~*Chapter X*~

"Man, what's up your ass?" Kevin asked after shutting the door behind him abruptly.

Brian sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed and dropped his head in his hands. " I dunno. Can't a guy have some privacy in his life? Can't I have some time to think alone?"

"Haven't you thought enough? You'll sprain your brain with all that thinking of yours...Brian, you're my cousin and I care about you. And I know you still care about Candy."

"I don't. I am so over her."

"Yeah, whatever, man. I brought you in here to tell you a little something about me that might or might not change your mind."

"This really isn't the time..."

"Bri...remember Emily?"

Brian lifted his head up in interest. Emily was Kevin's girlfriend, and Kevin hadn't mentioned her for a very long time. Now that he did, Brian wondered what ever happened to her. "Yeah. Where's she now?"

"Well, remember Nick's nineteenth birthday party? When you met Candy?"

"Yeah."

"I was with this other chick, and Emily walked in. She left the party in tears, and after a couple weeks she hooked up with some other guy. Five months later, her mom phoned me. She told me Emily had moved in with him, and he abused her. She never said a word about it to anyone until one day her best friend noticed the bruises and scars. Her friend told Emily's mom about it, and Emily's mom called 9-1-1. " Kevin paused and looked away, trying to hold back tears.

"What happened?" Brian inquired placing an arm around his cousin.

"He almost drowned her in the pool before the cops got there. Thankfully she recovered, and her boyfriend was sentenced to ten years in prison. However, she still says she loves him, and she won't think other."

"I'm so sorry Kev," Brian said under his breath. "How come you never told me this before?"

"You're a cheerful guy Brian. I never wanted to load you with my own problems. Anyway, the point is you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. Trust me. I feel like if I wasn't fooling around that night, none of this would have happened. And now, I just want for us to be back together. I want to make it all right...thing is, I had a chance. During those two weeks after she saw me with the girl...man, I just totally blew it! I had the chance, and now you have a chance to make it better before it's too late." Brian looked at the carpeted floor in contemplation. "Come on, Bri. Make the right choice for once and don't screw it up."

"I wish it was easy," Brian started to speak. "But it's not. She broke up with me, and what makes you think she'd want me back? I admit I do love her. She means a lot to me and I don't know what I was thinking when I...wow. To think, this whole thing started about liking celebrities."

"See how silly it is? Don't let it get in the way."

Brian grinned. "What's with you? Yesterday you were fine and today you're like the Chinese guy from the Karate Kid. What's with you today?"

"What's with today, today?" Kevin laughed, doing their usual mimics.

"Well, thanks for the advice buddy. I'm gonna do something really special for my girl."

A Love Phenomenon
Backstreet Fanfiction