I pulled the blanket from over my head and the sun shined in my eyes. It was barely coming up. We've been out here for hours and it might have only felt like minutes. What would I know?
"Put it back." She mumbled.
I kissed her on the forehead and checked the time on my cell phone. It was 6am. I should go home, I told her. "Just stay." I couldn't help resist her eyes so I turned away. My parents would kill me if they caught me out here. We got up and got dressed and went home. I kissed her outside her house and let her go inside. She said she'd never forget. I wouldn't either. I closed my eyes in bed and wondered how we got here.
"Hey shithead, breakfast is almost ready."
I was asleep for three hours before he woke me up. That's my brother Samuel Mitch Stone. He's my fifteen year old brother. He's the youngest of us. He is the smallest of us all too and just as good looking as me, my aunts always say. He looks a whole lot like me. He's small, has black short hair, and he even has blue eyes. He's my little brother. He's Sammy.
"Get out of my room." I moaned under the pillow.
He jumped on my bed. "Dad said it's time for breakfast, asshole!" Our older brother came into the room. He's nineteen. He's about six feet, 2 inches, buff, has black short hair, and hazel eyes. He got dad's eyes. His name is Shia Salvador Stone. He's our older brother, he's what dad calls our protector.
"Leave him alone, dick."
"Shut up, no one's talking to you." Samuel replied.
"Hey Shia!" I said loudly.
"Looks like he is." Shia replied leaning against the door frame.
"Well no one important is talking to you, Sally." He stuck his tongue out and turned back to trying to wake me up. Shia walked slowly forward and put Samuel into a headlock. "Douche!" Samuel yelled as he fell on the bed next to me. They wrestled. Samuel was way smaller than him so he couldn't even pray to win. "Cut it out guys." They stopped almost immediately. Samuel fixed his hair, as he's obsessed with his looks, but didn't move as Shia was sitting on his back.
"Where were you last night?"
He asked suspiciously. "I was with a girl." They weren't surprised. They wanted to know all about her. I guess this is what it might be like having girl friends at school. "Is she hot?" Samuel asked with great interest.
"Without a doubt."
"He wouldn't pick an ugly girl, idiot." Shia.
"Well what if he's mainly into personality." Samuel.
"I'm not." Me.
We discussed it with great detail, except for the sex, until dad came in. Dad's young, still thirty-nine, and he's as tall as Shia but with brown hair. "Breakfast is ready, boys." He left the room and we all continued to talk. Samuel was more interested than Shia was as Shia has had plenty of experience with girls. "Does she have a sister? Does she have two?" I punched him in the arm. "That's disgusting, I wouldn't want us dating sisters." He stuck his tongue out at me this time. "Well I wouldn't want that either." I didn't get it. "Well congrats, bro." Shia said honestly before there was a pounding on the window. "This early?" Shia said towards the window.
At the window was my best friend Justin Michael Weathers. He's Mexican, same height as me, and the same age. Shia let him in. "Hey guys, did I make it for breakfast?" We all nodded and laughed. Justin is like family to us, even though we are enough with three boys.
"You didn't answer my phone call last night. I wanted to see if you wanted to shoot some hoops."
"He was getting his penis sucked, dude."
I punched Sammy again. He looked at me in surprise as if he didn't know why I did it. "Another night out with Bree?" He asked and I sensed annoyance in his voice. I nodded.
"Well you could have told me."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, no big deal. Anyways, guys, you all want to go to the movies tonight?"
Shia said he couldn't because he had a date and Samuel said he is hanging out with dad tonight. "Sonny?" He turned to me. "Of course." I said happily. I had to admit I haven't seen Justin as often as I should, so I couldn't pass this up. Yes, I have been giving most of my time to Bree, but I've been doing my best to manage all else. I see Justin at least once or twice a week and my family as well so it's no big deal. Hey, at least I haven't heard any complaints.
"Maybe you can bring Bree along. Ask her to bring a friend so we could double date."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, of course. Bree isn't a loser chick so I have no problem hanging out with her."
Dad walked in again and told us to go eat. We all ate. Justin left soon after and I did a little reading before seeing him and Bree tonight. I called her and she said she'd ask her best friend if she wanted to go. I haven't met her best friend, so I figured it might be a little awkward. No worries, I can handle awkward.
"So you're Bree?"
Justin shook her hand as she entered my room.
"Yes, and you're Justin?"
"Exactly. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise. I've heard so much about Sonny's best friend, I thought you were a celebrity."
Justin looked over to me. I was sitting down at the computer.
"I assure you, I am not such thing."
She smiled and jumped on my bed. She began to read a magazine I had on the dresser.
"You think maybe I should get a boob job?"
"No." Justin said quickly.
She looked at me, ignoring, and with good reason, Justin. "Of course not. I like your size." She smiled. Now this was probably what she wanted to hear, but that's not why I said it. It was what I actually thought. As of now, well, she's perfect.
"You guys make me happy." Justin said.
"Why?" We both replied.
"Because of the lack of PDA. I mean, you'd think you guys would be all over each other in the very first two months of dating. Most couples are at least until 6 months. You know, always having to kiss in front of friends, always holding each other, you know, the works. It's acceptable in the first two months but after that, get over yourselves. We get it, you're dating. It was cute the first two months, now it's just obnoxious and annoying. Honestly, I doubt they do it because they actually want to, sometimes it just feels as though they do it because that's what they think couples should be doing. They're right, couples under the age of 18 do do that."
He laughed.
"I'm rambling now. I just can't stand it. I'm glad you guys are different." He ended his rant.
"I have him in our alone time, why do I need to bother your time with him? I'm not rude. Just be happy he found me, alright, Justin?"
He nodded. This was nice, you know, my girlfriend and my best friend getting along. I want it to stay this way. They're both right about the PDA thing. It is annoying and no one likes it. Let's be honest, yes, I want her right now. Yes, I want to kiss her right now. Doesn't mean I have to though. I respect Justin more than I do anyone else and so I would never put him in an awkward position.
"Well I hope you losers are ready for tonight. It should be fun. I invited my best friend Coco for you, Justin. She's a real riot."
And I heard it, that name. Her name is Selena Coco Myers, aka Coco. She's my girlfriend's best friend. This is news to me. Coco, well she stays clear of me, and with good reason. She remembers all those bad times. To explain, Coco used to be my neighbor. We grew up together. Now is probably not the best time to come into each others lives again. Growing up we used to talk about love, about getting married, about having kids. We were young, we had nothing else to talk about other than toys and games. Dream girl, old dream girl, wow, this isn't going to be good.
"Hey Sonny, long time no see."
"Seriously, how are you?"
Breezy got between us. "Wait, you two know each other?"
"Yeah, we grew up together. Next door neighbors, to be exact."
I'm glad that's all she said. The rest wasn't necessary. I put the past into the ground, couldn't she?
"What the fuck! Small world, right?"
"Hi, I'm Justin." He introduced himself. We all went inside to watch the movie. It was Justin's pick and we didn't complain. I couldn't stop myself from thinking though, what's going on here? It kept me from paying attention to the movie which sucks because Justin was going to ask for my full review after. Damn! I told Breezy I was going to go buy myself a drink and that I'd be back in ten. I walked out and not twenty seconds later, and I'm being generous with the time here, she walked out behind me calling my name. It wasn't Breezy.
"Hey you, you got a sec?"
"I guess, even though the movie is playing."
"I know, but I had to get you alone."
"And why's that?"
"To talk, you know, like old times."
"In a movie theater concession area?"
"I take what I can get, Sonny." She said with a smile. I hate that smile. It always used to work on me when I was young. I wasn't going to let it now.
"So you're with Bree now? That's kinda awkward. She told me she met an amazing guy, I didn't think it would be you. Idiot me, thinking there might be someone more amazing out there than you." She said as some of her black hair went into her mouth. I pulled it out for her. She looked at me. She hadn't looked at me like in, well since we broke up.
"I wish you would have told me."
"Told you that I was dating a new girl?"
"Would have been nice. It has only been four months since you left me."
"Is that what this is? A guilt trip? Sorry, Coco, but when it comes to you I no longer subscribe to guilt."
"Still the same old Sonny, I see." She took a sip from her drink. "How long until you break her heart? How long? Going to make it an entire childhood like with me?"
"Coco, shut up."
"Not this time, guy. I speak from old wounds and I don't have a timer on when to stop. You and Bree, that needs to end."
"Why? I'm not going to get back with you."
"So you don't hurt her. I won't let my best friend become me."
I stood up. Why did I agree to this conversation?
"I won't let her become you either. I really like this girl. I really liked you at a time too. Scratch that, I fucking loved you."
"And I love you. Why can't it go back to that, Mullen? It's not too late."
She called me by my middle name. She always did in intimate moments. "No, it cant. I said angrily. "It never can, Coco. It's time you start understanding that. I loved you before, but you loved those drugs more. I watched you slip away and you didn't care. You won't make me feel bad anymore, you won't try and pull me back to you. Breezy has taken your place, and that's it."
I said calmly. I don't know how I made that happened.
"I'll keep trying."
"She's your best friend."
"You're my first love."
"It won't happen."
"Anything is possible."
She began to walk towards the doors. After today, I never want to see her face again. She had me once and never again. There's nothing she can do to change that.
"Maybe you'll feel differently in nine months."
She walked in with those words as her final weapon. She's pregnant.
"You and Coco got along fine. So weird that you guys know each other."
"Yeah, I know."
That was the end of it. I didn't tell her what I had heard almost an hour ago. I went home after dropping her off. As I opened the door, around 1am, mom was sitting down looking outside the window. "Hey mom." I said quietly. She didn't respond. She never did. I guess now would be a good time to tell you I had a brother once. His name was Scott Marcus Stone, he would have been twenty-one years old today. He would have been our older brother Scotty. He drowned in the pool when mom was pregnant with Shia. Since then Dad says she has never been the same. She's never held us as a baby the way she did him. She never showed us her love, the way she showed him. I don't blame her though. It was her first baby. She's lost somewhere in there and I don't blame her. I still love her. Maybe one day she'll open up to my brothers and I and tell us about that day. Until then, we just let her look outside the window. "Goodnight, Sonny." I heard her say while I was going upstairs. I said it back and went to bed.
"What the hell?"
At least I thought I was going to bed. It was raining outside now and I just heard a small bang on my window. I looked out and saw someone standing in the rain. I couldn't make out who it was because it was raining so hard. I hope it's not Coco. I expect crazy like this. I ran down stairs to the door. Thankfully Mom was in bed. I opened it and ran onto the porch.
"What are you doing?"
It was Breezy. What was she doing here at this time? Didn't I just take her home?
"I'm sorry."
She said in a weird voice. She opened her mouth and blood fell out of her mouth to the ground. She fell over as I ran to catch her. She hit the ground hard before I caught her. It was raining, I hated getting wet, but for her, it wasn't even something to think about.
"What the fuck happened? Breezy, what the fuck!" I held her in my arms. I looked at her face and it was all beat up. Half of her face was black and blue. "Who did this?" I was crying now. I was fucking cry. "I fucking kill them, Bree. I'll fucking kill them. Who did this to you?" She wouldn't say.
"Tell me! Who did this? You're bleeding!" My voice was rising, it was shaking, I was shaking.
"My dad."
"He did this?"
I picked her up and sat her down on the bench on our porch. "Where you going?" She whispered. I went back inside slowly. This isn't happening. How could he do this? That motherfucker! I grabbed my dad's gun from his safe and walked out. "No, Sonny, no." She said in a low voice.
"I have to, Breezy. I have to teach this bastard a lesson."
"You'll get into trouble. They'll take us away."
"But how else? This won't stop unless we do something ourselves! Bree, it's not going to stop by the wave of your hand or by wishing and praying!"
"I know, I know."
"I'm going. You stay here." I grabbed the blanket off the other chair and put it over her.
"Please don't, Sonny. They'll take you away."
I was crying still. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop myself from crying over the girl I think I love broken in front of me. I wiped my nose.
"What the fuck do you want me to do about this?"
"Just stay."
"I can't just stay here, Breezy. I have to do something!"
"No, you don't. I'll handle it. We'll handle it another day."
I could barely hear her. Her breathing was off as well.
"Just don't do it. Don't make that mistake."
I walked up to her.
"Is this what you really want?"
"You? Yes."
I kissed her on the forehead. I don't think she could tell which were tears and which were rain drops falling on her.
"I'll do something one day. I'll disobey you."
I grabbed my dad's keys and drove her to the hospital. When I got there they took her inside. I waited in the waiting room for twenty minutes before my brothers and Justin arrived.
"What the hell happened?" Justin said in a voice laced with fear.
"It's not me, it's Breezy."
Sammy hugged me and I fell back onto my seat with him, crying.
"Sonny."
He said crying in my jacket. He thought I wasn't okay.
"He's been crying since you called." Shia explained. He kept his face buried into my jacket the whole time.
"She going to be okay?" Justin asked.
"I'm sure. I haven't heard anything since we got here."
"What happened?" Shia inquired.
I told them about her abusive dad, I told them about how he treats her, I told them about tonight.
"We need to call the police." Justin suggested. I explained to them how that wasn't an option because she didn't want to leave. "Can we hurt him?" Sammy asked with his head lifted a bit. It was the first thing he said since my name. "Yes, we can."
"How?" Justin.
"A bat." Sammy.
"Think bigger." I suggested.
"How about a knife?" Shia said.
"Whatever it is, I have to send a message. This piece of shit needs to never put another hand on her again. If he does, I'll kill him myself." I said angrily. I was angry.
"I'm in." Justin.
"Course I am, little brother."
"And me!" Sammy.
"Not you, Sammy."
He looked down.
"I don't need you getting hurt too."
I kissed his head. I put my hand out. "Let's make a gentlemen's pact to get this done, shall we?" They agreed and place their hands over mine. "Thanks guys."
The doctor sat down at the chair next to Bree's table.
"So you fell down the stairs when going to get a midnight snack? That's an odd story to tell everyone once you're out of here."
She nodded.
"Well, the important part is you're going to be okay. For your injury you'll just need some store bought Tylenol and some rest. Try not eating late at night so this doesn't happen again. You're free to go."
He stood up and went to the computer.
"And what about what I told you about? Will there be a problem there?"
"Of course not, Mrs. Callahan. It's too early for something like this to hurt it."
"Okay, good. I was a bit afraid."
"No need to worry, just try to be more careful for now on. A pregnant woman has no business falling down stairs. Well, no person has business doing that."
He laughed. She didn't.
