I am gonna try and upload at least one maybe two chapters a weekend. I have a very busy schedule during the week so the weekends right now is what is best. Thank you for the reviews, and follows. It does mean a lot.
Brenda sat in her room and stared at the mirror that held pictures, card and love notes from Dylan. His confession that he made at his dad's party stung. But he came forward and it wasn't an ambush like she was fearing it was gonna be. She felt like Dylan and Kelly was hiding something. Out of the two in a half years, Dylan never really acknowledged Kelly as more than her friend. But suddenly he was asking if she was okay? If she knew what was wrong? And then suddenly dating her. It was all a little weird and she hoped she was wrong but she knew she wasn't. She had no idea what to do. She desperately wanted to be with Dylan again but how was she to trust him? And she needed to talk to Kelly. She had called her earlier in the morning to meet up for Lunch since it was Sunday which meant neither one had many plans. Brenda was seated in a corner booth away from most peoples eyes so if things got intense between her and Kelly, no one would really notice. She heard the bell ding, meaning someone had entered the building. She saw that familiar blonde hair. She took a second to look Kelly up and down. She was wearing a casual attire. Pair of blue jeans that was ripped at the knees and a free flowing t-shirt. How Kelly made that look like a was put together by a designer, she may never know. She her self was wearing blue jeans and a red blouse. Some what presentable.
"Kelly, over here." Brenda said loud enough to get Kelly's attention. She could tell Kelly was slightly nervous. Kelly walked over and took a seat across from Brenda.
"Hey Bren." Kelly said.
"Hey." Brenda said kinda short. Yes, she was getting more and more angry the more she thought where this conversation was going to go. "So why didn't you show up last night?" Brenda asked. She was genuinely curious. For someone who had fought with her for over a month to get Dylan to chose, she sure didn't show up when Dylan needed her most, so what was the point in fighting in the first place.
"Oh to Dylan's Dad's party? I uh, I had to babysit Silver." Kelly explained. She was lying. Brenda could tell. She picked up on most of the ways Kelly lied to her since returning from Paris. "I called Dylan to apologize but he wasn't home."
"Yeah, he's staying with his dad for a little bit at that hotel the party was thrown at." Brenda informed her. "Speaking of which, Dylan told me something that I found very interesting." Kelly looked down. Yep, what she feared was about to happen. "Wanna tell me the truth about this Summer? And please, before you think about lying, I will repeat, Dylan has already told me."
"I figured he would have told you if the two of you were alone. It's how he wanted to tell you. Look Brenda, I am very sorry about having that fling with Dylan while you were in Paris. I wanted to tell you when you were telling me about that guy in Paris that you had flirted with but then Dylan came over and things kept getting in the way." Kelly explained.
"Why?" Brenda asked, "I thought you were my friend. It was one thing to date him after he and I broke up. Not that I enjoyed seeing that either but Donna had a point that I broke up with him and told him to date who ever he wanted. But it was another thing altogether to be with him while I was still with him." Brenda explained with tears in her eyes. "I trusted you both. When I said keep an eye on him, that was not what I meant."
"I know. Bren, I know. And I know I have lost your trust and I deserve that. But honestly, it wasn't suppose to be what it had turned out to be. We talked, he about his father, your father. Me with guys and my new baby sister. Intense moments created some weird feelings." Brenda again kept hearing about her father being an issue with Dylan this past summer. She was confused. Yeah, the whole Baja thing created tension and her living with Dylan for a short time created even more but not more than that. Was that what both Kelly and Dylan were referring to?
"What about my father?" Brenda asked. Kelly just shook her head.
"I don't know much. He didn't get into it. Just that you and he was moving very fast. Faster than before. And it created more issues with Jim than there was before. That he was happy that you and he was getting space and that maybe that space between the two of you will make things good between him and Jim." Kelly explained. "I am still very sorry. Will you forgive me?" Kelly practically pleaded.
"I don't know Kelly. I want to. And knowing from experience, sometimes drifting apart is a good thing but never enough to want to hurt those you care about most. I wish you both would have told me. I told him about Rick. I told you about Rick. But neither one of you told me about each other. He said he saw a girl but wasn't ever specific enough. Just like I told him, I need time to think. I have a father to talk to as well" Brenda grabbed her stuff, gave Kelly's shoulder a soft reassuring squeeze as she walked past and out the Peach Pit she went.
When she got home and through the door, she saw her mother in the kitchen to her left and her father reading a newspaper at the table. She walked in and both of their attention was towards her. Both smiling at her.
"Hey Brenda, how was lunch with Kelly?" Her mom, Cindy asked.
"Okay I guess. Actually, there was something she said that I have to ask Dad about." Brenda sat down across from her father, Jim at the table who had put down he newspaper. "So Dylan and I talked last night. Apparently he and Kelly had a fling together while I was in Paris." This made Jim give her a sympathetic look and Cindy came over and hugged her from behind as she was sitting down.
"Oh sweetie. You okay?" Jim asked.
"I don't know. It hasn't really hit me yet. But there is one detail that both Kelly and Dylan talked about and that was you." Brenda said pointing at Jim. "Kelly said Dylan starting talking about his insecurities about trying to please you and that now it was worse than ever. But Dylan mentioned something about Criminal issues when it came to you? What was he talking about?" Brenda asked which also got the attention of Cindy.
"Look Brenda, I don't want you to get mad…" Jim started
"Oh god, Dad what did you do?" Brenda asked getting teary eyed again.
"When everything hit the fan after the Baja trip and you snuck around with him, even moved in with him…I was…stupid. In one of our meetings about his trust, I happened to persuade him to get you on that plane to Paris." Jim said "I told him that if he didn't get you on the plane, I would press statutory rape charges against him." Brenda stood up immediately and paced.
"You were gonna do WHAT? He's 17 dad." Brenda yelled. Even Cindy was shaking her head. "Wh…Why? Why Dad?"
"He was an emancipated man harboring a minor in his house. And I was desperate." Jim pleaded getting up himself.
"So you were going to ruin his life? Let me be honest with you dad. I didn't even sleep in the same bed with him while I was there. I slept on the couch. We didn't do anything that would warrant that charge. You scared him. You practically pushed him in the arms of Kelly. Oh I can not believe you." Brenda turned around and stomped her way up to her room and slammed the door behind her.
"Jim, how could you do that to him?" Cindy asked, almost whispered.
"I was protecting our daughter." Jim explained.
"By trying to get that boy arrested? For a decision that wasn't even his? He had a family in us. You were like a father to him. It is no wonder he no longer came around here even before they broke up. I am shocked at you Jim." Cindy herself threw a wash cloth on the counter and followed her daughters footsteps and went to go speak to her daughter.
Dylan decided to go to the pit. He was really in need of a good burger. So he walked in and noticed Kelly in the corner. He walked over and sat across from her. "You okay Kel?" He still cared about her.
"Oh I'm fine. Just one of my closest friends hate me now." Kelly told him. He noticed her cheeks were tear stained.
"I am assuming you spoke to Brenda today?" All Kelly did was nod.
"I had to tell her Kel. She had the right to know." Dylan told her. "Especially…if I want to try again with her" Kelly looked him. She figured that was how this whole choice thing was gonna end. Especially since she didn't show up last night. "I love her. After seeing her last night, and her talking with my father. Spending time with her again. I felt that old spark. The Spark that fizzled out before Paris. I have to fix this with her. I need to fix this with her. I hope you understand."
"I do. I figured that was gonna be the end choice. I am not mad. I will be honest, I hoped that you would try it out with me for a little longer but I get it. Y'all are meant for each other after all. I see it. Just…promise me. You won't mess it up? I won't be the reason you do next time." She joked a little, giving a small smile to him.
"I promise." He smiled back. "Things will be fine. With all of us." Dylan got up, kissed Kelly on the top of her head and went to order. Kelly followed him with her eyes and sighed. Maybe in another life time but not this one. She collected her things and headed out of the Pit and towards her home.