Chapter Thirty Four: My Brother's Cootie Friend
*•*•Bailey's POV•*•*
"Bailey, it's time to get up." I heard a soft, comforting voice say. I had no idea who this was, but I swear, when I wake up fully, I will beat this sorry person's butt. I heard shuffle going around my bed then felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Then another. Then another.
I knew the person wasn't going to stop anytime soon so I groaned in response, turning away from the person, "Go away." I muttered, "Let me sleep."
I heard the person sigh, "Bailey, I need to talk to you." The person said.
"Well, I don't." I said, opening up my eyes. At first I was blinded by the light in my room, but once my eyes adjusted to the light, I squinted again, not really understanding why the person who was speaking to me was in my room, "What are you doing here, Bennett?" I asked, my voice raspy and quiet.
"I'm being a good friend." He muttered, examining my messy room, "You're lucky I was the one to pick up the phone instead of Grayson."
I sat up, immediately regretting it afterwards. I felt nauseous which had immediately made me run to the bathroom. As I threw up in the toilet, I thought about his words. What did he mean by 'You're lucky I was the one to pick up the phone instead of Grayson'? Did I call someone last night? What even happened last night? Realization hit me as I emptied my stomach into the toilet bowl.
When I was done, I looked up to see Bennett right behind me, holding my hair up and out of the way to prevent it from getting vomit on it. He looked at me with a blank face and I immediately knew he was disappointed with me. Over the time that I've known the three boys, I knew exactly when they weren't feeling alright.
Bennett let go of my hair and flushed the toilet, before sitting down next to me on the tiled bathroom floor. We stayed like this for a while, not saying a word to each other, leaving us to think.
This happens way to often. This meaning being left in complete silence, and I'm not saying it's primarily with Bennett, but with the other guys as well. We all seem to fall into a silence that sometimes last for minutes and sometimes hours and that's what I realized when hanging out with these boys, silence will always find it's way back to us until we're dead. Silence will always be there, welcoming us back to it's corner when we are at our worst, but of course, silence sometimes have to come to an end.
"Where did you get the alcohol?" He asked, nonchalantly.
"Nowhere."
He looked at me with the same blank face he had before, then looked back at the ceiling sighing out loud in annoyance, "Do you remember anything from earlier?" He asked. As he asked that, I thought back from before I had passed out. Flashes of bits and pieces of earlier today slowly crept back into my head and I was embarrassed of my actions.
"Yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"No."
He paused at my answer then sighed again, "Bailey, I'm only trying to-"
"Help?" I said, cutting off his sentence. I gave him a dry laugh which caused him to look at me with a raised eyebrow. Something about that word just made everything that held me down to Earth snap. My action had clearly confused him, "Look where the hell that got you, Bennett." He didn't say anything, nor did he move an inch which had only made me move closer to him, "Come on Bennett, look around, or do you want me to describe what's around you?"
Again, he didn't answer, which had made me continue, "You, the team captain of the football team who, I assume, has decent grades to help him have a great life in the future, is sitting in a bathroom of a person who wants nothing to do with you and your brother's problem, but somehow is. I don't know how you are helping me, Bennett, so please enlighten me on this and tell me how the fuck you're helping me."
He was silent yet again, refusing to answer, "Come on Benny-Boo. Tell me how-"
"Will you just stop?!" He growled, startling me. I was quiet and didn't dare say another word. Bennett looked me in the eyes and I noticed his brown eyes became a shade darker form anger and frustration, "Bailey, we've done so fucking much to try to prevent this from happening." He huffed, trying to regain his composure, "I've done so much to prevent this from happening. I know it might not seem like it, but I've helped you more than you've ever seen, so you better feel very fucking blessed that I'm here instead of Grayson, or even Parker, 'cause I'm very pretty sure that they would have dragged your ass to hell and back to figure out where the fuck you got that damn bottle." He yelled, "Don't you fucking dare ask me how the hell I've helped you, because I know that I'm doing so much for someone I barely know."
We were quiet after that, and I felt guilt rise in my stomach, "Bennett, I-" I had cut myself off, not really knowing what to say. I was left speechless by his words, and not the good kind of speechless. His words, like Luke's, were true. I'm lucky that he answered the phone instead of Grayson and that he knew nothing about me... I could feel the guilt rise in my stomach as well as his eyes on me, however I didn't dare look up at him. I knew if I did look up into them, I would meet the cold stare of his and I was ashamed that I was the cause of it. Over the time I've known Bennett, I've never seen him this mad before... Or even mad in general, which only made me feel worse.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, quietly. I wasn't sure if he had heard me, but his slight nod had confirmed he did, "I'm just... really I don't know."
I stared at the ground and stayed staring at it until he sighed, "Bailey?" I hummed weakly in response, "Just... don't think too much into things okay?" He said, which made me scrunch my eyebrows at him.
"Okay?" I answered as if it were a question.
"Bailey."
"Okay! Okay! I won't." I said, surrendering my hands up.
"Oh and Bailey?" I hummed in response, again, "If I help you clean your house, can you do me a huge favor?"
I almost smiled at his question. Grayson had asked me the same thing when we had first met, "Depends on the favor." I said, causing deja vu to hit me like a truck.
"A little someone wants to see my brother's cootie friend." He said with a small innocent smile.
*
"I haven't seen this place in a while." I muttered as Bennett parked his car in the familiar driveway. The same driveway which
"Don't worry about my mother, she's out and about Rome right now with Harrison." He said as we walked to the front door.
"So you're saying your little sister's in there alone?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.
"No," he said, immediately, "Reed's in there." I raised an eyebrow at him, "What? He's a family friend on my dad's side, of course."
I nodded, unsure of what to say. I wanted to ask how his family knew Reed and other questions, but I knew better than to pester him. When Bennett opened the door, we were greeted by laughter. I immediately looked beside me to Bennett and saw he put on what seemed to be a genuine smile, however I knew when him and the boys were putting on an illusion to fool the public eye, the 'public eye' to Bennett was his sister.
Bennett cares for his sister, and he acts happy for her sake, but I know he's anything but. When I had first met Bennett, he seemed... okay, however the person I first met is not here right now. He looked tired, and I knew a lot of things were on his mind especially since his emotions were easy to see. His eyes and body language showed secrets no one but close friends could see. Bennett hasn't changed since Friday and it worries me to think that he can literally pass out any moment due to exhaustion.
"Hey Connor." Bennett called out, causing the laughter to stop.
"Benny!" Her cheerful voice said. I heard small footsteps being heard and they were coming closer. Out of nowhere, Connor appeared. When she came insight, she immediately engulfed Bennett's leg in a hug, which he chuckle lightly at. She let go of his leg as Bennett kneeled down to her level, giving Connor a proper hug.
"Hey, CC. How've you been?" Bennett asked, calling her by the nickname he had called her during the family outing. I admired their brother-sister relationship. The both of them were so cute together.
"I good." She said with a smile, revealing her now growing front teeth. She left his embrace, smiling brightly at Bennett. Her eyes moved to the door where I stood and when our eyes met, somehow, her smile became brighter, "Bailey!" She squealed.
"Hey Connor." I said with a small smile on my face, however the next thing I know, I'm loosing my balance and on the ground, being engulfed in a hug by a little monkey.
"You're growing stronger, Connor." I groaned as I hugged Connor who laid on top of me.
"Sorry." She said as she stood up and helped me back up.
How can a little child have so much energy and strength?
"Come on! Let's go play!" She said, pulling me by the shirt towards somewhere in the house. I looked back at Bennett and saw he was already engulfed in conversation with Reed.
"Okay, Conner." I said with a light chuckle, returning my attention to Connor. As we walked through the halls of the home, I noticed the lack of color in the house. The furniture was modern and was either black, gray, or white. From what I've seen, there were barely any pictures framed upon the wall, but if there was, it was either of a certificate or an award, however the awards were neither Connor's nor Bennett's. It was either Harrison's or Jill's.
Connor stopped at the dining table in the kitchen. She let go of my shirt and struggled to get onto one of the chairs, which I had gladly helped her up. Once she was comfortable on the seat, she patted the one beside her, "Sit here!" She said with her high pitched voice. I obliged and sat next to her. Just like the rest of the house, the dining room was bland. It looked empty, however full at the same time due to the color combination with the walls and the furniture, if that makes any sense.
"Before we play, can I ask you a question?" She asked in a kind of whisper.
"Sure." I said, offering her a small, encouraging smile.
Connor smiled back, then asked a question I wasn't expecting to be asked, "Why do my brother look sleepy all the time?"
My eyes widened at her question, surprising me a bit. I never expected any seven year old to notice, or ask about anything like that. When I had first met Connor, I noticed she was really observant for her age which terrified me to know what she's seen, or heard around the house.
"He hasn't been getting enough naps into his day, but don't you worry a bit, Conner. Your brother's alright." I answered as simply as I could. I could only guess that Bennett looked tired because of having to practice for football, him also having to worry about me as well as mid terms that is coming up in four weeks. I could only imagine the pressure he's feeling by the coach.
After I had said my answer, Connor looked confused at my answer, "Then why does he yell at night when it's time to go to sleep?" She asked, "Why do I see him cry?"
I was even more terrified by what she was saying, "I don't know, Conner." I whispered, "Benny just isn't feeling good. He's been out of it lately."
"But Benny has been 'out of it' for a very very long time now. He seems like he is a shattered Christmas ornament I break when I drop it." She said, "Brother Grayson and Uncle Parker looks like that too." She whispered, scrunching up her eyebrows.
I was left speechless at the seven year old's words. I couldn't really form any words after that so we just sat in silence as we stared at each other, until she broke the silence, "Can you help Benny get better? Please?" She asked with pleading eyes.
I opened my mouth to say yes, however something prevented the word to come out. Instead, I just nodded, which triggered Connor to give me another wide smile, "Let's play hide and seek." I nodded again, not able to form any words as I began to think about the words Connor said and the questions she asked.
How the heck can Connor, a seven year old who doesn't even know the definition of observant, get all of that from Grayson, Parker and Bennett?
*
"I wonder where Connor is..." I pondered out loud. I heard her giggle in her spot, which was under a blanket in the living room which made me smile.
"Is she here?" I said, looking under the coffee table, "Nope." I said to myself.
I went to the couch and smiled, "Is she over... here!" I lifted the blanket, revealing Connor who was curled up in a ball. Her eyes were screwed up as she squealed as I picked her up by the waist and laughed.
"Found you!" I said, giggling along with her.
Our giggles were cut short by Bennett's voice booming through the house, "Winters!" Bennett's voice yelled as his footsteps grew closer. Bennett looked flustered and flushed. Anyone could tell he had bad news to say when he came running into the room, "Hide."
One word that made my insides turn. I knew something was up and it wasn't going to end pretty "Hurry." He said, "Come here, CC."
As he took Conner into his arms, I quickly moved to behind one of the curtains that were draped by the window. There was movement for about a minute and then silence, then a sudden voice broke the silence, "Bennett?" A deep, authoritative voice said. I could hear Connor gasp slightly then her voice say something that made my whole body freeze.
"Daddy!"
*•*•*•*
(A/N)
Hi.
I know this seems really out of the blue and completely out of character of me, but think of the most degrading thought you could ever think of yourself and then times that by fives.
Have you done it? Good, 'cause the feeling of when you feel humiliated is literally what I'm feeling right now.
I'm so embarrassed right now to the point that I literally want to sleep all day and night until school is over. Lately I've been feeling drained. With my thoughts eating away my brain cells, I'm just tired of everything and everyone.
It's complicated and honestly I just don't know.
Please forgive me for not being the usual bubbly person I am, but again, I am human and we all have those type of days, don't we all?
Anyways, I hope you liked that chapter.
Stay alive, my friends.
:-) <3