Ethan
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There are these flyers posted all over school with Brandon Palmer's face on them. The caption below his picture says lost dog with extra details that are so malicious and funny it makes me envious that I didn't come up with it myself. Actually, I'm jealous of the entire concept.
Whoever did this is a genius.
The flyers aren't just posted at school, they're everywhere. They're stapled on trees, taped on stop signs and various businesses in the community. There must be thousands of them. Everywhere you turn, BOOM, its Brandon, lost dog, infected with herpes. It's even on Facebook.
No one knows who's responsible for it but there are rumors' going around that it's Rhiannon and her friends. If it is in fact their work of art then I applaud them because they have good reasons but it's a little hard to believe because:
A- I overheard Kylie and Clara talking to Nia Young this morning when she asked them if they did it and they laughed and said they wished it was them. Now I know with Clara's history I shouldn't believe that but they sounded very convincing.
B- Rhiannon and her friends aren't the only ones out for Brandon's blood. After that picture of him kissing Haley circulated around a lot of people at school got angry with the way he's treated Rhiannon. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the cheerleading squad finally put their brains to good use and came up with that genius flyer.
There's a lot of speculation going on but it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out and when it does shit's going to hit the fan. It saddens me that there's going to be a downfall from this because Brandon Palmers is nothing short of what that flyer states.
Again, I wish it was me that thought of it.
He's hurting the girl I like, the girl I want to be with. If I had the chance that he had I wouldn't have done what he did, I'm not an idiot. Rhiannon is a goddess, we're all extremely lucky to be breathing the same air as her. I know I'm lucky as hell. I not only had the chance to talk to her, I got to sit next to me and walk beside her. She opened up to me and I know it's not something she would do with just anyone at the school.
So yeah I consider myself lucky.
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Rhiannon
I can't believe I let Kylie and Clara to go through with this.
It's a complete catastrophe.
The whole school is talking and it's not the whispering in the corner kind of talk. I can't even be angry because we brought this on ourselves. I told them to print the ridiculous flyer, I'll take full responsibility for that but I will not take responsibility to how it's being advertised.
Kylie and Clara hired the cheerleading squad to go around every corner in the community to post the flyers. There must be at least a thousand flyers on the streets not including the ones posted at school. And if that wasn't enough, pictures of the flyers are now circulating through Facebook.
We did all this for nothing.
We'll definitely get into a shitload of trouble when Principal Caldwell starts investigating but the real reason behind our action was to gain Brandon's attention and he's nowhere in sight. I know for a fact that he's aware of what's going because the girls left a pile of flyers on his lawn last night with an additional paper bag of dog crap on his doorstep. He knows all of this is targeted towards him and yet he's still in hiding.
By the way it's looking I'm pretty sure that I'll never get answers or see his face again. Not only did he break my heart but he's going to leave a hole inside of me that will never be healed. The more I think about the situation the bigger the hole gets. It's depressing to admit but one day I'm going to disintegrate and all that's going to be left is an empty black hallow hole and by then it'll be too late to replenish to put me back together.
This has been a harrowing experience, the worst I've ever gone through and to know that it won't get better makes me want to crawl inside myself and die. I can't believe I came out of the darkness for this. I belonged in the darkness, we were becoming one. The darkness understood my pains and sufferings, it didn't soothe me but I could hate without guilt.
I let Kylie and Clara talk me into leaving my bubble of hatred promising me that it would get better. People fucking lie when they say it gets better, it doesn't and I was a fool to believe that it ever would. I can try to face reality, muster up the courage to face the world and be brave like my mother did after the divorce but unfortunately I can't. I'm too weary to try so for now I'll just wait and watch everything unfold before my eyes.
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Ethan
No one knows where Brandon Palmers is.
Principal Caldwell has the faculty hunting him down like a swat team. It's pretty funny to witness all the panic taking place today especially given the fact that it's only second period. There hasn't been this much excitement so early in the day since Laurie Fields poured her ice-coffee on Mrs. Diaz head in Spanish and that happened last year.
Rhiannon looked somber during first period like she's ready to turn herself in because everyone is accusing her.
Her friends on the other hand, couldn't care less.
The first half of first period they were reading comments about the flyers on Facebook laughing their heads off. McNabb had to ask them to leave. It's a good thing cyber bullying isn't in the student manual otherwise half the students at South Winston would be expelled.
No one knows for sure who Caldwell is going to pin for this since he's unaware of the break-up situation. His first plan of action is finding Brandon to discuss it with him so that way he can get potential names of the culprit and start his investigation.
When he starts narrowing it down, I know Rhiannon is going to be at the top of the list. I don't want her to get expelled for this and I'll probably never see her again and whatever slight chance I have with her will be out of the window.
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Rhiannon
"Whatever happens I'll take the blame for it," Clara says as she crunches on the remains of her lollipop.
"Don't be ridiculous," I say. "I'm not going to let you go down for this alone."
"I agree with Rhi," Kylie seconds. "We're all in this together."
"How long do you think it's going to take Caldwell to call us into his office?" Clara asks.
Kylie and I look at each other and shrug. As far as Principle Caldwell is concerned it could be anyone from the student body but the student body knows it's us three that are responsible for the flyer and its distribution. No one is running their mouths and legs to Caldwell's office to snitch because in some strange way they admire what we did. However, with that being said, they're not exactly being inconspicuous with their thoughts.
If they're not whispering, they're staring at us and the girls and I are experiencing both at once as we walk to Kylie's car in the student parking lot. Everyone who's hanging in the parking lot has eyes on us, it's as if they want to say something but they know they can't. If I didn't feel untouchable before, I definitely do now.
"This is crazy," Kylie says slipping her arm through mine.
As we approached Kylie's car I notice a figure leaning in the front with one foot propped up on the bumper. The person is in all black with a hoodie over his head and although he has his back to us I recognize the figure. Kylie immediately starts panicking at the fact that some stranger has the audacity to lean against her beloved BMW.
"Hey," she screams, running towards the car. "You can't lean against my car, dude."
The person doesn't budge so Kylie goes into angry mode and shoves him aside which didn't do much since Kylie is like a hundred pounds. When the person finally turns around to face her, her face goes completely white like a ghost. I didn't need to fully see the person's face to know who it is. My heart skips a beat then suddenly he turns around fully allowing us to see his face and at that exact moment I can actually feel the pain in my chest, throbbing and burning.
Tears quickly prick the back of my eyes. I can't look away from him, even though it feels like I'm torturing myself by doing so. I thought when I finally saw him he would be completely enraged and ready to fight but he looks calm and unaffected by all the events that surrounded him today.
That was Brandon for you, he rarely showed his true feelings towards anything. He wanted people to guess how he felt rather by telling them. I was the only one that could ever crack his hard shell. That's well over now since he dumped me like hot garbage with no sign or warning.
He's here though, on school grounds and apparently he's looking for me since we found him waiting next to Kylie's car. A part of him must care or maybe he got tired of hiding out. Whichever it is, he's here, standing only a few inches from me with a blank expression on his face.
Clara is looking down at him, contemptuous but also bored, as if she gave up expecting anything more a long time ago. Kylie just looks pissed off, the only time I've ever seen her look that angry was when her neighbor's sadistic son almost ran over her cat with his bike, and I.....well I'm too stunned to move.
So we stand there staring at each other. No one utters a word. The silence is thunderous.
People gather around us, watching intently waiting to see what's going to happen. After what seems like an eternity Brandon takes four careful steps towards me, his dark hazel eyes not giving anything away. I'm angry, scared and nervous all at once. What is he going to do? What is he going to say? What can he say? That callous animal broke my heart, nothing he says can ever repair it.
When he opens his mouth, my heart begins to beat at an unnatural rate. Everything starts spinning at a rapid pace and I think I'm going to pass out. This has to be the most excruciating second of my life. This is it, I think. He's going to apologize and finally give me an explanation.
"I won't tell Caldwell it was you." He whispers.
I take a step back, flummoxed by his choice of words. Maybe I didn't hear him correctly, maybe my violent thoughts of wanting to do bodily harm to him have block my hearing senses because there's no way in hell he said what I think he just said.
With an acrid taste in my mouth I ask him to reiterate.
"I said I won't tell principle Caldwell that it was you." He says again enunciating every word.
Okay, so he did say what I think he just said. It's been nearly two weeks since he crushed my heart into pieces and those words are what he's choosing to say to me. No apology, no explanation, no hopeful words. Maybe I'm in the Twilight Zone or something.
"You won't tell Caldwell what exactly?" Clara asks icily.
"I won't tell him what you did." He says silently. "I know it was you. You three concocted this little plan to destroy me but it obviously didn't work." He adds.
The more he speaks the more I want to hurt him. I have a nail file in my bag, one of the thin sharp pointy metal ones that resembles a blade. I can pull it out right now and jab him right in his heart. I just want to puncture him a little bit so he can feel a sliver of what I'm feeling.
"You think we did this to destroy you?" Kylie says. "You're either blind or extremely stupid."
"He's both," Clara answers on his behalf.
"We did this because you're a fucking coward, Brandon. This was the only way we could get your attention." Kylie explains.
"So you do this," he says harshly referring to the flyers he pauses then engulfs a mouthful of air. "Rhi, if you wanted to talk, you should have asked."
I hate the way he says my name, like we're still together. It's disgusting.
"Why should she be the one seeking to talk to you?" Clara asks dumbfounded. "She didn't break her own heart, you broke it you dumb fuck."
Ladies and gentleman that is the most profound thing I've ever heard Clara Jennings say in her life. Her words have made enough impact to shut Brandon up. He needs a few minutes to rack that brainless head of his to think. What can he possibly say to that?
"I'm sorry," he says solemnly.
Immediately following after his words something evokes inside me. I don't know if it's the way he apologized or my desire for wanting more but all the anger I'd been holding inside me since he broke up with me comes spewing out of me in a rush.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I jab my index finger into his rock hard chest, I'm not going to lie to you it kind of hurts but I was too angry to care. "I'm sorry isn't going to cut it, Brandon. Because of you I'm going through hell. I should be focusing on important things right now like school and applying for college but instead I can't. I'm wasting time thinking and questioning what I did wrong and resorting to childish antics to get your attention because you're too fucking coward to face me."
The group of people that gathered around us have doubled, honestly it feels like the whole school is watching us and I want to stop yelling and shouting but I can't. I didn't bring any of this on, it's all Brandon's fault and he should face the music.
"And I can't believe you've been hooking up with Haley Valentine, out of all fucking people." I shake my head in disgust. "I fucking hate you Brandon for what you did to me, I really do. If you wanted to show me and everyone else what a heartless monster you really are, well you did because now we all know."
"I've always known," Clara mutters, as I try to catch my breath.
"Can you shut your little mouth for once, Clara?" He says gritting his teeth. "This has nothing to do with you."
She laughs a joyless laugh marching towards him. "You think this has nothing to do with me," she shrieks in his face. "I'm the one who's been there, you idiot. Kylie and I are the ones that's been helping her day in and night trying to mend what you broke."
"Is that what you were doing when you were at Patrick Sutter's party?" He asks.
Clara scrunches up her face, balls up her fist and her eyes quickly go dark. Before she can actually punch him Kylie grabs her.
"You don't want to get suspended," Kylie says. "He's not worth it."
"He's averting the situation." Clara yells angrily.
She's right, Brandon is an expert at that but unfortunately for him this is an unavoidable situation. The entire school is practically watching enjoying every minute of it. All they need is popcorn to make this event even more glorious than it is.
"Rhi," he tries to reach for my hand but I quickly move away before he can make contact. Does he think he's allowed to do that after what he's done? The audacity.
He sighs heavily removing the hood off his head to run his hand through his wildly curly hair. "If you want to talk, we'll talk." He says. "Tonight, at the usual time, at our usual place."
"Hell no," Clara chimes in. "Anything you have to say to her you can say it in front of us right here right now."
Brandon surveys the crowed. This may have been his show but he wasn't going to give the crowed any more than he already had. He didn't owe them anything, not Kylie or Clara. I alone deserve answers and in order for me to get them it had to be done one on one.
"There's no need for that, Clara," I say. "I'll see you tonight."
"What?" Kylie and Clara gasp in unison.
For a split second I see a small smile spread at the corner of Brandon's lips.
"Okay," he says. He looks at me for a moment like he used. Heat rushes through my body. I have to look away to keep from crying. I can't help but still want him, despite everything's that happened.
"I have some things to tend to, I'll see you tonight." And with that he takes off, leaving me longing and Kylie and Clara stunned with their jaws hanging wide open.