Page 79

          

 Book of 2016

- Page 79 -

 Brent's Tale Continued from Page 75:

              Brent and Vicky continued to talk for a couple more months, they even took another shoot at going out, but nothing worked for Brent.  He could not quit asking questions.  He always wanted to know what he did wrong, he was trying to be closer to Vicky and make changes to make her happy.  All he was doing was pushing her away. 

            They still talked on the phone every night, or at least Vicky talked on the phone every night, Brent sat there and listened.  He had little to say he was in his own little world.  He hated the fact they were not dating and could never understand how he pushed her away.  He kept asking her what he could do. 

            A typical day in Brent's life at this point would be to get up in the morning and sit in the shower for a half-hour.  He would wonder if this were the day he and Vicky would get back together again.  He would get dressed, then eat breakfast and go to school.  He would meet Vicky at school talk to her and then go to class.  In class he would write her notes that talked about how depressed he was and how he could not go on without her.  He would walk with his head hung even lower than usual.  He had no friends anymore, because all he could think or talk about was Vicky. 

            After school he would go home and sit by the phone until Vicky called.  He would listen to what her day was like and then tell her some sob story about his day.  He never laughed and he never made her laugh anymore. 

            Vicky was at a loss.  She had no idea what to do, but she could not take much more of this.  She decided to go back out with him and for a week it worked.  Brent was pleasant and happy.  Then he started doubting himself, because Vicky mentioned something about Brent dumping her.  Why should he dump her, what had he down this time.  He called more and moped more.  Vicky had tried everything, but she nothing could help her old friend.  He was no longer a person he was a zombie.  He feeds on misery and making her miserable.  He did not want to be happy she believed. 

            Brent did want to be happy.  No one hated Brent Baldwin more than Brent himself.  His friends could not talk to him, because he just wanted them to feel sorry for him.  He hated the fact his every though and dream was about Vicky Harrison. 

            Vicky had talked to many people about what was up with Brent.  She was currently his girlfriend and gave Brent the option of dumping her.  He thought they could make things work.  She knew what she had to do and she picked up the phone and called him. 

            "Is Brent there?"  She asked.

            "Yea."  He said he answered the phone because he was sitting by it waiting for it to ring. 

            "Brent, I am sorry but it is over.  You are not happy, and you driving me nuts.  Take some time to think about things, and try to move on."

            Brent hung up the phone.  He looked down and started to cry. 

            "Why!"  He screamed at the top of his lungs.  He got up went outside his house and lit a cigarette.  He paced back and forth, what did he do.  The questions started again.  They would not go away, for a very long time they would not go away. 

            When Brent finished his cigarette, he went inside and called a couple of girls that were he and Vicky's mutual friends and let them know he had been dumped.  They said they would talk to her and first thing in the morning they approached her and asked what she had done.  It was the last straw, she snapped.  She began to cry and ran out of the school.

            That day at lunch Brent saw her and saw she was crying.  Good he thought, now maybe she has realized what she has done he thought.  He approached her.  She just looked at him and got up and took off. 

            He rushed home that day after school and called her. 

            "Vicky, I am sorry what did I do?"

            "Oh do not give me that bullshit.  What did you do?  You ruined my fucking life.  You mope around and act like you’re so hurt and heartbroken.  I think your just nuts.  I do not want to talk to you ever again.  I hate you and you hate me, when you realize that we will both be better off.  So leave me the fuck alone."  She hung up and cried, but she could do nothing else.  She did hate Brent Baldwin!

            Brent was in shock and now wished he had acted differently.  How could he have been so stupid?  How could he have turned her feelings from one of affection to hate?  The questions ran around in his head.  He was miserable, just like yesterday and the day before.  Why could he not be happy, as he used to be?  What was wrong with him? 

            For the next month Brent did everything he could to talk to Vicky.  He would write her notes and call her.  When he called he usually was told to hang on, then she would click over to her other line and never return to him.  She would take his notes and never read them because all they talked about was how sorry he was, and how he just wished they could be friends.  It was too late for that though.  When he would hand her a note, he would walk up to her and give it to her and just stand there waiting to be acknowledged.  She would never say a word to him; he just stood there and looked pitiful, until she walked off. 

            Brent tried to hide all of this from his family and what friends he had left or at least he told himself he was.  They all noticed that he was not the same as he had once been.  Tony and O'Riley were still in his corner and would try to get him to hang out with them.  He rarely did.  He just sat at home and watched movies and thought about his Vicky.  No one knew what Brent was going through and he knew now one would understand.  He was obsessed with Vicky and could not get her out of his head. 

            One day in Brent's fifth hour Biology class a friend of his, Caleb, broke it down to him:  "Look at yourself, you are miserable right?"

            "Yea, I am sucking my good man."

            "Let me ask you a question."

            "Shoot."

            "Were you any happier when you and Vicky were together than you are right now?"

            Brent was stumped.  He just sat there and thought.  That statement hit home, it was the first reason Brent let in since the night Vicky first let go of their relationship back in December.  Brent was forming a response when Caleb continued.

            "No you were not any happier dude.  You weren't.  You used to be fun and so out going now your bitter and quit.  You never go out with you buddies O'Riley or Tony, or me or Beau.  You never do anything.  Seriously, I am gonna help you get over this shit.  You’re acting so dumb." 

            "Caleb, you are right.  It just hurts so fucking bad.  I hate the way I am acting and I hate the thoughts of her."

            From that day on Brent was back to being himself.  He no longer wrote Vicky or even acknowledged her.  If he saw her in the hallway or out he would ignore her.  He wanted to talk to her but it was letting an alcoholic have a drink.  It was trouble.  He eventually was able to put her out of his mind, but not without a lot of help from his new friends.  Like Beau, Caleb, and of course the dynamic duo itself Tony and O'Riley. 

            They would come over almost ever night and they would swim or go on a bike ride.  They would talk about there future in high school and what they would do after school. 

            Brent also watched the Godfather for the first time and he was transformed.  He wanted to be the one pulling all the strings, the puppet master.  He started thinking about writing a Mafia novel. He always thought he was a gangster.

            Babe Ruth started shortly they’re after.  Brent coach told him that he picked him, because he knew he could bunt well, but after practice started he was the clean up hitter for the whole year.  He would hit over .500 that year and be a first time an all-star.

Brent went from being very depressed to having the best summer of his life.  He played baseball and thought about the Mafia family he would bring to life.  He hung out with his knew group of friends and partied with only them. They would drink a little and smoke a lot; they would even get a little on the side.  But the best thing about Brent's summer was that he never once thought of Vicky Harrison!