I woke up the next morning around 8. I got out of bed and changed. I put on my glasses and went down to the kitchen to make a fresh cup instant cappuccino. I heated up the water in the microwave and stirred in the mix.
I walked in the living room and turned on the TV and watched the news. Just like I did every single day. When the weather was over saying it was a high chance of rain, I prepared for a nice inside day.
I went back in the kitchen and cleaned my plain white 'World's Greatest Singer' mug and placed it back in the cabinet. My mom got it for me last year when I was caught singing in the living room went everyone came back from a picnic. I heard squeaking from the steps and I went in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
I made a couple pancakes and a few slices of French toast then half a package of bacon and some sausage links. I waited fro everyone to gather around the table, smelling or hearing the food.
I set everything on the table and instantly people grabbed food and passed it around. I sat down at the head of the table and just had something little. I got up again and grabbed orange juice and milk.
"Is everything tasting OK?" I asked sitting back down.
"Perfect!" everyone shouted out mouths full of food, "Brenda, I didn't know you wore glasses." Kyouya said to me.
"Yea, " I looked at them, "I do..." I looked back to him slightly smiling, then I heard it. The sound that would make heaven cringe.
My step-dad walked down the stairs, sitting at the oppisite of me and grabbing a crap ton of food, scarfing then getting up stopping by me.
"Thanks, hun." He kissed the top of my head and walked out the door.
I didn't know I stopped breathing until he closed the door and gasped.
"Are you okay Bren-chan?"
"Yea, he just scares me sometimes." I smiled and finished my pancake then went to the kitchen. I poured Melvin his breakfast and went to put it outside and refilled his water. I walked outside for a minute and noticed it was already starting to rain.
I whistled for him to come in and he came trotting in with an attitude like 'I am so much more awesome then all of you guys.' Which made me smile and miss him all the more. I set down his food dish and patted his head and started on dishes. My hand stung the entire time. I nearly dropped a plate.
After I was gone and everyone was full of fuel, I told them it was going to be raining all day, but no serious storms.
And then it hit me.
"Brenda Jean Bartness!"
The door slammed open and there he was, my best and nearly only friend.
Mr Jessie Adams
"JESSIE!" I screamed and ran to him and gave him the biggest, most bear-like hug I have ever given anyone.
"Br-Bren... I can't breathe, babe!" I let him go and hugged him again, lighter this time.
"Oh my gosh! How have you been love?" I asked still to excited to see him.
"Nothing to complain about... But what are you wearing?" I looked down at a blue with white strips tank, white vest, and white jeans and my favorite blue socks. Compared to his black and green tripps and an Invader Zim tee.
"Well, I look cute and that's all that matters right?"
"I guess, baby doll." He looked up, "Why is everyone giving me the death glare?"
I turned around and smiled, "Guys, Haruhi. This would be mi amo, Jessie."
"Your too kind, baby." He messed up my hair and pushed me a little.
"DOMESTIC ABUSE!" I laughed and pushed him back, doing absolutely nothing. In which he laughed at me, "Hey, not all of us can me completely ripped like you." I poked his stomach, "Isn't that right Jessie's abs,"
He laughed even harder and I heard a I'm-ganna-pretend-to-clear-my-throat-to-get-someone's-attention-things, and turned to the guys, "Oh sorry Jessie this Tamaki, Kyouya, Hikaru and Kaoru, Hunny, Mori and Haruhi. My new friends from Japan." They all waved at their names, not seeming to care about him.
"So that's were you've been all this time, I've like destroyed your cell with text's." he smiled completely ignoring everyone but me.
"So, let's say we all go to a movie or something, my treat?" Jessie said eyeing the guys.
I went up on my tippy toes to whisper something in Jessie's ear but he just ended up kissing my cheek and ruffling my hair again.
"Whatcha say?" he said smiling his wide cute smile no one can resist. Tamaki however reacted poorly to Jessie kissing me, it was a father's job to dote upon his daughter not a friend, he stood and held out a hand to scold him but Kyouya stood and put a hand to his shoulder.
"We'd... love to." Kyouya tried to smle and I wraped an arm around Jesse's and pionted to the ceiling.
"TO THE MOVIES!"
I went with Jessie in his car with Haruhi and Tamaki.
Mori drove my mom's car with the rest of the pack. She had a 8-seat minivan so we can fit everyone in perfectly.
Once we got to the theater we had to run inside and of course me being the clutz I am, fell right in a puddle.
When we got inside I brushed myself off and walked around very uncomfortably, "If anyone makes a joke I swear to the great Gandhi himself. I will kill you." and all the giggles stopped there.
We bought tickets and everyone went in the theater while Jessie and I got popcorn and snacks.
"So..." he prodded.
"What?"
"Which one is yours?" He nudged my side while holding a big tub of popcorn. I leaned forward asking be more specific.
"Which of the smexy men is yours? Oh, wait... let me guess." He looked up to the ceiling and smiled, "I bet it's Silent But Deadly."
"Silent But Deadly has a name, Jess." I sighed admitting defeat.
"So, I am right! Let me guess, Tamaki and Haruhi are like totally in love but don't realize it." Emphasizing their names.
"I question your mad lover skills, Jessie. How did you know that?"
"I know things, it comes and goes but I really know when I know, ya know?"
"No. I'm very confused and you know that does not happen very often."
We entered the theater and sat by the guys. Even though the room was completely empty. I sat in between Mori and Jessie right at the end. I passed down drinks and scooped the popcorn with the cups I grabbed form the cashier when he wasn't looking... Ohhh bad Brenda, *tsk-tsk*... I know.
After everything was passed out I leaned on Mori's shoulder and watch the movie in peace while Haruhi at the end was freaking out at every single thing.
When the movie ended I was just peaked with adrenaline.
"That was awesome!" I jumped outside and kept under the roofing outside.
The car passing by on the road to the side seemed to be keeping straight. And the other side too. I ran out to the small pile of rocks and just spun around and around getting drenched in cold rain.
And the next thing I knew Mori was out there with me, grabbing my hand stopping me then placing a hand on my cheek, wiping the tear from it, doing no good.
He pulled me in closer and kissed the tip on my nose and running off.
"Hey!" ran after him and jumped on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and making him fall in the wet, muddy grass.
"Got you." I kissed him right then and there. And it was truly magical.
I pulled away just for a moment before he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me harder. He licked my lip and I gladly let him in. We fought over dominance but finally came to an agreement. He won... this round.
I pulled away and stood holding out a hand for him, he took it and stood up, not really needing my help.
"Say it." he smiled, a true one in a lifetime smile.
"Say what? That your a tease and can get tackled by a girl."
"Never mind."
"That's what I thought." I smiled and pulled him to the rest of the group who was playing in the rain.
"We are ganna destroy my mothers car!" I laughed.
"And my baby!" Jessie cried out.
We ran around for a while then hopped in the cars to get home and change before we all get sick.
We got home and I said bye to Jessie and thanked him for today. I went inside after everyone and dragged Haruhi up to my room.
"So, Haruhi. when are you going to ask Tamaki out?" I could see her face in my head even though we were turned back to back and changing. I put my glasses down while before taking off my soaking shirt, taking a hanger and hanging it up on the ceiling fan.
"What would give you that idea?" I turned around done changing.
"Because he's Tamaki and you love him. I can see it." She blushed and turned around pulling her shirt down.
"I don't know. I was going to wait for him to ask me. but he puts things so... so."
"Father-daughterish."
"Yes," we laughed, "I don't know if he can really see me like that though."
"Oh, he does." I told her about last night when he was first to bring her upstairs and had to kick him out so I could get to bed with out him standing there staring at you.
So she stood there, unbelieving of my words but looking like a tomato, "He really did that?"
I nodded and wrapped an arm around her walking out of my room and downstairs. I smiled to the group.
"Hey guys. What do ya wanna do now? I could pull out a game console and smoke ya'll in Mrs PacMan." My smiled died when I saw my mom standing in front of the everyone standing like she just did something very stupid.
"What happened." I dropped my hand from Haruhi and walked up the my mother, ready to slap around if needed, "What did you do?" I looked down to her hand where a small glass bottle was hanging from her fingers. I took it from her and put it back in the cabinet. I walked back to the wall behind where she was standing, letting her ruin my life yet, again.
"Im telling them the truth babe. That your not really who they think you are. Why you were really scared of the dark. Why your not as happy on the inside." Tears welled my eyes as she spoke, the tinted bottle waving in her hand, "See when Bren was 5, I married a man who cared for us and treated us very well. At first..." I covered my mouth and backed up to the wall, sliding down it like the tears on my face, "About a year into the marriage he started to get violent. He would slap me around, but I told him if he even thought about touching my little girl I would kill him. So he did just that.
"One day I came home from work to the house completely destroyed. She's a good fighter, but she was only 6 or so. Apparently he caught her looking at a picture of her real father and he didn't like that one bit. So he scolded her and took the picture away telling her that he was her new dad and that she would never get to see her birth father ever again.
"She cried of course. Anyway, she was crying so hard and he yelled and yelled for her to stop. She just wouldn't stop crying so he put her in a closet, waiting for her to stop. She was crying for no reason, so he gave her something to cry about." Everyone was silent, not knowing how to stop, if they could stop my mother from talking, so she continued taking complete control of everyone in the room, while I sit on the floor silently letting the repressed memories come rushing back.
"So, to the point he forgot she was in there until I came home and opened the closet to see her laying on the ground, rocking bak and forth, humming some stupid song to herself,"
"It's not stupid, " I mumbbled, trying not to make too much noise.
"Your grandmother gave you a stupid rose and a stupid music box, that was rightfully mine, that played an awful tune, that makes it stupid. Now shush mommy's talking." She talked down to me, finding it necessary to speak to me like I was back to being 5.
"Anyway, I got angry, naturally, and told him off and he got angry and duct taped me to a chair and pulled Brenda out of the closet and h-"
"That's enough!" I stood, finally standing up for myself I should have done a long time ago, "Every time I make new friends, you have to go and tell them that story, at birthdays, at slumber parties when I was littler, and people would stop being my friend. So, I'm stopping this now. If you tell them one more word to that story, You'll never see me again. Every single person, but Jessie has left me to be alone, and I'm stopping that now.
"I'm leaving and taking my stupid music box with me you sorry excuse for a mother." There it was, everything I wanted to say all my life.
I ran up to my room grabbed anything and everything I could get a hold of and packed it, all of it, my guitar, all my books on the favorite shelf. I grabbed my glasses off my dresser and put them on, I brought my two suitcases full of my clothes and random rage things downstiars and went back up. I grabbed my guitar and haruhi's suitecase, dragging that down too. I went back up one last time, for my rose and music box. I went back down grabbed a chiar and pulled it up by the mantel, where the TV sits and grabbed a small silver box behind it. I grabbed my mom's keys and put them in my back pocket.
"Anyone joining me?" I asked then turned to see everyone packed and ready to go. I smiled and Haruhi came up to me and hugged me, smiling her sweet, kind smile. We parted after a minute and I packed my things in the car. I gave the keys to Mori, and they packed their things in the van.
"I'll be right back," I told the guys as I ran to the fence jumping over and running to my best friend, my dog Melvin. I ran back to his dog house and patted his head.
"I have to go now Melvin, But I'll be back I promise." I kissed the top of his head and walked back to the fence, taking a couple strides back and jumping over it again.
I ran to the car jumping in the passenger seat and riding off.
I turned to the group, "I don't want to leave yet, all we did is get soaked and see a movie, We should stop at a hotel or something and see what's really awesome here." I smiled to them and they all just stared back at me, "What? Getting home-sick already?"
"What did he do to you Bren-chan?" Hunny asked in his serious 18 year old voice.
"He just wanted me to stop crying. He just wanted it to stop," I paused, "He just smacked me around a bit. It didn't hurt all that much. I promise I'm fine now." I smiled back to him and the conversation ended there. I pulled the music box from my pocket and traced my finger over the inscriptions and pulled my silver rose. I held it close and pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.
I smiled and thought of when my grandmother gave these to me.
'At my 4th birthday party, I was running around the lawn with a neighbor friend, when my grandmother pulled me to the side and gave me a two boxes. One was small and one was long and deep.
I grabbed the smaller one first, and untied the deep blue ribbon around the shiny black box and lifted the cover.
I took out the most beautiful piece metal I have ever seen. The casing was smooth and had small rose design on the top all around the spindle, It read 'For my darling...'
I smiled and thanked her and took the second box, pulled the ribbon and smiled as I picked up the 12 inch silver rose. I smiled and nearly started to cry over it's simple beauty. I held it close to me and hugged my grandmother. She pulled back and whispered something in my ear, "Take care of it when I'm gone... my dear, I know I can trust you with these. Please, I ask you, when you bear children, pass this onto them and make sure the cycle is continuted. And please, have trust in yourself forever."
She got up the moved back to the grown up table. I put the items back in thier boxes and placed them on the table, keeping a close watch on them while I played with the nieghbor kids...'
"She was so worried when she gave them to me. She skiped her own daughter just to keep the cycle in line... but I love her for it. My mom doesn't deserve something so sentimental."
"Brenda, where are we going?"I looked up and saw we were in the city.
"Um, the Marquette is the nicest place in town, I guess we could stop there and find a place to go on from there." I gave directions to the hotel and we headed off.
Once we got the hotel the guys did their normal rich bastard rutine and bossed everyone around quite nicely. I just smiled and leaned on the van when Haruhi walked up to me.
"Hey Haruhi, It's good to see the guys all 'richy' again, isn't it?"
"Not really..." She looked back to Tamaki who had already called for dresses for us two, "I can't say I missed this part of Tamaki while we've been gone form Japan" She still smiled though.
And I smiled too, "I'm ganna check in,"
"I think Kyouya-senpai already did," I nodded and went to find him, "Oh, and Brenda," turned to her, "Nice glasses..." I smiled to her in thanks and turned back to find Kyouya. I needed a nap... really badly. So while yawning and rubbing my eyes, under my glasses.
I walked to the elevator and went up to our floor. There was only two suites on the top floor, of course we got the Penthouse Suites... Ya, we're that cool. So, we cut us in half, not literally, Haruhi and I would bunk with Hunny and Mori. The the twins, Kyouya and Tamaki would share the other room .
I went straight into the master bedroom, went over to the bed took of my glasses and landed face first into the bed, crawling into it's warm white sheets.
After eating the chocolate on my and Haruhi's pillows, I fell asleep.
In the living room of Haruhi and the seniors room, they watched movies and ate popcorn while the small girl slept in the next room.
"I feel bad for Bren-chan." Hunny spoke up while the child movie played.
"Me too," Haruhi said while Mori 'Mm-Hmm'ed.
Kyouya knocked on the door, more like pounded, and when Hunny go up and opened the door, the pronounced Shadow King charged into the sleeping girls quarters.
"I can't stand them." He stood in the door way waiting for the girl to speak.
The girl moved from her comfortable position, flipped over the covers and stalked up to the boy.
"It would be wise of you to leave." She walked forward which made him walk backwards, "If I hear one more peep out of this room I will disembowel all of you." She walked out of the living room and into the outside hall, knocked on the door to the separate suite. The door opened and all hell broke loose within this small girl.
She never rose her voice yet screamed within her calm words. And when she finishes with the scared boys, they sit huddled in the corner.
She's awake now, the sleep had left her.
She walked back into her own room, looked through her bags finding a good book, from her favorites pile, and onto the porch through the living room.