The last hours of sanity fly by. A storm approaches and where are the Cullen's? Next chapter the stuff is going to hit the fan and so will start a tragic story, but this is just the beginning. Would like to know how you guys have liked my character development and whether or not they are likeable.
I Don't own twilight
Brian PoV
We got back to the camp still holding hands and the place was already a small riot. Everything that needed doing for the next three days was done. Tents in neat rows with the boys and girls tents separated by the huge fire. I knew the coach wouldn't allow the fire but when I saw him completely smashed gibbering some slurred sentence to Deacon I could only smile.
"Sis I thought you were going to do this the right way," I said to Becca pointing at the coach.
"I have done nothing wrong. I merely supplied the coach with a three days' supply of alcohol. He is easily within the proper age parameters. What he does with that alcohol is his choice. Don't question me just enjoy yourselves," she said looking at Mel with a mischievous grin.
"Why stop at the first kiss right?" my evil sister said as she walked back towards the bonfire. As she said no one else was drinking or smoking so we took a seat on a log about ten feet from the fire which a few of the crazier of my class mates were dancing around. Mel had been touching me the entire day but now she kept a careful foot of distance between herself and I and an odd silence ensued.
"So you have never kissed another girl?" she asked shyly out of nowhere and I sighed in relief. If she was only nervous over this stuff this would be easy.
"Never saw any need," I said casually and it was true. The only girl I had ever had eyes for was Mel.
"But back there we…." She said seeming to have trouble with the words.
"Almost kissed? You are the only girl I have ever thought about kissing honestly. If I thought about every girl the way I think about you than I would never be able to function," I said both amused and embarrassed that I was such a lost cause.
"Then you have never…"she asked even shyer then before and I was completely confused before it dawned on me and I blushed redder then the fire we were sitting by.
"I'll take that as a no," Mel said strangely satisfied. Did she think the first thing I did after things got awkward was shack up with other girls?
"Mel… I don't know what kind of guy you think I am but I could never hurt you," I said solemnly.
"What do you mean?" she said a little confused.
"You remember Rick right? I asked.
"Rick and Stacy?" she asked.
"Yea. Everyone thought they were perfect for each other but then she got pregnant. They broke up and now she lives alone with her parents. I don't know how they broke up or why. I'd like to think I'm a better guy then that but I just don't know. You can't judge anyone before you've walked in their shoes is the saying isn't it? I can't risk hurting you like that," I said very seriously.
"Hmph," she said crossing her arms and looking a little disgruntled, but I reached over and took one of her hands.
"I plan on waiting until I can support us and then claim you for my own forever," I said leaning in to whisper into her ear. I'm not sure which of us turned a deeper shade of red but the understanding in her eyes made me relax. Had she been pissed off I didn't want to have that kind of relationship with her? Did she think I wasn't attracted to her enough? Well either way I was perfectly fine with this sort of puppy love. Anything more intense and I'd explode.
"Well at least now I know your intentions. You aren't anything like your sister said. I should have trusted my own instincts," she said quietly and kissed me on the cheek once more before standing up and going to dance with one of her girl friends. Two steps forward one step back I thought ruefully. Girls were so completely confusing. I thought they were supposed to be against guys who just wanted in their pants. I didn't want in Mel's pants. I wanted all of her for as long as I lived. Though her pants are incredibly attractive in those jeans I thought twisting my head around as I caught glimpse of her snug jeans.
Melissa's POV
"What do you mean?" I asked Rebecca with confusion. She only sighed and grabbed something from her pocket.
"I love you like a sister. You guys have been in love for four years without even knowing it yourself. All guys think the same way. Haven't you noticed Brian staring at you whenever you wear the tight clothes we bought for you?" Becca said exasperated.
"I don't think Brian is like that," I said with a frown.
"Maybe not but from what I can tell he is gonna sit up here on this mountain write a bestselling book and marry you before he is twenty five. I figure if you claim him now it can't hurt," she said in a studious fashion, "the quickest way to a man's heart is his stomach and nether regions. Just think about it." She finished and tossed me a square of plastic. I stared at it for a second before realizing what it was and looked up to see Becca had gone. At least I didn't blush in front of her again. I threw the square into the trash on my way out with a hmph. I was a few steps down the hall when I ran back and got the square and put it in my purse. He was a knuckle head and after all I did love him I thought sheepishly. No matter how I tried to see it I couldn't see him being the kind of guy that was trying to get in my pants. But that could wait till tonight. We would see just what his intentions were tonight. I would be late for 4th period if I didn't hurry up.
Brian POV
The night was amazing. After the short dance Mel barely left my side. I still couldn't believe we had had THAT conversation but she was already back to her cuddly self. Girls just blew my mind. Ok well not girls just Mel and I couldn't help but think that is what attracted me to her.
Everyone was slipping away into their tents or cars, apparently some preferred a car seat to a sleeping bag, and Mel and I parted ways as we went to go to sleep. I was unzipping the tent Tim, Deacon, and I were sharing when someone grabbed my arm. Peeking in I saw Deacon wasn't there and sighed. I turned and sure enough there was Becca with Deacon held to her side with a happy expression.
"I need you to stay up and make sure any of the boys don't get any bright ideas about visiting the girls side," she said with authority.
"Oh common sis I am just as tired as all of you," I complained and ignored Tim's chuckle.
"Oh stop complaining knuckle head. Deacon and I will be staying up to, but there's a chance we mite get distracted," she said and my eyes narrowed as I look at her. I scanned the tents and noticed all the girl tents were full. I glanced back at our own and then eyed Deacon with a level look.
"Don't look at him like that," Becca hissed trying to keep quiet. You can't tell me this tent is big enough for the three of you."
"Does mom know you are going to be sleeping in the back of Dave's truck on the same mattress as Deacon," I said surprising myself at my protective streak. Becca looked at me like she had never seen me before and I rolled my eyes.
"We live in northern Washington. If there is a mattress in the back of a truck it is either being rained on or used for something like this," I said evenly, "are you sure about this sis?"
She reached out and tried to put me in a choke hold but ended up only hanging on me.
"We aren't gonna do anything you little perv. Just star gaze and stuff," she said a little too quickly and I didn't miss the extremely faint pink that found its home in her cheeks and I rolled my eyes again.
"If you hurt her I'm coming after you," I said with as much venom as I could muster for one of my best friends and Deacon only smiled a little.
"If you hurt him I'll read your diary," I said off handedly as I went to a tree that gave me a good view of both sets of tents ignoring a very flustered Rebecca as the diary was a no no. They eventually made their way to the faded blue truck and as I saw their fingers pointing every once in a while I assumed they were serious about star gazing. Something didn't sit well with me about someone being so close to my sister. She was never flustered but tonight I had gotten under her skin. That never happened unless it had to do with Deacon. I sighed and ran my hand over my face wishing life would just slow down.
I tried my best but after what had to be at least an hour the fire glowed a dim orange and the forest was so quiet. I was almost asleep when I heard a zipper. I jerked up and looked at the boy tents. None of them ruffled in the slightest. Right as I turned to check the girl tents someone gracefully sat next to me.
"Get stuck with the night watch eh?" Mel said brightly.
"Yes ma'am," I said my mood instantly brighter, "but I'm not alone," I finished pointing to the truck and just then Deacons big hand pointed at another unknown constellation.
"Ah. I thought you looked a little sour," she said with a giggle.
"She is my sister," I said with annoyance, "What am I supposed to do? Be happy one of my best friends could be waiting for me to fall asleep?"
"You would make a much more cliché big brother than the younger," she said with a soft smile. I could barely see it but its almost invisible upward curl sent my heart beating double time. We sat in silence for a bit as I let my heart slow down.
"It sure is rare to see stars out," I barely hear Mel whisper.
"It makes me a bit uncomfortable," I said honestly, "they make it seem like someone out there is watching us or something."
"I find that comforting actually," Mel said to my surprise, "When my grandma died she promised me she would be watching me from the star always."
"I never thought about it like that," I said quietly.
"But you're at church every Sunday," she said questioningly and I shrugged.
"I always thought god would be more like an individual who exists in a different dimension than us. He can probably go back and forth and help whenever he sees fit," I said.
"That's a weird idea," Mel mused.
"Did you know that before humans could climb the tallest mountains people assumed heaven or the gods must live on them? I figure it's the same way with everyone thinking heaven is up there," I said pointing to the sky.
"So you believe in God and heaven?" she asked but her smile told me she knew my answer.
"Well I figure heaven is all around us. Things are always where we least expect them. Then there is you," I said.
"What do you mean," Mel asked scrunching up her nose in confusion.
"Well that's an expression I haven't seen in a while," I said affectionately reaching over and letting the back of my hand slide down her cheek.
"Stop trying to distract me," she murmured quietly, " what did you mean "Then there is you"?
"I always thought there was a god but then I saw you four years ago. Something clicked into place and how could I doubt. Nothing as perfect as you could exist in a godless world," I said quietly. I rarely opened up and talked about the inner workings of my mind. Even Tim had never heard my stance on religion. A strange silence ensued and Mel once again leaned on my shoulder with a content smile. After a few minutes she was soundly asleep once more and I was certainly approving of her new sleeping habits. The whole night was topped off when Coach Walten staggered out of his tent somehow still in a drunken stupor and wondered his way over to the trunk and took a leak right on its tire scaring the hell out of both D and Becca. If Mel hadn't been sleeping on me I would have been laughing hard but her slow and steady heartbeat lulled my own into submission and before long I felt my eyes closing.
I can't say how early it was when I was woke up but it was probably a combination of the smell of eggs and bacon, giggles, and the flash from the camera that finally woke me up. By the time I opened my eyes Mel was already up and chasing Tim in an attempt to get the picture. I wouldn't mind having one either but instead of destroying evidence It would probably end up in my wallet. I stood stretching when Rebecca poked me in the ribs and my whole body jerked down uncomfortably. She knew just how much it drove me crazy to be messed with when I was stretching but she had armed me with ample ammunition the night before.
"So am I an uncle yet?" I asked right before yawning. Even after the yawn she was still staring at me with wide eyes and a pink tint to her cheeks.
"That was a joke," I said with irritation, "It had better be a joke." Somehow she always managed to turn things around on me.
"Haha got you," she said but something in the way she laughed worried me. It wasn't any of my business unless she felt like telling me yes or no so I wouldn't push too hard.
"If something like that does happen can you please tell me before you tell mom and dad?" I said wiping a sleepy from my eye, "I really don't wanna be around when that storm hits."
To my own surprise she looked down at her feet with an uncharacteristic worried look. My inner self was beating my head with a frying pan. Wasn't she the one that warned me to be safe if Mel suddenly wanted to become physically active? I fought off the urge to hit myself in the head and settled for pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Look, sis, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was true. Honestly I thought you were smarter than this," I said still sleepy and I could swear I saw her eyes getting watery.
"I'm just no good with this," I sighed and pulled her into a big huge. I had past her up height size about two years ago so it really did feel like I was hugging a younger sibling. Especially with her silent tears.
"Listen I'm here. I have your back whatever you decide to do and Deacon will man up. I'm not going to let go until you aren't crying. You have a reputation to protect," I whispered into her ear with a smile. Not many people had noticed the rare display of affection that was taking place between the Evans siblings. Eventually she stopped shaking and I took her by the shoulders and wiped away a remnant tear.
"I don't think my reputation will last through this one," she said softly.
"Blasphemy sis. You gotta hold it together until graduation. If Adriana is running things she will have my head on a pike," I said bringing a small smile to her lips, "How long?" I whispered.
"Just over a month and a half," she murmured just as quietly.
"Have you told anyone?" I asked.
"No," she said and I could tell she was gonna lose it if we kept going like this.
"Ok then. You need to tell Deacon after the trip. I'll be right with you the whole way," I said still looking into her eyes, "Until then make this trip memorable."
"Deacon is going to Duke soon. He wants it so much. You don't understand. This will ruin everything," she said burying her head in my shoulder once more. I just didn't know what to do. I had always been the one crying into my sisters shoulder. One was a sister and the other one of my best friends and he was going to be my brother if I had to track him across the country and walk him down the aisle myself.
"Deacon can go after he marries you. I'll stick around till he is in the NBA and help you take care of the new addition," I said putting together a plan as I went.
"How do you know he won't run, and even if it does work that way you will be ready to graduate a year early and then you will be going to college," she murmured her head still buried.
"Psha. If he runs I'll track his big butt down. He may be bigger but I'm faster and college is for chumps and I'm not going anywhere as long as you need me. Not to mention Mel is gonna freak. Don't worry. You know mom and dad will help."
"Mel keeps telling me you have everything straight in life," she said with a hesitant laugh.
"Mel is biased. Family first. That's all that this is, and if I remember correctly a certain big sister taught me that particular part of my moral code," I said with a smile hugging her tight again before she pulled away wiping her eyes clean of tears. I looked around and surprisingly the whole scene had gone widely unnoticed. I guess it was earlier then I thought.
"Well I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to Port Angelas today. We are going to cover everything up head our separate ways until later tonight when it clears up again," she said with a smile I now knew was only a mask. Some brother I was. I should have noticed something was wrong a long time ago but I put so much effort into avoiding her I had missed it.
"Sure. I'll go get Mel and we can head out after you get breakfast," I said already looking around to find Mel.
"Don't you start that already," Becca said with narrowing eyes.
"Hey I gotta keep my eye out for the kid that's gonna make me an uncle," I said in a whisper with a wink and she punched me in the shoulder.
"You freak out about all the wrong things," she said for once with her natural laugh.
No more than an hour later Mel, Tim, Becca, Deacon, and I were packed into the SUV headed for Port Angelas. I had a bad feeling the girls were going to want to shop, and since I learned about being an uncle my entire perspective had changed. We needed to be saving every cent and I needed to get a full time job if I could.
"Is something wrong?" Mel asked taking my hand.
"Oh no nothing," I said out loud before leaning over to whisper in her ear, "I'll tell you in a few days. It's good news though. It complicates things but nothing worth doing is simple."
"Ok," she said and the trust she showed me truly warmed my heart, "So where are we headed Becca?"
"Actually I thought we would go to Smokees and get Brian tagged. People must know where to return him if he gets lost," she said with a smile.
I started to object but Deacon only lifted his shirt and showed his left shoulder blade where in big bold black letters it read "Becca".
"You can't get out of it, but honestly knowing you two you shouldn't regret it," Deacon said with certainty.
"You don't have to if you don't want to Brian," Mel said immediately but I thought I heard a bit of hurt somewhere in her voice.
"This is going to hurt," I sighed in defeat.
"This is just rich," Tim said with a laugh and I debated punching him.
Mel tried to insist she get my name somewhere but I begged her not to. I didn't need that kind of thing to feel secure and I didn't like the idea of anything marring her prefect skin. In the end Deacon and Tim ended up going into Smokees with me and the huge leather bound bald guy went to work pretty quickly. I sighed when Deacon handed him an elegantly written example.
"Becca has been planning this for awhile," Deacon said giving me a playful nudge, "At least she got Mel to write it, and Mel was happy with something small. Mine takes up my whole shoulder blade." He said a bit deflated.
I spent the next two hours being stabbed by a needle repeatedly with watery eyes and biting my own tongue.
"Oh common Brian. It can't hurt that bad," Tim said from in a chair reading some random magazine.
"I was crying by the time he finished mine," Deacon said off handedly looking like a lost puppy. He kept on glancing out the window like he was waiting for someone. Between being pissed off at everyone for coming up with this idea, Tim for doubting the pain, and Deacon for putting my sister in this situation I seriously felt like strangling someone if I wasn't clinging to the inclined chair I was laying on as some crazy bald guy used me as a canvas.
Right as he was wiping the new script off on my shoulder and coving it up the girls walked through the door.
"Leave it covered for about an hour and then keep vasaline on it. Keep it out of the sun until it heals," he said in a lecturing tone as Becca danced into the room and held up a giant bottle of vasaline.
"If the sun ever showed up maybe you would have to work on that," Tim said still reading that stupid magazine.
"Let's go get something to eat," Becca said and after I put my shirt back on we headed out.
The restaurant was in sight across the street so we didn't bother with the car. Mel was attached to my arm as we walked into the restaurant and Deacon was taking care of ordering.
"Did it hurt?" Mel asked me with a worried look.
"Of course not," I said quickly to put her at ease when Tim came up from behind me and poked my new tattoo and I yelped.
"Didn't hurt at all," He said in an amused tone as he followed Deacon and Becca to our table.
"Stupid boys," Mel said dragging me behind her. I wasn't sure whether she meant me or Tim but either way she wasn't in a great mood. We stayed at the buffet for almost three hours just laughing and having fun. Mel was paying attention to the clock because exactly an hour after I got it my shirt was pulled off my head and the covering removed. Tim's laughter almost got me caught shirtless. What could I really Do when Becca is holding my arms up and Mel is yanking my shirt off me.
"We have you make sure it turned out right," Becca said still keeping me from moving as Mel applied the moisturizer. I waited patiently in annoyed silence as they all moved to look at the new peace of art and there was silence for a little while.
"Why could you make mine half as cool as his?" Deacon scoffed before I heard a thumb and Deacon groan.
"It's supposed to be embarrassing Mel," Rebecca said exasperated.
"You know man it actually looks pretty cool other then meaning you're a girls property," Tim said approvingly before I snatched my shirt back from Becca and g0ot it on right before the waiter came to check on us again.
"You guys are fricken crazy," I hissed under my breath. I felt like I was becoming the afternoon's entertainment and my anger was rising but when it was time to go and Mel took my hand I couldn't fight the calm that shot through me.
By the time we made it out of the restaurant the sun was starting to go down. Mel and I started making plans to sneak away from Becca and find a nice quiet patch of forest to lay low for awhile. She could tell I was at my wits end.
Becca had been right that the storm would clear and it looked like it was going to be a dry night, but no matter what I did I felt like something was coming. A storm of sorts that needed to be avoided. The anxious feeling came right after we started to head back. I let the thought slip away assuming it was just because of the revelation Becca had given me earlier today. Maybe I was finally going into shock that my big sis was expecting, and so I ignored the lethal storm that my instincts screamed at me to avoid. The storm that would end my life and turn the rivers red.