Megan
“Where are you going?” Brent asked rudely, as I put on my jacket.
“Out,” I replied, a little annoyed with his tone.
“Out where?” he insisted childishly.
“Just out, okay?” I snapped.
“Geez, what’s got your panties in a bunch?” he asked. “You on your period or something?”
“Honestly… I don’t know how you managed to make friends with someone like—”
I stopped short, not wanting to bring up Phil’s name. I had noticed how touchy Brent was with him over the course of the last few days, and I didn’t want to aggravate the problem. The moment I stopped talking, Brent narrowed his eyes at me.
“Oh, Saint Phil, huh?” he said. “Is that who you’re off to see?”
“None of your business,” I said, wishing I had come back at him with a better response.
“A little late-night booty-call, huh?”
I could sense from his tone that he wanted to pick a fight, and I refused to rise to the bait. He had been irritable and on edge lately and I couldn’t believe that the whole reason had to do with Phil. There was something else going on, but Brent was not in the habit of sharing with me. Every time I tried to ask him if he was okay, he made some crude remark that made me regret asking in the first place.
“Bye, Brent,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“That’s a lot of stuff you’re taking with you for one night.”
“I might stay with Phil a few days,” I said, heading towards the door.
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” I said, turning towards my brother. “Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
“What do you see in him?” Brent asked, as though he genuinely didn’t know.
“What do I see in him?” I repeated. “You mean other than the fact that he’s kind, polite, brave, and a complete and total gentleman?”
“Ugh…sounds fucking boring.”
“He’s a grown up, Brent,” I said. “Maybe you should try growing up one day, too.”
“I’m not a nobody, you know,” he said suddenly.
“What?”
“You heard me,” he said with venom in his tone. “You think I’m a little man, a nobody, but I’m not.”
I glanced at him for only a moment before turning away. “Goodnight, Brent,” was all I said as I left the apartment.
I was so preoccupied with Brent’s little outburst and his almost cryptic sentence as I had left that I almost forgot to pick up the cheesesteaks from this little pub restaurant that Phil loved. By the time I got to his apartment, I’d almost managed to shake off the conversation with my brother.
“Hi,” Phil answered the door before I could even knock.
“Hi,” I said, in surprise. “How’d you know I was at your door?”
“I saw you walk up to the building.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been waiting for me.”