Page 44 of Hits Different

“We had this big party after Christmas. He asked me to keep an eye out for a friend of his visiting from out of town. Of course I said yes. I hung around the front door all night, making small talk, but this mystery friend never showed up”.

“How come?”

“Because he wasn’t real, Brandon”. I close my eyes, “It was a diversion to keep me out of the way. I went to go and find Darwin, to tell him I think maybe his friend was lost, but that’s when I saw them. He was taking this girl upstairs. She could barely walk”.

Brandon’s face tangles in a mix of horror and revulsion. “Did he drug her?”

“I don’t know. She was in no position to consent. I kept waiting for him to ask for help. But then I saw him unlocking his bedroom door and knew something was wrong”.

“You stepped in?”

“He was mad as hell that I called him out. He wanted us to settle it outside. Our boys—his boys—were holding him back. Until they weren’t”.

“They beat you up?”

“I beatthemup”, I flex my knuckles painfully. “It provided enough of a distraction for the girl’s friends to realise what was happening, and they got her home”.

Anticipating his next question, I continue, “Darwin’s a legacy. His parents are close friends with the Dean. They didn’t have enough to fully expel me, so I was suspended. It’s basically been a cold war in the frat house for months”.

“I can’t imagine living there with all that going on”.Where else was I gonna go?“Why didn’t you tell anyone what really happened?”

“Do you honestly think anyone would believe me? It’s their word against mine. I have a record, and his family have a library named after them”.

“But surely your mom…”

“I’ve been letting my mom down for years. You know that better than anyone”.

It’s hard for Brandon, a guy born into privilege, to understand how unfair the world can be to people who aren’t. “How did we get from suspension to full expulsion?”

I bite my lip. “I got into another fight at the Rosebud. Darwin wasn’t even meant to be there. They were saying things, provoking me. I should have just walked away. One of them filmed it and sent the footage to the disciplinary committee. It’s on me. I should have been smarter”.

“What could they have been saying that was so bad?”

“Stuff about you”.

He blinks, then realisation crosses his face. “Oh”.

“I shouldn’t have let it get to me. But, I freaked out after watching you get hurt, and then we had that weird interaction and I thought I’d blown my chance at fixing things between us”.

“I wish I had been there”. Brandon grips my shoulder. The rest remains unsaid.So that I could have protected you.“And that’s why you’re here?”

I wipe my face angrily. “I’m basically the favour that Simon’s doing my parents after they kicked me out. Until I screw this up too”.

“Looks like you’re the one doing the favours”, Brandon nods towards the nets. “I don’t see anyone else working this hard. Or writing down secret business plans in their notebook”.

“You should keep away from me, Carter”. The words fall hotly out of my mouth. “Every single thing that I touch turns to dust”.

“Not everything. I didn’t”.

“Things between us have been broken for a while”.

“We’re fixing them”. He fiddles with his chain. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Until you run too”.

“You say it like I’ve got a choice”, he murmurs. “I couldn’t run. Not even if I wanted to”. I’ve got a sudden urge to reach out and touch him. Hug him. Have him hug me. Instead, he lightly punches my arm. “Still fancy some food? I’d say we earned it”.

We start packing up. “Shit!” I snap my fingers. “The bottomless brunch place closes early today”.

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