Come As You Are Ch. 02

X X X X X

"You should get that."

"Huh?"

"The phone," Garrett muttered as he pointed in the rough direction of the object making noise. "You should probably get that."

Brenda sighed in frustration as she managed to unwind herself from the quilt. Half-awake, she stumbled towards the end table, vaguely noticing the soreness in her thighs. "Hey," she said after grabbing the phone and holding it up to her ear.

"Brenda! It's Mr. Hansen. Did I wake you up?"

"Oh. Good morning, Mr. Hansen. Yeah, you did... what time is it?"

"7 AM. Sorry."

"It's OK." Brenda rubbed her eyes, slowly becoming aware that the living room was filled with white daylight. "What's up?"

"I'm digging the snowplow out now. The roads down from the mountain are a mess. I have to plow those for the emergency folk before I can swing around to you. It won't be until around noon that I can get up Topaz Road."

She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she realized how tangled it was. "No rush Mr. Hansen. Just be safe, and if you could, would you tell Colette I'll call her this afternoon?"

"No problem! You keep warm, OK?"

"I will. Bye." Brenda hung up the phone before turning to look out the living window. Beyond the window, the sky was a bright shade of blue that contrasted with the snow that lay everywhere. The grass, the trees, even the main road at the bottom of the driveway, were all covered with a thick layer. Beyond the treeline, just at the edge of her vision, Taylor Peak was a wide needle of pure white.

She felt arms wrapped around her waist as Garrett bundled them up in the quilt. He stood behind her, chin on her shoulder, looking out the window. "That's pretty," he said. "It's going to be a green spring once this all melts."

She put her hands over his. The two classmates swayed somewhat as they watched the silent snow. Brenda didn't want to ruin the moment. It was quiet, she was content, and she was warm in the embrace of a lover. "We need to talk about last night," she finally said quietly.

"I figured. I just didn't want to have that kind of conversation lying down on the ground, you know?"

Brenda leaned back, letting Garrett's body support her weight. "Last night was amazing... don't say anything," she told him as she felt him inhale. "Just let me talk. Last night was exactly what I needed. I'm going to remember yesterday for as long as I can. Not just the sex, but hanging out with you and getting to know you. But..."

"We can't tell anyone about it."

Brenda looked at him with eyebrows raised as Garrett said exactly what she was going to say. "I understand. You said it yourself, you needed to make a bad mistake... I know you didn't mean those exact words. You needed to get over Danny, and I was the best available option."

"I don't want you to think that I'm embarrassed by what we did. My God, if I could I would have been on the phone to the girls gushing about... well, how you made me gush."

"Hey, you made me gush too."

She tried to get serious again, but couldn't in light of Garrett's grin. "I used you as a rebound. After a year-and-a-half, I'm not ready to jump right into a relationship."

"I know." Garrett squeezed her around her waist. The action made Brenda feel a little lighter inside. "Last night was a one-time thing. And I promise to keep it between us."

"And when you say that, you mean you, Gio, and Vienna." Brenda turned around to face Garrett. She pulled her body away from him to look him in his emerald eyes. "We can't tell anyone what happened. And I don't mean 'anyone but our best friends.' You can't tell Gio and Vienna, and I can't tell Sadie, Colette, and Michelle. Hell, I haven't told any of them you've been trapped here with me."

"Why... oh." Garrett sighed but nodded with understanding. "Danny."

"If he had any idea of what happened, any idea, he'd kill you. I don't mean beat you up. He'd kill you. The fact that you were trapped here by the storm was enough of a catalyst to spin off our breakup. If he found out we slept together..." Brenda left the sentence unfinished.

"The rest of the school year would be a living hell for me. And I'm sure you wouldn't exactly be spared either. I promise I won't breathe a word to anyone. Anyone. What happened last night stays between you and me."

"Good..."

"But let me talk now, OK? Every time I walk by you, I'll think of last night." One hand reached out and gently brushed away a stray strand of blonde hair from Brenda's ear. "Every time I look up in class and see you, I'll think of last night. Every time I see you around town, I'll think of last night. And even when I'm surrounded by other girls, I'll think of last night." There was a hint of joviality in his voice at the last statement, but Brenda's focus was on the words he said prior.

"I know." She pushed herself up to kiss him, a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be thinking of you too."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Mr. Hansen. He's coming to plow the driveway and snow blow the porch. He said he'd be here around noon."

"And what time is it now?"

"Seven."

"So we should probably finish up those discussion questions."

"Probably."

"Or, I do have another condom." Garrett motioned with his head towards the duffel bag. "If this is something you and I can never talk about, I think we need to seal the pact..."

"With a fuck?"

"I was going to say with a kiss and go from there, but sure."

"Do you mind if we go upstairs then?"

X X X X X

A warm smile was on Brenda's face as fleeting memories crossed her mind for a moment. "And there may have been some fooling around in my folks' shower before we got dressed..."

"How was he the next morning?" Michelle looked around at her friends. "What? Brenda was emotional and drunk. How was he when you were calmed down and sober?"

"Still pretty fucking good, pun slightly intended." Brenda finished her glass of wine. "I almost asked him to prom on the off chance of a repeat. But that would have set Danny off. By that point, I just wanted to finish the year off and avoid as much drama as possible."

Sadie had finished her glass of wine halfway through Brenda's story. She had spent the rest of the time leaning forward, engrossed in the tale. "You got hosed," she remarked. "Thanks to the rumor mill everyone assumed you were the one who broke it off with Danny, even though he started going out with Anne Jackson that next week. You went from one of the most popular girls in school to not even being able to land a prom date because people thought there was something wrong with you for breaking up with someone like Danny."

"Danny did back off on bullying Garrett though," Colette added. "He was still a raging jerkbag towards him but he didn't push him around anymore."

"Because Coach Walters told him to stand down." Brenda picked up her wine glass but set it back down after noticing that it was empty. "Do you remember the first day back at school, when I asked you all to meet me in the cafeteria?"

X X X X X

"Hey, girl." Colette slid onto the bench across from Brenda, coffee already in hand. Brenda could smell the industrial-strength fumes coming from the metal thermos. The aroma alone was enough to wake her up.

"God, I'm so glad to see you." Brenda had already finished her breakfast of grapefruit and orange juice and had spent the past ten minutes mentally rehearsing and preparing herself. The cafeteria was almost empty half an hour before school started. Aside from the workers already beginning to prep for lunch, the only person around was Rosemary McBrenan. She sat in the corner, headphones on, working on something probably related to the yearbook. "How's your dad?"

"Aside from being excited that this blizzard just paid for my freshman year of college? Tired. He's still digging people out, mainly cars that got abandoned on the side of the road. How you holding up?" Colette asked as she took a sip of coffee.

"As best I can." Brenda ran her hand along her tight ponytail as she blew out a strong sigh. "I've been going over what I'm going to say ever since the storm. I think... I think this is going to happen without too much drama. That's all on Danny though."

"About that. Michelle had... an idea if Danny starts to go down that road..."

"Alright, who needs their ass kicked?"

Brenda and Colette looked up as Sadie and Michelle both strode into the cafeteria. Michelle had been the one who called out, and Colette was the one who responded. "You said we weren't going to get the yardstick unless we needed it!"

"Mr. Rotundo was inside the janitor's closet when we walked past. I figured I might as well save a trip." Michelle sat down next to Brenda and laid the wooden yardstick out on the cafeteria table. "As soon as I told him what I wanted to do he looked the other way. I swear, the second Danny tries something I'm going to fucking whap him one."

"She's been like this ever since she picked me up," Sadie said. "I think four days cooped up with her family drove Michelle crazy and she's looking for an outlet."

"My family and I survived the snow just fine. We had Nerf bats to hit each other with."

"Min Family Therapy," joked Sadie. "Times like this I'm glad I'm an only child. Danny show up yet?"

"Not yet." Brenda looked at the door leading outside to the parking lot. "He's been texting me non-stop the past two days. I really think he believes we're getting back together."

"Say the word, and after we're done here we can go have a little talk with Anne Jackson..."

"Michelle," Brenda frowned, "she didn't... OK, she did something wrong but it's Danny I'm pissed at. Besides, if you hit her with a yardstick you'll get suspended."

"Only if they prove it was me."

"Brenda!" Danny's familiar Emerald Pines varsity jacket was zipped to his neck as he strode across the empty cafeteria towards the table where the four girls were sitting. There was a smile on his lips but an annoyed expression on his face as he realized that Brenda was surrounded by her friends. "Hey babe," he said once he got close. "You wanted to talk?"

He actually had the audacity to lean in and try to give her a quick kiss. Brenda pulled back well before he could, however. "I did. Sit down."

The look of annoyance spread to his entire face. Danny shoved his hands into his jacket's pockets. "Come on, if we're going to talk, let's go somewhere private..."

"They're here as my witnesses." Brenda pulled out her cell phone as Danny remained standing. "You've sent me over thirty messages in the past few days," she said, holding her phone up as evidence, "alternating between wondering if we were broken up when I told you we were, asking me to take you back when I told you we were broken up, and telling me we were broken up when I told you we were broken up. Not to mention the variety of insults you flung my way. You just can't take the hint, Danny. I'm willing to chalk it up to breaking up over the phone, so I decided that we should make it absolutely official."

She got up from her seat. Behind her Michelle tensed up, one hand reaching for the yardstick before Sadie shook her head. "We are done," Brenda said with finality. "You cheated on me for the past couple of months, and..."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he interrupted her. "Oh, YOU'RE one to talk about..."

WHACK!

Danny jumped, as did Colette and Sadie, as Michelle smacked the yardstick against the table. In the corner, Rosemary had taken off her headphones, letting them hang around her neck. "I'm talking Danny," Brenda said coldly. "We're done. Nothing else needs to be said. I'm willing to tell people we just decided to call it quits if you are. What is it you always say, no harm no foul? I'm OK with that if you are."

"Whatever. Why the hell don't I just tell people what really happened during the storm huh? I open my mouth and your reputation goes right into the fucking toilet..."

WHACK!

"Language," Michelle growled at the basketball player.

"Oh, fuck you, Michelle, this is none..."

WHACK!

"See how well you dribble a basketball with broken fingers."

"Danny." With a resigned sigh, Brenda got up from her chair. "Look, we can end this one of two ways. Yelling, screaming, cursing, and a ruining of reputations, or a mutual parting of the ways." Danny started to say something. "Let me talk," Brenda interrupted. "I'll make you a deal." She motioned for the taller Danny to lean down. Brenda spoke with quiet words, doing her best to make sure only the two of them could hear her. "You don't tell anyone you cheated on me with Anne Jackson," she whispered, "and I won't tell anyone Garrett was at my house for three days. I haven't said a word to the girls and I'm sure Garrett's kept his promise not to say anything. We'll... we'll spin it as deciding to break up before we leave for college. No one's social reputation gets ruined, no one gets hurt, and everyone just goes their separate ways. We won't say a word about Anne, and you stop harassing Garrett."

"That's a no-go," Danny practically growled in her ear. "That bastard is the reason we broke up."

"You're the reason we broke up, Danny. Don't you realize that yet? Let's actually be civil to each other and just move on. Please?"

She could feel his breath on her ear for a moment before he spat out the word, "Fine." Without another word, Danny turned on his heels and stalked away. A tightness Brenda didn't realize she had in her chest lifted away as she sank back down into her seat. Sadie reached out to give her a firm, reassuring squeeze.

"I could still kick his ass," Michelle offered. "No one's really here yet. Sneak into the boy's locker room and just cap his knee..."

"My God Michelle. Violent much?"

"Only to those who hurt my friends," she answered Colette.

Colette turned to Brenda, taking her friend's hand in hers. "What did you whisper to him?"

"I told him I wouldn't mention to anyone that we broke up over Anne Jackson." Brenda shook her head. "So damn stupid..."

"Hey, you found out he was cheating on you with her. That's the important thing, right?" Michelle let the yardstick sit on her shoulder. "Better to know he was sticking it to the town ski lift than not knowing."

"Yeah... yeah, you're right Michelle." Brenda looked to Sadie. "I'm not crying am I?"

"Not even close. You look relieved."

X X X X X

"Garrett."

Garrett turned from his open locker. A wide smile started to form on his face before he caught himself. "Hey Brenda," he said neutrally.

"Good morning," a deep voice came from behind Garrett. Gio shot Brenda a thousand-watt grin. "You survived the storm and didn't go Donner Party!"

She returned the smile. "I was alone in my house. Turns out self-cannibalism isn't my thing. So Garrett, I finished our History paper. Want to look it over while we head to class?" Garrett nodded and proceeded to close his locker.

"Alright, I got Economics. See you at lunch." Gio clapped Garrett on the shoulder and kept smiling at Brenda as he walked past. There wasn't any teasing or slyness in his grin. It was the same reaction he had to nearly everyone in the school.

"Here you go." Brenda pulled the stapled packet from her backpack. "I took all our notes and wrote them up in the proper format."

Garrett took the offered papers from Brenda. For a brief moment, his hand rested on her fingers, setting off a flock of pleasant butterflies in her stomach. He started flipping through the packet as Brenda fell in beside him. They made their way through the hall towards their first-period class, moving in step, with Garrett looking at the notes and Brenda looking straight ahead. "So what did you do during the storm?" he asked casually.

"Oh, not much. Laundry. Cooked dinner. Cleaned up the living room. You?"

"Built a fire. Shoveled the sidewalk. My lower back hurts."

"Oh?" A teasing smile crossed Brenda's face. "I can relate. My legs were absolutely killing me by the time I was done in the living room. I could barely walk."

Seeing her smile, he reacted with a small, quiet grin of his own "Everything looks good here," he said, tapping the papers. "I can drop this off to Miss Jaine on my way to Chemistry if you want."

"Sure. I've got Algebra II first period. Going my way?"

"For the moment." With shared grins and shared secrets, the duo fell into the crowd of students filling the hallway, ready to begin their academic day.

X X X X X

As Brenda spun the combination dial on her locker, a newly familiar voice spoke beside her. "Brenda?"

At the sight of her past weekend's lover standing next to her, a slyness bubbled underneath the surface of her friendly grin. "Talking to me twice in one day? That's how rumors get started."

The young man blinked as he was caught off guard by the unexpected comment. Once he recovered, however, he answered back with a warm smile of his own. "Twice is nothing. Three times, now that would be impressive." He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb. "I stopped by Miss Jaine's room after final bell. She looked over our draft during lunch and said we did a good job. So no notice of incompletion goes to my folks, and a letter of accreditation gets dropped in the mail for yours this afternoon. Speaking of them, did they get home OK?"

"They landed this morning. They spent their time stuck in San Francisco racking up extra billable hours."

"Cool." Garrett crossed his arms and glanced down towards the floor. "Cool. Are you waiting on the girls?"

"Michelle's already on her way to ski practice and Sadie's riding with Colette and her mom to her therapist appointment. I'm actually about to go grocery shopping, you know, stocking back up after the storm."

"Are you going to Kenner's Market? If so, could I buy you an early dinner?" He lifted his gaze from the floor. "Pike's is on the other side of the parking lot and I do have an employee discount."

"Oh." Brenda looked at Garrett. The slouched, hunched over scarecrow from before the storm existed only in her memories. The loose clothing and faded jeans were still there, and he was barely able to maintain eye contact, but there was an aura of confidence surrounding Garrett that hadn't been there before. "I... are you sure that's a good idea?" she heard herself ask. "Remember the conversation we had Tuesday morning?

"Yeah. I do. And I haven't told anyone. But between this weekend and dodging an academic notice today, I'm on a winning streak. And if you're playing pool, you ride that hot streak all the way to the end. Right now, I'm willing to..."

It happened so fast. One second Garrett was talking to her. The next, a forearm had caught him underneath his chin, pressing against his neck to carry him off his feet. The slender student was spun through the air and slammed against a nearby set of lockers. The impact reverberated up and down the hallway, causing nearly every student to look up as Garrett cried out in pain.

Caught off guard by the speed of the attack, Brenda could only watch in horror as Danny pinned him against the lockers. "You know," he hissed as he pressed his forearm against Garrett's neck, "when Amy said she saw you two talking this morning, I thought to myself, 'there is NO way West is that stupid.' I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it. You must have one hell of a death wish."

He leaned in close. "I'm only going to say this once. This? This right here?" Danny used his free arm to motion between Garrett, who was trying to catch his breath, and Brenda, who was trying to regain her composure. "This doesn't happen. At all. I'm pretty sure Brenda's not that desperate to stoop to your level, but still, but don't get any fucking ideas. You even BREATHE the same air as her, I am going to kick your ass. You don't pick up my scraps." He pushed against Garrett's neck, causing his victim's eyes to bug out for a brief moment. Danny's body quivered with anger as he asked, "You clear on this?"