by Jenn Cooksey
I’d just barely finished reading my letter, still feeling like there’s more I want to tell her, when my phone startled me with a text followed by a picture of Camie looking completely pissed and simply beautiful.
Jeff: U shud com dwn here. I no u wntd 2 give her 2nite & let her chus when but 2nite mite b a good nite 4 u 2 tlk 2 her. She’s hvng a lousy time. O & she’s wearing the bracelet. ;-)
Huh. I’m not quite sure how to take that, or, how to respond, seeing as how I’ve been sitting in the parking lot of the hotel for probably thirty minutes already. However, if I’m not mistaken, I think I finally just got some justification for being here…
Friends in low places ~ Jeff
She really wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding what a shitty time she was having, and I’ll admit I’d been going back and forth on whether or not to send Trist a text telling him, but when Camie came back from the bathroom with Katy and Melissa, wearing the bracelet Tristan gave her for her birthday, the one she’d cried about throwing away without even knowing what it was, the one she hadn’t had on before now, the scales of my indecision dipped dramatically to one side. Then when I heard what she was saying, I stopped questioning what to do entirely.
“Camie, this is seriously gorgeous! I mean, I can’t get over all the detail, but, I don’t get it, you didn’t have it on before…” Melissa said, looking at the little gold charms and their engravings, probably trying to figure out why random things like a slice of pizza, or a guy wearing a robe, sandals, and headphones, or the words: four minutes, fifty-three seconds would hold any significance. And actually, I’d kinda like to know if she comes up with anything. I don’t know what more than half the shit he put on it means…
“I know. Actually, this is the first time I’ve ever worn it.”
“You’re kidding! I’d have totally soldered it to my wrist the second I got it! Why haven’t you worn it yet?” Melissa asked and let Katy take over scrutinizing the bracelet.
“Because I—I…you know what, I don’t wanna sound bitchy but I’d really rather not say right now, okay?”
“Oh, okay, sure…”
“Hey Camie, why are you wearing it now, though?” Katy asked, looking up from the bracelet first to look at Camie and then to quickly wink at me. And in that one small movement, Katy told me her opinion. Katy believes that Camie wants Tristan to kidnap/rescue her from the dance from Hell. She’s just not gonna admit it.
“Well, kind of like I said in the bathroom, Kate, he was right about this whole stupid dance, you know? I just figured since it’s the only thing available to me right now that makes me smile, I thought wearing it might cheer me up,” I turned my back to them, typed out a text telling him it might be in his best interest to talk to her tonight instead of waiting for a time of her choosing, then I turned back around and subtly took a quick picture to send along with the text so he could see the bracelet on her just as she said, “I mean honestly, can this dance get any more lame? The punch is horrible, my date won’t dance with me, and even if he would, the music isn’t all that good, and now…what the hell?! Now I don’t even know where he is! Seriously, did I just get dumped?!”
I looked around and didn’t see Camie’s evil date nor did I see Pete so I figured everything was cool, but then as I watched Melissa walk over to the punch table with Sasha, I realized Brandon was missing too. Shit. I hope everything’s okay…
I was about to send another text or two, but then I saw Evil walk back into the ballroom and head over to the punch table. I looked back at the ballroom doors expecting to see either Brandon or Pete, but the only person of interest to come back in was Jillian. She didn’t head to the dance floor or the refreshments table though; she headed our way while looking at the refreshments table as she walked. It was weird, but hey, it’s Jillian.
When she reached us I asked, “Hey, where’s Pete?”
She looked at me in an odd way, almost like she was nervous or something, but then she got snippy and sounded almost like her sister, making me wonder if she was having a rotten time as well. Man, I’m glad I’m with Katy tonight; she’s been in a great mood!
“I’m his quote unquote date, not his keeper…if you want to know where he is, try looking for him yourself.”
As Evil came up and joined us, holding a cup of punch and smelling a little like cigarettes which made my mouth start producing more saliva than what Katy would be happy with me about, the whole of our attention was drawn to the corner closest to us just past the refreshment table when Keith started to lay into Melissa. I’m not sure how it started, but I’m guessing he dragged her away from the punch bowls because Sasha was still standing by the tables, but she was looking around like she was either lost or looking for someone. Her eyes hit me and her lost expression went to one of “Help, I don’t know what to do.” Then Zack walked into the ballroom and saw Sasha getting freaked, so he started towards her but he got sidetracked when he realized what was going on to his left.
“Shit. I thought he was gonna go after Brandon not her…” I murmmered and started to move in that direction when at the same time, Evil handed Camie his cup of punch.
She took it absentmindedly while shaking her head and starting to walk forward with me and Katy, but then Jillian turned around and seeing the cup of punch in her sister’s hand, she reached to take it saying, “Oh good, I’m so thirs—” Before she could even finish her sentence though, she tripped and ended up spilling the whole thing down the front of Camie’s white velvet dress.
Needless to say, Camie was not pleased. She didn’t scream but it did look like there was smoke coming from her ears when, looking around the ballroom in a similar way Sasha had been a minute ago, she ground out, “Where the hell is he?”
Scott, er, I mean Evil, looked just as pissed as Camie, but unlike her, he did yell. “Fuckin’ kid! Why don’t you watch what the fuck you’re doin’!”
Katy and I looked at each other and then at Jillian. A) He yelled at her. B) He called her a kid. C) He yelled at her and called her a kid for Christ’s sake!
Jillian ground her teeth but surprisingly, she kept her tongue in check. Maybe it was because Camie rounded on him first and growled, “I am the only person on this planet who can talk to my sister like that. And it’s not her fault, it’s his and the cosmos’s! It’s not pig’s blood but I swear to God I just became Carrie at the goddamned prom! Ugh! And it’s grape! I freaking hate grape!”
She threw the cup down and not even bothering to try salvaging her dress like any normal girl would’ve done by running to the bathroom, she just grabbed me by the jacket and pulled me over to where Melissa and Keith were getting into it.
Katy and Jillian caught up to us and I think Evil was trailing behind, but as Katy came along side Camie she quietly asked, “Um, who exactly is the he you’re blaming that on?”
Camie shot Katy and irritated glare and answered, “Tristan.”
“What?! Why are you blaming him? He’s not even here!”
“Oh yes he is…the only time things like this ever happen to me is because he’s around.”
I think my eyes probably got really wide for a second, but I clamped my mouth shut. I mean, he’s not here right now, but, I’m sure he will be sometime after he gets my text. Huh. Actually, he should’ve responded by now. I went to pull my phone from my pocket to see if I’d just missed his reply but before I could, I discovered Brandon had shown up and all of sudden, I found myself and Zack needing to hold him back. And we were seriously struggling to do it.
Jesus, for a not quite so big guy, Brandon’s goddamned strong. Keith’s fucked. He just doesn’t know it yet...
Keith saw Brandon being held back so he started taunting him, which of course only made Zack’s and my job harder. Melissa had turned to Brandon and tried to get him to cool off by saying things like, “Don’t listen to him,” “He’s not a bad guy, he’s just drunk,” and, “I don’t want you fighting, let me take care of this.” It didn’t really help. Especially bec
ause Keith persisted in egging Brandon on.
Their raised voices were starting to draw attention, so looking around for a little help; I grabbed Justin’s, Conner’s, and Ryan’s eyes with mine and jutted my chin at Keith and then the closest door leading outside. Justin grabbed and opened the door, Ryan grabbed Keith and pushed him outside, and then Zack, Conner, and I ushered Brandon through it. The girls and a handful of other people followed, but once outside, Keith started in on Melissa again and that’s when it got nasty. He was railing at her about being with Brandon and I’ll be honest, I was getting close to letting Brandon go just so he could shut Keith up, because really, I get that you’re pissed about being dumped, but come on, you weren’t all that great to her and it was like three months ago…get over it for fuck’s sake.
I thought Keith had sealed his fate though when he shot a question at her with a particularly superior and venomous tone, but, I was wrong…
“Really, how do your parents feel about you slumming? Think what’ll happen if he knocks you up for Christ’s sake…your family’s blood will be tainted with garbage! I mean look at him! The tux can’t even hide the fact that he’s nothin’ but trash! Seriously Melissa, why are you even with that sewer rat?”
It almost looked like Melissa had been slapped in the face, but even though she hadn’t actually been hit, her cheeks went scarlet and looking once at Brandon who was straining against three guys and fuming like a steam engine, she turned back to Keith, got right in his face and hissed, “After all the shit you’ve been talking about me this last week, you of all people should know that what a person looks like has nothing to do with what’s inside. And I’m with him because I believe in him. He has more talent in his little toe than anyone I’ve ever met, and I know I’ll always be safe with him because he treats me with respect, you jackhole. And besides, who he is on the outside is just as hot as who he is on the inside and I happen to be in love with all of him.”
Brandon stilled.
I mean he literally froze. Zack looked at Conner and me over Brandon’s head in a “What the fuck?” kind of way and I didn’t know how to respond. The fighting continued and feeling movement in the statue that Brandon had become, Conner, Zack and I went back to applying the same amount of strength in holding him back when he kind of tried to shake his shoulders.
Conner and Zack each had one side of him, and I was holding his shoulders and neck from behind, so he had to tilt and turn his head to look back at me when he said, “I’m good. You can let go.”
Conner, Zack and I shared another look and then hesitantly let go of him. He just stood there and closed his eyes and then keeping them closed, he started breathing deeply and rolling his shoulders almost slowly. He did the same with his neck, like he was trying to relax maybe or fuckin’ meditate or something, all the while listening to Keith degrade Melissa. It was the strangest thing I’d seen since Tristan saw Camie the first time at the beach. Brandon looked at Melissa, who was handling Keith fairly well actually, then he’d look at Keith, and then he repeated the process of closing his eyes, breathing, shoulders and neck rolling, and looking at them. I have no clue what was going through his head, but there must’ve been some kind of decision making process being conducted. Either that or he simply got hot because he, very calmly I might add, started taking his jacket off. He handed it to Jillian, politely thanked her when she took it, but then he started removing his cufflinks and unbuttoning his shirt. Once those were off and being safely held by Jillian as well and now looking more like himself in a white tank undershirt, all his many tattoos clearly visible, Brandon went back to watching and listening.
Keith had circled back to the respect part of what Melissa had said as her reason for being with Brandon, but now he was letting the alcohol do most of the talking and it wasn’t pretty.
“I can’t believe you think someone like that can ever respect you,” Keith said with derision and pointed at Brandon standing there in full, tattooed glory, “And that you actually fucked him?! You’re really pathetic, Melissa…I mean you went from being this really sweet girl who wouldn’t even give the star quarterback, your boyfriend’s dick the time of day to being a cheating bitch, but on top of that, you spread your legs for that piece of sewage and fucked him. You know what that makes you, right? It makes you just another filthy whore now. I mean for Christ’s sake, your name’s tattooed on shit.”
I looked at Brandon, not at his face but his body, and saw that Keith was right. At some point, I have no idea when though, Brandon had added Melissa’s name to his plethora of ink. I almost missed it, though, because at first glance, it sorta looks like a large, black filigree necklace. It’s on the lower part of his neck right above his collarbone and follows the curve of his neckline. The font isn’t hard and doesn’t really have any sharp angles like you might expect though; rather it’s kinda feminine with a flowing cursive and swirls. And now that I’m really looking at it, I can see the color. Her name in black is entwined with a vine of roses. It’s actually really cool looking and I found myself thinking about giving Gary a call, but I shook myself when my brain finally registered what Keith had just spewed.
Now keep in mind, it might sound like this fight has been goin’ on for a while, but everything happens with blinding speed in fights so in reality, it’s been maybe around five minutes since we got outside, and you’d think after hearing what Keith had just said, Brandon would’ve lost it. I mean, I almost lost it. So did quite a few other guys, including a couple of Keith’s good buddies. You could see it in all their faces. Keith crossed the line. And he crossed it in a big way, but all Brandon did was very smoothly walk up to Melissa, look at Keith for a second then back at Melissa, and then he very calmly and quietly asked, “Please, now can it be my turn to say something?”
You could see in Melissa’s eyes that what Keith had just said really hit her hard so when Brandon asked permission to interject, no one was shocked when she just nodded and drifted off into Katy and Camie’s arms to cry.
Keith grinned at his work and faced Brandon with something close to a victorious smirk and that alone made me think that this whole time, he was beating Melissa to the ground to get to the guy she dumped him for, but what I don’t get is why he didn’t just start with Brandon in the first place. I’m gonna go with the tequila though. Tequila has never really been Keith’s friend. He thinks it is, but it’s two-faced and one way or another, he always ends up regretting hangin’ out with it. Usually though, he just pukes like a dog, which I have a feeling will be happening tonight as well.
“What’re you gonna do, you piece of trash? No one here is gonna have your dirty back and it’s time you get your ass beat for turnin’ my girlfriend into your nasty-ass whore…”
Brandon took a look at Melissa who was still crying and wouldn’t even look at him or anyone else, and then very rationally he said, “Listen, joystick, I get that your ego is bruised because you got cheated on and dumped, but think back to why that happened…and if your brain is havin’ a case of amnesia, I’ll remind you…it’s because you don’t know shit about what honest to God respect is because if you did, you’d know it’s not okay on any level to pressure chicks into doin’ shit they don’t wanna do, least of all sex, and you know, I’m lookin’ around and yeah, I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but it doesn’t look like you’ve got a whole lotta backers here either so I think what’s gonna happen is this piece of trash is gonna teach the star quarterback some real respect by kickin’ your fuckin’ disrespectful ass.”
And that’s pretty much exactly what happened.
Keith is bigger and taller and he got in some decent shots, but, I think Brandon let him because Brandon can seriously fight. Well, it’s not so much fighting as it is bare-knuckle boxing. I was just watching in awe along with everyone else, and being reminded of Brad Pitt in Snatch as Brandon took a hit and actually fucking smiled when he realized there was blood coming from his cheekbone. And then like he’d gotten what he wanted or something,
and with one wicked punch to the jaw that Keith’s fuckin’ toenails probably felt, Brandon leveled Keith and stood over him for a second to calmly advise, “Stay down.”
Keith stayed down, Ryan crouched next to him to make sure he did, Melissa sniffled and walked over to Brandon who enveloped her in his arms and whispered something no one could hear into her ear, and then, shocking I know, I saw Jillian drop Brandon’s cufflinks into her teeny little purse as she put her damned iPod away while we all headed back into the ballroom. I almost feel bad for Keith, you know? He got his ass handed to him in a big way and was videoed while it happened, and you know there’s most likely a little blackmail in his future now because of it. Like I said though…almost.
I felt my pocket vibrate, reminding me I hadn’t heard back from Tristan and when I read his reply, I looked at Camie’s purple stained dress and shook my head. Somehow I doubt we’ve seen the last drop of blood spilled tonight…
The laws of physics ~ Tristan
I looked at the picture Jeff sent me again and the charm bracelet on her wrist. The one I’d given her for her birthday with a note explaining why I went with jigsaw puzzle shaped charms. To put it simply, when you symbolically put the pieces of the puzzle together, you get a picture of true love. Each gold puzzle piece is engraved with a date on one side and a symbol signifying its reason for inclusion on the other. For instance, there are a few charms with the date of our first date, but one of them has two cats engraved on the opposite side. Another charm has the date of New Year’s Eve and an engraving of a champagne bottle. That one will look innocuous to anyone who sees it, but she’ll know why it was really included. All told I think there’s probably twenty-five; maybe thirty little puzzle pieces dangling off the gold bracelet and one still hanging on my keyring. The one representing the date of that fight. The date we said I love you. I picked it up on Saturday, the day of her party, as soon as I got the call from Pete’s grandfather telling me he’d finished it, but I’d already wrapped the bracelet up so rather than opening it and re-wrapping it again, I thought I’d let her open it and then I’d put the charm on right in front of her. I never got the chance though because she never opened it. Well, not that I knew of anyway. Last night what I saw in her trashcan was the gold foil wrapping paper, but I didn’t have a chance to see if it was just the paper or if it was the whole gift, bracelet and all but, I knew she’d finally opened it.