BE MY BRAYSHAW

by Meagan Brandy

  She perches against the frame, holding her long dress in her hands.

  “You had this tick where you couldn’t focus on anything, until you broke down what was on your mind in a way you could understand it, and then you’d move on to the next.” She eyes me. “When you were twelve, you stopped asking. You self-trained, developed a natural ability to see things for what they were, to comprehend without asking, to speak without a word.”

  My frown deepens and I follow her gaze to Victoria.

  “Now you’re in the dark, feelin’ blind, can’t understand, can’t even form the question in your own mind, and it’s frustratin’ the heck out of you, but remember, boy.” She waits for me to look at her. “Closed mouths don’t get fed.”

  “You act like she’d tell me the truth if I asked for it.”

  “You act like you know she wouldn’t.” Maybell lifts her brows, making me chuckle. She grins. “She’s just like you, you know. Her mind works the same.”

  “Closed mouths don’t get fed,” I repeat what she said.

  Maybell pulls her lips to the side in a soft smile, patting me on the shoulder. “And that, my boy, is why you both sit starved.”

  Chapter 12

  Victoria

  “The person you are trying to reach is not available, please leave a message after the tone.”

  I hang up, dropping my phone in my lap as I look out over the empty field.

  Why do I keep trying to call her?

  “Gotta say, Friday night was interesting.”

  My muscles grow taut at the intruder’s voice, and I squeeze my eyes closed a moment.

  Damn it.

  Right as I open them Mike comes to stand in front of me, and while his smile is easy, his stare weighs heavy with a critical squint.

  My shoulders fall, a heavy exhale leaving me as I look him over. I spot a few small scrapes and already fading bruises, but they’re too subtle to have been given by a Brayshaw, so they must be from his fight.

  “Can I sit?” he finally asks.

  “Should you?”

  His lips twist as he looks away briefly. “Come on, Tor.”

  As much as I don’t want to have this conversation, I know I have to.

  I pat the metal bleacher at my side and he drops down, sits back and stares out at nothing as I am.

  “Bell don’t ring for another hour, why you at school already?” he leads, having already come to his own conclusion.

  “Needed some air.”

  He scoffs, and I hold in my frown.

  “I take it Royce didn’t threaten to cut you at the belt the other night?”

  “You mean after you ran out?” he throws back quickly, but I don’t respond, so he answers my question. “He took a different approach.”

  I can only imagine.

  Mike’s quiet a moment, and then gets right to the point. “Big change from when I left.”

  “Yeah... it is,” I admit.

  No point in denying, he saw with his own eyes, and I have no intention of hiding what I want from anyone, not even him.

  I finally glance his way. “What was that ‘my boyfriend’ shit, Mike? Why’d you do that, why come into their zone, draw attention to yourself?”

  He pulls a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket, offering me one as he does, but I shake my head, so he delays, lighting it and pulling in a long drag.

  He slowly blows the smoke out. “I was fucking around.”

  Tension builds in my gut as I ask, “Were you?”

  His eyes swing to mine, resentment front and center.

  “I could sense something was up with him and you, he was... watching you watch the fight, didn’t see him look away once, noticed how he got angry when you smiled.” He leans his elbows on his knees, eyes now glued on the burning tip of his cigarette. “He was angry at the entire situation.”

  My stomach curls as I stare at his profile.

  His jaw tics beneath his caramel skin, giving away his true thoughts.

  “I don’t know,” he keeps talking. “Guess I wanted to test him out, see if you were a plaything or, fuck...” He frowns. “More.”

  It takes him several seconds to meet my gaze again, and when he does his is full of confusion, indecision, prompting me to ask what I don’t want to.

  “Why did you come back here? First the warehouses, now the school?” I whisper, shaking my head. “You made the decision to go. I told you I wanted to make a life in this place. You said you understood, I thought you did.”

  “Yeah,” he snaps. “Thought I did, too, Tor.”

  “Mike—”

  “Stop.” He cuts me off as he glares across the field.

  I eye him, and after a moment, he swings an easy grin my way. “I just... wanted to see you.”

  It settles something inside me.

  I run my fingers along his jaw, only to snatch the cigarette from his mouth to lighten the mood.

  It works, he chuckles, a shred of light coming back into his eyes, but as quickly as the atmosphere shifts, it shifts again.

  The cigarette is slapped to the ground.

  My head snaps to the right, and I squint as the sun meets my eyes, only for a heavy shadow to block it a moment later.

  Captain stands there, face blank, but that’s not what has me slowly rising to my feet.

  His fingers begin to disappear into his pocket.

  “Cap—” I cut off as his chin lifts, his hand now at his side, brass knuckles already on and firmly in place.

  “Get out of here.” Captain’s eyes slowly lift over my head, locking onto Mike as he adds, “Now.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  Captain’s glare slices back to mine, and at first, annoyance flares, but then it’s gone and a mocking glint takes its place.

  “What, you thought he was brave enough to try and sneak his way to you?” A taunting laugh leaves him. “Come on, Tor, I thought you knew more about this place than that, clearly he does.”

  I whip around, looking at Mike.

  He approached them?

  When?

  Where?

  Shit.

  I shake my head, and he shrugs, anger making the movement stiff.

  “You know how it goes.” Something flickers across Mike’s face but it’s gone just as quick. “Bray Girls are off limits.”

  And I’ve been deemed one.

  Mike licks his lips, stretching to his full height. “The price is worth it,” he dares, shifting closer.

  Captain understands what he’s saying, sees his challenge, and moves an inch in as well.

  He narrows his eyes on me, and while I shouldn’t, I can’t resist using this moment in my favor, to bate him, wishing he’d bite as hard as he’s able.

  “What all did they give you permission to do?”

  Captain’s jaw flexes and he slides forward right as a gargled sound leaves Mike.

  I whip around to find a long, tatted arm wrapped around his neck.

  Royce grins, tightening his grip as he kicks Mike’s feet from under him, causing him to fall to his knees. “Hiya, VicVee, doin’ stupid shit again, I see.”

  Suddenly, I’m gripped around the thighs, my body lifted into the air and I yelp, trying to reach for something to hold on to, but the move has me almost falling forward, so I lock my knees straight and growl, hoping not to fall flat on my face as Captain takes the bleachers two at a time.

  “Is this necessary?”

  “Shut up, Victoria.”

  I’m passed off, now stuck in Maddoc’s hold like a child as Raven laughs near his side.

  I flip her off, making her laugh even harder, quickly looking toward Captain as he rushes back where Mike is being held in place by Royce.

  Not that he tried to fight free.

  Not that he’d get free.

  I relax, and Maddoc allows my feet to hit the ground, but spins me so my arms are wrapped around myself, wrists in each of his hands at my sides.

  “Nice to be on this side of the
grab and go game for once.” Raven grins, sipping on her coffee.

  “Shut up.” I roll my eyes and she smiles wider, quickly jolting back as Captain appears again.

  I expect him to pause in front of me, yell and scream, but he doesn’t.

  He dips, lifting me from the front this time, leaving me no choice but to wrap my legs around him or be a pencil in his arms.

  With angry, jerky movements, he carries me across the grass, past the cement and doesn’t pause for a second until we’re entering the side building that leads to the media rooms in the school.

  Once inside, his arms fall, and I’m dropped to my feet.

  I stumble backward, forced to use the desk to catch my fall, but shove off as quick as I hit it.

  “Why the fuck is he so interested in you?”

  “Why the hell would you give someone permission to come to me if you didn’t want them to?”

  “I’m asking the questions,” he booms.

  “Oh,” I mock like an asshole. “All of a sudden you’re about asking what you want to know?”

  “God damn it,” he growls.

  He grips me and tugs me close, our body’s now flush and heated for more reasons than one.

  His heavy glare falls to my lips, his hand flying up in the same second to grip the back of my neck. He drives me backward until my spine meets the cooled wall, but before either of us can speak another word or give in to the heavy, desire-coated tension we’re falling headfirst into, a tearful shriek fills the air and we freeze.

  Captain’s eyes grow sharp and he lifts a finger to his lips.

  I rush toward the door to gauge the sound better, and Captain’s right there to grip my arm.

  He yanks me back, but then a broken plea follows.

  “Please, I’m sorry.”

  Captain flies out the door, me on his tail.

  Right as we round the corner, Jason Rowe’s hand comes down across his girlfriend’s face, in a hard, opened handed slap.

  She cries out, but it quickly turns to a shrill scream when Captain suddenly slips in her sight. He has Jason by the neck, lifts and slams him to the marble at our feet in seconds.

  Jason’s head bounces against the hard flooring, eyes fluttering as his body fights to stay conscious.

  Captain pulls out his phone, lifting it to his ear. After a moment he says, “Get in here.” He shoves it back in his pocket.

  Tisha, his girlfriend, tries to run off, but I dart forward, gently gripping her wrist.

  She whips her wide eyes to me, tears pouring down her face as she tries to work through her shock.

  “It’s okay,” I edge gently, my muscles settling. “This is what they do.”

  “He’ll—” she starts, but cuts off, when Captain looks up at her.

  She swallows, dropping her eyes to her toes.

  Royce and Maddoc come charging around the corner in the next second, and when Maddoc looks over his shoulder, Raven steps to his side.

  Royce’s gaze wildly snaps along the scene, and a sheet of rage blankets his entire being. A visible tremor shakes him where he stands and with it the brown of his eyes grows black. It’s as if he leaves his body completely. He opens and closes his right fist at his side, and I can’t help but notice the blood already spread across his knuckles.

  Mike’s blood.

  Captain takes his knee off Jason’s chest and stands.

  He coughs, half rolling on his side, his first sign of consciousness since he was laid on his ass, but Captain doesn’t let him find comfort by shifting his body.

  He pulls his leg back, kicking him straight in the side, and Jason gasps, panic in his eyes when he realizes he can’t get air into his lungs.

  Royce moves forward as Captain slides back, an eerie, black cloud surrounding him.

  He picks up Jason’s foot, hooking it over his shoulder.

  Jason’s eyes widen, moisture filling them as Royce begins to walk forward in slow, unnerving steps, Jason’s head scraping against the ground as his body hangs over Royce’s back.

  He doesn’t stop until he’s kicking open the door at the very end of the hall and stepping through it, the heavy metal coming back to slam against Jason’s limp body as they exit.

  I look to Raven, who stares in the direction Royce went.

  Maddoc looks to Captain, and then pins Raven with a stern look that can only mean for her to stay put right before he charges in the direction Royce disappeared.

  The girl finally comes out of her shock and begins to cry, her body shaking as she lifts her hands to hide her face.

  My pulse races and I step away from her, looking to Raven to find the same uncomfortable expression on her.

  She meets my eye and then focuses on Captain.

  Captain wipes the sweat from his browline with the hem of his shirt and then steps toward her.

  “Tisha,” he calls, a tenderness in his tone that has not only her shoulders falling but mine. He shuffles closer, gently reaching out to wrap his fingers around her hands.

  She flinches, hesitating, but slowly allows him to pull her hands down. She can’t bring herself to look at him, though, her eyes are focused on the floor.

  “Can you turn your head for me, let me see?”

  Slowly she does, and her hair falls to the side.

  A thick welt stares back, the perfect shape of a hard hand, as if she didn’t cower away from the slap, but stood there and accepted what she knew was coming.

  “How long?”

  She shakes her head as more tears build. “No, he, um...” she cries, but tries to laugh it off. “It’s track season, you know?” she rushes out, sniffling. “Mr. Carpo asked me to interview the team and when he found out I was meeting a couple at lunch today he... he didn’t mean.” She swallows. “It’s just—”

  “Look at me, Tisha,” he cuts her off.

  Her nose grows red, and finally she meets his eyes.

  Something inside her breaks then, her cries growing uncontrollable.

  Raven turns around, taking a few steps away.

  He pulls her hands into his chest, whispering, “How long?”

  “Couple months,” she breathes. “I... tried to break up with him, but he...” She shrugs.

  Captain nods, letting her go and stepping back. “He’s gone.”

  Her eyes slide toward the door he was drug through, and she asks, “What will he do to him?”

  “Everything he could have possibly done to you, but worse,” Captain answers honestly.

  “Will he kill him?” she asks.

  “He might.” Captain shrugs. “There is no stopping Royce when it comes to something like this.”

  “He was accepted into Brown,” she hesitantly offers. “For basketball, made me accept their offer, too.”

  Captain glares. “We’ll take care of it, break both his legs.”

  Her lip twitches and she nods, pulling her hair over her left shoulder to try and help hide the markings on her face. “I, um...”

  Captain shakes his head, stepping back more and she offers him a tight smile before hustling off.

  My chest settles as I watch her walk away, imagining the weight she must feel lifted.

  This is why their people love and listen to them.

  A small smile finds my lips, but it’s quickly erased when suddenly I’m the one caged against the wall.

  He glares down at me, but the longer he looks, the more his gaze narrows, and then he jerks away. He takes slow steps toward where his brothers are and then spins on his heels, rushing out.

  Raven scoffs, stepping up beside me.

  “What?”

  “Everything is what. You’re an idiot and cruising along like nothing, he’s being stubborn and allowing you to, Royce is... I don’t know yet, but something, and Maddoc thinks I’m made of glass.”

  “You’re fragile.”

  “And you’re running out of time.”

  “Are you pissed at me or not, ‘cause I can’t tell anymore.”

  “Me either
!” she snaps, and I have to hold back a laugh at how frustrated she seems with herself. “And that’s the fucking thing. I want you here, don’t make me say I need you here. I’m having a fucking baby, Vee, and yeah, it’s gonna have a damn army behind it, but I want it to have more. Love from something tied directly to him or her like I never had. Like you never had.” Her shoulders fall and she shakes her head. “So stop fucking around. There is no way you’re not hiding more. Talk to him, make him understand.”

  I frown. She has no way of knowing this for sure, none of them do.

  Still I say, “He’s still too angry. He’s not ready for more.”

  “Whatever you say, Victoria. Just remember, a week of hate for them burns like a lifetime.”

  She slowly moves closer, as if she’s got more to say, but walks right by instead.

  I stand there, staring at the door they all four exited from, not moving until students begin to show up, letting me know it must be getting close to the start of school.

  Today sucks already.

  Captain

  Royce runs the towel through his hair, draping it across his neck as he drops onto the bench.

  After he handled Jason, we had Mac get rid of him, and opened up the locker room attached to the gym, one only used during games so we could give him some time to recoup.

  He leans back, knocking his head against the locker behind us, his eyes meeting ours as he tries to snap out of it.

  “I’m good,” he rasps, a small grin appearing next. “Him, not so much.”

  Suddenly the locker room doors open, and Victoria rushes in, Mac behind her.

  “We said let nobody in.”

  He lifts his hands. “I know, man, but she—”

  “Where’s your phone?” Victoria cuts him off, moving closer. “Where are any of your phones?”

  I frown, patting my pocket to find it empty.

  Royce digs his out, waving it around. “Broke or dead.” He shrugs, his arm flopping back to his side.

  Maddoc glances to Raven as she pulls his from her hoodie. “I didn’t hear it ring.”