Scream
Hiding Places (Brian's POV)
Courtney stared at me. She knew what I meant.
"I'm not crazy," she stated.
"You almost jumped off a bridge-"
"And I would've been able to if you didn't stop me!" Matt took her hand and squeezed it.
"Courtney," he started. "I really don't want this or worse to happen again. You need to be somewhere that you'll be watched so you're safe-"
"I'm safe here!" She stared at him with a small hopeful glimmer in her eye that he'd side with her. I knew he wouldn't. He cared for her just as much as I did. He couldn't handle this (or worse...) happening again. He glanced at me.
"I don't know, Courtney." He didn't trust me or her. I should've known. I didn't blame him, though.
"I'm not gonna kill myself," she said, looking back at me.
"How am I supposed to believe that when you almost did tonight," I questioned quietly. She wasn't going to win.
"We're doing this for your own good, Court," Matt said. She closed her eyes.
"I want to go to bed." Matt nodded.
"I'll take you up-"
"I want Brian to." I sighed. I stood up and walked her up to her room. I sat in the rocking chair that was almost right next to her bed. She sat down cross legged in the middle.
"I'm not leaving until you're asleep. I know you have razors hidden up here," I said.
"Jewelry box, underwear drawer, acoustic." I stared at her incredulously for a few seconds before walking over to the jewelry box on her desk. I glanced over my shoulder at her befoe opening it. "It's at the bottom." I carefully took all the necklaces, bracelets, and rings out before finding two small razorblades. I put them in my pocket before putting everything back in and making my way over to her dresser. I opened the top drawer. I almost started thinking she was testing me.
"At the bottom?" I looked back at her. She nodded. I pushed some of the panties aside and came across three more. "Only three?"
"Yes." I looked at her.
"Swear you're not lying to me?"
"I swear, Brian." I put everything back into their piles and closed the drawer. I turned and looked around.
"Where's the guitar?"
"Under my bed." I walked over and bent down, keeping her gaze while pulling the guitar out. I stood back up and shook it, hearing something metal rattle around. I sat back down in the rocking chair and rocked. I took the pick out from between the strings and played the beginning of "Seize The Day" until the drums would come in. I stopped, looked at Courtney who was watching me, and played a random riff that I'd mentally came up with. When I stopped a minute or two later, Courtney smiled. "What song will that be for?"
"I dunno yet. Maybe I'll just write it down and wait for the perfect opportunity to use it.
"It's gonna be a sad song."
"Yeah." Neither of us saaid anything else for a long while, not until my foot fell asleep. "I thought you said you were tired."
"I am. I can't sleep."
"You haven't even tried," I said.
"There's not point in trying if I know I'm gonna fail." She had a point.
"Try anyway." She rolled her eyes, but she lay down under the covers. She groaned after two seconds.
"Tell me a story, Brian." I almost laughed.
"Courtney, I haven't told you a bedtime story since you were 4."
"So? Tell me one now. Please?" I couldn't turn her down.
"All right, fine. What should it be about?"
"You choose." I thought about it.
"Okay. Once upon a time, there was a princess. She was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever laid eyes on with her big blue eyes and black hair. Her name was Princess Courtney." She smiled and I couldn't help but do that same. I continued. "But one day, she became very sick. Her brother, Prince Brian," I glanced up and saw Matt standing in the hall by the door, "and her boyfriend, Matt, wanted her to see a doctor. She kept reassuring them that she'd get better. As the days went by, she got worse. They finally convinced her to get a checkup." She stared at me, waiting for the ending. I really did feel like I was talking to a four year old again. "The doctor told her what was wrong with her was serious, but with the right medicine, it was curable. Princess Courtney agreed to treatment, and within a little while, she was back to being happy and healthy. Matt married her and became Prince Matt while Prince Brian rocked out on his guitar." She giggled. "And they all lived happily ever after. The end."
"I like that story, Brian," she said, yawning.
"I do, too," I said. "Now go to sleep, it's late." She nodded so I kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Courtney." I grabbed the guitar and walked to the door. I had my hand on the lightswitch.
"Brian?" I looked back at her. "I love you." I clenched the hand she couldn't see.
"I love you, too, sis." I turned the light off and walked downstairs with Matt following me. I set the guitar against the wall. I went into the kitchen and got two Monsters out of the fridge. After handing one to Matt, we both sat in the seats at the table we had before. I opened my can and took a big gulp.
"Why don't you want to sleep tonight," Matt asked. He knew the only time I drank energy drinks was when I had to stay up. It was 2:04am.
"I can't sleep knowing I'm gonna throw her in an insane asylum." Energy drink.
"It's what she needs."
"No, Matt, I'm what she needs, okay? She needs me to keep her safe, but I'm abandoning her just like Mom and Dad-"
"Brian, you parents didn't abandon you, they died." More energy drink.
"What's the difference?"
"Abandonment is a choice; death is not. You know they'd give anything to still be here."
"Maybe. Or maybe they're happy with making both Court and I suffer like this-"
"How are you suffering?"
"It's my fault she's like this! She was a very happy girl before I had to go and steal her childhood away from her!"
"Brian," Matt said, calm as anything.
"What," I said, taking another gulp.
"You know what you did up there is the first brotherly act I've ever seen out of you?" I didn't say anything. "You would really make a great father."
"Unless I have a daughter." His jaw tensed. "Anyway it doesn't matter. I can't have kids with Courtney, right? So I'm never gonna have kids. You will, though. Once Court is 18, you can be with her all you want."
"That's not true, Brian-"
"Yes it is, Matt," I cut him off, "and you have no idea how jealous I am of you for it." Matt stared at me until I got up a minute later and grabbed Court's guitar. I walked over and, holding it upside down, shook it till the razorblade fell out. Matt had an indescribable look on his face.
"Are you serious," he asked lowly. I nodded, digging into my pocket and carefully pulling out the five others. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his short hair. "We need to do something. How do you know that's all of them?"
"She just came out and told me where they were. Right now, I'm trusting that this is all of them."
"I'm not crazy," she stated.
"You almost jumped off a bridge-"
"And I would've been able to if you didn't stop me!" Matt took her hand and squeezed it.
"Courtney," he started. "I really don't want this or worse to happen again. You need to be somewhere that you'll be watched so you're safe-"
"I'm safe here!" She stared at him with a small hopeful glimmer in her eye that he'd side with her. I knew he wouldn't. He cared for her just as much as I did. He couldn't handle this (or worse...) happening again. He glanced at me.
"I don't know, Courtney." He didn't trust me or her. I should've known. I didn't blame him, though.
"I'm not gonna kill myself," she said, looking back at me.
"How am I supposed to believe that when you almost did tonight," I questioned quietly. She wasn't going to win.
"We're doing this for your own good, Court," Matt said. She closed her eyes.
"I want to go to bed." Matt nodded.
"I'll take you up-"
"I want Brian to." I sighed. I stood up and walked her up to her room. I sat in the rocking chair that was almost right next to her bed. She sat down cross legged in the middle.
"I'm not leaving until you're asleep. I know you have razors hidden up here," I said.
"Jewelry box, underwear drawer, acoustic." I stared at her incredulously for a few seconds before walking over to the jewelry box on her desk. I glanced over my shoulder at her befoe opening it. "It's at the bottom." I carefully took all the necklaces, bracelets, and rings out before finding two small razorblades. I put them in my pocket before putting everything back in and making my way over to her dresser. I opened the top drawer. I almost started thinking she was testing me.
"At the bottom?" I looked back at her. She nodded. I pushed some of the panties aside and came across three more. "Only three?"
"Yes." I looked at her.
"Swear you're not lying to me?"
"I swear, Brian." I put everything back into their piles and closed the drawer. I turned and looked around.
"Where's the guitar?"
"Under my bed." I walked over and bent down, keeping her gaze while pulling the guitar out. I stood back up and shook it, hearing something metal rattle around. I sat back down in the rocking chair and rocked. I took the pick out from between the strings and played the beginning of "Seize The Day" until the drums would come in. I stopped, looked at Courtney who was watching me, and played a random riff that I'd mentally came up with. When I stopped a minute or two later, Courtney smiled. "What song will that be for?"
"I dunno yet. Maybe I'll just write it down and wait for the perfect opportunity to use it.
"It's gonna be a sad song."
"Yeah." Neither of us saaid anything else for a long while, not until my foot fell asleep. "I thought you said you were tired."
"I am. I can't sleep."
"You haven't even tried," I said.
"There's not point in trying if I know I'm gonna fail." She had a point.
"Try anyway." She rolled her eyes, but she lay down under the covers. She groaned after two seconds.
"Tell me a story, Brian." I almost laughed.
"Courtney, I haven't told you a bedtime story since you were 4."
"So? Tell me one now. Please?" I couldn't turn her down.
"All right, fine. What should it be about?"
"You choose." I thought about it.
"Okay. Once upon a time, there was a princess. She was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever laid eyes on with her big blue eyes and black hair. Her name was Princess Courtney." She smiled and I couldn't help but do that same. I continued. "But one day, she became very sick. Her brother, Prince Brian," I glanced up and saw Matt standing in the hall by the door, "and her boyfriend, Matt, wanted her to see a doctor. She kept reassuring them that she'd get better. As the days went by, she got worse. They finally convinced her to get a checkup." She stared at me, waiting for the ending. I really did feel like I was talking to a four year old again. "The doctor told her what was wrong with her was serious, but with the right medicine, it was curable. Princess Courtney agreed to treatment, and within a little while, she was back to being happy and healthy. Matt married her and became Prince Matt while Prince Brian rocked out on his guitar." She giggled. "And they all lived happily ever after. The end."
"I like that story, Brian," she said, yawning.
"I do, too," I said. "Now go to sleep, it's late." She nodded so I kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Courtney." I grabbed the guitar and walked to the door. I had my hand on the lightswitch.
"Brian?" I looked back at her. "I love you." I clenched the hand she couldn't see.
"I love you, too, sis." I turned the light off and walked downstairs with Matt following me. I set the guitar against the wall. I went into the kitchen and got two Monsters out of the fridge. After handing one to Matt, we both sat in the seats at the table we had before. I opened my can and took a big gulp.
"Why don't you want to sleep tonight," Matt asked. He knew the only time I drank energy drinks was when I had to stay up. It was 2:04am.
"I can't sleep knowing I'm gonna throw her in an insane asylum." Energy drink.
"It's what she needs."
"No, Matt, I'm what she needs, okay? She needs me to keep her safe, but I'm abandoning her just like Mom and Dad-"
"Brian, you parents didn't abandon you, they died." More energy drink.
"What's the difference?"
"Abandonment is a choice; death is not. You know they'd give anything to still be here."
"Maybe. Or maybe they're happy with making both Court and I suffer like this-"
"How are you suffering?"
"It's my fault she's like this! She was a very happy girl before I had to go and steal her childhood away from her!"
"Brian," Matt said, calm as anything.
"What," I said, taking another gulp.
"You know what you did up there is the first brotherly act I've ever seen out of you?" I didn't say anything. "You would really make a great father."
"Unless I have a daughter." His jaw tensed. "Anyway it doesn't matter. I can't have kids with Courtney, right? So I'm never gonna have kids. You will, though. Once Court is 18, you can be with her all you want."
"That's not true, Brian-"
"Yes it is, Matt," I cut him off, "and you have no idea how jealous I am of you for it." Matt stared at me until I got up a minute later and grabbed Court's guitar. I walked over and, holding it upside down, shook it till the razorblade fell out. Matt had an indescribable look on his face.
"Are you serious," he asked lowly. I nodded, digging into my pocket and carefully pulling out the five others. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his short hair. "We need to do something. How do you know that's all of them?"
"She just came out and told me where they were. Right now, I'm trusting that this is all of them."
Notes
hey hey hey what's upthe version on Mibba is a bit farther than this so if you want the link to that just message me asking for it
and here's this just because
I so glad theres sequel!!!!
10/11/16