His hands were aching from practicing for so long. Brandon loved playing, he really did, but there always came a point when his fingers couldn't take much more. They felt like like they were going to fall off completely. He hadn't quite decided yet if he was going to go back to the support group yet. He couldn't bare the thought of being stuck in that tiny room again. It made him uncomfortable and frankly his idea of a fun Saturday afternoon or Wednesday night for that matter, didn't involve him 'sharing' with a bunch of messed up kids again. Last time was a complete fluke. Joshua was kind of an asshole and he didn't even know if Callie would be there again. It wasn't worth it.
But on the other hand if she was going to be there then twice a week wouldn't seem that bad at all.
Brandon barely even knew the brunette but she had caught his eye from the very moment they had met - though it had been a somewhat awkward first encounter. He wanted to see her again, he wanted to talk to her, he wanted something. Even Jesus had noticed that something was up whenever one of their moms had mentioned the sessions. Mariana had caught on more quickly as per usual, and unlike her twin brother she knew exactly what, or rather who, was on his mind.
"There's definitely something going on," Jesus had said that morning at the breakfast table when the subject arose. "He perks up as soon at anyone mentions it."
"What's so bad about that?" Stef had replied, laughing slightly while dishing out pancakes to each of her kids. "If B is enjoying himself - and not slouched over that piano all day and all night, during summer may I add - then who are we to judge Love?"
"So you made a new friend then Brandon?" Lena had asked, taking a sip of orange juice from her glass.
Before he could say anything, Mariana had answered for him. "Have you seen him lately? He hasn't made a new friend, he's met a girl." Brandon coughed loudly, choking on a bite of his pancake. "See."
Now he was back slouched over his keyboard and waiting for the inevitable moment when one of his moms would come upstairs and ask if he had any plans for the night - which would soon turn into a plea for him to go back and 'share'. Brandon had decided that if he pretended to be busy maybe they wouldn't come up at all - though he knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn't work. Maybe if he threw himself into working on a new piece then he would be able to get Callie out of his mind.
Before he could get his headphones away from their position on his neck, his mom appeared behind him just as he had expected her to do.
"Y'know as much as I hate you spending so much time up here on that thing, I'm beginning to miss the sound of you playing," Stef said suddenly, moving from her position of leaning against the door frame to sitting on her son's bed. "You should come downstairs and practice tomorrow."
"What's up Mom?" Brandon sighed, taking his headphones off completely and placing them on his lap. "If you're gonna talk about group -"
"B, I think that this could really be good for you after everything that's happened," the blonde interrupted him. "You just have to give it more of a chance...and what about that girl that the twins were teasing you about?"
"Mom, I gave it a chance. I think that it's a waste of me time and I don't need it. I'm absolutely fine," he shot back, his leg bouncing up and down though he barely even noticed.
"Brandon, we both know that you are not fine," Stef pleading, taking his hand in her own. "Please just do this for me Love."
"One more session," he sighed hesitantly.
"One more session," Stef smiled. "...so you better shake a leg, you don't want to be late."
This time around he knew exactly where he was going though he wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse.
"Brandon!" a voice called from behind just as he began to walk down the stairs. Turning sharply, he found himself somewhat nervous and wishing that he'd worn something a little nicer than an unwashed t-shirt from the previous week when he saw that it was Callie.
"Hey," he replied offhandedly.
"And here's me thinking that you wouldn't show up again," she teased and Brandon couldn't help but smile.
"Neither did I," he replied as they both began walking down to the meeting area. "But here I am."
"Well, I'm glad. I'm also glad that this encounter didn't involve either of us crashing into each other again."
Laughing slightly at her words, Brandon watched as Callie walked away from him and towards a group of teenagers that had already gathered in the centre of the room. He watched her chat to them for a moment before grabbing his own chair from a stacks resting against one of the walls, and joining the slowly forming circle. He recognised a few kids from before but just like him a few days ago, there were a few new faces looking just as uncomfortable as he had. However, there was one face in particular that was missing.
"Hey Callie, where's Joshua?" he called from across the circle just as she was about to sit down.
"Um, he has some bad days, we all do," she chose her words carefully before smirking. "So when he does, I take over. Is that okay with you pretty boy?"
Raising his hands slightly in surrender, Brandon smiled at the nickname that she had used. Callie went through Joshua's usual routine, introducing herself before encouraging the others to do the same. He noticed that her hair was different from last time, her hair curled into a dark mane that surrounded her head. He wasn't sure if he preferred it this way or straight but made a mental note to ask her what her natural hair was like. Brandon couldn't help but be distracted by Callie and these little details.
"Brandon?" Callie said suddenly, tearing him away from his thoughts as he realised he hadn't been listening to anything that had been said around him. "What's your story?"
"Um, I'm Brandon. My mom tho-"
"No, I mean what's your deal. What happened to you to make you need to join our messed up little group?" she laughed slightly.
"Well," he swallowed and licked his lips anxiously. "My dad has this alcohol problem and a couple of months ago it got kind of bad. He passed out when I was staying over and forgot that he had put a pizza or something, I don't really know what it was, in the oven. I woke up with the fire alarm going off but my dad wouldn't wake up. It was pretty...it was pretty bad. The smoke was so thick and it was unbearably hot. I can't really remember anything other than waking up in the hospital but they said that I carried him out by myself. I got burned pretty bad and I've been having these flashbacks and nightmares and my mom thought that this would help..."
He wasn't sure where it had all come from. He hadn't spoken to anyone about what happened nevermind a group of people he barely even knew. Brandon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"So yeah, I'm a little screwed up." he laughed anxiously. He couldn't help but notice the look on Callie's face when he had finished.
"I guess we should finish up there guys..." Callie said suddenly but Brandon was already half way up the stairs before she had finished her sentence. She had to make sure that he was okay after that. Saying hurried goodbyes to some of her friends, she rushed behind him, eventually finding him outside leaning against the wall of the building they were just inside of. "You left pretty quickly back there.
"Yeah," he replied. "I just needed some air."
"I get it, it can all get a little too much sometimes," she said with a soft smile, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I think that's the most that I've heard you say though..."
Brandon laughed at her, she was making him feel better already and she had barely even said anything. "I don't usually...share."
"Me neither."
As he saw his mom pulling up on the sidewalk, Brandon turned quickly and spoke without thinking. "Would you maybe like to come have dinner with us?"
"Um," she laughed confused. "Would your parents be okay with that?"
"I have a big family. There's plenty to go round."
I haven't updated in a while but I've got a lot planned for this story that I'm pretty stoked for so I would be eternally grateful if you could review so that I know you guys are liking what I'm writing. Thanks!