Brooke mindlessly snips off the ends of the light brown hair of the customer in front of her. It isn't often that she doesn't at least try to engage her client in a conversation, but today is one of the few times she doesn't. How can she, when her mind is anywhere except the salon? Primarily it is on Gary and the latest news he told her.
He got the opportunity to see Peter, but he couldn't bring himself to touch him. When he told her that it just wasn't the Peter he has known so long she nearly lost all handle she ever had on her emotions. Even now, just thinking about the way his voice was so sad, she feels her heart go out to him.
When she is completely done with the girl's hair she gently takes the zebra print backwards cape off the girl and smiles. "You are all good to go. I'll be at the front to get you checked out in just a second."
Lost in her own world Brooke doesn't notice the girls meek, "Thank you."
As Brooke passes Kristen, who is working on coloring a man's hair, she hears her whisper with a concerned look on her face, "You okay, girl? You seem pretty off."
Apologetically Brooke smiles and whispers back, "Yeah, I'm good." She hopes that her voice sounds more convincing than she feels. Nothing in her wanted to be anywhere, but with Gary. To her it seems quite strange since they aren't dating and haven't spent loads of time together, but deep down inside she knows that she cares about him more than she probably wants to admit.
Standing behind the counter accepting the cash handed to her a thought she has been trying, desperately not to entertain, pushes its way into her mind. Does Gary feel the same way about her? Does he ever want to be with her as he waits for news about his dying friend? She instantly chides herself for thinking such selfish and inconsiderate thoughts.
"Thank you, have a nice day!" she calls as the girl strolls through the salon door. As soon as the door clinks closed behind her Brooke sighs and flops into the chair behind her. Not much frustrates her more than not being able to focus and today it is worse than it has been in years.
She hardly even notices that Kristen has finished up with her client and is in front of her checking him out until she turns around and says, "Okay, Brooke, you are kind of starting to worry me! You have been zoned out like crazy, hardly talking, and look like you are going to break into tears or tear something apart."
Once again she sighs. "I don't know what's wrong with me! I can't focus worth a darn and just plain going crazy. The worst part is I don't even know why."
Kristen takes a seat in a chair near by. "Well, if you don't mind I will give you my random thoughts about everything that you have told me in the last two weeks or so." She watches as Brooke shrugs and nods before continuing, "My first guess is that you can't focus because you are tied up in knots about everything going on with Gary. You need to call him. Don't always wait for him to call you, sometimes he will need you to call him too. What's the worst that can happen?" She doesn't wait for her to answer before she goes on, "He not answer. Now, we don't have anyone left on the schedule and only a couple hours before closing, so I want you to go home and call him."
Brooke smiles, but isn't sure she wants to. One, she isn't a quitter, just because her mind is anywhere but where it should be doesn't mean she walks away. Two, is calling him really the best thing to do? Finally she caves under Kristen's hard gaze and throws her hands in the air. "Okay, okay, I guess I don't have anything to loose."
***
Gary pounds his fists against the black round punching bag. After he himself talking with Peter's doctors it felt like someone shoved the words down his throat and now they are threatening to come back up. Never before did he know that news like this makes you feel physically sick, invincible, angry, and want to be a little boy and hide behind your mom's skirt again all at once.
Tears run down his cheeks and he begins to sob. Sinking to his knees with his back against the sender block wall he digs his fingernails into his palms. One word with a million different ones following it rings through his mind. Why? Why the way it happened? Why so soon? Why so young? Why to such a sweet woman who has been through so, so much?
His phone begins to ring, playing the song In Christ Alone done by Anthem Light. Letting his gaze travel to the name he shakes his head. Brooke. He should answer it, even wants to answer it, but he can't. His mind won't tell his hand to move to it, and he knows it can't keep it together to talk to her. Once the phone stops ringing he sends her a text.
Hey, sorry I couldn't answer. I'll fill you in on all the details soon, but he isn't going to make it.
As he types the last few words another batch of tears comes at him. This time he doesn't try to stop them he just lets them flow. Peter is gone. No more crazy horse races, or life threatening four-wheeler stunts. The meals that they would loudly tell stories to Carol are no more. Daring someone to do a weird dance in the college hall and use horrible sentence structure when talking to the teacher can't be done with his best friend and partner in crime.
All of these thoughts and memories brings back one in particular. Two weeks after meeting Peter talked Gary into making a bet on who would get married first, out of the two of them. It ended up the bet was that Peter would, because he had always been a flirty type guy. Not to mention handsome with his dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Well, Pete, I guess you lost that one," he mutters bitter sweetly.
That memory brings on a whole other situation resting on his shoulders and eating at his sanity. Brooke. He hasn't talked to her in a while and feels horrible about it, but what can he do? Nothing he tells her will be positive and he doesn't want to weight her down with bad news of someone who she didn't even meet. "Peter, I sure do wish you could have met her. She's great, very patient, sweet, and always willing to do what everyone else wants to do." He chuckles. "She hasn't even told me I need a shower! I bet it's not because I don't need it though. You always made sure I didn't get rotten smelling. Thanks bro!" His voice cracks and he feels like his heart is cracking too.
Without really knowing it he begins to hum the tune to In Christ Alone. Closing his eyes he lets the truth of the words fight it's way past all the hurt, anger, and sadness to his heart. Christ is the only place he should place his trust. The only place he wants to place his trust.
Thirty minutes or so pass before there is knock on the hard wood door and it swings open. Slowly, almost dreading who it might be Gary looks up to meet the eyes of his dad.
Benjamin sinks onto the conceit floor next to his oldest son, but doesn't say a word. In fact it is a couple minutes before either of them says anything.
"Thanks for coming Dad," Gary says softly as tears pool in his eyes that are set on the toe of his boots.
Placing a gentle and understanding hand on Gary's shoulder he nods. "It's no problem, son. Peter was a very good man. Your mom and I both always enjoyed having him at our home."
For the first time since he entered the room Gary stares into his dad's eyes. "You were his dad. He always told me that going to the house was just as much going home to him as going to Mrs. Carol's." At the mention of Carol he drops his eyes before sighing heavily. "It's not fare to her! She's already lost her husband and one son, why did it happen to her again?"
"The Lord giveth and taketh away. We don't know why, but He has a better plan."
Gary nods, he knows and believes every word his dad said, but they don't take the hurt away. "I just wish Cane could make it here too." As much as he wants to toughen up and be the man he, most of the time, feels like he doesn't have the strength or energy to hold back the tears. How many times it makes that they have over taken him he has no idea, but he doesn't care to either.
"I know," his dad says placing his hand on his shoulder. "He thought a lot of Peter. I'll try to get a hold of him and let him know."
Gary only nods. They sit in silence for a long while before Gary begins to get to his feet and offer his dad a hand up. Without saying a word Gary leads the way out of the gym and to his pickup in the parking lot. His dad's worn dodge is parked next to his. "I'll meet you at my hotel and give you the extra key."
"See you there," Benjamin calls before closing his door behind him and starting the diesel engine.
Gary's eyes watch his dad pull away, but his mind is far away. Off in its own word which for the first time in a very long time is a dark sad place. All he can think about is the what ifs and the whys and the most daunting one, what am I going to do. Slowly his thought begin to clear and he picks his phone up. Almost as if he is in a dream he scrolls through his contacts, and finds 'Brooke'. His finger hovers over her name for a couple minutes. He sighs and drops his phone onto the console.
"Why?! I can't do anything. I can't make a phone call, think straight, or even talk to my dad. What is wrong with me?" He is yelling with his voice dripping with anger, though he doesn't even know what he is angry at. Once again he feels tears begin to burn, but this time he doesn't let them get the best of him. No, he's done with tears.
After a moment he once again he picks up his phone. Swallowing deeply and taking a cleansing breath he lets his finger tap the name. This time it starts to ring. Too late to back out now.
A/N
Soooo no one had the courage to tell me who their least favorite character is! 😝
New question!
How do you think you would react if in Brooke's place?