~*~ Chapter 22: The Forgive Me Gift ~*~
Brandi Jackson took a good look at the parking lot, as hundreds of teenagers made their way to the Harbor halls. She didn’t feel like getting out of her car, so she sat there for a moment, and turned on her radio.
The first song that played was a mixed version of one of Brandy’s song, more techno then actually R&B, like Brandy’s songs usually sound like. Brandi hated techno, but she had no power or will to change the station, so she just rested her head on the wheel and listened to the lyrics.
Who
would ever thought a guy
Would need a girl like me
Who would ever thought that I
Would fall so easily
Who would ever thought that we
Would finally come to be
Brandi frowned and looked at the radio, as if it was trying to tell her something.
I can’t
believe they’d stop our happiness
By trying to pull us down with such a mess
Why can’t they let us live just like the rest
And keep us out of all this crazy madness
(Brandy – Never Say Never)
Brandi turned the radio down all of a sudden.
“This is way… freaky.” she said as soon as she hit the off button. She didn’t even picked a radio station and the first song that played was by someone with the same name as hers and telling the words she herself could be saying at that exact moment “Freaky.” she shook her head and got out of the car, no willing whatsoever.
“So, that’s your great idea?” Ryan asked Seth as he put his plan into action “To attach a CD on Brandi’s locker?”
“This is not any CD, Ryan. Don’t worry. She’ll like it. I’m sure. She has to. She will.” Seth seemed confused about his own idea “She will. I have no doubts.” he smiled as the CD stayed perfectly on her locker door “Now let’s go before she gets here.”
“So, if it isn’t the relationship breaker.” Brandi heard after taking two steps away from her car.
‘I should have stayed in. I know I shouldn’t have gotten out of my car.’ Brandi thought as she heard the annoying voice of the brunette and closed her eyes tightly “I don’t have time for this, Summer.” Brandi said and kept on walking to the main hall.
“Oh, but you did steal Cohen from me, didn’t you?”
Brandi stopped. She took a deep breath and noticed that Summer didn’t intimidate her anymore. She was just a short girl that didn’t know exactly what she wanted. Unlikely Brandi.
“I didn’t steal anything that didn’t want to be stolen.”
“You…” Summer didn’t know exactly what to say after that snap.
“What?” Brandi asked as she saw Summer open up and close down her mouth, looking for words to say “Speechless? Thought so. Goodbye, Summer.” Brandi turned around, grinned and continued her path to the main hall.
“Are we just gonna stay here waiting for Brandi?” Ryan asked Seth as they stood at the corner, hiding themselves so Brandi wouldn’t notice them when she’d get to her locker.
“Yes, Ryan.”
“Is it really necessary?”
“Yes, Ryan.”
“No, Seth, this is actually really pathetic. I’m leaving. I’m meeting Marissa.”
“Go ahead. I’ll just wait here.”
“Bye.” Ryan left Seth’s side and disappeared into the crowd.
“Hey!” Brandi heard when she was by the doors of the main hall.
“Hey.” she answered, not so excited.
“Have you seen Ryan? I’ve been looking all over for him and…”
“Sorry, I haven’t seen him, Marissa.”
“How are you today?”
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
“So, I’ve heard what happened at the party Saturday.”
“I’m guessing you heard Summer’s twisted version, then.”
“Come on, Brandi, cut her some slack. She’s really upset about this whole Seth situation and…”
“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem to her. She can just call his name out and he’ll come running to her. Just like a puppy dog.” Brandi rolled her eyes.
“That’s not what she told me, actually.”
“Oh, yeah? Then what was it?” Brandi couldn’t be less interested in Summer’s side of the story.
“She told me she tried to get with Seth after, well, you guys kissed, but Seth totally blew her off.”
“Oh…” Brandi bit her bottom lip.
“Yeah… I guess you should talk to Seth, then, if you didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t.” Brandi played with her hair.
“I probably shouldn’t say it, since Summer is my best friend, but… if you and Seth do talk this out… I hope everything works out great for you two.”
“Oh… really?” Brandi was taken aback.
“Yeah… You seem like a really nice girl. Ryan’s always telling me nice things about you, so…”
“Ryan’s always telling you nice things about me?” Brandi frowned.
“Yeah. He says you’re a great girl. That you two went to the mall the other day and…”
“He told you that?” Brandi wasn’t used to guys telling their girlfriends every little thing, especially when it involved other girls.
“Yeah, well… Ryan and I have a very trusting and open relationship, so he tells me pretty much everything.”
“Really?” a trusting and open relationship. Brandi was starting to like Ryan even more. That’s what she needed from Seth. A trusting and open relationship.
“Yeah. So, anyways, I have Calculus now, but I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Ok. Bye.” Brandi waved goodbye.
Marissa rushed into the hall, trailing straight to her class, as Brandi did the exact opposite. She slowly entered the hall and walked up to her locker. She was looking down the entire time, thinking. That seemed to be all that Brandi was doing the last few days: to think. Her head would soon explode if she didn’t stop it.
So, when she reached her locker, she looked up with her eyes closed, shook her head, hoping that way her thoughts would free her mind too, and when she opened, she frowned realizing a letter with a CD was attached to her locker. She looked to the right and to the left, not exactly sure what she was looking for. She then stared at the letter and the CD again and detached it from her locker.
The CD was inside a case and so was the letter. She opened it and took the letter out first.
She didn’t recognize the handwriting, but she knew it could be from one person and one person only. Seth Cohen.
Brandi,
Saturday, you decided not to pay attention to my words. But I remember when you said to me the first time we actually had a decent conversation, you always pay attention to song lyrics. I found this great song that expresses exactly how I’m feeling right now.
I had to give it a try. If you won’t listen to me, maybe you’ll listen to the great Damien Rice. I’m making their words, my own.
Once again, I’m sorry.
xoxo
Seth Cohen
Brandi closed the letter and stared at the CD. It read only “From Seth / To Brandi”. She frowned as she continued to stare at the CD. She wasn’t so sure if she should listen to it.
She jumped a little when she heard the second bell to class ring. She opened her locker, placed the CD and the letter inside, took her Chemistry book out of it and ran to class.
In the corner next to Brandi’s locker stood Seth. He had an upset look on his face.
‘She hated it. She hated my idea and she will hate me forever. I should have listened to what Ryan had to say. Stupid me!’ he hit himself on his forehead as he, too, trailed to his class.
* Thanx Hannah and Thea for reviewing and correcting the grammar errors *
~*~ Chapter 21 ~*~
~*~ Chapter 23 ~*~
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