Chapter 10: Everybody Wants to Rule the World
"You're awfully quiet this morning," Brenda mused, looking over at her brother, whose eyes were fixed firmly on the road in front of him. He shrugged and continued staring straight ahead.
"I guess I've got some things on my mind," he replied cryptically. Brenda raised an eyebrow and gave him a pointed glance.
"I'm all ears if you want to share," she offered. Brandon's lips twisted into a slight smile, but almost as quickly as it appeared, it faded away.
"Thanks, Bren, but it's not that big a deal."
"This week is gonna suck," she exhaled, changing the subject. "I miss Dylan already." She was depressed at the thought of not waiting for Dylan by her locker, his sweet embrace the only pick-me-up she usually had on a dreary Monday morning.
"Just think, you'll get your homework done at night," he teased, flicking the windshield wipers on as the rain that was lightly misting before began to fall more earnestly.
"Very funny," she retorted dryly. "I've never neglected my schoolwork, for your information."
"Well, then, you'll have more time for your recreational activities. Oh wait, you don't have any other than Dylan McKay 101," he joked, but Brenda thought she detected an edge of sarcasm to his voice, not to mention a sudden 180 in attitude.
"You're one to talk, Brandon," she snapped, her mood darkening at his snide accusation. "All you have to show for extra-curricular activities is the newspaper. You're not exactly changing the world." She didn't like bickering with him, but he had brought it on himself.
"I have a job," he replied, the blinker clicking several times as he made the right turn into the school parking lot.
"You have a job because you're sick of Mondale and you want a better car," she suggested. "Mom and Dad have always told us that school comes first, and they've provided us with essentials. So I don't need a job."
"Whatever, Brenda," he sighed, guiding the car into a vacant spot and cutting the engine. Brenda placed her hand atop of his, which was resting atop the gear shift.
"What is your problem this morning?" she asked softly. "Is something wrong?" She had to admit she was mildly concerned. The attitude was just not something she was used to coming from her calm, collected brother.
"I told you I had a lot on my mind," he reiterated. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Bren. I shouldn't have said what I did." Brandon paused. "Do you ever wish we were back in Minnesota?"
"I did, at first. But now…" she trailed off, glancing out the window at the large, pretty campus spread out before them. She shrugged, following a lone raindrop's path along the window. "I like it here. I've got a great boyfriend, good friends…"
"You don't miss being Miss Everything?" he asked, meeting her eyes with his.
"What are you talking about?"
"Back in Minnesota. You did so much more, Bren. The school play, Honor Society, softball. We both did. I mean, you're right. Newspaper and the Pit, that's all I have to show for myself since we moved here." He shook his head and flopped back against the seat. "I was so much more in Minneapolis, that's all."
"Brandon, we've haven't even been here a year yet," she replied sympathetically, surprised by Brandon's sudden outburst of insecurity. "We still have time to make our marks." She studied his face, seeing the frustration etched on his forehead and heavy in his usually-happy eyes. "Bran, what's bothering you?"
"Don't worry about it," he said firmly, pulling the keys from the ignition and turning to her, giving her a reassuring smile. "I shouldn't have started our Monday off like this. As if this day wasn't gross enough to begin with." He reached over and squeezed her forearm, smiling more broadly. "I'm sorry, okay. I've got to stop by the Blaze office before getting to homeroom. Have a good day, alright?" Brenda reached for the umbrella at her feet and reached for the door handle.
"You too, Brandon," she replied, exiting the car and opening the umbrella, watching her brother dart quickly through the driving rain towards the main quad, in the direction of the newspaper office. She slung her bag over her shoulder and closed the door, clutching the umbrella tightly as she made her way across the same path Brandon had just taken, heading towards her locker. Once inside, she closed the umbrella and shook the water from it.
"Hey Bren!" At the sound of her name, Brenda craned her neck and saw Donna and Kelly standing near Donna's locker, and both girls gave a little wave. Brenda glanced down at her watch and saw that Brandon had gotten them to school with time to spare before homeroom, so she made her way towards her friends. They had some catching up to do, she realized, since the weekend had passed with no phone call from either girl, and Brenda had spent Saturday helping her mother clean the garage and most of Sunday doing a paper for English class. Weekends without Dylan were utterly boring, she had decided.
"Hi," she smiled brightly, stopping in front of them.
"Hey," Donna grinned back. Kelly crooked her head at Brenda and glanced past her, a slight air of disappointment clouding her pretty face. Brenda assumed she had been looking for Brandon.
"Did you guys have fun Friday night?" Brenda asked. Donna and Kelly exchanged a glance.
"You didn't miss anything," Donna replied. "Steve made an ass of himself, as usual, and we left right after that."
"I know, Brandon told me," she answered, noting the subtle change in Kelly's expression at the mention of her brother's name.
"Steve's an asshole," Kelly replied bluntly.
"How was your date with Dylan?" Donna queried, her brown eyes wide with curiosity.
"Heavenly," she sighed, unable to suppress the dreamy smile that crept onto her lips. "We went down to the beach after dinner…"
"You didn't!" Kelly interjected, her blue eyes blazing indignantly.
"Relax, Mom," Brenda retorted. "I didn't sleep with him," she whispered softly. "It wasn't the right time."
"Good," Kelly breathed. "Take your time, Bren. You'll thank me later, I promise." She winked. "So where is Loverboy this morning?" she asked pointedly, hugging her books to her chest as she leaned against the row of lockers.
"So get this," Brenda began, sighing dramatically. "Dylan told me Friday night that he was going down to Mexico for the week to spend some time with his dad."
"A week?" Donna exclaimed. "He's gonna miss a week of school!"
"Somehow, I'm sure that was not his top concern, Don," Kelly snickered dryly. "So he went to Mexico?" She raised an eyebrow at Brenda, who nodded slowly.
"Yeah, it sucks," she replied. "He called me late Saturday afternoon to let me know he had gotten down there safely, but we didn't talk yesterday at all. It feels weird to go a day without hearing his voice."
"Well, you know what they say," Donna offered, trying to be positive.
"A week without your boyfriend sucks?" Brenda suggested. Donna laughed.
"I thought it was absence makes the heart grow fonder," she giggled. Kelly tossed her head.
"Whoever said that was just trying to make themselves feel better," she replied, examining a chipped fingernail. "But maybe it will be good, Bren. We can spend some time together while Dylan's gone." Brenda thought she heard an edge of hopefulness in her friend's voice, and she remembered Dylan's own comment that perhaps she had been ignoring Kelly and Donna. She plastered a wide smile on her face and nodded with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, we can," she agreed.
"Just no slumber parties," Donna warned, cringing at the memory of the last slumber party at Brenda's house. "Unless, of course, it's just the three of us."
"I think we can manage that," Brenda nodded.
"Can we not call it that, though?" Kelly wrinkled her nose. "It just sounds so…I don't know. Childish. Like we're still in middle school."
"What do you want to call it then?" Donna said doubtfully.
"Let's just call it girls' night," she replied. "We can pick a really great restaurant and go have dinner, and then we can go back to Brenda's, I mean, as long as it's okay with your mom," she added quickly. Brenda rolled her eyes playfully.
"You think my mom ever passes up the chance to play hostess for us?" she laughed.
"Fair point," Kelly concurred. "So let's plan on Friday night then. It will give Brenda something to look forward to, other than those long-distance phone calls," she teased. "You know, phone sex is way safer than the real thing."
"Kelly!" Brenda and Donna exclaimed in unison, exchanging a shocked look as a wicked twinkle gleamed in Kelly's eyes.
"Just something to think about," she smirked. The bell rang, warning all those lingering in the halls to get to homeroom or be awarded a late pass.
"I'll see you in Chemistry, Kel," Brenda called as she turned to walk to her homeroom. Kelly nodded, and she and Donna strode off in the opposite direction, shoulder to shoulder as they continued chatting and giggling. Brenda frowned, a pang of longing tugging at her heart. At least when Dylan was with her, she felt less like a third wheel. Her eyes swept down the hall to where Dylan's locker was, wishing he was leaning against it, his dark eyes smoldering as he flashed her that seductive smile.
"Snap out of it, sis, or you're gonna be late to homeroom." She spun around and found Brandon emerging from the Blaze office.
"You're in the same boat I am," she replied. "Did you get what you needed to do done?"
"Ah, no," Brandon shook his head. "I needed to talk to Andrea, and I have yet to see her this morning."
"She's around somewhere," Brenda pointed out. "That girl would come to school on her deathbed."
"You're probably right," he snickered. "I'll catch her at some point today." He knew Andrea was going to want to hear what he had to say.
"What do you need to talk to her about?" Brenda asked innocently, hiding a smile. Brandon gave her a withering look.
"It's not what you think," he replied as they reached their homeroom classroom and settled into their seats, just minutes before the late bell chimed shrilly.
"Oh?" Brenda whispered, leaning forward across her desk. Brandon twisted in his seat and shot his sister another glare over his shoulder.
"You'll see," was his curt reply. He knew he could cut Andrea off before her first period class, given that her homeroom was next-door, since West Beverly assigned them by last name, and Brenda and Brandon were the last two students in their homeroom before the rest of the Ws were lumped in the with meager Ys and Zs.
But when the first period bell rang a few moments later and the halls flooded with noisy students making their ways to their classes, Andrea never materialized from the classroom where she should have been for homeroom. Brandon waited a few moments, suspecting she could have been chatting with the teacher, who taught her biology class, but after several minutes with no one else emerging from the room and many students pushing past him to file into the room, Brandon shrugged it off and started for his own first period class. Perhaps even Andrea Zuckerman got sick.
The morning passed uneventfully, and Brandon took the opportunity to head back to the Blaze office during his third-period study hall, which was typically the first time during a school day when he would cross paths with Andrea.
Pushing open the office door, he indeed found Andrea hunched over a desk, her back to him as she appeared to be scrutinizing an article left for her to edit. Brandon could see the red pen tapping rhythmically against the desk. He grinned and closed the door soundlessly, moving stealthily across the floor.
"And here I figured you'd be stalking me, working me a little harder for my decision about running for Student Council," he announced, snickering as Andrea jumped, the pen clattering to the floor. She swiveled in the chair and managed a wan smile.
"I had a dentist's appointment, so I just got to school. Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to sneak up on people," she reprimanded, reaching down to retrieve the pen, tucking it just above her left ear where it camouflaged itself among her chestnut curls.
"I'm practicing being a little meaner," he began, leaning against the desk opposite hers. "Don't you have to have a thick skin when you become a politician?" Andrea's eyes widened in realization, and she sprung to her feet.
"Are you serious?" she squealed. "You're gonna do it?"
"Call me a glutton for punishment, but yeah, I guess I am. It's about time I get more involved in my school, and last I checked West Beverly didn't have an ice hockey team."
"No, we don't," she replied quickly. "Though that might be less painful than a Student Council campaign."
"Are you trying to make me regret my decision?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. The giddy smile that was still etched on her face quickly faded, and she shook her head vigorously.
"No! No, not at all," she assured. She clapped her hands together in front of her, the smile returning to her face. "Brandon, this is going to be great. I promise you, you won't regret this."
"I'm not doing this alone, you know," he replied, straightening up and taking a step towards her. "You're in this as much as I am."
"That's fine!" she exclaimed. "I'll take care of everything." She turned and began to pace, and Brandon could almost see the gears turning in her head. "Well, I guess the first thing we need to do is declare your candidacy and get a petition from Mrs. Teasley. You need two hundred signatures to run."
"Two hundred?" he repeated, incredulous. "I don't know two hundred people. I'm not sure there were two hundred people in the sophomore class back in Minnesota." Andrea gave him a pointed look.
"Brandon, there are nearly six hundred kids in the junior class alone. Trust me, I'll get you two hundred signatures. That's not an issue."
"Okay," he agreed. "Cause I do. Trust you, that is." He smiled at her, and she blushed, looking away quickly. "I think it's safe to say I'm counting on your complete and total support, Andrea. We're a team from here on out."
"Absolutely," she murmured, still avoiding his eyes completely. Brandon leaned forward and gave her a hug. It must have caught her off-guard, because she was initially stiff in his arms, softening a bit as he started to release her. Their eyes locked, and what seemed like an eternity passed before Andrea cleared her throat and inched backwards.
"I should go get a petition from Mrs. Teasley then?" Brandon offered.
"Yeah, we should get moving on that. Michael Miller is running unopposed right now, but I've heard rumors that Lauren Henderson is mulling a run, and as beatable as Michael Miller is, she'd be a challenge."
"Okay," he exhaled. "Well…"
"Brandon." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Thanks. You're going to be great."
"Let's hope so," he smiled.
"Do you, um, want me to come with you to Mrs. Teasley's office?" she asked tentatively. His smile widened.
"That would be good, thanks." She nodded and turned to her desk, stacking the papers she had been perusing and shoving them into her backpack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she motioned towards the door, and he walked over, opening it and following her out into the empty hall. Neither of them said a word as they began heading to Mrs. Teasley's office at the end of the hallway.
And then suddenly, Kelly stepped into the hall, the girls' room door swinging shut behind her.
"Brandon, hi!" she smiled brightly, blonde ponytail swinging as she strutted towards him.
"Hey, Kelly," he replied, returning her smile, sensing Andrea bristling beside him.
"Where are you two going?" she asked, her eyes sliding towards Andrea, who evaded her gaze.
"Oh, well, we need to see Mrs. Teasley." Kelly raised her eyebrows at him, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously.
"I'm guessing this has nothing to do with discipline, given it's you two do-gooders that we're talking about," she joked.
"Shouldn't you be in class, Kelly?" Andrea piped up. Kelly glared at the shorter girl and returned her attention to Brandon.
"I'm going to get a petition for Student Council president," Brandon explained, jamming his hands in his pockets and waiting for her reaction.
"Really?" Kelly's eyes widened, and she seemed to ponder the revelation for a moment. A smile played on her lips, and she pursed them at him coyly. "I can totally see it, actually. You've got that young John F. Kennedy thing going on."
"Brandon, can we get going?" Andrea asked impatiently, hitching her backpack higher on her shoulder. He gave her a sympathetic glance and nodded.
"We'll catch you later, Kelly," he added, giving the blonde one last smile before turning to follow Andrea. Kelly narrowed her eyes and turned, flouncing off in the opposite direction. Brandon watched her disappear into a classroom, and he immediately felt bad that he had been short with her.
"Are you coming?" Andrea repeated, holding the guidance office door open wide for him. He nodded and strode into the office, hanging back while Andrea marched to the secretary's desk in front of Mrs. Teasley's office. Both the junior class vice-principal and the several guidance counselors assigned to the class were housed in the office, but it was Mrs. Blume, the ancient secretary, who was the real pulse and brains of it all.
"I'd like a petition for Student Council," Andrea declared, giving Mrs. Blume a generous smile. The old woman peered at Andrea over the rims of her bifocals and folded her hands together atop the desk.
"Which office, dear?"
"President," Andrea responded boldly, flashing Brandon a grin over her shoulder. He returned the smile a bit half-heartedly, wondering why it was nagging at him the way Kelly had walked away from him. At second thought, he found himself worrying that he had hurt her feelings.
"Alright, young lady…" Andrea shook her head, curls springing.
"Uh uh. It's for him," she corrected, gesturing at Brandon. Mrs. Blume craned her neck to peek around Andrea and gave Brandon a sweet smile.
"Well, step on up here young man. Can't be shy if you're going to run for president, now can you?" Brandon sighed and stepped towards the desk. "Here's what you need to do. Put your name on the top of this sheet, and you must collect two hundred signatures, no duplicates mind you, and the sheet must be completed by this Wednesday."
"Wednesday!" Brandon sputtered. He cut his eyes at Andrea. "I didn't know the deadline was so soon."
"Relax, Brandon. We'll have those signatures by Wednesday, easy." She waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, and Mrs. Teasley and Mr. Myers, the Student Council advisor, will be verifying signatures, so no making up names. Kids can be quite creative you know." She clucked her tongue and smiled again. "Any questions?"
"Um, no I guess," Brandon answered, staring down at the blank paper in his hand. The sheer number of empty lines for signatures was a bit daunting at first glance.
"Well then good luck to you. Seems to me you're only the second one to ask for one of those things."
"Thanks," Andrea called, pulling Brandon by the hand out the office door into the still-vacant hallway. "That's good," she hissed, a satisfied smile creeping onto her face. "We know Michael Miller's running, but clearly Lauren has yet to get a petition, so maybe she's not going to run after all."
"Okay, we've got the petition, can we worry about it at lunch, maybe? I'd like to use what's left of my study hall to actually study for the history quiz I have this afternoon."
"Sure, I guess, but we can't drag our feet too long. Do you want me to start getting signatures at lunch?" she offered hesitantly. "I'd be happy to do that for you."
"That would be great, Andrea," he smiled gratefully.
"Okay," she grinned. "I meant it, Brandon, I'll do whatever I can to help you with this campaign, given that I kind of pushed you to do it." She paused. "I guess I'm your campaign manager?"
"I guess you are, Chief. I'm gonna go. We can talk later this afternoon, okay?" She nodded, taking the paper from his outstretched hand.
"See you later," she called after him. He gave her one last smile as he headed off to cram for a bit before study hall was over.
***
"So did you hear?" Donna exclaimed, breathlessly as she set her lunch tray down next to Brenda and slid onto the bench in the noisy cafeteria, the rain spoiling their usual outdoor lunch plans.
"Did I hear what?" Brenda asked, dipping her spoon into a carton of yogurt and taking a small bite.
"Your brother is running for Student Council president!" Donna announced dramatically. Brenda coughed and nearly choked on the yogurt that was in her mouth.
"What?" she gasped. "Where did you hear that?"
"Kelly."
"Where did she hear it?" Brenda asked suspiciously. Rumors certainly flew fast and furiously at West Beverly, and Brenda was certainly doubtful, given her brother hadn't said two words to her about a possible campaign for Student Council.
"She said she heard it from Brandon himself," Donna replied, popping open the tab of her Diet Coke and taking a sip. "Said she was coming back from the bathroom when she ran into Brandon in the hall. He was on his way to get a petition from Mrs. Teasley."
"Oh," she nodded slowly, and suddenly, the mercurial Brandon she had ridden to school with made total sense. "Oh," she repeated, more knowingly this time. His reference to being homesick, at being someone back in Minnesota and not having much to show for here in Beverly Hills now seemed logical. She wondered if the whole ride to school, he had been mulling over the decision to run or not to run, and if that might have accounted for his sudden snippiness.
"I think it's awesome!" Donna breathed. "I mean, your brother could be president of the whole school!"
"He ran for Student Council treasurer back in Minnesota," Brenda offered. "But then my dad found out about his transfer, and Brandon abandoned his campaign because he figured, what was the point?" She paused and plunged her spoon back into the yogurt. "President. That's such a big jump, and really, we haven't been here that long…"
"Bren, he's perfect," Donna reassured her. "Brandon's, like, one of the nicest guys in our class, and hello, have you seen him? He's hot, and compared to Michael Miller, your brother is like Patrick Swayze!"
"What is your obsession with Patrick Swayze?" Brenda laughed, color springing to Donna's cheeks.
"All I'm saying is Brandon will have a good chance if he runs a good campaign. You think he'll want our help? I can make signs and stuff!"
"I guess we can ask him when we see him later," Brenda smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. She scanned the cafeteria crowd and frowned. "Where is Kelly?" Donna shrugged.
"I don't know, actually. She said something about having a history quiz, but I've never known Kelly to ditch lunch to study for anything."
"Brandon was studying for that quiz all night," Brenda added. "Like he needs to study for anything."
"See," Donna laughed. "That's why he's perfect for president. Everything comes so easily to him." Brenda nodded in agreement while trying to suppress the nagging pang of jealousy she felt at hearing Donna gush about her brother. Living in Brandon's shadow was the story of her life, and she suffered mostly in silence.
"So what do you know about the guy Brandon is running against?"
"Michael Miller?" Donna supplied. She shrugged. "I don't know him that well. I mean, the last time I probably actually talked to him might have been kindergarten. And even then, I'm not sure he said more than two words. He's always seemed nice enough, but…" Donna hesitated. "He's kind of a nerd. I think he's in the marching band, and I'm pretty sure he's never been to a school dance."
"Oh," Brenda said thoughtfully. "What are the Student Council campaigns around here like?"
"Last year it was vicious. I mean, it was mean. But there were like, eight people running, and there was a run-off it was so close. Tom Hartman ran, and he came in second," she sighed wistfully. "He would have been a good president."
"Donna, I'm just curious. Have you ever actually spoken to Tom Hartman?" She blushed again and looked down at her tray.
"I sold him a cupcake for our Fashion Club bake sale in 7th grade," she said softly. "Does that count?" Brenda laughed.
"I guess it counts, but Don, how can you be so hung up on a guy you know so little about?"
"I don't know," she whispered, wringing her hands in her lap. "Bren, can we not talk about it?" she said suddenly, and Brenda sensed her friend's embarrassment. She squeezed Donna's hand and gave her a wide smile.
"Sure," she agreed. "Let's talk about something else then. What movies should we make my parents rent for us for Friday night? Something with Patrick Swayze?" she winked. Donna cracked a slight smile, and Brenda patted her forearm before taking her hand back, and lunch continued, and Brenda managed to pine for Dylan just twice before the bell rang.
***
"Here." Brandon glanced up from his desk, seated in his history class, waiting for Mr. Wells to arrive and distribute what was likely to be his usual nitpicky exam about the most trivial information from the chapter. He had been trying to remember if it was King Philip's War or the Tuscarora War that occurred first when the voice had broken his reverie. Kelly was standing above him, her sapphire eyes triumphant as she thrust a paper down at him.
"What is this?" he asked, taking the paper and glancing at it. It took a moment for it to register, as the sea of names swarmed before his eyes.
"It's your Student Council petition. Two hundred signatures. You can count them," she added, sliding into the seat next to his, even though her assigned desk was two rows over and three seats back. Brandon shook his head, dumbfounded as he studied the paper more carefully. He set it down and looked over at Kelly, who was smiling at him demurely.
"Kelly, I…" he trailed, finding himself at a loss for words. "How did you get this?"
"I went to Mrs. Teasley's office at lunch and got a petition myself. I knew you'd be worrying about this stupid quiz and wouldn't have had time to get started. So I thought I'd help you out. Put your name at the top, made my rounds at lunch, and before I knew it, I had filled the sheet." She tucked a stray strand of hair that had escaped her neat ponytail behind her ear and met his eyes, hers shining earnestly.
"I don't know what to say," he replied, stunned at her act of kindness.
"Thank you is fine by me," she smiled.
"Thank you," he repeated simply, looking up as the kid who usually sat to his right arrived. Kelly shot the boy a look before rising to her feet so he could sit down his desk.
"It was my pleasure, Brandon," she said confidently. "You know, you're going to need someone to run your campaign, and I…"
"Oh, Kelly," he began, hesitating momentarily; "I think Andrea has kind of already assumed that position." Her smile disappeared, and Brandon saw disappointment fill her eyes.
"Oh," she replied quietly. "Okay, then. Well, good luck on the quiz." She turned and made her way down the aisle, and he watched her slide effortlessly into her seat, retrieving a pencil from her bag and avoiding any casual glances in his direction. He heaved a sigh, realizing for the second time that day, he had inadvertently hurt her feelings, both times at the expense of Andrea Zuckerman.
He picked up the petition, reading name after name, and he marveled at the idea that a girl would have gone through that much trouble for him, all without being asked to do so. He snuck a backwards glance at Kelly, who was staring out the window, pencil tapping nervously against her desk.
"Clear your desks, people." The booming baritone interrupted his thoughts, and Brandon turned his attention to the front of the room where Mr. Wells was standing, stack of quizzes at hand, a sadistic smile on his face. What was it about quizzes and tests that gave teachers such pleasure, Brandon wondered ruefully. He retrieved the stack from the girl sitting in front of him, took one from the pile and continued passing the rest to the rear of his row. Mr. Wells droned through the directions, set the timer on his desk and settled down with a newspaper, as pencils began furiously scribbling on paper throughout the room.
Brandon was surprised at the ease with which he completed the quiz, and within twenty minutes, he had finished, flipping the paper over to indicate he was finished. Peeking back at Kelly, he noticed she appeared to be deep in thought, her pencil clenched between her perfectly-straight teeth, her brows furrowed. He watched her for several minutes, hoping she didn't look up and find him staring at her.
The timer on Mr. Wells's desk buzzed loudly, and he stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Okay, pencils down." Brandon saw Kelly make two last hasty circles on her paper before setting her pencil down on the desk. "Pass 'em forward and get out your books. On to the French and Indian War." A chorus of groans and grumbles mingled with the rustling of papers and smack of books being set down on the desks.
Brandon listened sporadically to the lecture, but his thoughts were largely occupied by Kelly. He was still beyond flattered that she had gotten his petition completely filled for him, and within a single period of him announcing his candidacy. She could deliver, he admitted, and he had to question the possibility of how valuable someone of Kelly's popularity could be to his campaign.
At the same time, he knew Andrea harbored a not-so-secretive jealousy towards the pretty blonde, and inviting Kelly to help out with the campaign would most likely ruffle Andrea's feathers. Still, Brandon didn't want any wounded feelings, and Kelly was his sister's best friend.
When the bell rang to dismiss the class, he quickly made his way over to the front of the row where Kelly sat, blocking her exit so that she couldn't avoid him on her way out of the room.
"Kelly, wait," he asked as she came to a stop in front of him. She pressed her lips together tightly, her expression unreadable.
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking," he started. "Well, I can probably use all the help I can get on this campaign, and if you'd really like to be part of it…"
"What about Andrea?" she challenged, her eyes flickering over him.
"She'll just have to deal with it. Three heads are better than two," he added, smiling at her. Kelly's own lips curled upward, a brazen smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"I'd love to help you, Brandon," she replied, reaching for his hand. Her slender fingers laced through his, and she held his gaze almost hypnotically. He glanced down at their intertwined hands, swallowing at the seemingly-innocent contact.
"Great, thanks," he murmured, clearing his throat.
"I can come by after-school if you'd like, and we can start planning things," she offered, slowly releasing his hand and striding towards the door.
"Uh, that would be good," he nodded as they made their way into the bustling hall. He looked around uncertainly for Andrea, sure she was lurking somewhere. He braced himself for the reaction he was going to get when he informed Andrea that none other than Kelly Taylor was going to be co-chairing his campaign. If he weren't so anxious about her response, it might have been comical.
"Kelly!" They both glanced in the direction of the voice and found Donna and Brenda waving enthusiastically at her. Kelly waved back.
"I guess I should go," she stated.
"So, I'll see you later?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question.
"It's a date," she affirmed, another teasing smile on her lips. She held his gaze again for what seemed like longer than the few seconds it was before she set off down the hall to where Brenda and Donna were waiting for her.
Brandon slumped against the wall. Something told him this campaign was going to get ugly, and it would have nothing to do with the election itself.
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Author's Note: That certainly went on longer than I anticipated…I guess we'll have to wait and see Andrea's reaction, now shall we? And the best way to do that? Click that pretty little green button and tell me you want to see it!
I think next chapter might also call for some guy talk…albeit Steve talking to himself, and Dylan chatting with the old man. No?
I'm still stuck on Viva Las Vegas, but I do have a new story started, and I might be persuaded to get moving faster on that…hint, hint. ~Court~