Misjudged

by Sarah Elizabeth

  “Alex,” I tell him as I shake his hand gently. “I’m really sorry about your shirt.”

  “Your friend’s waiting for you,” he tilts his now empty glass in the direction behind me as he speaks. “Have a good evening.” He nods before releasing my hand and turning away.

  When I turn back around, I see Alyssa grinning widely and waving me over to join her.

  “You should have seen that asshole’s face! I thought he was going to grab that guy and drag him outside! Talk about turning green!” She clasps her hands together with far too much excitement than I can endure. “Who was he, anyway?”

  “Vinnie, apparently,” I answer. I’m more concerned over the way I’m feeling from what she said about Brandon. Forget about him, Alex. He used you, he told you that himself. Although, I still can’t fathom how he used me. It’s not as if we slept together.

  “He’s watching you again,” she leans over to tell me while keeping her eyes focused on the bar. “You should go make out with someone and piss him off!” I shake my head at her as my way of a reply. Typical Alyssa.

  The band’s set begins, and pretty much everybody in the room is making their way over now. Alyssa and I dance together and giddiness begins spreading through me when I see how much fun the guys are having. They sound amazing.

  We must have been dancing for well over an hour now, and I’m starting to feel a little overheated. It’s really getting hot in here and I find myself having to push my way through the crowd so I can try to get some air.

  I hadn’t realized Alyssa had followed me until I take a seat over in the far corner of the room. “Alex, Seth just asked me to go and meet him at his friend’s place,” she tells me warily.

  “Then go!” I laugh at her because I know that’s what she’s going to do anyway. “I’ll be fine. Go meet with him and I’ll wait for the guys to finish their set.”

  “Thank you!” She beams while pulling me in for a hug. “I love you!” She shouts over the music before making her way towards the exit. Maybe this time she and Seth will be just fine. Alyssa is usually the one to call the shots in all of her relationships, but this time, it seems to be the opposite way around.

  It’s just after eleven by the time the guys finish their set. The dispersing crowds appear to have really enjoyed the show. I sit by the bar while the place empties out, waiting for Neil and Ryan as they pack their equipment away before we all head home together.

  “Here, why don’t you have some of this? It’ll make you feel better.” I recognize the voice and when I turn around, I see Vinnie smiling as he takes a seat beside me. He places a glass of clear liquid in my hand. “You look as though you might need it.”

  “What is it?” I try to focus on the drink I just accepted from him. I hold it up to examine it, but because of my alcohol intake throughout the course of the evening, the glass slips to the side and spills down my arm. “Shoot!” I mumble, while placing the glass down onto the bar. I start looking around for a napkin or something so that I can try and get myself cleaned up.

  “It’s just water. You look like you’ve had a little too much alcohol already,” he smiles as I grab the glass again and lift it up towards my mouth. Suddenly, it’s grabbed away from me and smashed into what appears to be hundreds of shards of glass as it makes contact with the floor.

  “Hey!” I snap, and when I turn around, I see Brandon glowering over me. He looks as though he’s about to commit a murder or something. His eyes are almost black from the rage that’s displaying over his face. He grabs a hold of Vinnie by his collar, before dragging him out through the front door. Within a split second, Neil and Ryan are running through the doors after them. “He is such an asshole,” I mutter, as I make my way outside to see what’s going on.

  The fresh air doesn’t seem to be helping at all, and I find myself a little unsteady on my feet. I look around, but they’re nowhere in sight. Glancing first to my left, and then to my right, the only people I see are those who are leaving the bar. Where did they go?

  “Fuck, that’s enough man! Come on, I said enough!” Shit, that’s Ryan’s voice. Spinning around in the direction his voice came from, all I see is a pitch-black alleyway. I have a bad feeling about this.

  “Shit, you’re gonna fucking kill him if you don’t stop! I think he’s got the message, now let’s go!” Ryan anxious voice booms out from the alley. No, please tell me he didn’t, please tell me he hasn’t. My hands are shaking as I hesitantly take a step towards the dark space.

  I hear the sound of footsteps drawing closer, and then I see Ryan and Neil appear. They have a hold of Brandon and they’re trying to restrain him from going back. There’s blood all over his hands. Fuck! “What the fuck did you just do?” My voice is a whisper and I bring my hand up to my mouth as I feel bile rising in my throat.

  I hear a mumbled groan coming from the dark space they just emerged from. I automatically take another step towards the alleyway. He just beat the crap out of a guy because he was what? Jealous? Fucking asshole! He has no right!

  “Alex!” I feel a hand gripping around my waist as I’m about to walk in. “Alex, no!” Turning around, I look right into Neil’s eyes. He looks pissed, upset, and anxious.

  Shaking my head, I place my hands on his chest, move out of his hold and then storm right up in to Brandon’s face. He’s breathing heavily and his eyes are glazed. I think he’s just snapped, big time. His jaw is clenched tightly as he mutters something unintelligible to Ryan. A moment later, Ryan lets go of him.

  “What the fuck!” I scream in his face. When he makes eye contact with me, I see a look of remorse flashing into his eyes. He looks lost and afraid. “Are you fucking happy now?” My voice is quieter, and my whole body begins to shake uncontrollably.

  “How much did you drink, Alexis?” He looks almost pained as he leans closer. He’s so close that I can feel his breath washing over my face. “HOW MUCH DID YOU FUCKING HAVE?” He grabs hold of both of my shoulders, and when I don’t answer him, his grip becomes tighter with each second that passes.

  I find myself just staring at him, completely unaware as to why he’s being such an asshole, and wondering why he’s shouting at me. I shake my head in confusion and stammer a couple of garbled words. “Who? But ...”

  When I can’t get my words out, he lets out a small growl before he starts shaking me vigorously. His eyes remain on mine, and I swear I’ve never been so afraid in all of my life.

  “Brandon, you’re hurting her!” Neil grabs hold of Brandon’s arm and tries to pull him away from me. “LET HER GO!” Neil’s voice is demanding and Brandon’s face becomes unreadable, as he releases his hold before backing away a couple of steps. My shoulders are aching from how tightly he was gripping me. Is he insane? I think he is.

  I watch as he falls to his knees and starts to rake his hands through his hair, repeatedly. It’s as if he’s trying to gain some kind of control over himself or something but I think it’s a little late for that.

  Party revelers are passing by, but don’t seem to be paying attention to anything that’s happening around them. I’m not sure whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing. If they call the cops, Brandon will end up back in a cell. If they don’t call the cops, well, let’s just hope they don’t for now. I haven’t finished with him myself yet.

  I stagger backwards a couple of steps and try hard to focus on something, but I’ve already lost my balance and end up on my ass, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I close my eyes, and feel what little energy I have left slowly draining away. I drop my head into my hands. I just want to go home.

  “Fuuuucckkkkk!” I reopen my eyes when I hear Brandon growling again, this time a lot louder than before. The anger and fire that was previously visible in his eyes is replaced by an anguished look, as he stands back up and stares in to the sky. He starts grabbing fistfuls of his hair and pulling it hard, with his breathing loud and heavy.

  “Alex?” Neil sits down beside me and wraps his arms around me as Ryan stays
close to Brandon. It’s almost as though he’s waiting for him to snap again.

  Brandon instantly brings himself out of from his daze, and is practically snarling now. He clenches his fists into tight balls by his sides and begins pacing the pavement in front of us, before focusing his attention back towards the alleyway, where the guy lets out another painful whimper.

  “I’m gonna kill that motherfucker!” He growls. Ryan leaps in front of him and tries to block his path, although I can see the determination in Brandon’s stance. It doesn’t look as though he’s going to take any notice of Ryan, or anyone else right now.

  “What the fuck has gotten into you, man?” Ryan is shouting in his face as he tries to keep Brandon where he is. I feel sick. I feel really fucking sick.

  “Step aside, Ryan, or I swear to God … I’ll beat the fucking shit out of you too!” He hisses through his teeth. I see him lurching forward and my whole body begins to tremble again, because right now, he’s scaring the living shit out of me.

  Shaking my head and not knowing how much more of this I can take, both physically and mentally, I focus back on Brandon. “Why were you asking about my drink?”

  We hear sirens getting closer so my question remains unanswered for now. “Shit! It’s the cops!” Neil shouts as he abruptly stands, while thrusting his hand out to me and helping me back up on to my feet. I’m glad when he keeps his arms firmly placed around me. I don’t think I’ll be able to manage standing on my own just yet.

  “Fuck! Brandon, if they see you man, they’re gonna drag your ass straight back to jail!” Ryan tries to reason with him. Brandon just glances over to the alleyway, and then turns in our direction, looking defeated.

  “Brandon, you’ve got to get outta here!” Neil tries to gain Brandon’s attention again, and this time it seems to be working.

  “Listen, we’ll deal with that guy. Take Alexis back to your place, and we’ll call you when we’re done, okay?” Ryan asks, although when I peek up at Neil, his face shows he’s not overly thrilled by the idea, and nor am I. I don’t want to be left alone with him.

  Brandon hurries over to my side and begins to push me across the street and away from the chaos.

  “Get your hands off of me!” I yell at him while trying to writhe out of his hold, but he ignores my request, and instead, tightens his grip on my waist as he ushers me down a side alley.

  “Alexis, we need to get outta here,” he says flatly while his eyes remain focused straight ahead. “Please just—”

  “What’s your problem, Brandon? Your girlfriend was busy tonight so you thought you’d settle for poor, innocent, and naïve little Alexis to fill your time?” I snipe, noticing his face fall as he registers what I just said to him.

  He pauses halfway down the alleyway, “Naïve is definitely how I’d describe you right now.” His voice is cold as he hangs his head low.

  “You’re right! I am, because I actually believed every goddamn word that came out of your mouth!” With a little force, I pull away and lean against a building, while trying to catch my breath. “How could I have been so wrong?” I close my eyes and slide down the wall, until I’m sitting again.

  “You accepted a drink from a guy you don’t even know!” He shouts angrily while throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. “I never thought you would be so…”

  “Stupid? I totally agree! If I’d have just walked away …” My voice is gaining strength again now, as I feel the alcohol beginning to wear off.

  I get to my feet and walk slowly over to him. His eyes narrow and his body tenses when I place my hands on the wall behind him, so my body is encasing his. Fixing my eyes directly on him, I notice the nervousness over his face and in his eyes.

  “If I’d only walked away when you’d offered me the champagne at the ball,” my voice has turned into a low whisper, and his breathing seems erratic. “Then I wouldn’t be standing here right now, wishing that I was the one who was your girlfriend.”

  His eyes are searching mine, and I notice him still when I brush my lips lightly over his. I keep my eyes open and watch him, as my heart begins hammering in my chest.

  He pulls back a little, closes his eyes, and exhales a deep breath before reopening them again. Any sparkle I thought I might have seen just a moment ago has now been replaced by complete hollowness.

  “You really don’t know what you’re wishing for, beautiful.” he whispers through clenched teeth. Gripping my waist, he pushes me backwards, until I’m pinned against the opposite wall. “I wasn’t expecting—”

  “It’s all done, we managed to …” At the sound of Ryan’s voice traveling down the alleyway, Brandon leaps back and turns himself away, so he’s no longer facing me, Neil or Ryan. He lifts his hand up behind his neck and tilts his head back. He’s getting stressed again. “Were you …?” I glance over at Ryan and see him waving his index finger between the two of us, but we both ignore him. We could have been.

  “Guys listen, thanks for helping me out with that,” Brandon says, his tone riddled with anxiety as he walks towards them. “I … I need to get going.” He places his hands in the back pockets of his pants, walks around them and then heads onto the sidewalk.

  Both Neil and Ryan briefly glance over at me, before turning back to Brandon. “But you didn’t …” Neil calls after him, but he has already disappeared from the alleyway and out of view.

  “Alex, did he tell you why he went all crazy ass like that?” Neil turns and questions me. “I haven’t seen him look that angry since, well, since ever!” He shakes his head and furrows his brow, as he comes over and places his arm around me.

  “I thought you guys were going to be ‘just friends’?” Ryan stares at me, with raised eyebrows and his tone rife with suspicion when Neil and I reach him. “You said …”

  Shaking my head, I let out a sigh as we head out onto the sidewalk and turn towards campus. “I don’t know Neil, I really don’t. Maybe he just had a rough night.” I’m not even going to attempt to answer Ryan’s question right now.

  Can I handle spending time with him as a friend, knowing he wants me just as much as I want him? He didn’t say it in so many words, but his eyes told me a lot tonight. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it when he goes to see his girlfriend, knowing how tender he can be, and knowing that he’ll be touching her so delicately. He called me beautiful again and my stomach did cartwheels. I think I’m in it way over my head here.

  Neil’s cell phone rings, and interrupts my train of thought. This couldn’t have happened at a better time in my opinion. He suddenly stops walking, and when I turn around, his eyes are wide, and he’s glaring right at me.

  He says something into the phone before ending the call. “Alex,” he says with all seriousness in his voice and worry flashing over his face. “The drink. The drink you accepted from …”

  “What? What is it?” He’s acting weird. “Neil!” I just about shout, as I try and get his attention back.

  He suddenly grabs hold of me and frantically searches my eyes, and I notice that his have dramatically darkened. “Brandon said he saw that guy slipping something into your drink. We need to get you to the hospital, that son of a fucking—”

  “No wait, I didn’t drink it.” It was spiked? My mouth feels dry and nausea begins to creep over me again. “That’s why he—”

  “Fuck! No fucking wonder he went crazy ass on us!” I shift my gaze over on Ryan, and see his equally haunted expression. It resembles the one Brandon had just now. “He thought it was happening all over again.” His voice is raspy as he grabs his cell from his jacket, before walking away from us.

  “Neil?” I turn back to Neil and see him looking withdrawn. “Neil, I know you told me he was there the night someone died but ...”

  He shakes his head and looks me straight in the eyes, and now all I see is sadness within his. “The person who died that night was Brandon’s girlfriend, Alex.”

  Fuck.

  9.

  Holly.

&n
bsp; Neil and I arrived home a little before two o’clock this morning. I couldn’t get to sleep, so we both laid on the couch together and watched old black and white movies until around six, which is when Neil finally decided to head to bed, and so I went to my room.

  Ryan walked away from us when he found out the reason why Brandon acted the way he had, and as far as I know, he hasn’t come home yet. He was making a call on his cell as he left us, so I’m assuming the call he was making was to Brandon.

  I want to go and speak with Brandon, call him, or even message him, but I have no clue what I would say. I’m sorry? Sorry doesn’t seem like a strong enough word when I think back to how stupid I was last night. I almost, almost, drank the tainted water. He’s right. I was naïve and I feel completely ashamed of myself.

  I know I need to thank him. If he hadn’t grabbed the drink away from me, well, I don’t even want to think about what might have happened. He could’ve been thrown back in jail, but he still took the risk, and he took the risk for me.

  When Neil told me it was Brandon’s girlfriend who died from the overdose, I think my heart stopped beating for a moment. I still feel numb as well as physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. During the walk back here, Neil became choked up a couple of times when he spoke about her. He told me they’d all attended high school together and that Brandon’s girlfriend was in a grade level below them. He said she and Brandon hadn’t gotten together until after they’d graduated from high school, which was around the same time that he and Ryan decided to take time out to travel together.

  It’s almost eight o’clock, and as I throw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, I hear the front door open. Surprisingly, I don’t have a hangover this morning, but I do feel as though I need to get some air and maybe grab a coffee.

  “Alex,” Ryan greets me grimly as I make my way out of my room. “How are you feeling?” He looks exhausted and is still wearing the same clothes as he had on last night, so he can’t have come home before now.

  “Did you speak with him?” I can’t help the sadness in my voice, and then I feel the tears prickling into my eyes again.