Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Note: There is a brief scene description that could be triggering to some. It's in italics.
Chapter Nine
I'm still riled up when my Mum gets home, she picks up on it immediately and I can tell brace's for a repeat of last year.
"Why didn't you tell me about the attack, if Bren's scared it could rigger her fears from the holdup?"
"And Darling if she was what are you going to do about it? It's not your place anymore to help her like that, and regardless you don't need something else on your plate."
"Iris that's not up to you. I have the right to know, if Bren needs help."
"Dylan, don't take this the wrong way but what right?"
"She's still my… friend."
"No, she's not. You've never been friends. Dylan, I know she's part of our family but this isn't the same as Jack. The attack was just apart of life, her choosing to take self-defence isn't a big deal. It's not something you have the right or need to know about unless she chooses to tell you."
"You don't know about Bren and I, you aren't the authority on that relationship and neither is Brandon. If I feel I should know, if it's important to her-"
"Then you can stamp your feet and demand all you like. Darling, I know it's hard but it's not up to you what you get to know. You can't keep claiming a place in her life that you threw away."
My frustration makes me louder than I intend to be when I respond. "She dumped me, I didn't throw anything away."
"Don't, don't pretend I'm Cindy and Jim, don't pretend this was about you innocently choosing between the two of them. I'm not a fool."
My anger deflates, "who told you?"
"I suspected that something wasn't right when you didn't rush back to Brenda. I thought maybe you were punishing her for breaking your heart again. When Cindy told me what happened, well I never thought you'd go as far as to choose Kelly over her, not after she was the only one who has ever stood by you- it didn't make sense. When I dropped over a thank you gift to Samantha on the weekend we got to talking. She assumed I knew, she assumed that you were being honest about it, even if Brenda in her opinion was still trying to foolishly save your and Kelly's reputation."
"I didn't ask her to-"
"No, but you are willing to have Jim and Cindy think she's just a sore loser a drama queen who couldn't put her own ego aside to be there for you with Jack."
Fuck! My anger immediately changes to frustration. Why does everyone need to be involved with Bren and I? It's been like that from the start. We would have always been fine if everyone would have back the hell off, and if they all stayed out of it now then we could find a better way to make this work.
"Cindy said that, called her that?" First Donna, and now her parents, why is she automatically supposed to carry the weight of this? She is being guilted by everyone, they just need to stop involving themselves in us.
"Not directly, but both Jim and Cindy have apologised more than once each for her 'dramatics' and have said how disappointed they are that she couldn't see past her own pain to be there for you and at least attend the funeral. Hell I even told her I was disappointed that she wasn't coming that day. She took it, she's taken all the character attacks to protect you and yet you still want more. Dylan, Jack was working hard to make up for a lot of bad things when he died, he was trying to be a better man because… well I don't need to tell you he was a pretty horrible one at some stage's. His belief that he could and should have everything he wanted regardless of if it was right is not something I want you to aspire to."
She walks over to where I'm sitting and sits on the futon keeping eye contact with me. When she speaks again it's with a patience and tone that one uses on a person who doesn't seem to understand a simple reality.
"Dylan, you can't have Kelly warm your bed and still keep Brenda as your emotional girlfriend, it's not fair to either of them or you. Brenda knows that, why do you think she is adamant in keeping you both apart, she knows that you both instinctively take on these roles for the other. She is doing everything to break it, cut the ties between you, or at least put distance so they don't effect you both. Maybe you need to figure out why she is the only one trying to separate you when you chose someone else. Why you still need her if you have said you want someone else. Why when you had ample opportunity to end it with her you couldn't, and even now you still can't seem to let her go."
She stands then and leaves the room closing her bedroom door behind her.
I'm left to sit on the couch to mull over why my life is such a mess, why everything is turning to shit. Why can't my life ever be easy? Why can't they back off and let Brenda and I figure us out?
Kelly was supposed to make it easy. It was supposed to be lighter, and less stressful, less pressure. All I've got since choosing is everything becoming such a fucking mess. My life has completely changed in ways it wasn't supposed to, even before Jack's death I assumed that Bren needed a few days and then we would be okay. I assumed that everyone would not involve themselves in our private affairs. I assumed it wouldn't be this nothingness. And I never thought she'd start listening to others and throw away our ways, we stand by each other we don't cut each other off.
When I get home from self-defence and a late dinner at The Pit with Andrea, Brandon's studying in his room. I come in and he tells me about the night. He apologises for not being able to get Mum to stop disclosing my personal information.
"Brandon, its not on you, and it's fine, it's not like me and Andrea taking self-defence is a big secret. The iron thing isn't a big deal either, though I wish mum stopped discussing my weight with everyone, even Samantha brought it up last night when I was over there helping Steve study for his maths test."
"How's that looking? Steve going to graduate?"
"Well with Rush he's got a guaranteed place at CU, so to get him motivated enough to actually work for better grades is a challenge. Samantha's helping. If he finishes the semester with a GPA point four higher than last year she'll arrange to get us a beach house in Malibu for part of the summer. It's motivating Steve, he's already planning the parties."
"Samantha knows her son well."
"Yeah she quietly said if I can help get it up by point five she'll even give the money for the damage bill that she knows he'll cause no questions asked."
Brandon laughs loudly, "don't tell Steve that, it will make him think he has permission to throw even crazier parties."
"I know." I lift myself off the bed, "I'm going to have a quick shower then I'm going to go to bed. I need to be at school early tomorrow as I have a morning group session."
"Want me to drive you?"
"No it's cool, you have a long day tomorrow with a shift after school at The Pit. You should sleep in. It's only a twenty minute walk or maybe if Dad's heading into the office early I'll grab a lift with him. Night."
Dad wasn't heading in early, and when Mum started to bring up forgiveness again over breakfast and Dad joined in I decided it was a good thing I wouldn't be alone with him for the car ride; I couldn't stomach starting my day with a Walsh values lecture from him. Instead I decide to leave extra early, taking a muffin for later rather than sit through anymore one on one time with my parents.
It's when I'm less than two blocks away from the schools trackfield that I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise up, I feel uncomfortable eyes on me. It makes me move faster.
Two houses down it happens. There's a large gated house, around the perimeter they have planted tall bushes to hide the fence from the street. The hands come out of no where, I thought someone was behind me not in front. I'm surprised when they grab me and try and pull me into the bushes. It takes me a moment to react, but I do. I manage to use the momentum of him grabbing me pulling me to spin around pushing my back into him. It's then I lift my foot and come down hard as hard as I can on his foot. He's stunned slightly, releasing his hold of me. It gives me enough room to swing my elbow back and land it in his stomach he releases me completely then and I move quickly out and away from the bush.
I'm not sure which car breaks first, which one screeches their tires but three of the football team are suddenly on the footpath with me. Two creating a human shield between me and the guy that is suddenly lying face down on the cement, Tony has grabbed his arms from behind and is digging his knee into his back. The neighbours must have heard the tires, or the yelling because the security company that patrols the street are there in under five minutes. The police take fifteen. I miss my group study session with the cops asking questions. It's sadly a familiar procedure for me after last year's hold up, I answer knowing the detail the cops want me give. When they have all our accounts they let the four of us drive to school, Tony insisting I drive with him, though the police follow behind. Period one is already happening when I lead them to Mrs Ts office. The police fill her in and as we are all over eighteen ask if she can let the parents know.
None of us are allowed to leave her office until she has spoken to them, and we have spoken to them, reassuring our parents that we are okay. Mum is distraught and wants to know if she should come and get me. I ask if I can just continue on with the day, I don't want to be at home going over it in my head. The guy's are thanked and then given late slips for class, I'm not allowed to go yet Mrs T wants the nurse to check me over.
His hand marks are there on my upper arms, it doesn't help that my low iron levels makes me bruise more easily. They are already ugly dark smudges and I know as the day goes on they'll be more defined, there will be more of them. Luckily though that is the only physical indicator that something happened.
When I leave the nurses station Brandon is there. Josh was in his period two class, as he walked in late with his note he quietly whispered to my brother what happened as he moved to his seat. Brandon just up and walked out, without even getting permission.
He has me wrapped in his arms, I hold in the wince when his arms bump the bruises.
"I'm sorry I should have driven you. You shouldn't have been out there alone." I pull back.
"Brandon, it was a quiet suburban street not a war zone. I shouldn't need protection, I should be able to walk out there alone. I should be safe to, everyone should be safe to."
"Thank god Mum took you to that self defence class, and that you've kept going. I don't want to think what could of happened if he got you into that bush."
"Yeah, I don't want to think about that either." Though I'm sure it will be the thing that haunts my nightmares; at least it might kick out the one where Dylan was in that car or the one that shows how Kelly lost her earring.
"Want me to take you home?"
"No. I have a full day, I just want to concentrate on that. You should get back to class, and I need to send a note to the five sophomores I stood up this morning. Hopefully, they can come past at break and I can apologise for this morning, and then set something up for the weekend maybe at the library."
"Bren. Not this weekend okay, just do the day and then I'll drive you home. Last time you tried to be superwoman and you know what happened. Let's just see how you feel when the shock has worn off." His concern is rolling off him, and I understand, last time I tried to ignore my emotions and they bubbled up. I reach out and take his hand, squeezing it gently, trying to let him know how I appreciate his caring. It's been a long time since I felt my brother take such an interest in my life, him and Steve have truly been my rocks since the park.
"Okay. Just don't go back to sprouting off how brave how strong I am, it frustrated the hell out of me last time."
"I heard… speaking of that speech he'll want-"
"No. I'm sure it will be all over the school by lunch time, but no. I don't, he's got enough going on with his Dad, hopefully when he hears I'm fine, that I'm still here at school he'll assume it wasn't a big deal."
"Did they check you for head trauma?" God my brothers sense of humour was dismissal.
"Bran-"
"Seriously, you're hoping he's going to think it's not a big deal and not worry? I'd make a bet that you are wrong on that but I'm not allowed to do that anymore."
"No you aren't. Look, if he asks tell him I'm good, but I just don't want any drama. I just want to get through the day without any carry on. I don't want the spotlight of last time, I just want to regain my control even if it's just regaining my schedule. Now get back to history so I can try and sort out my day and maybe have my now squashed muffin that I took for breakfast."