Brian's Point of View


It's been a two days since I talked to Marilyn last, or anyone for that matter. I mean what can I even say to them? Is there even a point in telling them this? I had a son, had. It's over. It's the past. I mean this is just something I have to go through on my own.

The sound of my doorbell pulled me from my thoughts, thankfully. I could use some distraction. I stood up from my spot in the living room and walked to the door. I looked through the peephole and saw on of the best people I know and my best friend, Zacky.

"Hey man, come on in." I said to him as i moved back out of the way.

"Whatcha been up to?" He asked in a nervous manner.

"Nothing much, just listening to music and thinking.

"Yeah. Who is this?" He asked waving his hand towards my sound system by the TV.

"The Avett Brothers." I replied with a nod.

"They sound good." Zacky said, in an attempt to make small talk. The only reason Zacky small talks with me is when he has something to hide.

"What's up, Zack?" I asked.

"What makes you think something is up?"

"Well, for one thing you just answered my question with a question and secondly, you only small talk when you're trying to hide something." I reasoned.

"I went to see Marilyn." Zacky blurted out.

"You what?" I exclaimed, forgetting for a moment that I already knew that.

"I had to see her. And I thought that maybe she would tell me why she left since she wouldn't tell you."

"Did she?" I inquired. Why should I tell him everything unless he already knows?

"Not directly."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, confused. Does he know or not?

"I mean, I don't know the whole story and if I tell you this it'll just leave you with more questions than answers." Zacky warned.

"Well, tell me." I insisted after a moment of silence.

"Okay. So, I when I went in the house she wasn't home but her mom said I could wait for her. So, I go in the living room and immediately look at the mantel cause it's like the focal point of the room. Anyway, so I'm looking at the pictures and I see one of Marilyn and this little boy, right? So I take it down and I'm looking at this little boy and something about him felt familiar and then I looked at his face, like really looked. Then it clicked in my head. This is Brian's son! It has to be."

Fuck.

"Should I keep going or do you need a second?" Zacky asked.

"No, just keep going."

"Alright, feel free to stop me though. So, Marilyn comes home and ask me what the fuck I'm doing holding that picture and I didn't really know what to say so I didn't really say anything, I just stammered. Then she walks over and takes the picture from me and puts all the pictures including the one she took face down. Weird right?"

"Is that all?" I asked.

"No. So then she comes over and tells me to get out and when I tried to get her to talk to me she just says we have nothing to talk about. What bullshit, right?"

I went to talk but Zacky stopped me.

"Still not done. So she walks away and goes upstairs and changes her clothes and says she's going out to celebrate having a new job with, and I quote "crack and dope"." Zacky said using air quotes around the words crack and dope.

"Still not done." I stated for him.

"Nope. So nobody was paying me any mind so I just blurted out the only thing in my mind, which was where is he. Marilyn then says to me that you may have been his father but you never loved him. And that you never wanted her or him. Then I realized that she never answered my question so I asked again. She told me to never fucking ask her that again. Then she just left."

Fuck. I was hoping I could deal with this on my own.

"Zacky, I know everything."I confessed.

"You knew that was why she left didn't you? She was right. You didn't want them." Zacky accused.

"What? No!" I exclaimed.

"Then how else could you know everything?" He asked.

"I knew you went to see her. I went to there on the same night about thirty minutes after you left. Alice told me everything. She told me about Marilyn's overdose last year and the dick that she's been dating. She said that by telling me the truth about everything she was hoping it would help save her." I stated.

"Well, where is the mini Syn?" Zacky asked excitedly.

"He's dead."

"What?"

"He's dead, Zacky." I said as the tears started to fall from my eyes again.

"How?"

"Car accident about two years ago. He was only two years old."

"Did she tell you his name?"

"Jacob."

"Brian, I'm sorry."

"Me too, Zacky."

"Who all knows?"

"Just me and you and I want it to stay that way." I stated giving Zacky my 'don't push this' face.

"Brian, you have to tell Kim, at least." Zacky reasoned.

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because she's your girlfriend." Kim said from behind the couch.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"Since Zack said who all knows. What are you trying to hide from me?" She asked with a pissed expression.

"I think I'm gonna go." Zacky said as he stood up from his spot on the couch.

"Alright, I'll call ya later."

"Bye guys." Zacky said as he closed the door.

"Well, are you gonna tell me or not?" Kim asked.

"Kim, please don't push this."

"Tell me."

"I'll tell you when I'm ready to."

"No, Brian. I need to know what you're hiding from me. It sounded serious."

"It is. Just please trust me."

"And why can't you trust me enough to tell me?"

The doorbell rang once again saving me.

"I'll get it." Kim said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kim asked.

"Um, I'm Marilyn. Is Brian here?"

I jumped up and ran to the door before Kim could say something bitchy.

"Hey, 'Lyn." I said.

"Hey, Brian. Um, Can we talk?"

"Sure, you wanna go for a walk?" I asked.

"Sure, I'll just leave my car here."

"Just give me a minute to get ready." I said with a small smile.

"Okay, I'll be by the car." She said giving me an awkward smile.

I shut the door and turned to go the kitchen and get my jacket but instead saw a pissed off Kim staring me down.

"What?"

"Who the fuck is that?" She asked.

"Oh for fucks sake. I don't have time for your jealous bullshit, Kim." I stated as I moved around her and went to the kitchen.

"What the hell am I supposed to think Brian?! I come home from work and find out you're keeping shit from me and then she shows up here! She looks like a fucking junkie slut, Brian!"

"Don't call her that, alright. You don't know her." I said as I pulled my jacket on and went back towards the door.

"You think that I don't know that name, Brian? Because I do. I've just never seen her."

"I never said you didn't know her name. Marilyn is a pretty well known name, Kim." I replied.

"That's not what I meant. I know you say her name in your sleep almost every night." She said.

"You're crazy." I stated as I put my shoes on.

"If you leave right now to go off with her don't bother come home tonight." Kim threatened as I opened the door.

"This is my house, Kim. If you don't want to be here then you leave." I said before slamming the door closed behind me.

Notes

Alrighty....you guys know the drill.