Hey guys! Super-fast update as I promised! I have four "angsty chapters" planned and so far, I've written three, so yeah, there will be one more towards the end of the collection and then our heroes will be forever happy and in love. This chapter is inspired to the 24th issue of Winx comics, the one where Shilly gives Brandon the love potion. I always thought that the breakup scene between Stella and Brandon seemed a little off and rushed, and specially Stella seemed a bit out of character – considering how she carries herself in other situations and how similar she is to her dad personality wise, I don't really think she'd burst into a crying session right in front of Brandon, but would totally wait to be alone and unseen. Anyways here's the chapter, hope you like it! 3
"This winter Sky's coming over with aunt Samara, but I'm pretty positive dad wants to go to uncle Erendor's New Year's Eve party like every year, so maybe we could find a day to hang out in between? I mean, does Sky even need you to be around him all the time in his own house?"
Much to her annoyance, all of Stella's questions went unanswered as her boyfriend seemed to be totally elsewhere with his mind. Letting out a soft sigh, Stella sunk deep into one of the white wicker chairs outside the White Horse, her favourite place to get something to eat and drink since Bloom started to work there as a waitress. Even that dramatic action went unnoticed.
After the night Brandon confessed what was making his heart heavier, Stella really thought they could start over and head towards some kind of healing process, instead almost a month later, Brandon seemed to be nowhere to fine and she was sinking down with him as well.
"B what's going on? We've been planning this thing since forever and you're not even listening! What are you even looking at honestly!" and to be fair, Stella would have expected to look in the way Brandon had been dreamingly staring the whole time and find the boys mocking him, or even just random bikes parked by heaven knows who… instead the only thing in sight was this random girl looking at the sunset.
"You know her?"
"Uhm… yeah, it's Shilly." Brandon stated as a matter of fact, leading Stella to exaggeratedly raise her brows and continue to talk since he had finally begun giving her attention. "The Cloud Tower student from the canyon mission, remember?"
"Nope."
"Well, I do."
As Brandon turned to look at Shilly again, Stella scoffed, closing her little orange agenda with a loud thud. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Stella would pride herself to remember any face and any name… if this girl didn't ring any bell maybe she just never met her, no need to be so harsh. "What's the deal with you today? You're insufferable."
"Maybe I just don't care about planning a day to meet you during winter vacations!" Brandon practically screamed on her face, causing Stella to take a step back out of stupor. "I already see you every damn moment of my life on school days."
"Yeesh, okay. No need to be so abrasive." Stella conceded, hands held up before in sign of defeat. "You asked me to find a free day for me to meet your parents, I'm just trying to make everything fall in its place."
"It was a stupid idea, forget about it."
"What?"
"Just forget about my parents. It's not like we're gonna stay together for log anyways."
"Are you being serious right now?" Stella inquired, and it took all the strength in her body not to let her voice crack and her eyes get teary. "Are you really throwing a tantrum at me because I didn't remember that girl's name?"
"Look Stella, things between us don't work anymore and haven't in a while. Maybe it's for the best we just get everything behind and forget about it." Brandon stated firmly, tone of the conversation suddenly becoming serious as Stella realised he was actually breaking up with her. Looking at Brandon through the rose-coloured shades of her heart shaped sunglasses, for the first time Stella couldn't figure out the brunette at all – she could only stare at his blank expression and wonder what the hell had just happened.
"Are you breaking up with me then?"
Brandon took a deep breath and nodded, suddenly feeling contradicted between what he was feeling and what he was thinking. Then again Stella had been the first serious relationship after an endless trail of flirts and broken hearts… maybe it's just the way one feels after being used to staying with someone for so long.
"I really love her Stella… I never felt like that for anyone…"
Pretending not to be hurt by his words was probably the hardest thing Stella had ever had to do – still, golden eyes shielded by sunglasses, the solaria princess kept her chin up, the ghost of a smile hovering on her lips as she got up from her chair. "Well, I hope this spectacular fuckup of yours will be worth it."
Before Brandon could even reply to her ominous words, Stella was already jogging down the stairs, without looking back.
