Chapter 21 Make-Up's and Break-Up's

Brandon shook his head in disappointment as he made his way down the stairs. As he got closer to the bottom he heard voices and laughter coming from the living room. He turned the corner and stopped surprised at his friends hanging out laughing and carrying on.

"What are you guys doing here?" he said confused.

"Oh come on Bran, did you actually think we weren't going to take advantage of Big Jim and Cindy being gone? I brought beer, the girls brought snacks, we never all hang out anymore anyway."

Brandon shrugged as Steve handed him a beer. "Where's Kel?" Donna said as she got up grabbing a handful of snacks.

Brandon shifted his weight uncomfortably, "Upstairs…Hey Steve…beer pong? Out back? I'll grab some cups." Brandon quickly changed the subject.

Steve and Brandon crossed Kelly's path as she finally made it down the stairs. She also looked around confused as to why all their friends were there. She went in and plopped down on the couch. She looked over at Andrea and Donna and gave them a fake smile.

"Oh my God…I totally forgot to tell you guys, guess who got hired at the campus radio station?" Donna said excitedly.

David's head shot toward her, "Really?" David said with a smile.

"Yep, I do the afternoon shift 2 to 6." Donna smiled.

"That's great; I am on from 6 to 10." David smiled back

"I know, Howard told me, when I went in to meet with him he had told me you had given him a reel of our work together so there wasn't a need to necessarily try out."

Valerie looked between the two of them feeling left out as the continued to talk about the radio show. She felt a bit jealous but then passed it aside thinking, what did she really have to be worried about, David was done with Donna and Donna didn't have anything to give him. Valerie's attention moved toward Kelly who was sitting quietly, hands in her lap. She got up and moved toward her sitting on the arm of the couch.

"What's up Kel? Valerie leaned in.

Kelly looked up at her and flashed a fake smile. "Nothing much."

Valerie continued to look at her, "You are a horrible liar, and I personally don't even know you that well." Kelly shifted in her seat and looked down. "What's wrong trouble with the happy couple?"

Kelly looked over at her, "It's fine, we got in a little fight but everything is fine." Kelly got up and made her way into the kitchen. She opened up the back door and looked at Brandon and Steve playing beer pong.

"Ooooooh." Brandon and Steve yelled at the same time. "Did you see that?" Brandon laughed as he watched Steve drink the cup of beer down.

"Brandon…when you're done, can we talk for a minute?" Kelly said softly.

Brandon looked at Steve before looking at Kelly and nodded, "Yeah."

Steve felt the uncomfortable vibe, "Brando…we need more beer plus I got to drain the lizard." Steve moved inside to leave them alone.

Kelly watched Steve close the door to the kitchen and looked back at Brandon, "I'm really sorry. I know how much this retreat means to you and I tried to get them to reschedule."

Brandon looked down, "I know….look Kelly, I am happy you have this opportunity and I think you're beautiful and you deserve this. I just cant seem to think that college and all this stuff happening to both of us is drifting us apart. I love you and I don't want these opportunities to come between us." Brandon moved closer to her, "I also know that we are young and just because we are in love, we can't pass these things up."

Kelly nodded sadly, "I won't go…if it's going to cause us to feel this way it isn't worth it to me."

Brandon smiled, "Kel, you are going…and I am going to the retreat. It's a week, we can meet up after and tell each other everything that went on." Brandon wrapped his arms around her waist, "I love you." he gently kissed her lips.

Kelly exhaled, "I love you too." she whispered, "I'll miss you."

"You better." Brandon smiled.

Steve poked his head out the door, "Is it safe, everyone have their clothes on?" Steve smiled and lifted his eyebrows. "Oh wait, wrong Walsh."

"Ha ha…Steve funny." Brandon looked down at Kelly.

"Have you talked to Bren?" Steve said as he joined them outside.

"I should probably call her; I haven't talked to her in awhile." Brandon said as he bit his bottom lip.

"I bet she is starting to show." Kelly said with a smile.

Steve shook his head, "I bet her boobs are bigger. Brenda had the nicest set of…"

"Hello…back on this, my sister will not go out with you. Get over it." Brandon joked.

"I know I know…but can you imagine if she did." Steve took a deep breath.

"Steve…do you ever think before you speak…like ever?" Kelly said shaking her head.

"Nope." Steve laughed, "Come on we are going to play games."

Brandon and Kelly looked at each other with a smile and walked back inside.

They joined the group in the living room. Kelly sat next to Donna. "Ok the game is called I never. My frat brothers taught it to me and it gives us all a chance to get to know some juicy secrets about each other." Steve lifted his eyebrows passed out beers to everyone.

"How do you play?" Andrea said making a face after drinking the beer.

"Well… we go around the circle and for example…I would say something like I never." Steve thought about it "Stole a car. Now whoever has stolen a car would have to drink. There is no need to explain, it's just proof because well you drank. Get it?"

"And it doesn't matter what the topic is?" David asked.

"Nope but of course the better the topics the better the game. Ok I'll go first." Steve looked up and thought about it, "I have never had a job." Steve laughed.

"Oh thanks." Brandon shook his head as he lifted his beer to his mouth, "You guys are a bunch of privileged kids now aren't you." Brandon made note that he was the only one who drank.

Next was Donna's turn, she looked around the room and even though she didn't want to know the answer something made her ask anyway, "I have never…had sex with anyone in this room." she glanced over at David and Valerie.

Kelly and Brandon looked at each other and smiled as the clicked their beers together and drank. Donna was relieved that David and Valerie did not take a drink but to her surprise Andrea and Steve did. Donna knew Steve had been with Kelly in high school but Andrea. She thought she was a virgin.

"Andrea?" Donna said surprised. The gang stared at her making her feel uncomfortable. Donna and Kelly looked at Brandon.

"Hey…don't look at me." Brandon said with his hands up.

Kelly looked back and forth between them, "Steve?" Kelly said shocked as her mouth hung open. "What? When? WHAT?"

**

Dylan moved through the living room, he saw the pull out was neatly put away, blankets and pillows folded nicely on top of it. He heard voices coming from the kitchen as he turned the corner seeing Jim, Cindy and Brenda having breakfast.

"Good morning." He said softly.

"Morning Dylan, here I made breakfast." Cindy got up and began scooping some eggs and hash browns onto a plate for him.

Dylan moved over to Brenda, he stood closely behind her and whispered in her ear, "Hey."

Brenda looked up to see her parents looking at them. She smiled at Dylan and gently pecked him on the lips. She uncomfortably moved away from his body and put her plate in the sink, "So guys…what are you going to do today?" she asked her parents.

"Well…we are going to do some tourist stuff, you know Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, Work Trade Center, you know that kind of stuff. When is your last class?" Jim asked picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

Brenda looked at Dylan, before answering, "My last class is at 1 but then I have rehearsals until 4."

"Rehearsals?" Cindy said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, I got the lead in the campus play. Romeo and Juliet."

"Wow…that's wonderful honey." Jim got up swinging his arm around her and squeezing her tight.

Dylan ran his tongue on the side of his cheek. He felt horrible, all this drama with Brenda and Toni and he had no idea she had gotten the part in the play. He ate quietly not letting on it was news to him as well as Jim and Cindy.

Brenda raised her wrist up looking at her watch, "Shoot, I should go, I guess we will meet you later?" she smiled at her parents who were seriously clueless as to what was going on.

"Yes dear, we will meet up for dinner or something, your father and I are going to get settled into our hotel but check in isn't until 3 I believe. Maybe we can go shopping or something tomorrow, get you guys a tree and maybe some baby things" Cindy said with a smile.

"Ok…have fun, see you later." Brenda began to head for the door.

Dylan placed his plate in the sink, "Wait up Bren. See you guys."

Brenda wiped the fake perma smile she had forced on her face the whole morning.

"Why didn't you tell me you got the part in the play?" Dylan said sadly.

"You didn't ask." She gave him a short answer.

Dylan exhaled as he pulled her back gently, "Bren…come on."

"Dylan…don't start this now, I'm going to be late for class." She began to trek down the street.

Dylan stopped her again, "Brenda…I'm sorry."

"I know…you're an idiot. Look…you can be involved or not involved with this baby as much as you want. As for me, were done. My parents are here for 5 more days, and after Christmas I want you to move out…"

"Brenda?" Dylan interrupted sadly

"I would move and stay somewhere but I don't have money like you do. I have made up my mind. It's over; it's obviously been over for a while." Brenda looked at him straight in the eye as her eyes began to well up. She looked down and took a deep breath and continued toward the University.

Dylan stood there stunned as he watched her walk down the street. There was no point in talking her out of it. He knew Brenda better than anyone and she had made up her mind. Once Brenda made up her mind there was no changing it. God he screwed up, he screwed up big this time. He thought about her and how much he loved her. He thought about their baby and how he would give anything to be a family, one that he never had but now it wasn't going to be like that. It was going to be just like how he grew up. Regardless if the situation was different and their kid actually would have two parents, it was still not the same and in his mind it was not acceptable. Dylan looked down and shook his head.

Brenda walked over to the common area to buy a water. She was dreading seeing Dylan in Poetry class. She had gone back and forth in her mind about what to do and the truth about it was, she couldn't see past the apology, the stopping the kiss, every time she thought she could he would get close to her and it would come back. Maybe it was harder this time because of her hormones, being pregnant but Brenda didn't think it was that entirely. The truth was in the past when her and Dylan had cheated on each other. They had both done it. Almost like they tested themselves but this time he did it. She honestly thought they had grown up and she wasn't going to allow Dylan McKay to continue to make her forget what was most important, her pride. She could not and would not stay with a man that continued to do this. It didn't matter that he didn't sleep with her, or it might not have been much of anything. He did it, he went away with her while Brenda was feeling horrible about herself and the way she had been treating him. She was done.

Brenda found a nearby table and took a deep breath. She figured she would study some of her lines and just wait to get the poetry class over with. Brenda had not even gotten through the middle of the page when she felt someone hovering over her. She automatically assumed it was Dylan and she wasn't in the mood to have that conversation here at school, "Dylan…just leave me alone."

"Brenda?" Toni said quietly.

Brenda's head shot up, she recognized her right away. Brenda glared at her, she wasn't even sure she was aware she had been doing it.

"Can I sit?" Toni pointed to the chair.

"Toni…honestly what do you want?" Brenda closed her play book semi interested in what exactly this two bit whore had come to say to her.

"I just wanted to tell you…" Toni looked down uncomfortably, "Uh tell you I was sorry."

"For making out with my boyfriend?" Brenda sounded like a smart ass but she didn't care. She had not looked down from her stare once.

"We didn't make out." Toni shook her head. "You don't have to like me, I just wanted you to know, I am not some loose, hoe bag. I honestly didn't know Dylan was with anyone and once he said he was in love with his girlfriend…I backed off."

Brenda swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

Toni continued talking, "I don't have many friends out here and when I saw Dylan was here, I thought for a second maybe it was a for a reason. Look he loves you, all he talked about was you. I started it and he barely kissed me, I promise, he pulled away and told me right away he was in a serious relationship and he was going to be a dad." Toni smiled sweetly.

"He did?" Brenda softened her expression.

Toni nodded her head, "You can tell he is excited. I know I'm the last person you want to hear advice from or anything but Dylan seems like a great guy and of what he said about you…you sound equally as awesome." Toni smiled, "You should be together."

"Did you talk to him?" Brenda asked curiously.

"Yeah…we have sociology together, he told me he messed up and you wanted him to move out."

Brenda looked down uncomfortably.

"I should go but please don't throw what you have with him because of me." Toni smiled one last time as she raised herself from the seat.

"Toni." Brenda stopped her, Toni looked at Brenda again, "Thanks."

Toni smiled and nodded and carried on her way. Brenda exhaled as she gently rested her elbow on the table, taking the palm of her hand and moving it across her face. She closed her eyes as she felt the tears coming. She got up and grabbed her books, she took her water bottle from the table and bumped in to someone as she moved around the table not paying attention.

"Brenda Walsh, looking cute as ever." Jim Townsend said sweetly.

Brenda smiled, "Hey Jim, how are you doing?"

"Better now, you know its not very cool of you to go to school here for what 4 months and not run into me once. I haven't seen you since orientation."

Brenda tried to fake a laugh, "I'm sorry…I didn't do it on purpose." Brenda felt tears well up in her eyes again.

Jim tilted his head to the side, he leaned into her taking her into a sweet hug. Brenda was so emotional and drained she let him hold her for probably longer than acceptable. "Are you ok?"

Dylan started to make his way to the poetry class and stopped as he saw Brenda in another man's arms. He swallowed hard and stared at them. He watched this guy, hold her and kiss her on top of the head. Jealousy rushed through him and with out even thinking he found himself moving quickly toward them.

Please review! Let me know what your thinking.