathe and is a second away from pushing her off, I act fast. I jump up and pry Amber off, but I'm not quick enough. The second I separate them, I receive the impact of Brennen shoving me. Trying to regain my balance, I step back and forget about Eliza's glass coffee table. Not exactly the best thing to forget, now is it? I trip and now the carpet is coming up on me at an alarming rate, and right before I hit the ground, I hear and feel the table shatter under my weight. Crap!
"Eliza! I'm so sorry! I know how expensive that was and I can't believe I just shattered-" Everyone's expressions stop me mid sentence. Attempting to get up, a sharp pain sears through my right arm, forcing me back onto the broken glass. I suck in a breath through my teeth, and when I open my eyes I see Elliot, Eliza, Jack, and Sam all trying to figure out a way to get me up without hurting me or themselves. Looking past them, I see Brennen with his eyes wider than I thought was humanly possible, and Amber had a similar expression only with a hand covering her presumably wide open mouth. I have the strangest feeling they aren't so worried about the table, so I do a self-check. Legs, fine. Head, fine. Arms, um, not so fine. My left arm is ok, just covered in a few baby scratches, but my right arm has a little more than a shallow gash traveling from my wrist to my elbow. That's what hurts so much! Both the carpet and my arm are bright red from all the blood, but it's not like it needed immediate or any medical attention. Too shallow for stitches, but that's not helping my stomach any.
"Oh. My. God. Oh my god! Brennen! Did you seriously just do that?"
"Seriously dude! I know you're mad at her, but seriously?"
"B! That could've been me!" Coughing a laugh at that last one, I stand up carefully as to not hurt my arm.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" I ignore the hands trying to keep me down. Even though I'm staring straight at her, Amber is looking around like I'm talking to someone else. "Um, hello? Amber? Yeah, I'm talking to you. You're seriously worried about you right now? I just saved you, and you can't care less about it! I cannot believe you are such an uncaring selfish little-"
"OK! Natalie, let's see if we can get you cleaned up!" Jack interjects before I could get that last word out. Everyone's glaring at Brennen, who promptly and briskly walked into the next room. Amber is trailing after him, but he slams the door right in her fake little face, and surprisingly, she catches the hint and leaves. Everything is silent for a second, but then Elliot clears his throat.
"I'll talk to him." He sounds less professional and more like a tired father than anything now. Elliot disappears through the door that had just been slammed, and everyone knew instantly this isn't going to end well. While Sam, Jack, and Eliza try to bandage my arm and get the glass out, it's getting more difficult to ignore the sounds coming from the next room over. A few moments are quiet, most likely Elliot talking, then yelling that is unmistakably Brennen. More quiet, then a dull thud: something being thrown?
"He'd better not break anything." Eliza growls, and we all know exactly who 'he' is. This is getting to be too much. I should say something, but I really don't want to. But, I have to. Dang it.
"Um, guys? Could we, um, maybe take it easy on the whole 'Brennen-is-a-monster-everyone-hates-him attitude? Maybe?" I brace myself for the inevitable.
"WHAT?!" Sam explodes.
"You're kidding me, right?" Eliza uses the same tone I had used with Amber.
"Well, don't you think you're overreacting a little?" I try to reason with them.
"I can't believe you just said that!" Jack's eyes are wide in disbelief.
"You threw your shoe at him!" See how insane this is all getting?
"In defense of you!"
"Well stop defending me!" I just realized I'm yelling.
"But, earlier. You said, um, but, and you..." I think this is the first time Jack's ever been at a loss for words.
"But nothing, ok? I've thought about it, and I realized I was being too much of a jerk.You guys don't have any reason to angry with him. He didn't do anything to deserve this! I'm the one who started this whole, whatever it is, and I blew it way out of proportion. My jealousy got the best of me, alright?" Once I'd said it out loud, the more I'm standing behind it.
"We're mad at him because he's a jerk." Sam is trying to coax me back to my previous side.
"Well, don't be. I was the one who made a big deal out of it. You should be on his side, not mine. For real, this is all my fault!" I'm trying my hardest to assure them that's really what went down.
"You can't be serious, Natalie! Do you realize what just happened? Look at your arm!" Eliza cannot believe me.
"That wasn't exactly his fault. Indirectly, it was mine. If I hadn't started that scene at Amanda's, he wouldn't have gotten mad, then we wouldn't even be here, and none of this would have happened!"
"She's right." Everyone's heads turn to look at Elliot, who is closing the door he just entered a minute ago.
"No, she's not." Sam is clenching his teeth. Elliot ignores him and stares straight at me. Dang it again.
"I'll go talk to him." I sigh. Sam, Jack, and Eliza are all giving me the same look. A look that says 'you're-crazy-he'll-kill-you-don't-do-it'. Oh well. I walk to the door and take the biggest breath, even bigger than before the concert, I've ever taken. I decide to steal one more glance behind me at my friends. Bad decision. The three of them are all looking at me me the way you'd look at a puppy about to pee all over the floor. Greeeat. After stepping through the door, I instantly wished I hadn't.