Book of 2016
- Page 43 -
Now for the tonight's blog:
Brent's Tale Continued from Page 33
Brent was lying on the couch when the phone rang. He was watching “The Simpson’s” the usual after dinner show. He really did not feel like answering it, because he figured that it would just be for one of his roommates. He slowly drug himself off the couch and walked towards the phone. He scratched his hairy face as he picked up the phone and muttered a groggy “Yea!”
“Is Brent there?” A voice in a sexy feminine southern twang asked.
“Yea.” He replied.
“Brent, its Vicky.” The voice replied. But Brent already knew that. He knew it before he ever made his response. He could always recognize that voice and he was glad to hear it, because this meant everything was all right and she was OK. Yea it was her all right, Vicky Harrison.
There no easy way of telling the story of Brent and Vicky’s past. They were the dearest friends and had been for years, but it was not always this way. Vicky at one time despised the very sight of Brent Baldwin and her blood would boil at the mer thought of him.
Brent and Vicky had known each other their entire lives. Brent’s first crush was on Vicky in the third grade. She was his first girlfriend in the six and was the first girl he ever held hands. She broke up with him in the sixth grade on Thanksgiving Day and he was crushed. He would not let her forget it either. He would make fun of her every day for the rest of the sixth grade. She would dread the very sight of him.
After a while Brent kind of grew up and he and Vicky gradually became friends again. In the eighth grade they really started to talk a lot. Vicky mom would often ground her and since Brent’s friends were not the best a guy could ask for (currently him and Tony were running in different clicks). They would spend many of their weekend night on the phone watching scary movies like Pet Cemetery. They would talk the night away or until Vicky’s mom would make her get off the phone.
The gang all went out to see Dick Tracey when it came out the summer after their eight grade year and Vicky and Brent were both there. Vicky had on this greenish outfit on that was made out of cloth material. It was defiantly the style of the time. Brent was hanging with his boys when one of them dared him to depants Vicky. He was fourteen and took the dare.
It was a suttle attack! Vicky was standing there talking to the whole gang and Brent just calmly walked over and dropped her pants to her ankles. Vicky screamed in embarrassment and jumped about ten feet as she pulled up her pants. Everyone was dyeing laughing. Her being depanted made it worth the entry fee to the movie one of Brent’s buddies said. Another remarked it was the funniest thing he had ever saw. Even the girls that witnessed it got a really big kick out of it, everyone but Vicky. She had her feeling hurt and been very embarrassed by a friend that she held very dear. It was just one in many time Brent would end up disappointing her.
The next week went by very slowly; Brent’s buddies were all to busy hanging out with each other to even think about him. They were not good friends and had never had been. He knew Vicky hated him and he had screwed up. If he could just let her know that it was just a prank and that he was truly sorry. No, on the way home that night she had made it very clear they were no longer friends.
Brent had just finished putting all of his baseball equipment up, another disappointing lose at the Babe Ruth Park, he thought. The coach hated him, but had picked him to play the bench last year and this one. Brent had a big bat and a good glove. He had little speed and a bad arm, but he was tough player with a lot of heart. He walked with his head down towards the concession stand to get his free Coke when he heard a familiar laugh. He grabbed his Coke and turned around to see Vicky sitting there with one of her friends. She looked up and smiled at him and motioned him over.
“Hey!” She said to him with a smile “why haven’t you called me?”
“Well I thought you hated my guts.” He replied “I just want to let you know how sorry I am.”
“Whatever meanie! You can buy me some roses and that will make up for it!” She said laughing.
“Well I gotta run, are you sure I can call you?” He asked
“Yea do!” She replied enthusiastically.
Two days latter they were on the phone together with each other and would spend every night for the rest of the summer talking to each other. They talked about how much they missed talking for that week and then time went on. It was forgotten. It was the beginning of a relationship that really exemplified “Reach out and touch someone.”
It was the night Friday night before school started and it was tradition that every one went to the Jamboree for the high school football teams. Brent had called his friends, but they gave him the run around and said they were not going and that they were going to so and so house. Brent called Vicky and she tried to talk him into going with her, but he said no, his buddies would call him and he would see her there. His buddies never did call, but they were all there. Vicky later had told Brent.
His buddies were kind of upset with them because of his older brother. There was big party at a girl in the groups’ house. It was only the girls from the group at the party and older guys, one of the guys just happened to be Brent's older brother. His older brother had told his friends who were on the phone trying to talk to their girlfriends what pricks they were to Brent and how they needed to have their asses kicked for treating Brent like shit. At the time Brent was mad at his brother because he had gotten his friends mad at him, he did not understanding that his brother was right and that he was being treated like dirt. His friends would not even talk to Brent and tell him what he had or had not done to piss them off. He was at a loss. So he called friend in the group that was dating his so-called best friend. She told him to ask Vicky what his brother had said. Why would Vicky know, the friend said that she was around during the party and that is was no big deal. When he asked Vicky what was said he found out and was furious. At first, his friends would not even talk to Brent, then he took them to Kings Island and all seemed forgiven for the time or so he thought.
The group he was running around with at the time were a bunch of followers anyway and Brent knew it but it was Junior high and he just had to be in the cool click. Although he hated the click and it's mindlessness. He wanted to hang out with Tony, but Tony was to concerned with what the older kids though and he had forgotten about his buddy Brent.
The group also did not like his older brother. It was mainly because they were jealous of him. Yea he was a spoiled brat, but was that really his fault. Bruce Baldwin did not take any shit from anyone, especially people that were trying to hurt him or what he stood for. Bruce was a prick, but down deep he was a sweetheart and he had a lot of Brent’s good qualities. The main reason that Brent’s friends did not like Bruce was because Bruce was sleeping with all of the girls their age. They were all jealous, but none more jealous than Brent himself.
If you were in the eighth grade with Brent and you had any contact with Bruce, weather you would sleep with him, kiss or messed with him in any way you had pushed the wrong button with Brent. You had made an enemy in Brent Baldwin. He would not let you forget that you were drunk and kissed Bruce, you were a whore to him worthless, and how could you let Bruce use you like that. That meant your were dumb to Brent and you must feel his wrath. He was a mean bastard when he wanted to be and many, many girls left school crying and lived in fear because Brent had set his targets on them.
It was about this time Brent started having feeling other than friendship towards Vicky. She was a beautiful young woman, but Brent also dug her inner qualities. Such as her kindness, her heart, and her faithfulness to him as a friend, Vicky was truly a dedicated friend. Brent only told one person that he dug her, the same mutual friend that helped him earlier, Julie. Julie just laughed at him and told him to go for it, but he knew that was the wrong thing to do, that he was not even in Vicky’s class. He was heavy and ugly and she deserved someone much better. Julie tried to convince him other wise but could not.
The school year went on Brent began to shy away from the click that he was a part of and start hanging out with his friends from elementary school. Friends that would become friends for life. Tony and he started to hang out again. He also was locker-partners with his oldest friend, Sean Patrick O’Riley. They had meet in kindergarten and had been friends ever since. O’Riley also was the link between Tony and Brent becoming friends. O’Riley was tall and skinny and a clown. He was very funny, and also very smart. One of the smartest people Brent had ever met. They would remain friends through the years and the trio would travel to IU together, they were the best of friends.
O' Riley liked to pick fun at others. He was often making fun of some one or something. He was not the least bit shy and was not afraid to say anything. He loved having a good time and was often trying to put one together. Brent and he often would swipe liqueur from their parents and par take in the drinking of it. They always had fun together.
It was mid-October and Brent began to date a girl named Gina. Gina was a snotty little girl with a real attitude problem. Brent for some reason found himself liking her and wanted to be with her. He was no longer talking to Vicky ever night because she was currently seeing one of his friends and he did not want to impose.
Although Gina and Brent talked every night on the phone, they never actually went on a date. They were "going together" or "seeing each other", but they never did anything together, but Brent really like her and would have liked to do something with her, he was just kinda shy and was not really sure what to go ask her to do.
A month went by and then one day Brent found out that Gina was going to go out with some one else. He was crushed. The fact that Gina was no longer his girlfriend made him like her ten times as much. Another thing that really weighed heavily on Brent's mind was the fact that they were supposed to go to the big freshmen formal dance together. Gina had already dropped one ex-boyfriend to go with Brent and he was really afraid that the same would happen to him. He was not sure what to do about there separation. So he turned to the one person that always listened to him, Vicky.
"Is Vicky there?" Brent asked.
"Yea, who is this?" A female voice responded.
"Brent Baldwin."
"Hey Brent! It's Lisa. What are you up too?" Lisa was Vicky's older sister and was always extremely nice to Brent. Lisa was three years older than Vicky, but deeply resembled her kid sister.
"Not much, just got home from the mall."
"Fun, fun. Here she is."
"Vicky what's going on?"
"Not much kid, how are you?"
"Well I am not going to lie, I am feeling a little blue. Gina has really got me down. She is with Craig now and I am afraid she is going to dog me for the formal."
"Why did she say something like that?"
"No, but you know how she broke off her date with Brian to go with me, and how I set up Mike and Jenny to go, so I could go with her. What if she decides she does not want to go with me any more? What do I do then? I would be screwed!"
"Well, I could call her and ask her if you want me too?"
"Vicky you are a life savor."
"I will call you right back."
The next twenty minutes seemed like an eternity for Brent. He was pacing in his parents’ basement when the phone finally began to ring. He picked it up on the first one.
"Yea!" He blurted out, as if he was in agony.
"Your OK kid, she said she was really looking forward to going with you and could not even think of going with anyone else. See you were worried about nothing. So what is new with you?"
"Nothing at all! I am so relieved."
Brent and Vicky talked the rest of the night away. As usual there was no real theme to their conversation but the both did not want to let each other go.
It was the night before the big dance and there was a sock hop at the junior high that night. Brent was really looking forward to going. Tonight he was traveling with Justin an acquaintance that he would be spending the next few days with because their formal dates were friends and had made plans together.
"Is Vicky there?"
"Yea hold on one second." Her mother replied in her New York accent.
"Vicky, so can you go or are you going to be grounded?" Brent asked.
"Yes, can you believe it my mother is going to let me go to the mixer, but that is it. She says I can not go to Pizza Inn afterwards."
"Well at least you can go tonight. Are you excited about tomorrow?"
"Yea, I just wish I was not going with Christopher. He is driving me crazy. He thinks it is going to be this big romantic thing and I just do not want it to be like that."
"Well, just remember you promised me a slow dance tomorrow and you better not forget. Talk to you later." And with that Brent hung up the phone.
It was your typical Junior high mixer that night, guys playing basketball, girls talking about each other, and the only people dancing were the few couples that actually thought they were in love at their tender ages. Brent and Justin were hanging with the click tonight, so they were trying to figure out were they were going to get cigarettes later that night.
It was time for the last couple of slow dances when Brent happened to run into Vicky.
"Brent Christopher is driving me nuts! I can imagine spending a whole night with him tomorrow."
"Hey forget him, lets dance." Brent made it no big secret he did not like Christopher Perkins. He had always been a rival with him. Christopher always happened to like the same girl Brent did and for some reason the girl always wanted to date Perkins and be Baldwin's best friend.
"I would like to dance with you."
Brent took Vicky in his arms and they began to dance. Brent smelled her perfume and felt her soft brown hair press against his face. He realized he was dancing with one of the best looking girls in the world and felt very happy about it. As they danced they talked and laughed. They made fun of Perkins and then the click. Then they laughed about Vicky's mom and how She was always grounded. Then they got a laugh about the couples that just knew that they were in love and how their public display of affection was gross. As they talked about PDA Brent just for the sake of making fun of the PDA put his hands on Vicky's butt. They danced like this for a while and were laughing about it when someone tapped Brent on the shoulder.
"Young man you either raise your hands up right now or your going to be in detention on Monday. " A teacher told Brent.
"Yes Ma'am." Brent replied holding back a laugh.
Then Vicky and he danced the rest of the night away. When the final song finished they gave each other a big hug and Brent found himself staring into Vicky's eyes. They were beautiful he though to himself. They were so blue. He quickly looked away and told her good night.
Brent finished combing his hair and then looked at himself in the mirror. God, he looked like a fat penguin, he thought. His parents told him he looked handsome and told Justin the same thing, and then asked if they were ready to go get there dates. Then Brent, his mom and dad, and Justin loaded up in Brent's parents’ van to go get their dates at Gina's house.
The ride was very nerve racking for Brent. His stomach was turning knots and his palms were sweating. He did not know why he was so nervous. He knew Gina's parents, what was the problem.
Pictures were taken and everyone was told how lovely they looked. Then it was off to dinner. They went to an Italian restaurant and to avoid getting stuff all over himself Brent chose to wear a bib. Gina was not amused. Brent did not care. It was going to be a long night.
The dance was nothing like what Brent expected. He really did not know what to expect, but this was not it. He and Gina danced a little bit, he talked to his friends and then they got their pictures taken. As Gina and he were walking out of the picture background, Brent got his first look at Vicky of the night and it would not be the last look because he would not be able to keep his eyes off her. She was stunning. Her usually straight brown hair was curly, and done up really nice. Her blue eyes sparkled like the sky. He was breath taken by her.
Gina wanted to go dance so Brent went on. As they were dancing Brent saw his old buddy Tony dancing with his date.
"What is up buddy?" Tony asked his old friend.
"Not a whole lot here. You know just doing a little dancing."
"Are you guys having fun?" Tony asked.
"Yea!" Gina and Brent replied.
The four of them continued to dance. Brent was looking across the room at Vicky and Christopher what a lucky guy he thought. Then he would glance back at his friend Tony. Tony kept looking down the front of his date’s dress, then looking at Brent and smiling. Then Brent made the comment that would change the rest of his evening.
"To bad that there is nothing to see down here." Brent said to his buddy and motioned towards Gina's chest with his head.
"What did you just say?" Gina screamed.
"Nothing, I was joking, chill!" Brent replied trying to stop the little elf from making a scene.
"No I heard what you said, Your and asshole, and I do not think I want to talk to you anymore." Then she turned to walk off when Brent grabbed her by the arm.
"Hey I was joking your taking things way to personal."
She just turned around and marched off to the corner and sat down. Brent looked at Tony who was cracking up laughing. "Me and my fucking big mouth!" Brent said.
"Fuck her! She is a bitch anyway." Said Tony's date.
"I will see you guys." Brent said and walked over to the click, which of course was not dancing or talking to their dates. They could not possibly think for themselves. Brent chatted with the click for a while and then went to find Gina.
"Hey, It was a joke and you need to get over it. You have a fine figure what are you so mad about."
"I'm not mad, I just do not like you and wish you would leave me alone. Oh, yea I am riding home with Mandy so you do not have to worry about me."
"You gotta be kidding me!" Brent said getting frustrated. This girl starting dating someone else without ever letting him know that he was out and treated him like dirt every opportunity she had. He was feed up.
"Know I am not and get away from me." She replied.
"OK, see yea."
"Uh!" She grunted, but Brent was out of there. He needed a cigarette.
As he came inside from smoking his cigarette he bumped into Vicky. God, she was gorgeous.
"Where is Gina?"
"She hates me!"
"Brent what did you do!"
"I said she had a small chest or something like that and she can not take a joke."
"If you were my date and you said that to me I would be pissed off at you."
"If you were my date I would tell you nothing but how stunning you are tonight."
"Ah, thank you! You look quit handsome yourself."
"Yea, I do!"
"Would you like to rescue me from Christopher and go dance with me?"
"I would be honored!"
They danced for about an hour. They had both lost track of time and could have cared less about who else was around. That was until Perkins came up and let Vicky know how rude she was dancing with someone else. Brent smiled. Then thought to himself "loser, she doesn't dig you anymore."
The party after the formal was outside on a lake. Everyone who was anyone in the ninth grade was there. There was a bond fire and plenty of food. Brent was their solo because he like his date asked left her alone. That is when he spotted Vicky sitting next to another good friend of his Tara. He wondered over there and sat in-between them and asked if he could get them anything. They both told him they wanted sandwiches and he went and made them for them, and brought them back drinks and some chips. Tara ended up leaving to go find her date and Brent and Vicky sat by the fire and had a chat.
"Were is the great Christopher?"
"He is not talking to me, he is mad because I am not interested in him and he can not deal with it."
"Who could?"
"Your right! I am wonderful."
"Why of course you are!"
They shared a laugh and Brent found himself staring into Vicky's eyes once again. Yes, it was hopeless; he had fallen for her!
A couple of days had passed since the big formal and Brent was talking to the girl that had taken Gina home from the dance on the phone.
"Brent you should not worry about it, she is like a three year old who can not control her emotions. She is stupid, and she is one of my best friends and I still thing that."
"Yea, but when Vicky told me that I ruined her night I felt a little bad and just wanted to know if you thought I should talk to her or not. It seems that you think I should not, so I will not."
"Yea, I would not worry about."
"I won't I guess."
"She is stupid! So what is up with you and Vicky? Are you going to ask her out?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well she told me that if she had to go out with anyone she would like it to be you. Yea she likes you or did. This was a couple days ago."
"Whatever, Haven't thought about." Liar, but he had to be cool. His heart was racing.
"You should go for it before it is to late!" She said and with that got off the phone with him.
Brent picked up the phone and called Vicky and he's mutual friend Julie.
"Julie!"
"What Brent?"
"Guess what Mandy just told me."
"What?"
"That Vicky liked me, is she lying."
"I'm not saying a word."
"Bitch! You have too."
"Nope."
Brent was euphoric! Could it be him and the girl of his dreams? He was so excited. He would dream about it at night before he went to bed. He would think about it in the shower and on the way to school. His friends had never seen him so happy and wondered what had come over him. He would just smile and go on about his business.
Brent needed some advice. Maybe Bruce could help; he was a man of the world he would know what to do because he knew women.
"Bruce I have a problem."
"What's that?"
"I really like this girl and I think she has the hots for me."
"What the problem?"
"How do I know?"
"You just have to go for it and if it does not work out then to bad you tried."
"Who is it anyway?"
"I do not think you know her but it is Lisa Harrison's sister Vicky" Brent said as he crushed out his cigarette.
Bruce smiled and then laughed. "Vicky!" He kept laughing then said " I fingered her."
What did he just say? Brent's world crashed, he could not say anything to his older brother. He just took out another cigarette and then told his brother he had to shit. Brent walked out of his brother's room with his head down and then went in the bathroom and sat on the floor and smoked his cigarette. Could she have really fooled around with Bruce? How she knew how he felt about that. How could she? So many questions filled his head he had to make a phone call.
It was to the head of the click, Julie's boyfriend. He was also the main guy Bruce had tried to get into a fight with about always dicking Brent over.
"Hey, I got a question for you." Brent said.
"What bud?" A somber voice replied.
"Do you know if Vicky fucked around with Bruce and if so what they did?"
"I pretty sure that they did, but I have know idea what they did, I think it was that night he said all that stuff to us. Call Julie and ask her and tell her I said to give you the truth. If she did are you going to start a campaign against her?"
"Don't know. I really like her you know."
"I would not, just let her know how you feel and that she really hurt you man. Take it easy." Then the phone hung up.
Brent quickly called Julie.
"Julie, I want answers and I want then now!" Brent said. "Did fucking Vicky and Bruce mess around." He was praying that she would say no.
"I think they did, but they only kissed I think. Remember when told you to ask her what Bruce said to the guys that night, that is why. They were together."
"Why didn't you say anything to me?"
"I wanted to but what was I going to say, I have been at the other end of your attacks and they hurt, Vicky is to sweet for that. Everyone makes mistakes."
"Yea, and So did I when I started trusting her."
"Brent you did not, nothing changed. I not even sure they did you have to ask her. I did not pay a whole lot of attention. But do not forget what good friends you two are."
"Maybe you’re right, please do not tell her that I know."
"OK." She was lying.
The next day at school Julie went right up to Vicky and told her that they had to talk.
"What's up?" Vicky asked Julie
"Brent knows about you and Bruce and is furious. I just thought I would warn you."
The look of shock on Vicky's face said it all. She got weak in the stomach and felt really sick. She knew that she had lost her best friend and there was nothing she could do about it. "How?" Was all she could mutter?
"I think the ass-hole (Bruce) told him."
"Why would he do that?"
"He is a prick!" Julie had made a mistake with Bruce too, but it cost her not only her virginity, but also her good friend Brent for a month and a half.
"I only kissed him and he dogged me anyway he really hurt my feelings. He made me cry." She said innocently, she was awaiting her campaign from Brent it would be like sixth grade all over again.
The day passed slowly for Brent and Vicky. Brent purposely avoided Vicky so that he would not have to deal with her. He was still unsure what path he was going to take in dealing with her. He was sad and bitter.
That night Brent was talking to the head of the click when his call waiting beeped. He clicked over.
"Yea." He said.
"Hey Hon, it is Vicky."
"Yea I know."
"Do you have something to ask me."
The moment of truth, she was not playing any games. "I guess, did you and my brother fool around?"
"Yes, we kissed and that is all you have to belief me. I was really drunk and I made a mistake." She said anticipating what he would say, but he said nothing. "Brent what do you think about that?"
"What do I think?" He said dying inside. How could this be happening? "I really am not sure can I have some time to think?"
"Yea I guess." She said in desperation of wanting to know what was on her best friend's mind and yes Brent Baldwin was her best friend. She asked him to call her back he clicked her off. She was scared she thought she had lost him.
Brent got off the phone and sat and stared. What was he to think? For some reason he did not hate her, like he did the others. It was only a mistake, maybe. He went outside to his swing, which was his favorite place to go to think. He thought about writing one of his books. Then he imagined him and Vicky together, and then he imagined her and Bruce embracing. It was a dreadful thought. He pulled out his cigarettes and lit up. After his smoke he went in the house and called those familiar digits.
"Can I talk to Vicky?" He asked "Lisa it is really important."
"I have her call you because I am on long distance, OK"
"Yea." He looked at his watch it was already 9:30 she could not talk past 10:00 and he knew it. He figured Lisa would be on for a while and picked up his notebook and began to write.
The next day he walked up to Vicky and handed her a note.
"Read that it says it all. It tells you exactly were I am coming from." Then he turned and walked off. She looked at the not in her hand and trembled. She was sure she had lost Brent Baldwin forever.
Vicky went to her first hour class and opened her note and began to read it:
Vicky,
You ask me what I think about you and my brother kissing and I ask you what am I suppose to think when find out that the girl I am in love with kissed my brother. Yea that is what I said in love with. I realized that you made a mistake, but then again maybe so did I and that was not letting you know exactly how I felt last night. I was hurt when Bruce told me what he told me and I was mad at you. I was so hurt.
Then I started wondering why my best friend did not tell me the truth about the night that my brother turned my friends against me. Then I realized it was because she gave a damn and did not want to hurt me.
I have persecuted, cussed, and cursed the people that have done what you have done, but I can not hate you or even be mad. Without you I do not know what friendship is. You are the best friend I have or could ever ask for. I will not attack you in anger. For I can not hurt you, you mean too much.
I want to be with you. I want to hang out go to the movies and do what ever else. I am sorry I put so much stress on you in the last twenty-four hours. It was my mistake, please forgive me.
I love you and I care and never want anything to come in-between us. I always want to be your best friend. But what the hell I have told you everything else, so I might as well ask you this, will you go out with me?
Your best friend, love always
Brent
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