Chapter 3 Welcome Home
Dylan dragged his tired butt out of his Porsche. He had actually stayed sober for the four hour drive home from Mexico, all he needed was a DUI. Dylan grabbed his surfboard and duffle bag out of the car and looked down on the passenger seat. He took a deep breath and eyed the 6 pack he had gotten at the liquor store close to his house. He really had tried not too but found himself paying for it before he even realized it. He grabbed it quickly taking his things into his house. He stepped over all the mail that had been pushed through his mail slot dropping his belongings to the floor, keeping the beers in his hand and setting them gently on his mail table. He glanced down at the answering machine, the red light blinked and the glowing light read 12 message. He reached for a beer as his calendar caught his eye. He stared at the 1st of August. A small smile crept across his face, the first genuine one he had done in a long time. He took his hand off the beer and brought it across the calendar running his finger across the small box that stared back at him.
"Where are you going?" Dylan smiled as he watched a naked Brenda climb out of bed grabbing the sheet from Dylan's bed and wrapping it around her shoulders.
Brenda went over to his mail table and looked at the calendar. She smiled and grabbed it off the nail and searched for a pen. She started to open drawers making Dylan come out of his bedroom. He looked at her and leaned against the woodwork in his archway separating the dining room from the living room. She looked up at him with a smile and saw him leaning admiring her, standing with his comforter around his waist.
"Don't you have a pen?" she said with a smirk.
Dylan stared at her giving her a small smile moving toward her. He got inches from her face as he reached to the back of the drawer and held up the pen.
"Thank you." Brenda went to grab it as Dylan pulled it away. Brenda closed her eyes with a smile as she leaned in and kissed him hard, finally giving over the pen.
Brenda leaned over Dylan's mail table and wrote something on the calendar. She gently stuck it back on the nail and took a step backward next to Dylan.
Dylan leaned in a little as a smile spread across his face, "August 1st…My Bren comes home." he read out loud. Dylan turned to a smiling Brenda. "It seems like forever." Dylan whispered.
Brenda brought her hand gently to his face as he looked down sadly, "I know…but just think about how good it will be when I get home."
"I wish I could come with you…but with Erica and Suzanne…"
"I know." Brenda smiled, knowing how much he cared for his new found family, he adored his sister and Brenda did too. "I am going to get dressed, go home for a bit and do some packing." Brenda began to walk toward the bedroom as Dylan grabbed the sheet pulling her back to him.
"Not yet." Dylan wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, kissing her deeply. The sheet and comforter dropped to the floor as Dylan walked her backward. He lifted her slightly and set her on the kitchen table.
Brenda laughed, "This is definitely unsanitary." she joked.
Dylan smiled and leaned in opening his mouth and taking her lips with his. "Not yet its not." he smirked.
Brenda smirked back and she felt him press himself against her, "Ooooo." Brenda teased as Dylan laid her back on the kitchen table, moving himself perfectly on top of her in between her legs.
Dylan looked down before looking over at the table. Brenda had been home for 5 days, Dylan thought. She is probably wondering what the hell happened to me. Dylan had already thought about it on the way home. He had planned to stop drinking, tell her everything and just hope she would still love him and forgive him for the slip up and just be there for him…like she always had. Dylan reached for his phone but realized it was too late to call the Walsh house. He pressed play on her answering machine instead. He listened to the first 2 messages, they were bill collectors and Dylan was late on his credit cards. Dylan went for the beer as he dragged himself to the futon and sat down. He leaned forward on his knees shaking his head as he continued to listen.
"Hey baby…haven't heard from you in a week so I had a break between class and rehearsal and wanted to hear your voice. I miss you…you better be being good." Dylan swallowed hard and looked toward the ground. He knew Brenda meant girls but he thought beers. As he held the beer in his hand he couldn't for the life of him take a sip while Brenda's voice echoed through his living room.
"This message is for Dylan McKay…I have been assigned to the your case, I am Tyler Benson, give me a call, Larry, your last P.I. moved to Switzerland. Anyway lets touch base…310-555-8896."
"What's the point Tyler." Dylan mumbled and now was able to drink, bringing the beer to his lips. He sat leaning forward gently peeling the label off his beer. There were hang ups, and more bill collectors, finally a familiar voice.
"Hey Dylan…its me…I don't know where you are, you're starting to make me nervous. Call me when you can, whatever time, I just really want to hear your voice." Brenda sat quiet for several seconds. "I miss you, I cant stop thinking about you and I cant believe I am coming home next week already. Call me back baby…love you…bye."
Hang up…hang up…
"Dylan its Brenda…I don't where you are and I am really worried about you. I have to talk to you…its really important…I need you Dylan."
Dylan's face turned toward the machine, he didn't like her tone. It was sad and worried and there was just something he didn't like about it.
"Yo D…August 5th, Brenda asked me to call and leave a message, I guess she has been trying to call, leaving messages and I guess she wrote a letter or something…I don't know…anyway Brenda did not come home last week. They gave her a full scholarship to RADA so she is staying in London for the whole year. She said she will try you again on the weekend. Am I a good messenger or what? Where are you dude…call me sometime…later."
Dylan sat stunned as he stared at the machine. He picked up the beer and took a sip. "I will not be in London forever." Dylan shook his head as he looked toward the floor, "August 1st…my Bren comes home….yeah right." Dylan mumbled. Once the message registered once again in his head he took his beer bottle and chucked it across the room. The beer bottle hit the rock fireplace making a loud noise and shattering in a million pieces.
"Dylan…this is your mother…isn't it just like you to finally call me after you lost all your dad's money…money I never touched. How could you of been so stupid…" Dylan angrily got up stumbling a little as he grabbed the answering machine pushing it to the floor as the cord came out from the wall.
Dylan stared at the machine on the floor. Dylan was ready to lose it, he rubbed his face and took a deep breath. He noticed an envelope, he couldn't make out what is said exactly but he recognized her writing anywhere. Part of him didn't want to know…he didn't want to read it but then the other part of him was so lost as to why this was happening to him when he needed her more now than ever before. After a minute of contemplating Dylan bent down and picked up the envelope off the floor. He slowly and sadly walked over to his futon and sat down. He looked up hesitating, taking his index finger and running it across the envelope, breaking the seal. Dylan unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dear Dylan,
I don't know how I am going to do this. I don't know how you could do this. I love you so God damn much it pisses me off. I have no idea where you are and I guess I have to accept that fact that maybe we didn't pass the test this summer. Maybe it was something we both just got really caught up in and there is just too much…stuff…baggage. I don't know, all I know is that I am dying here…I wanted to see you so much.
Dylan noticed the few tears drop marks that had cause the blue pen she had used to run a bit.
You have no idea how I wanted to just take that letter from the dean about my scholarship and just throw it away…pretend it never existed. I have to do this Dylan…I don't want to regret it and I don't want to resent you. This is what I wanted and even though it feels horrible, I know I should be here.
Dylan closed his eyes, he wasn't sure he wanted to read anymore. He could tell just by reading it, her emotions were all over the place they were mad, confused, sad, heartbroken. Maybe she was mad at that fact he wasn't around for the last month, maybe she just was sure of her decision and was nervous about breaking up with him so to speak, or maybe she wasn't sure on her decision at all. He wiped his face and decided to read the rest.
I love you so much…I thought about you at least every other second of everyday. Please don't be mad at me…There is nothing more I wanted to do then to be with you. I had always wanted that again and I would have taken you back in a second a million times over. Please come here…Dylan will you come and live with me here? I know I know Erica and Suzanne. At least visit me…please…I need to see you, I need to know we are ok. I have to know we are ok. The week before coming here was the best week of my life. I had waited for you to take me in your arms again and until then you never did. You were the only one who really knew me at all, the only person that made my stomach flip when you kissed me…and even after the years pass you still do, you were the only person I have ever loved. I am so lucky I met someone like you, you changed my life and if this is it for us I will never forget it. I hope someday you will forgive me and know I had to take this opportunity, I know you understand, I do. Maybe part of me hopes you don't understand…cause that would mean you feel the same as I do and did about the week before I left. Anyway…I enclosed my new address and phone number, call me sometime even if its just so I can hear your voice and know that you're ok…that we are ok. Write me…something...anything. Dylan I love you, I never stopped loving you, and I know I never will.
Love always,
Your Bren
Dylan took a deep breath as he gently refolded the letter. She was gone, just like that. He had her and without notice she was gone. Dylan leaned back taking a deep breath. He leaned his head back on the futon and started to think. About her, about Erica, his mother, Suzanne, being broke. Dylan shook his head, he didn't have the money to pay his bar tab in Mexico how was he going to fly and visit Brenda? Or pay for visits…it wasn't going to happen, he had no choice but to let her go. Dylan's attention turned toward the phone, he had no idea who would be calling him at midnight.
"This is Dylan…you know the drill…BEEP"
"Dylan…its Kelly…I wanted to see if maybe I could talk to you. I know we didn't end on the best of terms but I am worried about you. No one has seen you around and I hope that whatever has gone on between us, we can move past and eventually be friends again. Call me when you can, lets get together for lunch or coffee…I need to be honest with you and there is something I need to tell you…Alright…bye."
Dylan stared straight ahead, here he thought him and Brenda would have to break the news that they had gotten back together so shortly after they had broken up. Dylan actually felt bad, it had been maybe a day, 2 at most. But Dylan didn't want to waste time, he had wanted Brenda back. "What could she possibly want to talk to me about?" Dylan mumbled getting up and fetching a beer. Dylan's phone started to ring again, what the hell? Dylan thought.
"Hey this is Dylan…you know the drill. BEEP"
Moments of silence… "It's me…Dylan?…sigh…silence…I don't know what I am doing."
Dylan got up quickly and went for the phone, he knew she was crying. Dylan grabbed it fumbling with it, "hel…hello." he finally got out.
AHHHH Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry…I know I know you guys are going to beat me. Anyway. Let me know what you are thinking. You know I live for those reviews, so hit that green button and go to town.
