She couldn't believe that he wouldn't let her go. What was wrong with him? Did he not understand how important it was for her to go to the party? To the party of all time? The one which Stella was personally invited to by the older girls in her school? But Radius wouldn't budge, even after all of Stella's persuasions.
"Dad, please. I promise, it'll be the one favour I ask from you. Please. Let me go to the party."
Stella begged her father as she followed him around their home. He'd become more and more strict with the passing months, and she didn't understand why he wasn't letting her go to the party. It wasn't like he'd ever said no to her before.
"I'm not talking to you about this again, Stella. I've already said no and nothing you say or do will change my mind. If you want to go somewhere, you can go over to Flora's. You can't go to that party, Stella, and that's final."
Her mouth dropped open as she stared at her father in disbelief. What the heck was wrong with him? She'd never known him to be so pissy over a party before.
"You're so annoying, Dad. Just let me live my fucking life."
She muttered under her breath as she left the room. She saw her father's face begin to crumble, knowing that he'd heard what she'd said, but she was too annoyed to feel bad or apologise to him. After all, if he'd just say yes and let her go to the stupid party, she wouldn't have said that in the first place.
Stella walked out of her home and over towards the house next door. She was certain that Flora would be able to help cheer her up. But while she was making ways, she saw a body under the nightlights and her heart skipped a beat.
Brandon.
He was standing there, a cigarette between his fingers as he blew out smoke against the dark night sky. Her hands suddenly felt clammy and she didn't know if she should walk past him and into his home or turn around and enter her own. Whatever friendship they'd once shared had become increasingly strained because of Mitzi, his girlfriend.
Stella wasn't able to make a decision fast enough because Brandon had spotted her.
With a tip upwards of his chin, he'd invited her closer. She closed her hands into fists and walked over towards him. Brandon knew that she didn't like the smell of his cigarettes so he dropped it to the ground and stepped over it, grinding on the butt with the heel of his shoe. There was no easy way to bring up the conversation with Stella.
"Can we talk?"
He asked her when she was close enough. Stella had butterflies in her stomach at once. She knew those words never lead to anything good. But still, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded, folding her arms over one another. Brandon wasted no time in talking.
"Is it true that you've got a crush on me?"
Her eyes widened and her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She sucked in a shaky breath.
"W-why are you asking me that?"
She replied, standing up taller as she tried her best to slow down the racing of her heart.
Brandon simply stared at her, his chocolate eyes darting all over her face as he seemed to be looking for something. When neither one of them said anything more, he too took in a shaky breath and stepped back.
Brandon had found his answer in her silence.
Taking another step back, he stared at her. Stella. The girl who he'd grown up beside for the last five years, the best-friend of his little sister. He couldn't believe that she actually had a crush on him. He heard the whispers all around him but has always brushed it off as a joke. But when he'd caught her staring at him more times than she should've been, he realised just how right everyone around him had been.
That also included Mitzi, his girlfriend of almost four years. He remembered the way he'd blown up on her when she'd accused Stella of having a crush on him. Because there was no way that Stella, his sunshine, would ever have a crush on him. That would beā¦that would be weird.
It would be too weird. Because not only was he her best-friend's brother, but he was her best-friend's older brother. He didn't understand why she had a crush on him. Why couldn't she like someone her own age? Someone who'd actually like her back?
"Okay, I guess I've got my answer then."
Stella swallowed against the dryness in her throat and took a small step forward. She watched Brandon watch her, but he didn't say anything.
"Would it be so bad if I did like you?"
She whispered out as her voice threatened to break. Why would he bring this up now? Her day was only becoming worse with each passing minute. And his response would be the final factor in deciding if her day would finally get better, or become some more shit.
Brandon clenched his jaw as he did the same to his fists. Did she not realise just how young she was? Stella was practically a child compared to him, the same age as his baby sister. He couldn't understand why she'd even want to crush on him in the first place. It's not like anything would ever work out between the two of them. She was just his baby sister's best-friend, a stranger to him. And he had a girlfriend. There was no way anything would happen between the two of them.
"Get it in your head, Stella. You're just a kid. It's never going to happen."
He scoffed and turned away from her, leaving Stella in the dark. He couldn't believe how many times he'd argued with people over the issue just to have been proven wrong today. He couldn't believe just how much Stella had been crushing on him.
Had she liked him from the first day that they'd met? Or did her crush develop with the passing months and years?
"I don't like you, you fucking jerk!"
She called out to his retreating figure. Her voice broke and she felt tears burn in her eyes. She didn't give him the satisfaction of watching her cry as she turned, walking away from that spot and towards her home.
Fuck him. She didn't need him.
She opened her front-door and saw Radius seated around the dining table with his head on his hands. A whimper left her throat as he raised his head, startled by her.
Stella sobbed as she ran into her father's arms and held him in a tight embrace. She apologised for swearing at him, blaming it on her stupid teenage hormones. He'd simply hushed her, smoothing her hair as he held his daughter close to him.
Radius didn't know why she'd been crying, but if she was crying after coming from her best-friend's home, he knew that it couldn't be anything good. He didn't want his daughter to be sad. And she was already mad at him for not letting her go to the party so he did the next best thing he could think of.
"Movie night?"
Radius asked, slightly pulling Stella away from his chest so he could get a better look at her. She nodded and then pushed herself into his chest, wrapping her arms even tighter around her father. She'd missed this.
She realised that she didn't need Brandon. She wouldn't ever need him. Because she had her father, and she had Flora. The two most important people in her life.
Together, Radius and Stella snuggled on the sofa as they put on a movie. She sat beside her father with her head in her lap as they both watched their TV in a comfortable silence. Now and again, Radius would run his hand across her head and smoothen Stella's hair. He still didn't know why she'd been crying but he wouldn't push her to answer him. If she wanted to share it with him, she would. If not, there wasn't much she could do.
Her phone buzzed and she looked at her screen, seeing a message from Flora.
FLORA: You okay? Brandon told me a bit about what happened outside. I'm here if you need me, Stella.
Stella didn't bother to fake a smile as she replied to her best-friend.
STELLA: I'm okay, getting some sleep now. Goodnight and thank you.
She locked her phone and threw it over on the second sofa in her living room, returning her eyes to the movie which was currently playing. Radius kept an arm around his daughter as she snuggled even closer, leaning into her father's hold.
And in no time, she'd managed to forget all about Brandon.
Her face scrunched up at his name in her head. Ugh. She shook her head and cleared all of her thoughts of him. He was the last thing she wanted to think about. Stella was certain she wouldn't be thinking about him for a long time now.
Fuck you, Brandon Stone.
