Chapter 17 Nobody's Perfect

Dylan pulled back as he quickly got up, he looked at her and felt his chest get heavy.

"Dylan." Brenda sat up and looked at him, she didn't want to tell him but what the hell was she suppose to do. She regretted it after seeing his face.

"When?" Dylan said angrily.

Brenda was almost scared of him; he had never seen him this angry. "Dylan." Brenda shook her head.

"WHEN?" Dylan yelled.

"Last night." Brenda was barely audible.

"Mother Fu…" Dylan mumbled as he opened the door with such force it hit Brenda's little table on the side knocking over her a picture frame.

Dylan stormed in the living room grabbing David by the shirt and banging him against the wall. "You son of a bitch."

David tried to push him off but the adrenaline pumping through Dylan made him hard to nudge.

"You had to do it man…you could have slept with anyone from my past but you had to pick her." Dylan clinched his teeth and banged him against the wall again.

Brandon and Steve looked at each other; it happened so fast they didn't have a chance to react; they went over trying to pull Dylan off of David.

Dylan held on with all he had as David fought back. "You broke up." David yelled back trying to get free from his grip.

"I thought you were a friend." Dylan yelled at him. "What did you say or do to her to get her to sleep with you?" Dylan was yelling so loud Brenda came rushing out of her bedroom.

"Why don't you shut up." David yelled back

"Why don't you make me tough guy." Dylan got close to his face throwing him against the wall again.

"I'm in love with her." David lowered his tone.

Dylan almost laughed, "You love her? She was off limits to you…you don't even know her…you stupid piece of sh." Dylan clinched his teeth together.

Brenda interrupted, "Dylan stop…let him go, be angry with me not him."

Dylan was breathing so hard through his nose he felt like he was hyper ventilating. He let go finally but pushed him against the wall one last time.

Dylan didn't yell at her, he couldn't yell at her, "I am angry with you Bren."

"David Silver…you had sex with David?" Dylan shook his head as he felt sick to his stomach. He glared at Brenda, "What you are going to spread yourself around the group like every other girl in it?" He looked at Steve and Brandon, "It's good to have friends." He opened the front door with force. He looked down at the table next to the door and spotted his keys. He grabbed them storming out the front door.

Brenda went after him and stopped at the porch, "Dylan…don't leave…I'm sorry." she tried to hold back her tears but wasn't doing a good job.

Dylan stopped but didn't turn around to look at her, "We were broken up…I thought you were sleeping with Stacey."

Dylan turned around quickly, "And that makes it ok? I loved you…I needed you and now I feel like I don't even know you."

Brenda felt worse, she never meant to hurt him and she never intended for Dylan to find out this way. "You do know me…better than anyone."

"I thought so...but the Brenda I knew wouldn't have fucked one of my friends." Dylan was trying not to say things he would regret but he was so hurt, he held her up on a pedestal and he wasn't sure now what to think.

Dylan just looked at her and shook his head.

"I was just trying to be honest; don't you think I owe you honesty after everything we have been through? I wasn't going to just make love to you and not say anything."

Dylan shook his head again, "Why is this sounding all too familiar…let me guess this is where I say…Honesty…is this what you think this is about Brenda…sound familiar?" Dylan looked down. "Are you trying to get back at me? Are you? Because it worked. Except this time it's different, we aren't in high school anymore, I lived with you, I trusted you with my life. We had a daughter together. I can't even look at you." Dylan turned around again heading farther away from her.

"Dylan…I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking about anything, it just happened."

Dylan turned around and walked toward her and stood in front of her, "I'm going to ask you again because the first time you didn't answer me." Dylan raised his voice. "Are you in love with him?"

Brenda raised one shoulder, "I don't know." she said softly.

Dylan exhaled; it felt like a knife hit his chest. He turned away from her.

"I'm not going to apologize for sleeping with David, Dylan, you have slept with two of my friends and never gave a shit about me…I did not cheat on you…I'm not perfect I know but."

Dylan slowly turned around looking up at the sky. He slowly dropped his head as he looked at her with tears in his eyes, "You were to me." Dylan sighed sadly, "You were perfect to me."

Dylan walked backwards looking at her, his arms fell as his body became weak. He shook his head and turned around walking out of the gate slamming it behind him. Brandon and Steve walked out slowly.

"Are you ok?" Brandon said resting his hand on Brenda's shoulder.

"Follow him Brandon…please?" Brenda looked at her brother with tears in her eyes.

Brandon nodded slowly and motioned to Steve with his head to come with him. They ran out jumping in Steve's car and drove away following a speeding Dylan down the street.

Brenda lowered herself to the step on the porch and dropped her head in her hands and cried. David slowly walked out and looked down at her. He walked over lowering himself to the ground.

"I'm sorry David, are you ok?" Brenda looked sadly at him.

Even with a tear stained face and red puffy eyes she looked beautiful. David nodded not saying anything.

"What a mess…I don't know what to do anymore."

"A little heads up and a head start next time would have been good." David tried to make her smile.

She thought his effort was sweet. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Bren…why did you tell him…I mean why now?"

Brenda shook her head, "He wanted to be with me and I…just felt… guilty."

"Bren…I know that things with Dylan are always complicated and I know you love him but you need to be honest with me. I would do anything for you and I meant what I said about being in love with you. I'm not going to waste my time if you aren't serious about." David looked down, "us."

Brenda sighed, "I don't know what I'm feeling, David."

**

Dylan drove fast through town. He couldn't believe it, he knew he probably deserved it but he just couldn't get the mental picture out of his head. Dylan slammed the palm of his hand on the steering wheel. His first thought was to find some heroin, but Dylan outing out his supplier was a done deal. The cops were watching him for sure or he was already taken in. Dylan didn't want to do drugs; he really didn't want to, it was almost a thought just to get back at her. Dylan tires shrieked as he pulled in to Joe's Billiards. An old hang out for him and the only place to get a scotch at noon. Dylan walked in to the pool hall and looked around. There were maybe 5 men in there drinking and playing pool, the place had not changed much. He walked up to the bartender.

"Give me whatever is on tap and a single malt scotch." Dylan said to the bartender with little emotion in his voice.

The bartender poured a glass of Black Label and filled the beer mug with MGD.

Dylan lifted the glass of scotch as he swirled it around. He smelled it and closed his eyes. He sat at the bar and lowered his head.

"Dylan…what are you doing man?" Brandon said joining him at the bar stool next to him as Steve sat at the one on the opposite side.

"Brandon…please don't lecture me. I'm fine." Dylan didn't even lift his head to look at him.

"I'm not here to lecture you or judge you, I'm just…trying to look out for you."

"I don't need you to look after me Brandon, it's not your job to run and save me every time I hit bottom." Dylan brought the scotch to his lips and poured it back. He made a face as it hit the back of his throat.

Dylan…come on man, you just got out of rehab, don't drink."

"Brandon…I appreciate you coming and sitting with me but I just want to be alone."

"I can't do that." Brandon shook his head. "If you want to drink yourself into a stupor then fine, I know I won't be able to stop you but I'm not going to let you get drunk and then drive somewhere. You're like a brother to me man and if you ever want to be with Brenda again you got to clean up your act dude." Brandon voice was almost begging him.

Dylan shook his head, "Be with Brenda again." He whispered, "She slept with David. Little David Silver." Dylan looked devastated as he looked back and forth between Steve and Brandon. "I don't even think I can look at her."

"David isn't the same David as he was back when you were here man, he has grown up." Steve said softly, "I mean Dylan…you weren't exactly the best boyfriend or even ex boyfriend at that. I mean you slept with Val, who was Brenda's best friend growing up, you cheated on her and slept with her best friend, I mean I'm sure Brenda wouldn't have slept with David if she didn't like him."

Dylan looked at his beer, picking it up, "I know." Dylan exhaled, "She is better than me though."

"Did you guys know? Have they been seeing each other?" Dylan looked for the bartender.

"I knew they were going on a date." Brandon looked down, "You know I'm on your side, but she seemed happy about it and like she would listen to me anyway."

"We all kind of knew something was going on with them." Steve said feeling bad. "And then we kind of caught them this morning…seeing the discarded clothes and mess…"

"Steve." Brandon looked at him like he was crazy.

"Sorry." Steve mumbled.

Dylan felt nauseous, "Hello...keep them coming." Dylan yelled impatiently.

"Look Dylan…I know its not my business but I heard you and Brenda yelling at each other outside, you said she had your daughter…Brenda had a baby?" Brandon seemed more hurt than anything.

Dylan exhaled and looked over at him, "Yeah Brenda and I lost a baby 6 months ago."

"Like a miscarriage?" Steve said softly, he had heard about it but didn't know the whole story.

The bartender brought the second drink over, "One more." Brandon and Steve looked at each other and shook their heads. Dylan leaned his head back and shot it back quickly.

"No it wasn't a miscarriage, she was almost to term. Brenda and I were in a car accident and…Danielle didn't make it." Dylan closed his eyes, he hadn't said her name in a long time.

"She never said anything." Brandon said quietly.

"It was about the time of your wedding, I started using shortly after that and Brenda took care of me." Dylan shook his head as he downed the third scotch he had had in a matter of 10 minutes. "It was something we really didn't want to deal with. I still don't."

"I'm sorry man…I don't know what to say." Brandon looked down sadly when the idea hit him that he was an uncle.

"I'm going to hit the head." Steve said getting up in search of a bathroom.

Dylan watched Steve walk away as he looked over at Brandon. "What am I going to do without her?"

Brandon shook his head and shrugged slowly, "Hopefully not this." Brandon eyed his beer.

Dylan sat hunched over the bar, he stared at the half empty glass as he began to feel his eyes get heavy. Dylan hadn't drank like this in years and it hit him hard.

**

Brenda laid on her back staring at the ceiling. She was thinking about Danielle. She wondered if the reason she was able to smile about the thought of her, say her name and think of how big she would be now was because Brenda chose not to see her. Dylan had and he didn't say much about her beside the fact she was beautiful and prefect. He said she had brown hair and long eyelashes. That's pretty much all he would say about it. Brenda slowly sat up telling herself she needed to get up. She had been laying in her bed for hours. David had to go do his show at the club and even though he begged her to come with him, even if it was just to hang out in the booth, she didn't want to. Brenda walked into the living room, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. As she turned the cap off she heard a someone trying to stick their key into the door. She set down her water walking up to the front door.

"Brandon?' Brenda called out.

"Yeah…Bren, can you open the door." Brandon sounded like he was struggling.

Brenda pulled open the door to see Steve and Brandon carrying a barely standing Dylan.

"Oh my God, what's wrong with him?" Brenda moved out of the way as they guided him inside.

"He's drunk Bren." Brandon had a tone to it that Brenda picked up right away.

"You let him drink?" Brenda said raising her voice.

"What was I suppose to do? I just wanted to make sure he didn't drive. I didn't even want to bring him here because of what happened with David but…"

"He cant stay with me, Janet's parents are in town and they are coming over tonight for dinner. I can't have him there drunk, it's the first time I'm meeting them."

"No, I'm glad you brought him here." Brenda took a deep breath looking at him, "Just put him in my bed, I probably wont get any sleep tonight anyway." Brenda watched as the boys led him in flopping him down on the bed. Brandon bent backward supporting his back.

"I got to go, Janet is going to kill me." Steve said stressed.

"Bye…thanks Steve." Brenda and Brandon both said at the same time.

Brenda looked down at him, she was so used to taking care of him she sat next to him on the bed and began taking off his shoes., "Get a bottle of water Brandon and grab a bucket under the sink in case he needs to throw up." Brenda said without emotion.

Brandon looked at her and tilted his head and for the first time he realized what she had been going through. He nodded and went into the kitchen.

"Why do you do this to yourself Dylan?" Brenda said quietly. "Don't you know how much better you are than this?"

Dylan moved sloppily and mumbled, "No." he didn't open is eyes.

Brenda took a deep breath, she was done. She loved him so much she had to let go or he was going to pull her down with him.

"Brenda." Dylan said loudly still unable to muster up the strength to open his eyes. "Stay with me."

Brandon walked in and heard him. "Here you go Bren." Brandon handed over the bottle of water and set down the bucket. "Do you need anything else?"

Brenda shook her head sadly. "No…I got it Bran, thanks."

Brandon stood at the door and watched as his sister picked up Dylan for the hundredth time. She scooted in next to him and allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist. Leaning his head on her chest.

"Where's your boyfriend?" he mumbled sarcastically.

"I don't know." Brenda said softly, gently shaking her head, referring to him.

Ok so Dylan had a little set back but don't worry your pretty little heads. Please review and please tell me what you are thinking. It means so much. Thanks for reading and giving this story a chance.