Sounds of Silence: A Contemporary Romance

by Candace Wondrak

  “Have fun you two,” she said, totally unaware that this date was the last thing I wanted to do. She probably thought this date would be good for me, get my mind off Hilary. Which, okay, maybe it would, but at the same time, Kyle hadn’t exactly talked up Bree.

  Nice. That was all I had to go on. She was nice—oh, and she hardly ever left the house.

  Ugh, she’d probably be some reclusive paranoid or something. A freak. Definitely not my type.

  Apparently I liked the bitches who cheated on you with your best friend, but that was neither here nor there. I would not think about Hilary or Trent tonight. Tonight would be spent hating my little brother for dragging me out on this date.

  We were seven years apart, so by the time he grew up, I was already a teenager, already flexing my muscles to the girls and chasing them. We were never super close, but we were brothers. You tended to be close no matter the age difference, especially when you were older. We were all we had, minus extended family we never saw much, except for holidays. Dad was out of the picture for years now; I didn’t even want to think about that fucker.

  I grabbed my keys as Kyle and I headed to the door. I’d be driving; no way in hell would I sit in the passenger’s seat and let Kyle drive. At least this way I felt like I had some control over the situation, even though that control was only the mode of transportation.

  This sucked. I didn’t want to go on this stupid date. Right now, I really hated Kyle.

  My brother was content as he got into my car and buckled his seatbelt. He noticed I glared at him, and he blinked. “What? Dude, stop being a baby. You’ll be fine. Bree is nice—”

  I started the car, the engine flaring to life before us. “Yeah, you keep saying that. Nice. She sounds very nice.” I bit out the words, not bothering to hide my unhappiness. Had to get it out now, otherwise I’d be rude on the date.

  Kyle said nothing after telling me which restaurant we were meeting his girlfriend and her sister. I was twenty-five fucking years old and being set up by my eighteen-year-old brother. What in the absolute fuckery was this? When did I take a turn and become a loser?

  The sun was setting by the time Kyle and I arrived at the restaurant, a local place that had booths aplenty. Kyle and I went in, secured a table, and then we waited. We got a corner booth, and I chose the side tucked neatly away, so I could see his girlfriend and her sister walk up to the table, give myself more time to mentally prepare as they walked up.

  Kyle sat across from me, his nose in a menu, even though he got the same damn thing every time, no matter what restaurant he was at. Chicken fingers with fries. Yeah, my brother was a picky eater, and a juvenile one, at that.

  The waiter came and took our drinks, not our food orders since we were still waiting. I’d be lying if I said my heart wasn’t beating a little uneven. Being on a date so soon…it didn’t feel right, even if nothing would come of this, even if this was all a mistake and Bree and I didn’t click. I hadn’t been on a date in…God, I didn’t know how long. A while. Over a year, since that’s how long I was with Hilary.

  Fuck. I wasn’t ready for this. Why did I agree to let Kyle drag me into this? This was a mistake—

  It was as I leaned forward, about to tell Kyle that I wanted to go home when two girls walked into the restaurant. I recognized Michelle instantly; Kyle had been dating her for a while now, so she was included in birthdays and holidays and the like. She spoke with the hostess, who grabbed two more menus before leading them this way.

  “They’re here,” I said, and Kyle immediately scooted out of the booth and got up. I did the same, though the moment I laid eyes on Bree, my gut clenched.

  Bree was not like her sister at all.

  At. All.

  She was shorter, and I could tell she was more withdrawn just by the way she walked, her shoulders slumped. Whereas her sister was a knockout with a smile that could push the Earth off its axis, she seemed more reserved and less prone to giggly fits—one which her sister was already in as she bounced toward Kyle, practically jumping on him as she planted a kiss on his lips.

  Did I mention Bree had shockingly pink hair and bangs that looked like a first-grader had cut them? No? Because she did.

  Yeah, definitely not my type. This was going to be a long-ass date.

  Michelle slid into the booth, and Kyle sat on the outside. I supposed I should do the same with Bree, otherwise I’d be stuck staring at her sister all night—she was pretty, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t the kind of brother who constantly ogled his little brother’s girlfriend.

  Bree stood before me, wearing dark leggings that hugged her thin legs, a pair of Vans shoes on her feet, and a dark grey shirt cut in a modest V-shape. Her pink hair was wavy, her eyes a light, pure green.

  “Hi,” she whispered, her eyes traveling up and down my body once. “I’m Bree.” Her voice was so quiet I hardly heard her.

  Should I, like, offer her a handshake or something? No, no that would be weird.

  I settled for saying, “Calum.”

  She said nothing else as she got into the booth, sliding into the corner and looking even smaller than she did before. How tall was she? Five feet? Damn, it’s a wonder she passed fifth grade. Bet if she went to the amusement park, she couldn’t even ride every roller coaster there.

  I sat beside her, being careful to not sit too close to her. She definitely wasn’t my type, which I could’ve said going into this, especially when all Kyle could do to describe her was call her nice, but I had to look like I was giving her a try, otherwise I’d never hear the end of it. If I was a jerk right off the bat, he’d tell Mom, and Mom would get on my case. Not something I wanted.

  I couldn’t help it if this date was shit from the get-go. I wasn’t in the right mind space for a date, and Bree was clearly not the kind of girl I’d normally go for.

  Kyle and Michelle were busy talking amongst themselves, while Bree’s eyes were glued to the menu. She kept fiddling with the sleeves on her thin jacket, as if feeling immensely uncomfortable sitting beside me.

  I said not a word to her as the minutes ticked by. The waiter came back around and took our order, along with bringing drinks for both girls. I really couldn’t wait for this date to be over with. Not that I was already counting down the minutes, but…

  Okay, I definitely was.

  God, and there was a movie after this? Shit.

  “So,” Michelle’s voice broke the silence of the table, “Calum. Kyle says you work in tech or something?” She sipped her drink. Kyle’s arm rested behind her on the booth, and she settled back into it, looking like she fit perfectly beside him.

  “Yeah, I’m in business with some friends—” The word was almost acidic on my tongue, for right now, Trent was nothing more than a bastard who’d slept with my girl. “—we design websites, work on security fixes for a few apps.”

  “Interesting,” she said, though she said nothing else. Michelle held her arms on her lap, and I couldn’t help but let my eyes drift. She and Kyle were so close, having seen each other for most of their high school career. They already had more time together than Hilary and I did, and I wondered if they would remain together or not. It was hard to picture Kyle with any other girl.

  I stared at the restaurant around us, at all the other filled booths and tables. It was a Friday night, so the restaurant grew busier by the minute. Soon enough this whole place would be full. The volume of noise in the place kept growing louder steadily, too.

  I had no idea how much time passed before Kyle spoke to Bree, “Have you decided what you’re majoring in yet?”

  Drawing my gaze away from the restaurant, I glanced to the girl beside me, watching as she squirmed in her seat. She shook her head, saying softly, “No. I…I still don’t know.” She didn’t sound confused about it; she sounded as if she truly didn’t care what she majored in. Bet she’d be one of the people who took up a job at a local retail establishment and constantly complained that their college degree did nothing.

&n
bsp; Well, with no drive, of course that degree would be nothing more than a fancy piece of paper that would eventually do nothing but collect dust.

  Hmm. Maybe that was harsh thinking.

  Kyle’s next question: “Going to transfer, or keep going to SCC?” It was clear both he and Michelle were trying to keep up the conversation, because neither Bree nor I were particularly talkative.

  Maybe I wasn’t her type, either. Hard to imagine not being a girl’s type, because I liked to think I was handsome and fit in the ways most girls liked, but I guess it wasn’t too far out of the question. I mean, look at her. With that hair, with her shining personality…she and I were on two opposite sides of the spectrum.

  “I don’t know,” Bree spoke the most noncommittal answer ever.

  I met my brother’s stare, and I could feel him silently yelling at me, telling me to try harder, to be nicer. Ugh. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Even if I was prince charming for the night, I would never be Bree’s prince. She and I would never work out, even if I was interested in pursuing her. I’d leave eventually anyway, head back to the city, which would leave her here alone.

  Some people might be able to make long-distance work, but I was not one of them. I didn’t even care to attempt a long-distance relationship. I needed my girl close, needed to be able to see her, to touch her.

  As if proving me correct, I felt a foot hit mine. I shot a glare at Kyle, and he gave me a wordless look that told me to talk to her.

  Inwardly, I wanted to beat my brother up for this—it would only be a matter of time before I got him back for this awkward, horrible double date. Whose idea was this? His, or Michelle’s? Either way, I was so not having it.

  I turned toward Bree, watching her fingers fiddle with the perspiration on her glass. She wasn’t even looking at me, not expecting anything from me. I was kind of glad she wasn’t overly into the situation while I wasn’t, but at the same time…my pride was a little hurt when I realized that meant she had no interest in me whatsoever.

  “What classes are you taking?” I asked, not that I cared…I just didn’t know what else to say to this girl.

  Her thin shoulders shrugged. “A little bit of everything.”

  I nodded along with her, saying, “Cool.” Cool it was not, but again, there was nothing else to say to that.

  This was officially the worst blind, double date ever.

  Thankfully, we’d gotten in before the rush, so our food didn’t take too long to come. Kyle got his chicken fingers, while Michelle got a burger. I opted for the chicken alfredo, while Bree got nothing more than a side salad. I hoped she wasn’t avoiding eating because of me and this stupid date. I knew girls thought guys didn’t want to see them eat, but that was a lie for most of us.

  Besides, if there was one person at the table that could stand to eat a little excess and gain some weight, it was Bree. I bet she was barely over one hundred pounds, not an ounce of fat anywhere on her.

  Michelle and Kyle talked as they ate, but Bree and I were silent. I was silent because I was trying to eat as fast as I could, hoping that would help this night be over with sooner, but I did notice that Bree wasn’t eating. She only took her fork and pushed the lettuce around, acting like she was eating.

  “Don’t like it?” Michelle’s voice snapped Bree out of her trance, and Bree nearly dropped her fork onto her lap.

  “No,” she said. “It’s fine. I’m just…I’m not hungry.”

  “So no popcorn at the movies, then?” Kyle spoke with a smile.

  Bree shot a look at me before muttering, “I don’t think so.”

  I finished my plate before anyone else did, and I leaned back, once again scanning the restaurant. I would literally rather be anywhere but here; that was not an exaggeration. Kyle was right. Bree seemed nice, but she definitely wasn’t my type. Even if I wasn’t reeling from what I’d seen a few weeks back, I wouldn’t go for her.

  Michelle pushed her plate away, wiping her mouth with her napkin. She set a hand on Kyle’s leg beneath the table, saying, “Can I scooch by?”

  “Sure,” Kyle spoke, practically leaping to get out of the booth and let her free, probably to go to the restroom.

  Once Michelle stood near the table, she gestured for Bree to go with her. I let my eyes travel along her once. If Michelle was older, if she wasn’t my little brother’s girlfriend, she’d be more my type than Bree…

  With a sigh, Bree inched closer to me, snapping me out of my mind: “Excuse me.” She did not even look at me as I moved, giving her the space to get out. She and her sister walked off, leaving me and my brother at the table.

  I sat back down, and was instantly greeted by a frown.

  “Dude,” Kyle spoke, “what’s wrong with you? You’re acting like a jerk.”

  “I am not,” I said with a frown that mirrored his. If he thought this was me acting like a jerk, I could be a whole lot jerkier. This was me trying to be nice even though being here was not what I wanted to do.

  “You’re hardly looking at her, you’re not even talking to her—”

  “Hey, she’s not exactly welcoming, either,” I shot back. “I don’t think she wants to be here, same as me.”

  Kyle looked like he wanted to strangle me. “That’s the thing with Bree, Calum. She doesn’t want to be anywhere.” His words came off strange, and all I could do was blink in response. “She doesn’t go out. She doesn’t have friends. She doesn’t do anything. When I told Michelle you were coming home for a while, after I told her what happened to you…” He shrugged. “We both thought it would be good.”

  I wasn’t exactly sure what he was trying to say. Good for me, good for her, good for the both of us? How was setting me up with Bree good for her? It wasn’t my fault she didn’t get out of the house or had no friends.

  “But you’re being an ass,” Kyle finished.

  “I am not being an ass.”

  “You are. You’re not even trying. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back and called the rest of the night off.”

  That would honestly be good news.

  Kyle shook his head, whispering, “Please, Calum. Be nice to Bree.” He must either really care about Michelle’s sister or didn’t want my actions to make him look bad. Whichever one it was, I couldn’t argue with him.

  I supposed I hadn’t been trying enough on this date. When they got back, I’d try harder, even if nothing lasting would come from tonight.

  Chapter Five – Bree

  I knew this would be a mistake. I knew it. I knew it, but I couldn’t convince Michelle that it was a bad idea, me going along with her on a double date with Kyle and his brother.

  Calum was…well, besides the fact that he looked like a more handsome, more mature version of his brother, what I expected. He wasn’t interested in me or this stupid double date. I’d seen him watching the restaurant, staring at my sister like he wished I was her, half a dozen times. I wasn’t blind, and I wasn’t stupid.

  The only thing I was was done.

  And sad and depressed, but that went without saying.

  I followed Michelle into the restroom, and after she checked whether we were alone, she whirled on me, folding her arms across her chest. “Bree,” she said, sounding like Mom, sounding like she was scolding me, for whatever reason.

  “What?” I asked, not understanding why she was giving me such an attitude. None of this was my fault, and it was a damned good thing I didn’t come to this date expecting anything, otherwise I would’ve been even more hurt by Calum’s lack of interest.

  I’d learned years ago to never get my hopes up. It was better to be pleasantly surprised than constantly let down—or at least, that was the idea behind it. Was I ever let down after taking on that view of the world, of life?

  Yes. Even though I never got my hopes up, I was perpetually disappointed in everything, and I had no idea why.

  “You’re not even trying,” Michelle said, breaking into my thoughts.

  “Neither is he.”
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  “Fuck Calum,” she said. “You should try, anyway. Don’t you want to date? Don’t you want to get a boyfriend? You’ve never had one. Have you even kissed anyone yet?”

  I had no idea what kissing had to do with any of this. “Why does that matter?”

  “You’re twenty years old,” Michelle told me, dropping her arms to her sides as she stepped closer to me. “You’re older than me, but I feel like I have to take care of you, that I have to watch out for you.”

  I stepped away from her, growing upset. “Why? I never asked you to feel like that. I never asked for you to set me up with anyone.” Honestly, the thought never once crossed my mind. “I don’t want to—”

  “I know. That’s the problem. You don’t want to do anything. Well, guess what, Bree? Eventually life is going to come at you whether you want it to or not. Eventually you’re not going to be able to go to SCC and live with Mom and Dad anymore. Sooner or later you’re going to be on your own, which is why you need to live your life.”

  “I didn’t come here to be lectured by my sister,” I muttered, turning my head away. My eyes met my reflection in the mirror, and I hardly recognized myself. My pink hair was wavy, makeup was on my face.

  The girl staring back at me from the mirror wasn’t me. It was the girl Michelle wanted me to be, the girl who was better than me.

  Michelle’s voice quieted, and she moved beside me, her reflection popping up beside mine. “I know. I just…I want you to be happy, Bree.”

  Hence the issue. I would never be happy.

  Still, my lips curled into a smile, and I turned to face her, hoping she was like Mom and Dad and believed the smile on my face. I whispered, “It’s not your job to make sure I’m happy, Michelle. I’ll be fine.” It looked like she was going to argue with me, so I added, mostly for her benefit, “I’ll try harder with Calum, okay? Now, we should get back out there.”