Breaking
the News
Bianca
was asleep with her head in Nick's lap. They were in the limo on their way to
the hotel from the police station.
"If
I had only walked in sooner, I could've stopped him from touching her at
all," Nick told Brian.
"Man,
you didn't know. Who would've guessed that something like this was gonna
happen?" Brian answered him. "Just be glad you walked in at
all."
"Yeah,
I--" Nick was cut short by Brian's ringing cell phone.
"Hello?
Hey man. Yeah, she's better. No, she's asleep. Uh-huh. What? You're joking,
right? How's Kevin? Well, okay. We'll see you in a few minutes. Bye."
Nick
listened to the conversation carefully. "Who was that?"
"Oh,"
Brian looked at him. "That was A.J. He was checking on Bean."
"So,
what's the matter?"
"Well,
Brianna left."
"She
what?! Why?" Nick was shocked.
"I
don't know; A.J. didn't say. He just said she left and that Kevin isn't taking
it well," Brian answered.
"Man,
I really hope nothing's wrong!" Nick sighed. He was suddenly very tired.
"I
know."
****THE
NEXT MORNING****
The
guys all sat with Bianca in the hotel restaurant. She was very quiet and seemed
to be isolating herself from them.
Leaning
close to Nick, she whispered, "Where's Brianna?"
"That's
what we wanted to talk to you about," Kevin answered quietly.
"Bean,
sweetie, Brianna went home," A.J. placed his hand on hers in a comforting
manner.
"She
what? When did she leave?" her eyes watered over.
"Yesterday."
"I
don't understand. Why did she up and leave with no notice whatsoever? That's
not like her!" she said. Bianca was just hurt and angry. Brianna just
decided to leave and they were still fighting. Brianna never liked to stay
angry at someone, but she and Bianca still had not talked things over.
"Great,"
Bianca said. "That's just wonderful."
Sweetie,
she's fine. Brianna just went home for a little while," Brian reassured.
"You
don't understand. We aren't on speaking terms right now, and she went home
before we had a chance to talk. We've never left anywhere before talking things
out." Bianca was growing very frustrated. "There were times back home
when we wouldn't get off the phone until 3 in the morning because we were
working out our differences." Looking at Kevin she snarled angrily,
"This is all your fault! She never would have left if you hadn't have done
something to her!"
Kevin
just hung his head. He felt like everything was his fault and there was
nothing he could do to change it. Without saying a word, tears rolled down his
cheeks.
"Bean,
sweetie--" Brian's words were cut short.
"Look,
I'm not a little girl, okay? I'm 18 years old, so please stop treating me this
way just because of what happened," she snapped before she could stop
herself. "I'm fine."
Before
anyone could say anything else, she was already walking out of the restaurant
and towards the elevators.
****15
MINUTES LATER: BIANCA'S HOTEL ROOM****
"Bianca,
I think you should come home," her mother repeated once again. "I
don't feel safe knowing that something like this could happen anytime."
"Mama,
I'm fine. I promise. It won't happen again," she pleaded. "I've got
all the guys and Q."
"I
know, but I still don't feel comfortable knowing that you were attacked,"
her mother began crying. "It just scares me to know that I can't be there
to help you."
"Mama,
I'm fine. Nothing is gonna happen again. I promise," she tried to assure
her mother again.
"I
do feel better knowing that Brianna is there with you. At least you aren't
alone."
"Well,
mama," Bianca began, dreading her mother's reaction, "Brianna went
home."
"What?
When?"
"Yesterday,
but mama, everything is fine."
"No,
Bianca, everything is not fine," her mother stated firmly. "You need
to come home."
"Mama,
I'm not coming home," she stated simply. "I can't come home. This is
my career, and I can't quit just now."
"Brianna
was there to look after you. You shouldn't be there alone."
"Mama!
I am 18 years old; and I am capable of taking care of myself. I know you only
want what's best for me, but mama, honestly, I'm okay. Brianna is coming back,
she just felt like going home for a while," Bianca told her mother, not
truly understanding why Brianna left.
"I
guess you're right, sweetie. I'm just over-reacting. But you're my daughter,
and I'm gonna worry. Anyway, sweetheart, I'd better go. I love you."
"Love
you, too, mama. Bye."
"Bye,
darlin'."
****THE
NEXT DAY: BRIANNA'S HOUSE****
Brianna
sat on her couch watching t.v. and thinking about the past couple for days. She
and Bianca had not talked since their falling out at the mall.
The
things they said to each other were very hurtful. There was one thing that kept
running through her mind, "Damn, you're starting to make me wonder if
Kevin knocked you up!"
"How
could she be so mean?" Brianna asked herself. "After I trusted her
enough to tell her about it, she does something like that!"
Brianna
was startled by her phone ringing and quickly snatched it up. "Hello?"
***