Chapter 4

Boom!

I was standing on a rooftop where the whole town could be seen. Fireworks were exploding in the distance.

"Hey, Valentine," Brian said as he walked up to me.

"Hey."

He was wearing a green jacket, ripped jeans, and his hair was across one side of his face, which made him look very dark and bruting; not to mention cute. I could feel my heart beating faster and harder as he got closer. I tried my best to ignore the pounding in my chest. We ended up watching the fireworks together and joked a bit.

"I've never seen you with your hair down."

"I usually only wear my hair down at home."

"You should wear it down more often."

"I'll think about it."

It was at this point I realized he was wearing glasses; it made me blush a little.

"You're wearing glasses?"

"Oh, yeah. I don't wear them that much."

"Why?"

"Because I look like an idiot." He laughed.

"Actually, I think it makes you look cu- cool."

Aw, damn it!

"Thanks."

It was ten seconds to midnight and I kept staring at him. I turned to see his smile and as the clock turned, my lips were on Brian.

Finally, I came to my senses. I let go of him; I had pulled him to my shirt.

Oh. My. God.

"Uuuuh?" I was blushing a deep red.

"Did we just?"

"Yeah."

We were both blushing, but I was blushing more than him.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." He said in a soft tone.

We both sat there in silence.

"It's getting late, we should get home." He said as he cleared his throat.

"Y-yeah!"

He helped me up and we left. He dropped me off at my house and left. I ran to my room and slammed my door.

"AHHHH, I'M A FUCKING IDIOT!!!!!!"

I. Kissed. Brian. I kept thinking to myself.

The moment kept replaying through my mind. Brian's hands were around my waist and my chest was up against his. My heart was beating so fast and he pinned me on my back. I could feel his breath on my face. I kept pulling him closer and I could barely breathe. I didn't care because I didn't want him to stop. He is such a GOOD kisser!!!

We barely talked after that, I don't blame him. Steph wasn't around much because she decided to stay with her family. Ashley was more distant towards me and I didn't know why.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." She wasn't looking at me.

"Okay."

Weeks went by; either would talk to me and I didn't know how to get hold of Steph. I decided to talk to him myself. I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into the school's theater.

"What the hell Mark!?"

"We need to talk, now."

"There's NOTHING to talk about!"

"We need to talk about what happened that night."

"No, we don't."

"Brian, please!"

"We have nothing to talk about."

"You're right. There's nothing to talk about; it was my fault, my sister won't talk to me anymore, and I may be going crazy, but who cares."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down." He pulled me closer as I started to cry.

"I don't wanna lose you...or my sister."

"You won't, I promise." He kissed me.

"I thought you-?"

"I know, just tell me what's going on."

"She's been avoiding me since New Year's and when I ask her; she says everything's fine, but I know she's lying. She doesn't look at me that much and when she does; it's with disappointment. I just..want to know what she's not telling me." He hugged me tightly.

"Everything's going to be okay." He assured me.

"I hope so."

Ashley usually doesn't hide things from me. She kept making calls and going out late at night on her days off. She wouldn't tell me anything and I couldn't help, but worry. I wanted to know what was going on.

One day when she came home, I confronted her.

"Ash, can we talk?"

"Maybe later."

Oh no, not this time!

"Why are you avoiding me!?" I said as I slammed the table.

"What?"

"Oh, will you cut the crap! You've been ignoring me since New Year's!"

"I've been busy."

"Have you been using?"

She went silent; I saw pills sticking out of her bag one day.

"Well?!"

"I've been really stressed with school and-" I stopped her.

"The truth."

"Marcus-"

"THE. TRUTH. PLEASE!" I demanded.

"It's because of mom and dad!"

I froze.

Mom and dad??

She hasn't mentioned mom or dad since they left.

"Mom and dad? MOM AND DAD!?" I was pissed.

"Yeah."

"You haven't talked about mom or dad since they left us ELEVEN YEARS ago! Why now!?"