Misguided Truths: Part One

by Sarah Elizabeth

  No … I can’t be.

  I am.

  I’m fucking jealous.

  And, now she’s smiling back at him. This party seems to have taken a dramatic turn southwards, amongst other things. He glances over his shoulder and throws her a wink as he walks away, telling her that he’ll meet her downstairs.

  I don’t fucking think so, punk.

  I wait for him to close the bathroom door before I make my way over to her again, “You’re not seriously going to spend time with that guy, are you? You know he’s a player, right? You know him and that … Vanessa? … Shit! What’s her name? The one with the ginormous breasts and—”

  “You don’t … how do I put this? Okay. You don’t really think you can judge the guy, do you? I mean, you don’t exactly hold a lot of respect for women, Brandon.” I risk another quick glance at her and see that her eyes are boring into mine, and her eyebrows are raised up high. “Why do you care so much, anyway?”

  “How would you know whether I respect women?” I didn’t expect for my voice to sound as sharp as it did when I just asked her this.

  “Heather? Do you respect Heather?” she starts to slowly walk over to me.

  “Why are you bringing Heather into this?” I feel my brow furrow with confusion. What kind of question is that anyways?

  “I saw you both in the bathroom, and I saw the way you just spoke to her downstairs. I’m not judging you, but your reputation isn’t that great. You can’t honestly say that you have respect for women when you take them up to someone else’s bathroom and fuck them at a party, then disregard them like trash right afterwards.”

  Way to offend a guy.

  “I have respect for women, I do. But, I don’t see why I should be judged on my actions and how I handle things when those said women clearly have no self-respect for themselves.”

  She eyes me for a moment with seriousness crossing over her face. Yeah, I think I just made my point. Brandon, one. Holly, nada. When I think she’s about to back down and apologize, she starts laughing instead, “Goodnight, Brandon.”

  “Wait!” “You don’t believe I have, do you?” I call after her as she continues on her way to the bottom of the stairs.

  I follow her and hear her letting out a breath. Watching her as she lifts her hand up, stroking a stray strand of her long, blonde hair away from her face, she catches me staring when she turns back around. “It really doesn’t matter what I think.”

  “Actually, it kinda does …” I take another step closer towards her. “I have respect for women.”

  “Okay,” she nods, but I can tell she still has her doubts on this.

  “You don’t believe me?” I can tell she doesn’t, and it’s really starting to fuck me off.

  “No.” It’s now her turn to shrug her shoulders. “Sorry.” She smiles apologetically. It looks like I’ve already blown my chances with her, even before being given a single damn one.

  “I’ll prove it,” I tell her and cross my arms over my chest, making sure to keep eye contact with her. Usually I don’t give a damn what other people think about me, but she’s not just some other person.

  I like her.

  “How?” she asks, lifting her chin and staring directly into my eyes with intrigue.

  Thinking about this for a moment or two, I decide that there’s only one way to show her, “Go on a date with me.”

  “You’re crazy!” she says, shaking her head almost instantly. Amusement begins to spread over her features and into her eyes again.

  “Please?” I cock my head to the side. I guess I knew she wouldn’t agree, but it was worth a shot anyways. “You know you want to.” I wink at her.

  “No!” she laughs again, harder this time, before she goes to turn back around.

  When she reaches the bottom step, I decide that I’m not gonna let this one drop, and so pursue her.

  “Okay, I get it. You know that you’ll enjoy my company way too much and then have to admit that you’re wrong about me. Then, you’ll have to eat your words and apologize for judging me,” I shout after her, knowing that it’s a pretty cheap shot on my part, but hey, what else can I do? “You’re afraid you’ll fall in love with me!” I stand and wait for her to answer.

  The people in the hallway are beginning to stare as they glance between the two of us. She notices this, too, turns around with widened eyes, and that’s when I see her cheeks beginning to blush before she turns away from me again.

  “I said goodnight, Brandon!” she calls back to me.

  “I dare you!” I shout out even louder this time. For some reason, this makes her stop in her tracks. I think I’ve actually managed to persuade her on this. I know she likes a challenge and that she’s pretty competitive over things. So, I’m pretty sure that I’ve got her on this one.

  She’s stopped walking, and so I close the space between us and place my hands in my front pant pockets as I near her.

  Holly turns around, “Fine. Fine! One date. But, only so you can prove that I was right all along and so you can show me how much of a pig you really are,” she says, with a smirk crossing over her lips.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night,” I lean forward and whisper into her ear. Our bodies are only a couple of inches away from touching one other’s. My gaze fixes on hers, and my mouth widens into a grin when she narrows her eyes on me. “It’s a date.”

  Our First ‘Non Date’.

  Brandon

  Alright, I really need to just calm the fuck down.

  Since when do I get all worked up over a date anyway?

  That’s right. Never.

  Never, because I don’t date. I went on one back when I was sixteen and it was a complete fucking disaster. That one time was so bad that it was enough to put me off going on another one for a very long time. Besides, my lifestyle right now suits me just fine.

  I know I have a reputation for being a player, but the people who labelled me this aren’t particularly correct in their assumptions. Fine. So, Heather and I hooked up last night and the weekend previous, but that doesn’t mean shit. I do have respect for women.

  Well, some women.

  I do things with different girls, but they happily oblige to please me in return, and it never usually goes past receiving a blowie or me touching her up in the back of a car or someplace. I’ll admit that I’ve slept with a few women, but how many eighteen year olds these days haven’t?

  Exactly.

  People around here, though, seem to think that I go out partying every weekend and sometimes even hook up with more than one girl in a night. That’s a lie, but I don’t see why I should need to prove those narrow-minded people otherwise.

  I’ve always told myself that they can assume whatever they want about me. It doesn’t make a difference what they think and won’t make me change how I plan to live my life.

  Well, I’d always thought those things up until around fifteen hours ago, when Holly accused me of those exact things. She’s one person who I do want to know the truth. I’m not a bad guy, and I don’t disrespect women. Now, all I’ve gotta do is try and prove this to her.

  The front door bell sounds, making me throw the two shirts I couldn’t decide on wearing from out of my hands and over on my bed.

  I check my watch and see that I have a little over an hour before I need to leave to go and pick Holly up. There’s no way in hell I’ll be late. Something tells me she’ll revel in the fact otherwise. I take the stairs two steps at a time, wiping my palms on my trousers as I make my way over to the front door.

  “Hey, man!”

  “Rye, what are you doing here?” I open the door up wide and watch as both he and Neil walk by me. They make their way into the hallway and through to the main room. I cuss under my breath and close the door back up behind me.

  “We’ve got tickets to that gig over in Seattle tonight, remember?” Shit. Fucking shit! “Don’t tell me you’d forgotten about one of the biggest music event of the year, bro?” Neil looks astonishe
d as he glances back over his shoulder at me.

  “You forgot? And, what the hell is that?” Rye asks, taking a step forward and screwing his nose up at me. “Dude. Are you wearing cologne?”

  The gig they’re talking about is one of the biggest music events this year, and all of our favorite bands are gonna be there. We’ve been literally waiting months for this one.

  “If you’d forgotten then where are you heading?” Neil presses.

  “I, um … nowhere in particular … I was just gonna see what was going on in town,” I answer, checking my watch again. I now have less than an hour to be ready and out of the door.

  Neil and Rye exchange glances and don’t appear to believe me for a single moment, “Well go and finish getting ready and then we’ll head out there. You never know, there might be some pretty hot chicks to grind with!” Rye adds, raising his brows in such a way that it becomes obvious that he plans on getting lucky tonight.

  “I …” I begin, realizing that the only way I’m going to get rid of them is to tell them about my date. “I have plans, and—“

  “Yes you do. With us in Seattle,” Neil interrupts.

  I’ll just tell them. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?

  “I have a date.”

  For some reason, the looks they’re both throwing me right now don’t surprise me in the least. Of course they know I don’t date, but I’m not really appreciating the fact that they’ve pretty much doubled over with laughter and are having to lean on each other to keep themselves upright. They continue to howl for more than a couple of minutes, at least.

  I wait impatiently for their laughter to calm, crossing my arms across my chest to show them that I’m unimpressed by their reactions to this, “You? A date? Alright, what gives? You don’t date, bro.” Rye says, his face becoming a little more serious when he notices that I’m getting even more pissed with him.

  “Yes,” I answer. “A date.” I walk over and stand in front of the mirror that’s hanging above the fireplace, spiking my hair up a little higher. Chicks dig spikes, apparently.

  “Who with? Man, you never, and I mean never ditch us or a huge gig like this for some chick,” Neil accuses. “Either you’re shitting with us, or you’re … or you’re shitting with us!” He begins to laugh again.

  “Holly. I’m going on a date with Holly.”

  Well that sure wiped the smiles off of their faces. Both sets of eyes are planted firmly on me as I make my way back over to the main door to show them out.

  “Holly as in Holly, Holly? Holly as in the same Holly who …? How the fuck did you even get yourself into that one?” Rye asks, looking stunned now. I know what he’s thinking, but it’s way too much fun to see both of their reactions to explain the exact reason as to why she agreed to go out with me tonight.

  “Holly Grainger?” Neil pauses by the door. “Rachael’s sister, Holly?” I grab the handle and pull the door open, not missing the glances they’re throwing each other as Rye walks by me and out onto the porch.

  “So, where are you taking her?” Neil sounds a lot more interested now. “Anywhere nice?”

  “Rafael’s on Broad Walk.” This earns a low whistle to escape from his mouth. “I managed to get us a table.”

  Rafael’s is one of the best, if not the best restaurants on this side of the city. They’re usually always fully booked, but one of the guys who works in the kitchen owed me a favor. Due to who I’m going on a date with and because of what I have to prove, I decided that tonight was a good a time as any to call that favor in.

  He looks impressed, nodding a few times as he walks through to join Rye on the other side of the threshold.

  I attempt to close the door, but as it nears the frame, it hits something. Rye’s foot, no less, “You do know that she won’t put out, right?”

  “Yeah. I know,” I nod. His mouth falls wide open in what I can only assume to be pure disbelief. He takes a step back and I gesture a salute, before closing the door on them completely.

  Alright. It’s almost show time.

  Holly

  “For a moment there I thought you’d actually planned on going through with that whole date with Brandon thing,” Rachael, my older sister calls over. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, Holly.” She adds, peaking over the glossy magazine she’s currently reading.

  “What are you talking about?” I ask her, checking my pockets to make sure I have everything I’ll need. Cash, for a cab home when he realizes I won’t be falling at his feet and caving into his sexual needs. Cell phone, so I can call Rachael and let her know I’ll be back hours before midnight. And, my door key. Yes. I think I’m ready to go.

  She stands up from the couch that she’s been lazily sprawled across for most of the afternoon and walks over to join me in the hallway, “You’re actually going to go out with him?” A look of mortification spreads over her face. From that alone I can tell that she has obviously heard the same things that I have about him. I check my hair in the hallway mirror, and see her appearing in the reflection behind me, leaning herself against the opposite wall. “Where is he taking you, anyway?”

  “I have no idea,” I simply shrug as I fasten my light blue denim jacket.

  I know it’s a Saturday night, but I decided earlier this afternoon that I’d dress down. It’s unlikely that he’ll be taking me anywhere other than to a party or an underground bar or someplace. We may even end up in the local park, so I didn’t want to go to too much effort in getting all dressed up to only embarrass myself. It’s not a real date. It’s merely to prove, to myself more than anyone else, that I had a severe lapse in character judgment when I thought he might actually be someone that I’d like to spend more time with.

  A knock on the door alerts me of his arrival. Here we go.

  “I’ll see you in around an hour!” Rachael nudges me on my left arm with her elbow as I turn to walk over to the front door. “You want some pepper spray?”

  “I’ve got a neat right hook and a flexible knee if I need to use them!” I assure her through a small laugh. I turn and glance over my shoulder, making sure that she’s gone back through to the main room before I go to meet him. Rachael has a way with words that make even the most confident of people tremble in their boots.

  “Hey,” I greet him, pulling the door closed behind me as I step onto the porch.

  “Hey back,” he answers with a smile. He’s standing a couple of feet away from me, with his hands tucked firmly inside his pants pockets. “You look … um …”

  His gaze roams over me from head to toe and then back up again, his eyes now meeting with mine. “You look really nice.”

  I smile, step by his side, and then we make our way down the steps and along the pathway towards his car, “I wasn’t sure where we were going. Is what I’m wearing okay? I can go back and change if ...?”

  He stops walking, clears his throat, and then turns to face me, “Holly, you look great. Really,” he nods as he turns back away, picking up his pace as we near the sidewalk. Stopping by the passenger side of his car, he opens the door up for me. “Your carriage awaits.” He smiles, though his voice is quieter now.

  I climb inside, and I swear that I just saw an expression crossing over his face that I wasn’t fully able to read. Was it disappointment? Is he disappointed? I’m sure I saw him frown for a split second when I answered the door, and now he’s looking even more uncomfortable.

  I watch him as he fiddles around with a couple of things by the steering wheel, and the refreshing scent of his cologne begins to assault my senses. He smells nice, and he looks … really nice. He’s definitely made an effort. His dark purple fitted shirt emphasizes his physique. And, now I’m staring.

  “So, where are we going?” I ask, turning in my seat and a little more in his direction when he switches the ignition on. I notice his eyebrows furrow a little and his lips tightening into an almost straight line when I ask.

  “It’s um … it’s a surprise,” he turns for a glancin
g moment and throws me a small, and what I think to be, forced smile, before he pulls out and begins to drive down the block.

  The drive is quiet. I keep my gaze directed out of the passenger side window so I can try and figure out where it is we’re heading.

  The silence is becoming a little uncomfortable, and when I look back over to him as the car slows to a complete stand still, I notice his hands are tapping the steering wheel to the beat of music although the stereo isn’t even on, and he’s biting down on his lip.

  “Brandon?”

  “Yeah?” he answers me, still seemingly lost in thought as he switches the ignition off and unclips his seatbelt.

  “You seem distracted. Are you okay?”

  “No. No, I’m good,” he answers again, not once looking over in my direction as he grabs his wallet from the compartment beside him. He lets out a sigh before opening his door and climbing out.

  Gazing out of the window, I now see where it is he’s brought me, and can’t help a small smile spreading over my face. One mainly from amusement. Well, it’s not some underground place.

  It’s lucky I didn’t dress up after all, which makes me feel a lot more relaxed. When I first opened up the door back at the house to greet him, I really thought that I saw his face drop as I walked out to meet him. I must have been imagining it.

  We’re at a funfair. He brought me to an amusement park.

  For a ‘first non-date’, it’s definitely the last place that I’d been expecting. But, I have to admit. I love the funfair.

  We both exit the car and walk around to meet one another by the trunk.

  “Nice choice,” I say, raising my brow while throwing him a grin. “You’ll score a point if you throw a tub of candy floss my way while we’re here.” I joke with him, noticing his shoulders appearing to relax a little from my words.

  “Points, huh?” he grins back at me as he tilts his head towards the park’s entrance. “Come on, Holl’s. Let’s go have some respectable fun.” He places his right arm gently around my waist, and rests his hand on my hip as we walk.