Thick and Thin
Chapter One: Carry On
Silence your fear, We've got to move higher.
High like the stars in the sky,
Guiding us all!
Battle the will of those who conspire.
Take back the passion to live,
Vanish the sorrow!
(Destroy their perfect crime,
Watch the power fold.)
Search endlessly, fight 'till we're free.
Fly past the edge of the sea.
No bended knee, no mockery!
Somehow we still carry on,
Carry on!
- Avenged Sevenfold
"Are you ready yet, Brooke? We're going to be late!" Brooke Sullivan studied herself in the full-length mirror that hung from the back of her bedroom door. "I'm coming!" Brooke yelled back down the stairs, where her brother in-law was growing irritated with her. Brooke sighed at her reflection. No matter how often her best friend told her how beautiful she was, all Brooke could ever do was pick out her flaws. She was wearing a plain white dress that came just above her knees, showing off her pale, undertoned legs. Brooke was by no means fat, but as she turned from side to side in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but notice how her slightly chubby stomach stood out further than the popular girls in her class. Thank God I don't have to see them ever again, Brooke thought with a small smirk. She quickly applied a thin line of brown eyeliner to each lid and some black mascara to her lashes. Brooke brushed her fingers through her naturally red, thick, curly hair one last time, hoping it would stay straight and not frizz up for at least a few hours. While doing this, she caught site of one particular drawing that had been thumbtacked above her old wooden desk, among several others of her artwork. Brooke turned to face it, her heart dropping all the way to the scruffy hardwood floor. The sketch that caught Brooke's attention was plastered in the very center, and consisted of a creepy-looking skull head with skeletal wings attached to each side. "A Deathbat," Brooke said aloud with a roll of her bright blue eyes. "What a stupid name for a fucking logo." She forced herself to smile and left the tiny, hot bedroom, determined to be happy for a change.
"It's about damn time," Brooke's older sister, Brittany, giggled when Brooke reached the bottom of the creaky staircase, carrying her cap and gown in her arms. "Give me that before it gets all wrinkled!" "Ok, mom," Brooke replied sarcastically as she handed her sister the white graduation gown. Brittany was a beautiful, skinny woman with shiny brown hair and bright hazel eyes. At first glance, most people wouldn't even guess they were sisters. Chris, Brittany's husband, was equally handsome with a well-built frame and dark blonde hair in the kind of messy style that almost wasn't messy at all. "You look beautiful, kiddo," Chris said to her with a sad smile. "He would've been so proud of you," he added, indicating to the cap in Brooke's hand that was decorated with her own drawing of the Deathbat and the word "foREVer" delicately written underneath. It was a symbol of Jimmy's legacy, made famous when the band announced his passing via their website. "I know he would. I just wish the other guys felt the same," Brooke replied. "Come on." Chris glanced at his wife over top of Brooke's head, who was walking towards the front door. "They are proud of you sweetie," Brittany reassured her sister, following her outside. "Yeah? Why aren't they here then? Why haven't they been here?" Brooke asked matter-of-factly, slamming the car door shut and shoving her earbuds in her ears. This is going to be a loooong day, Brooke thought to herself, selecting a random Korn song and closing her eyes.
***
"I can't believe we're graduating!" Brooke's best friend, Nick, ran up and hugged her. He was a tall, skinny boy with shaggy black hair. "O. M. G. I looove your cap! Hey, did you see the photo they posted on Twitter last night? It was of M. Shadows and he was like, all sweaty and shirtless!" Nick leaned in to whisper the last part. No one knew he was gay except for Brooke, who had been his best friend since junior high. "Nah, I didn't see it," Brooke lied. Actually, she had seen the picture, and it had hurt. "Besides, you know I don't think he's cute anyway." "Are you sure you aren't...you know...into girls?" Nick asked teasingly. "I'm sure, Nick," Brooke replied with a playful sigh. Nick had never understood why Brooke didn't find any of the guys attractive, and she couldn't exactly tell him it was because they were basically her older brothers at one time. Brooke had to give the band credit, though. They had somehow kept her under the radar for years. Jimmy didn't want his little cousin's life on full display. Brooke had always been grateful for that, but couldn't help but wonder if she'd be popular if everyone knew who she really was. Brooke looked up at Nick to say something else, when she saw a look of absolute disgust on his face. She followed his gaze and immediately knew why. She also knew, in that moment, why she absolutely didn't want to be popular after all.
"Wow. Are you still obsessed with those emo fags?" Beth Montgomery, the biggest bitch in the whole school, sauntered up to Brooke and Nick, rolling her eyes at the Deathbat on Brooke's cap. Beth was tall, tan, and wearing a dress so short that if she had bent over, you would see everything. Her four best friends stood behind her, all equally slutty looking and giggling in an annoying, high-pitched tone. "They aren't fags," Nick said defensively. Brooke just stood quietly, her eyes shifted to the tile floor. Honestly, after everything they'd done to her, Brooke didn't feel like taking up for Matt, Zack, Brian, or Johnny. "Sure they are," Beth said with a smirk. "Have you seen the way their guitar people act? Disgusting." "It's guitarists, not 'guitar people' dumbass. Like you'd know anyway...you fucking monkey." Brooke nearly choked on her own saliva at Nick's comeback. It was true, a lot of people in the school referred to Beth as a monkey, and she really did look like one. Nick had been the only one brave enough to say it to her face though. Beth looked momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained her snarky attitude. "Don't you see, sweetheart? This place is just a hive, and I am the one and only queen bee." This time, Brooke couldn't control her laughter. She burst out into a fit of giggles, Nick doing the same beside her. "Well, come on, 'Queen Bee.' I think we're lining up."
***
Brooke wasn't really sure what to expect during her high school graduation. In the movies it had always seemed so special and magnificent, but she just thought it was boring. As Brooke tried her hardest to listen to some random speaker drone on and on about the future, she found herself zoning out. As she let her thoughts wander, Brooke remembered a once exciting memory that she held close to her heart. But now, the mere idea of it was a strange mixture of emotions - anger, sadness, and just a pinch of happiness.
"Where are we going Jim?" Jimmy Sullivan looked down at the frizzy haired, freckled little girl that held his hand, looking up at him with bright, eager eyes. "Well, it's called Captain Jack's, Brookie." "Oooh...you mean like Captain Jack Sparrow? Is he there?" Jimmy laughed his unique, high-pitched, loud laugh that was contagious for anyone around. "No silly." Brooke pouted innocently. Jimmy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, bending down and placing his big, gentle hands on the girl's tiny shoulders. "There's someone even better there, though." "Are they captains too?" Brooke asked, excited once more. "Nah, kiddo. They're kings. There's King Matt, and King Bri, and King Johnny, and King Zack. They're my best friends in the whole wide world, and I think they'll be your best friends, too," Jimmy said with a big, radiant smile. "You mean, you're friends with four kings? Let's go then!"
Jimmy, still holding Brooke's small hand, led them into the restaurant and immediately spotted his group of rowdy friends. He felt Brooke squeeze his hand tighter as they walked up to the round wooden table where his friends all sat. "Hey guys. I want you to meet my cousin, Brooke." Jimmy had told his friends that he was going to be taking care of Brooke, but hadn't introduced them yet. Quite frankly, he was afraid that the loud, dark, tattooed group would scare her. Brooke shifted behind Jimmy's legs, peaking her head around them shyly. "Jimmy, did you take your medicine this morning? I don't see a Brooke," Matt said playfully, glancing around the room as if he didn't see the little girl hiding behind Jimmy. "You know, I don't see her either. Our best friend has gone crazy!" Zack pitched in, gaining a nod from Brian. "Hahaha, Jim is crazy!" Brooke squealed with laughter as she finally emerged from her hiding spot. "I'm right here, silly butts!" Brooke giggled loudly. "Brooke, this is Matt - " "You mean King Matt?" She corrected him. "King?" Zack asked with arched eyebrows. "Right, of course," Jimmy continued, shooting Zack a look that silently said "Go along with it." Zack raised his hands up in innocence, showing off perfectly straight teeth. "...and this is King Zack, King Brian, and...umm...King Johnny." Johnny was sitting farthest away from where Jimmy stood with Brooke, and he was clearly drunk - very drunk. "We tried..." Matt mouthed to Jimmy as Johnny just waved stupidly, taking another big swig of no telling what. "You know what? Never mind about King Johnny. He's just a peasant." Zack, Matt, Brian, and Brooke all burst out laughing, even though Jimmy was pretty certain the eight year old didn't know what the word even meant. It was nice to see her getting along with the guys, though.
To Jimmy's great surprise, his usually extremely shy cousin walked right over to Brian and climbed up on his lap. Across the table, Matt laughed at the petrified look on the twenty-four year old man's face. None of them had ever been around kids before, and clearly Brian had no idea what to do. "Awe, I think she likes you, King Brian!" Zack teased his friend. "Yeah I - I think so too," Brian said, awkwardly patting Brooke's red hair. "Jesus, Syn. She's a little girl, not a dog," Jimmy joked, taking a seat next to Johnny and Matt. Johnny just sat there, happily drunk and clearly in his own little world. "You're my favorite," Brooke said happily, tilting her head back and smiling up at Brian. "And why is that?" Brian asked, looking proudly at Zack as if it were a competition to see who the little girl liked the most. "Well, you do your makeup just like my sissy does. And your hair looks silly!" Matt laughed at Brian playfully. Brian picked up a fry and launched it at him, smirking at him until he felt a tickle on his arm. He looked down to see a tiny finger tracing his tattooed skin. "I like your monsters, too. Sissy says my mommy is a monster. Does that make me a monster too?" Brooke looked sadly up at Brian, her big blue eyes full of tears. The table suddenly went quiet. "Brooke, not now swee... - " Jimmy began to intervene, well aware that Brian wasn't the greatest with kids. To Jimmy's astonishment, Brian held up a hand to silence him, brushing Brooke's cheek with a calloused thumb. "You aren't a monster, sweetie. Don't ever think that, ok? You're a princess, and us kings are going to protect you to the very end. Understand?" Brooke nodded, a grin slowly creeping across her face. "You're going to do great things, Princess Brooke. Things that your mom would be proud of. See, Brooke...not all monsters are bad. Like mine. Mine are silly monsters. And some monsters aren't monsters at all. They just have a little bit of monster blood in them." The little girl looked into Brian's dark brown eyes, trying to make sense of what he was telling her. "Sooo...like a zombie?" She finally asked. "Good people get bitten by zombies all the time, but they're still the same person inside." "Exactly like a zombie sweetie. But zombies aren't real, of course," Brian added quickly. He looked up at his friends, who were all staring at him in amazement. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just protecting my little princess." The guys didn't say another word.
"Now, if you will all stand and wait for your name to be called..." The sound of people rustling around Brooke pulled her back into reality. In this place, she certainly didn't feel like a princess. Brooke glanced around her, immediately locking eyes with Beth, who stood two rows in front of her. She had her body slightly angled, allowing her to surreptitiously catch Brooke's attention, quietly giggling at her. That's when Brooke felt hot, burning tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly with the baggy sleeve of her gown and looked anywhere but at Beth. Brooke scanned the audience while the principal rattled off the names of her classmates in alphabetical order, just now starting on the C's. After squinting around the crowded auditorium, Brooke finally spotted Brittany and Chris. Brittany waved at her excitedly while Chris gave her two thumbs up. Brooke tried to return the favor, making an effort to look at least a little excited to receive her diploma and escape these fiery pits of hell. Sure, school had been torturous for Brooke between the constant teasing and lack of friends, but at least the fundamental theorems of calculus distracted her from how shitty her life at home was, too. Brooke didn't want to seem ungrateful, for Brittany and Chris had gone out of their way to take care of her after Jimmy died and the others basically abandoned her. But Brooke knew that her sister needed a life of her own too, and that raising her teenaged sister probably wasn't on the agenda for the first few years of her marriage. It was this that drove Brooke to stay out of the way as much as possible, taking up a job at a local gas station and staying cooped up in her room with a sketchbook when she wasn't working. She wondered if there was a theorem to make herself disappear, or at least be less of a burden on everyone around her.
How long Brooke had been in her thoughts, she didn't know, but she came to just in time to hear her name being called. "Brooklyn Alisha Sullivan." Oh God. Not my full name. Brooke hated her full name, and had made it her life's work to keep it hidden from her ruthless classmates. She could only imagine what Beth and her clique were saying about it as she walked up to the principal on shaky legs. Brooke accepted her diploma with one hand while shaking the principal's large, beefy hand with her other one. As she made her way back to her seat, Brooke was almost certain she saw a flash of blue eyes and raven black hair in the audience, but the mysterious figure disappeared as quickly as it came. Jimmy is dead, Jimmy is dead, Brooke repeated to herself over and over as she fell back in line with the rest of her class. He isn't here. He'll never be here. She just needed this nightmare to end...and fast.
***
"Thank God!" Brooke heaved a sigh of relief as she walked over to where her sister and brother in-law stood, smiling proudly. "Now can we please go homeee?" Without waiting for a response, Brooke led the way out of the school, into the parking lot, and straight to the car. She was eager to escape before Nick found her, or worse, Beth. "Don't you want to say goodbye to Nick sweetie?" Brittany asked as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Nah. I'm not up for it. I'll text him later. Please just take me home." Brittany shared a concerned glance with her husband in the front seat before her red lips curled up into a sly smile. She started the car, put it in reverse, and slowly backed out of the parking space. "Did you really think we wouldn't get you a graduation gift, Brooke? We can't go home just yet," Chris said teasingly, fumbling with a cord to plug his phone into the stereo. "Really guys," Brooke stuttered, "you don't have to get me anything." Brittany smiled brightly into the rearview mirror. "Well, it's not like we can just send it back." "And why not?" Brooke asked flatly. "Because we imported it from 6,000 miles away." Whoa. Brooke was speechless. What could they have possibly gotten her that had to come from that far away? Brooke still wanted to go home, but curiosity got the best of her. She settled back in her seat as Chris finally picked a song, belting out the random "ooh-ah-ah-ah-ah" noises at the beginning of Disturbed's Down With The Sickness. As uneasy as she still felt, Brooke decided then and there that she was done letting four guys that didn't even have the decency to call her, control her happiness. It was finally time to carry on and leave the past, along with the people in it, behind her.
High like the stars in the sky,
Guiding us all!
Battle the will of those who conspire.
Take back the passion to live,
Vanish the sorrow!
(Destroy their perfect crime,
Watch the power fold.)
Search endlessly, fight 'till we're free.
Fly past the edge of the sea.
No bended knee, no mockery!
Somehow we still carry on,
Carry on!
- Avenged Sevenfold
"Are you ready yet, Brooke? We're going to be late!" Brooke Sullivan studied herself in the full-length mirror that hung from the back of her bedroom door. "I'm coming!" Brooke yelled back down the stairs, where her brother in-law was growing irritated with her. Brooke sighed at her reflection. No matter how often her best friend told her how beautiful she was, all Brooke could ever do was pick out her flaws. She was wearing a plain white dress that came just above her knees, showing off her pale, undertoned legs. Brooke was by no means fat, but as she turned from side to side in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but notice how her slightly chubby stomach stood out further than the popular girls in her class. Thank God I don't have to see them ever again, Brooke thought with a small smirk. She quickly applied a thin line of brown eyeliner to each lid and some black mascara to her lashes. Brooke brushed her fingers through her naturally red, thick, curly hair one last time, hoping it would stay straight and not frizz up for at least a few hours. While doing this, she caught site of one particular drawing that had been thumbtacked above her old wooden desk, among several others of her artwork. Brooke turned to face it, her heart dropping all the way to the scruffy hardwood floor. The sketch that caught Brooke's attention was plastered in the very center, and consisted of a creepy-looking skull head with skeletal wings attached to each side. "A Deathbat," Brooke said aloud with a roll of her bright blue eyes. "What a stupid name for a fucking logo." She forced herself to smile and left the tiny, hot bedroom, determined to be happy for a change.
"It's about damn time," Brooke's older sister, Brittany, giggled when Brooke reached the bottom of the creaky staircase, carrying her cap and gown in her arms. "Give me that before it gets all wrinkled!" "Ok, mom," Brooke replied sarcastically as she handed her sister the white graduation gown. Brittany was a beautiful, skinny woman with shiny brown hair and bright hazel eyes. At first glance, most people wouldn't even guess they were sisters. Chris, Brittany's husband, was equally handsome with a well-built frame and dark blonde hair in the kind of messy style that almost wasn't messy at all. "You look beautiful, kiddo," Chris said to her with a sad smile. "He would've been so proud of you," he added, indicating to the cap in Brooke's hand that was decorated with her own drawing of the Deathbat and the word "foREVer" delicately written underneath. It was a symbol of Jimmy's legacy, made famous when the band announced his passing via their website. "I know he would. I just wish the other guys felt the same," Brooke replied. "Come on." Chris glanced at his wife over top of Brooke's head, who was walking towards the front door. "They are proud of you sweetie," Brittany reassured her sister, following her outside. "Yeah? Why aren't they here then? Why haven't they been here?" Brooke asked matter-of-factly, slamming the car door shut and shoving her earbuds in her ears. This is going to be a loooong day, Brooke thought to herself, selecting a random Korn song and closing her eyes.
***
"I can't believe we're graduating!" Brooke's best friend, Nick, ran up and hugged her. He was a tall, skinny boy with shaggy black hair. "O. M. G. I looove your cap! Hey, did you see the photo they posted on Twitter last night? It was of M. Shadows and he was like, all sweaty and shirtless!" Nick leaned in to whisper the last part. No one knew he was gay except for Brooke, who had been his best friend since junior high. "Nah, I didn't see it," Brooke lied. Actually, she had seen the picture, and it had hurt. "Besides, you know I don't think he's cute anyway." "Are you sure you aren't...you know...into girls?" Nick asked teasingly. "I'm sure, Nick," Brooke replied with a playful sigh. Nick had never understood why Brooke didn't find any of the guys attractive, and she couldn't exactly tell him it was because they were basically her older brothers at one time. Brooke had to give the band credit, though. They had somehow kept her under the radar for years. Jimmy didn't want his little cousin's life on full display. Brooke had always been grateful for that, but couldn't help but wonder if she'd be popular if everyone knew who she really was. Brooke looked up at Nick to say something else, when she saw a look of absolute disgust on his face. She followed his gaze and immediately knew why. She also knew, in that moment, why she absolutely didn't want to be popular after all.
"Wow. Are you still obsessed with those emo fags?" Beth Montgomery, the biggest bitch in the whole school, sauntered up to Brooke and Nick, rolling her eyes at the Deathbat on Brooke's cap. Beth was tall, tan, and wearing a dress so short that if she had bent over, you would see everything. Her four best friends stood behind her, all equally slutty looking and giggling in an annoying, high-pitched tone. "They aren't fags," Nick said defensively. Brooke just stood quietly, her eyes shifted to the tile floor. Honestly, after everything they'd done to her, Brooke didn't feel like taking up for Matt, Zack, Brian, or Johnny. "Sure they are," Beth said with a smirk. "Have you seen the way their guitar people act? Disgusting." "It's guitarists, not 'guitar people' dumbass. Like you'd know anyway...you fucking monkey." Brooke nearly choked on her own saliva at Nick's comeback. It was true, a lot of people in the school referred to Beth as a monkey, and she really did look like one. Nick had been the only one brave enough to say it to her face though. Beth looked momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained her snarky attitude. "Don't you see, sweetheart? This place is just a hive, and I am the one and only queen bee." This time, Brooke couldn't control her laughter. She burst out into a fit of giggles, Nick doing the same beside her. "Well, come on, 'Queen Bee.' I think we're lining up."
***
Brooke wasn't really sure what to expect during her high school graduation. In the movies it had always seemed so special and magnificent, but she just thought it was boring. As Brooke tried her hardest to listen to some random speaker drone on and on about the future, she found herself zoning out. As she let her thoughts wander, Brooke remembered a once exciting memory that she held close to her heart. But now, the mere idea of it was a strange mixture of emotions - anger, sadness, and just a pinch of happiness.
"Where are we going Jim?" Jimmy Sullivan looked down at the frizzy haired, freckled little girl that held his hand, looking up at him with bright, eager eyes. "Well, it's called Captain Jack's, Brookie." "Oooh...you mean like Captain Jack Sparrow? Is he there?" Jimmy laughed his unique, high-pitched, loud laugh that was contagious for anyone around. "No silly." Brooke pouted innocently. Jimmy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, bending down and placing his big, gentle hands on the girl's tiny shoulders. "There's someone even better there, though." "Are they captains too?" Brooke asked, excited once more. "Nah, kiddo. They're kings. There's King Matt, and King Bri, and King Johnny, and King Zack. They're my best friends in the whole wide world, and I think they'll be your best friends, too," Jimmy said with a big, radiant smile. "You mean, you're friends with four kings? Let's go then!"
Jimmy, still holding Brooke's small hand, led them into the restaurant and immediately spotted his group of rowdy friends. He felt Brooke squeeze his hand tighter as they walked up to the round wooden table where his friends all sat. "Hey guys. I want you to meet my cousin, Brooke." Jimmy had told his friends that he was going to be taking care of Brooke, but hadn't introduced them yet. Quite frankly, he was afraid that the loud, dark, tattooed group would scare her. Brooke shifted behind Jimmy's legs, peaking her head around them shyly. "Jimmy, did you take your medicine this morning? I don't see a Brooke," Matt said playfully, glancing around the room as if he didn't see the little girl hiding behind Jimmy. "You know, I don't see her either. Our best friend has gone crazy!" Zack pitched in, gaining a nod from Brian. "Hahaha, Jim is crazy!" Brooke squealed with laughter as she finally emerged from her hiding spot. "I'm right here, silly butts!" Brooke giggled loudly. "Brooke, this is Matt - " "You mean King Matt?" She corrected him. "King?" Zack asked with arched eyebrows. "Right, of course," Jimmy continued, shooting Zack a look that silently said "Go along with it." Zack raised his hands up in innocence, showing off perfectly straight teeth. "...and this is King Zack, King Brian, and...umm...King Johnny." Johnny was sitting farthest away from where Jimmy stood with Brooke, and he was clearly drunk - very drunk. "We tried..." Matt mouthed to Jimmy as Johnny just waved stupidly, taking another big swig of no telling what. "You know what? Never mind about King Johnny. He's just a peasant." Zack, Matt, Brian, and Brooke all burst out laughing, even though Jimmy was pretty certain the eight year old didn't know what the word even meant. It was nice to see her getting along with the guys, though.
To Jimmy's great surprise, his usually extremely shy cousin walked right over to Brian and climbed up on his lap. Across the table, Matt laughed at the petrified look on the twenty-four year old man's face. None of them had ever been around kids before, and clearly Brian had no idea what to do. "Awe, I think she likes you, King Brian!" Zack teased his friend. "Yeah I - I think so too," Brian said, awkwardly patting Brooke's red hair. "Jesus, Syn. She's a little girl, not a dog," Jimmy joked, taking a seat next to Johnny and Matt. Johnny just sat there, happily drunk and clearly in his own little world. "You're my favorite," Brooke said happily, tilting her head back and smiling up at Brian. "And why is that?" Brian asked, looking proudly at Zack as if it were a competition to see who the little girl liked the most. "Well, you do your makeup just like my sissy does. And your hair looks silly!" Matt laughed at Brian playfully. Brian picked up a fry and launched it at him, smirking at him until he felt a tickle on his arm. He looked down to see a tiny finger tracing his tattooed skin. "I like your monsters, too. Sissy says my mommy is a monster. Does that make me a monster too?" Brooke looked sadly up at Brian, her big blue eyes full of tears. The table suddenly went quiet. "Brooke, not now swee... - " Jimmy began to intervene, well aware that Brian wasn't the greatest with kids. To Jimmy's astonishment, Brian held up a hand to silence him, brushing Brooke's cheek with a calloused thumb. "You aren't a monster, sweetie. Don't ever think that, ok? You're a princess, and us kings are going to protect you to the very end. Understand?" Brooke nodded, a grin slowly creeping across her face. "You're going to do great things, Princess Brooke. Things that your mom would be proud of. See, Brooke...not all monsters are bad. Like mine. Mine are silly monsters. And some monsters aren't monsters at all. They just have a little bit of monster blood in them." The little girl looked into Brian's dark brown eyes, trying to make sense of what he was telling her. "Sooo...like a zombie?" She finally asked. "Good people get bitten by zombies all the time, but they're still the same person inside." "Exactly like a zombie sweetie. But zombies aren't real, of course," Brian added quickly. He looked up at his friends, who were all staring at him in amazement. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just protecting my little princess." The guys didn't say another word.
"Now, if you will all stand and wait for your name to be called..." The sound of people rustling around Brooke pulled her back into reality. In this place, she certainly didn't feel like a princess. Brooke glanced around her, immediately locking eyes with Beth, who stood two rows in front of her. She had her body slightly angled, allowing her to surreptitiously catch Brooke's attention, quietly giggling at her. That's when Brooke felt hot, burning tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly with the baggy sleeve of her gown and looked anywhere but at Beth. Brooke scanned the audience while the principal rattled off the names of her classmates in alphabetical order, just now starting on the C's. After squinting around the crowded auditorium, Brooke finally spotted Brittany and Chris. Brittany waved at her excitedly while Chris gave her two thumbs up. Brooke tried to return the favor, making an effort to look at least a little excited to receive her diploma and escape these fiery pits of hell. Sure, school had been torturous for Brooke between the constant teasing and lack of friends, but at least the fundamental theorems of calculus distracted her from how shitty her life at home was, too. Brooke didn't want to seem ungrateful, for Brittany and Chris had gone out of their way to take care of her after Jimmy died and the others basically abandoned her. But Brooke knew that her sister needed a life of her own too, and that raising her teenaged sister probably wasn't on the agenda for the first few years of her marriage. It was this that drove Brooke to stay out of the way as much as possible, taking up a job at a local gas station and staying cooped up in her room with a sketchbook when she wasn't working. She wondered if there was a theorem to make herself disappear, or at least be less of a burden on everyone around her.
How long Brooke had been in her thoughts, she didn't know, but she came to just in time to hear her name being called. "Brooklyn Alisha Sullivan." Oh God. Not my full name. Brooke hated her full name, and had made it her life's work to keep it hidden from her ruthless classmates. She could only imagine what Beth and her clique were saying about it as she walked up to the principal on shaky legs. Brooke accepted her diploma with one hand while shaking the principal's large, beefy hand with her other one. As she made her way back to her seat, Brooke was almost certain she saw a flash of blue eyes and raven black hair in the audience, but the mysterious figure disappeared as quickly as it came. Jimmy is dead, Jimmy is dead, Brooke repeated to herself over and over as she fell back in line with the rest of her class. He isn't here. He'll never be here. She just needed this nightmare to end...and fast.
***
"Thank God!" Brooke heaved a sigh of relief as she walked over to where her sister and brother in-law stood, smiling proudly. "Now can we please go homeee?" Without waiting for a response, Brooke led the way out of the school, into the parking lot, and straight to the car. She was eager to escape before Nick found her, or worse, Beth. "Don't you want to say goodbye to Nick sweetie?" Brittany asked as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Nah. I'm not up for it. I'll text him later. Please just take me home." Brittany shared a concerned glance with her husband in the front seat before her red lips curled up into a sly smile. She started the car, put it in reverse, and slowly backed out of the parking space. "Did you really think we wouldn't get you a graduation gift, Brooke? We can't go home just yet," Chris said teasingly, fumbling with a cord to plug his phone into the stereo. "Really guys," Brooke stuttered, "you don't have to get me anything." Brittany smiled brightly into the rearview mirror. "Well, it's not like we can just send it back." "And why not?" Brooke asked flatly. "Because we imported it from 6,000 miles away." Whoa. Brooke was speechless. What could they have possibly gotten her that had to come from that far away? Brooke still wanted to go home, but curiosity got the best of her. She settled back in her seat as Chris finally picked a song, belting out the random "ooh-ah-ah-ah-ah" noises at the beginning of Disturbed's Down With The Sickness. As uneasy as she still felt, Brooke decided then and there that she was done letting four guys that didn't even have the decency to call her, control her happiness. It was finally time to carry on and leave the past, along with the people in it, behind her.
I really like this. :3
1/26/16