My Brother's Playboy Best Friend

13

Vince's point of view.

'I need to speak to Parker' is my first thought when I get to school this morning.

'I probably shouldn't murder Neil' is my second.

I call Parker, asking him to skip biology with me. He immediately agrees. Nobody hates biology half as much as Parker does. Or rather, nobody hates our biology teacher half as much as he does. I mention that I'm going to get some goods from Aaron and he tells me he'll have some too. I laugh. It's been a while since I've seen Parker high, it really is a sight. He's probably as disturbed as I am by Hazel dating Neil. I hate even just thinking about it.

I meet Aaron at his locker, slip a couple of dollar bills in his back pocket and hide away the two bags he sneakily gives me. Then, as the bell rings, I exit the building and head to the field. Parker is already there, pacing. I climb on the bleachers with a thump and lay there, making him jump in surprise.

"Fuck's sake, Vince. You need to stop sneaking up on me," he scolds.

I laugh, throwing a bag of weed at him. I put my hands behind my head and rest my eyes a bit.

"You want me to roll you one?" he offers and I blindly throw him my bag too in response.

I'm going to need to be stoned to have the conversation we're about to have. Very stoned.

"How much? I'll pay you back," Parker says as he does every time.

"Nah, you know that's daddy's money," I refuse as I do every time.

"Vince." Parker doesn't like the relationship I have with my parents. He doesn't realize they are using me as much as I'm using them.

"Aaron's hella cheap anyway."

Parker sighs, giving up. "Yeah, that, he is."

"At least that asshole's good for something." I groan in annoyance.

Parker laughs but he doesn't deny it. Aaron is only there because his parents run the school board. We can't get rid of him. We've tried. He has good cheap weed, though.

"There," Parker hands me back my bag and a joint.

I sit up, lighting it up with a lighter. Parker uses it as well and passes it back.

"So what did you want to talk about?" he asks straightforwardly.

I huff, scoffing at him. "What? I can't just want to hang out with my best friend without an ulterior motive?"

I look at him and he puffs out a cloud. My phone buzzes in my pocket but I don't look at it. It's probably Eve again.

"Spit it out already."

"It's about Hazel."

"Of course, it is." He pretends he's in great despair.

"Listen, man, I think I'm—"

"In love with her." Parker smiles at me proudly after cutting me off.

"No." I pointedly glare at him. "But I think I might... miss her?" I feel the thick smoke in my throat and try not to choke.

"Ha, here I thought you were further in your figuring out," he mocks.

"My 'figuring out'? Parker, what?"

"You're denser than you seem, hell."

I choose to ignore whatever bullshit he's spitting.

"Now she's with... Neil," I blurt out his name like it personally offended me.

Clearly, I failed because Parker bursts out laughing. "Just say you're jealous, I won't judge," he says, still laughing.

"Shut up, Park. I wanted some advice but you don't seem much willing to help." I cross my arms.

"Because you weren't there, Vince," he scoffs, crushing his joint with his foot.

"I wasn't where?" My question just seems to make him angrier.

"There! For her when she cried for hours because you just wouldn't pay attention to her! I was there, I saw her more upset that I ever thought I'd see her."

I breathe shakily. I knew all of that, I just chose to ignore it. Because Hazel never left anyway, until she did.

"Things are different now—"

Parker huffs, rolling his eyes.

"For the both of you, they are. She's happy now. God knows you couldn't give her that when all she saw was you."

I feel a pain in my chest at his words. Happy? Without me? I kind of knew it but hearing Parker say it hurts.

"But I'm not happy."

"Maybe it's your turn to sacrifice your happiness for hers, hm?" he offers, narrowing his eyes.

He's pissed. I feel like an asshole.

"So you're telling me to let her go without a fight?"

"Yes. Let it go for once in your life. You can't have everything you want."

"But I..." Parker raises an eyebrow, waiting for my argument. I breathe in deeply. "I'm in love with her."

There's a long silence. Parker stares at me and I stare back. Finally, he cracks a prideful smile.

"Thank God, Vince, that wasn't so hard was it?"

I frown, a bit offended. "Fuck you, man."

"Though it's great you finally got the balls to admit it, my point still stands. Neil makes her happier than you ever did." He looks at me, his eyes honest.

I sigh. "You're right but... I still want to be there for her. By her side, you know?"

"Yeah. I know."

My phone buzzes again, insistent. I ignore it.

"I don't want to lose her altogether. I don't know how to make up to her."

Parker walks closer to me, pats my shoulder and shrugs.

"That's for you to find out," he says, walking away as the bell rings.

I scurry back inside. I just want to see her even if I know she won't speak to me. I find her near the cafeteria, on a bench in a fairly isolated corner. She's with Neil, as usual. They're laughing together, much like they did when they were just friends and when she loved me. I realize why this all happened suddenly. I took her for granted. While Neil was building an honest, strong relationship with her, I took her undivided attention for granted. She created our relationship, she tried and tried to make us something. I let her without trying back. I was selfish and blind and stupid. I let her slip through my fingers and only saw her for who she is when she was gone. It's all my fault.

I don't stay there for long but Neil manages to see me anyway. We exchange a quick gaze. His eyes have changed, I'm not sure when. He used to look at me like the leader he is, encouraging and friendly. Now, though he tries to hide it, his eyes tell me he hates me. They are harsh and cold but honest. His encouragement isn't the same, his leadership isn't the same. Things have changed and I can't tell why. I turn away. My phone buzzes again. Pissed, I glare at its screen. It's Eve, as I expected. I can't stand her anymore. I send her a quick text.

'We need to talk.'