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Chapter 29 – Taking Sides

"We're going to win today's game! Because we've got my Big Bad Sexy Bri-Bri playing!" Teagan encouraged with a seductive smile, eagerly wrapping her arms around Brian's neck as they met in the living room. The game was set to start within an hour, so all the teenagers were bustling around to get ready. Brian and Teagan were the first to get dressed, deciding to take their own car down, letting the others follow. Brian figured Oriana wouldn't show up, so he was eager to start the game. Teagan, though, couldn't tell the difference. She was just excited for Howie's solo performance that night and the fact that Brian was playing. Oriana seemed to be the farthest from her mind as she eagerly connected their bodies as she kissed him.

"We're going to beat North's ass, that's for damn sure!" Brian whooped after their kiss broke.

"You're going to be the best out there!"

"With my woman cheering me on in the stands, I'll be unstoppable!"

"Half cheering, half making sure the band stays in line," Teagan laughed, running her fingers along the back of his neck.

"Okay, with my woman cheering me on halfway in the stands, I'll be unstoppable!" Brian whooped, dipping Teagan to offer a breathtaking kiss.

"And we're definitely celebrating tonight once we win," Teagan smiled, holding onto him tightly. "Mmm! You're looking good in blue, black and silver! And then those tight pants... damn, Baby."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're missing the best part," Brian concluded, easing Teagan out of his arms. He turned around and purposely bent down to press his hands on the carpet. "Hell yeah, I've been working my ass out!"

"Whoo hoo!" Teagan cheered, reaching forward to smack his behind.

"Y'ow!" he laughed.

"I love knowing your ass is mine!" she giggled.

"Yeah, well, I think you bruised it," he grimaced playfully, finally standing up. He adjusted the jersey again before rubbing his behind.

"Oh, I did not. Stop your pouting," she rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around him.

"Make it feel better, kiss here," he pouted, pointing to his cheek.

"My poor baby," she cooed, leaning in to kiss his flushed cheek.

"Yeah, your poor baby," Brian mimicked with a pitiful coo, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"I think you're spoiled," Teagan teased with a click of her tongue, resting her forehead against his.

"Only by you."

"And it's all out of love."

"I love you, too," Brian soothed, leaning forward to steal a kiss.

"I know--" she looked down at her watch and gasped. "We gotta get going! I have to be there in ten minutes or else the band will run amuck."

"Oh Lord!" Brian exclaimed frantically, causing Teagan to punch him in the arm. He grimaced, staggering backward as if she had paralyzed him. Teagan rolled her eyes as he tossed her the keys to his car. "Get the car warmed up and I'll grab our stuff. Then, I'll meet you out there, alright, Sweetheart?"

"Alright," Teagan kissed his cheek and headed outside. "Don't take too long!"

"I won't!" he assured with a smile, watching the door close behind him. He kept the smile fixed upon his face as he reached down to grasp the two duffle bags, halting halfway when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He paused, glancing upward with horror.

"Let's go, guys!" Oriana called brightly, never noticing Brian as she hurriedly down the stairs. She was dressed in her jersey and just a simple pair of tight flared jeans. Her curls were twirled into two braids with blue, silver, and black ribbons hiding the bands tying off each braid. Her right cheek depicted a silver star with Luke's number inside, compliments of Ella who had stopped by earlier. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she adjusted the sling on her arm, obviously psyched for the game, even if she was on the sidelines. She seemed quite eager to get going to Brian immediately shoved her back into the wall, startling her greatly. "What?!"

"Why the Hell are you going to the game?! Your mom said that you can't go anywhere after school, which includes the fucking football game!" Brian hissed, keeping her pinned to the wall. "You're not going!"

"I'm going to the game because I don't need to play in the game to support the damn team. They need as much support from the benches as they do from the field. And, frankly, I don't much care what my mother said I could and couldn't do. I go to every damn game, now, get the fuck away from me," Oriana snarled, pushing him away to step out of his block. She was halfway to the kitchen when Brian clamped his hand tightly onto her neck, sending her sharply into the wall. "Damnit, Brian! Get off me!"

"You're not going to the fucking game, you loose bitch!" Brian spat, keeping a strong hold on her neck.

"You're hurting me! Wasn't breaking my fucking arm enough?!" Oriana yelped, feeling a sharp pain invade her neck as he clamped down harder. She did her best to swing away, but having her right arm in a sling did little to help. She grunted in pain as he slammed her back against the wall again. "Get off me!"

"You're not—"

"Brian, get the fuck off her right now!" Alex came running down the stairs in his band uniform and rushed over to yank Brian away from Oriana.

Brian thought nothing of his brother's daring attempt at a rescue, just simply brushing him aside as if it were nothing. Brian then glanced up in time to see Howie barreling down the stairs, knowing that could be a minor amount of trouble. He hurriedly threw Oriana backward, causing her to stumble onto the stairs, her back connecting with the edge. He smiled as Oriana immediately curled forward in agony.

"Let's go, Alex," Brian grunted, grasping his brother by the arm.

"Don't touch me, you piece of shit," Alex hissed, pulling himself away from Brian. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't even fucking play games, Alex. Just get the Hell in my car, I'm taking you to the game. Blood over whores, remember?"

"God, I don't even know who you are anymore. You're not my brother, because the brother I once had didn't call women whores. I'm not going with you to the game and you can't tell me otherwise."

"Alex—"

"Don't even talk to me. Just get out of here, Brian."

"You're taking her over me? You're fucking choosing her over your flesh and blood?" Brian growled with disbelief. He wanted to reach out and strike Alex, but Howie stood only a few inches behind.

"She's treated me more like a brother and human being than you ever did. So yeah, I'm choosing her over you," Alex replied, crossing his arms. For so long he had defended Brian's behavior, but enough was enough.

"You fucking remember that after you're done screwing the Hell out of her and want to come crawling back to me, Asshole," Brian snapped, yanking his and Teagan's duffle bags from the floor.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"Why else would you choose a whore over flesh and blood? Unless she's giving you something that I can't give you - hardcore sex. It's fucking disgusting, Alex, but if you need a good screw, guess you go to the top whore of the school," Brian spat indignantly.

"You sick bastard!" Alex hissed, lunging forward to attack his so-called brother.

"Alex," Howie yelped, immediately reaching out to grasp Alex by the shoulder. Brian stumbled back in shock from Alex's forceful aggression, immediately moving towards the door. He slammed the door shut as Alex continued to struggle. "C'mon, Alex, don't ruin the band uniform! They cost too damn much."

"He said that I... dude, that's fucking wrong, she's my damn sister!" Alex ranted, trying to get away.

"I know..." Howie trailed, willing himself not to speak about Brian's behavior. He couldn't believe how fast Brian had drastically changed in a few short weeks. It hurt to say the least, but the anger that propelled Howie forward was unimaginable. The rage lapped through his blood like a rushing flood, causing him to momentarily forget Oriana's presence upon the steps.

"That's not my brother, Howie... where the Hell did my brother go?" Alex whispered, stopping his struggle against Howie's grasp. He turned around and saw Oriana still on the steps, curled up in pain. "Shit. Ry! Ry, Sweetie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, okay?" she whispered with a small grunt, holding the back of her neck as she gently rocked back and forth. Her back throbbed with a heated pain as her neck stabbed from what she assumed were bruises forming. She swallowed the will to cry again, refusing to look weak. "Let's just get going..."

"D, help her up. I'm going to get her pain pills and an ice pack," Alex ordered, running into the kitchen.

"I'm fine, Howie," Oriana murmured, holding her good hand up to stop him. "Just need to catch my breath. Don't ruin your uniform."

"I doubt you're fine," Howie sighed, moving to sit on the steps beside her. He made no move to reach out and touch her, simply waiting to read her reactions. Though, he knew she was far from fine. Her body was curled in pain and he could already see the bruises forming on her delicate neck. He had heard her body bang against the wall from Brian's physical force, which had alerted Howie and Alex to trouble. But to come down and see Brian practically inches away from beating Oriana to death - that scared Howie immensely. "Besides, I would gladly ruin my uniform for you just to run those laps Teagan enforces."

"It's not a big deal. I just bumped into the wall. He was just trying to scare me or something," Oriana defended, still staring at the floor. She almost thought about weakening in that moment, cuddling into his embrace, letting him kiss the tears away. Yet, she sat silently, refusing to move.

"Just trying to scare you? Baby, he slammed you into the wall and his hand was around your neck!" Howie disagreed with a shake of his head. "Why are you defending him and his actions? You didn't do anything wrong!"

"Because if I don't act like it's nothing then I'll burst into tears," she admitted softly, tracing her fingers against her cast. "Besides, it wasn't his worst."

"I know," Howie sighed, understanding. "Come here, let me hold you. Please."

"Let you hold me?" she sniffled, trying to joke around.

"Yes, now get over here," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay," she murmured, standing up. She eased herself into his lap, allowing his arms to encircle around her body. She pressed her face into his chest, blinking back her tears. "Just don't touch my lower back... Okay? Please?"

"I won't," Howie promised, kissing her forehead. He began to hum his song again, gently rocking them back and forth.

"Sometimes I feel like your kid instead of your girlfriend. You know, the way you hold me?" she tried to tease, ignoring the fresh pain.

"You're my Ria, I can hold you any way I want," he chuckled.

"Any way you want, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Next thing I know you'll be bringing by a Karma Sutra book," she groaned, swallowing the urge to sob openly.

"Well, now that you mention it—"

"You do not!" she exclaimed, pulling back in shock.

"No, I don't have one!" he laughed. "I was just saying I could go and buy one."

"You go into a bookstore and come out with a Karma Sutra book? Now that's a laugh..." Oriana groaned, gently rubbing the back of her neck to loosen the pain. "If you went and bought one, I think I'd have to let you pick at least one position... Because you’re so damn shy in the first place, it'd be a major thing..."

"Hey, I'm not that shy—"

"I'm offering to let you pick a position in the book and you're objecting about me calling you shy?"

"Well..."

"Yeah, you're definitely a Prince Charming," Oriana softly laughed, gently running her fingers down the side of his cheek. She had never met such a caring man before and she couldn't believe that he belonged to her.

"Thanks," Howie smiled, his eyes warm and bright. "I thought so."

"Or you're just not saying what you're really thinking."

"Well..."

“Well?"

“I like the idea of picking out..." Howie turned away, actually feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

“Like the idea of picking out?" Oriana trailed, obviously confused. As much as she hated to admit it, Teagan was right, she did process information like a man.

"Picking out a position in the book."

"You would? Why?" she deadpanned.

"I don't know. I just do."

"But we haven't even..."

"I know that. I guess it's just the guy in me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said—"

"No, I asked you what you were thinking," Oriana corrected, noticing Howie's cheeks almost start to turn purple. She smiled softly, leaning up to capture his lips in a kiss. "You shouldn't be afraid to talk to me about things. We can talk about anything, right?"

"Right. I just don't want you to think I'm rushing things," Howie replied, running his fingers over her forehead.

"I know you're not rushing anything," she promised.

"Good—"

"Got the painkillers and ice pack!" Alex called loudly, hurrying back into the room. He yanked Oriana up without warning, forcing her to take the pills before twirling her around. Oriana stumbled a little as Alex moved away her braids to apply the ice pack. Alex hissed openly. "You're freaking bruising already, Ry. I am so sorry this happened. You think he'd be happy with a busted arm—"

"What'd you say?" Oriana countered, immediately turning in shock to face her brother. She held the ice pack against her aching neck, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Um... I don't know if I should repeat it," Alex took a step back from Oriana.

"You know, don't you?" she questioned softly with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, I do. It didn't take very long to figure it out... with the way he's been acting and everything. I just feel so bad it happened, because he's my brother--"

"It's not your fault," she whispered faintly, glancing down at her cast arm. If anything, she should have known better than to push his buttons. She had tempted him into doing the unthinkable. She shouldn't have pushed. Frankly, she was convinced she deserved it. Though, she tensed for a moment. "Howie doesn't... Does he?"

"He's the one who talked to me about it in the first place. Yeah, he does know," Alex slowly nodded his head.

"Maybe we should just get going to the game. You guys have to warm up and I have to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness from the players," Oriana groaned, moving to slip past the boys to locate her keys.

"You keep that ice pack on your neck," Alex called after her.

"Why are you just letting her go without talking to her," Howie groaned, immediately moving to catch Oriana.

"Because—" Alex was interrupted as Howie brushed past him. He smacked his forehead. "Stupid Alex. Stupid, stupid Alex!"

"Ria?" Howie called, hearing Alex's footsteps hurriedly trail behind him.

"In the kitchen," her muffled voice called. Howie quickly entered to see her grasping her keys in her trembling hand. She was obviously overwhelmed by the situation at hand. She just glanced at him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to brush off the situation. She sighed heavily, blinking back her tears. "Why didn't you just tell me you knew?"

"I thought if I confronted you about it that I would just upset you..." Howie trailed off, looking down at his hands. "I know that it wasn't a good idea, but... I'm sorry."

"I wish you would have just told me," Oriana groaned, walking into his arms. "Because then you could have really held me and told me I would be okay."

"I know, it was a big mistake and I'm sorry," Howie whispered, wrapping his arms around her.

"I just should have told you in the first place," she sniffled, burying her face into the crook of his neck for comfort. She encircled her good arm around his neck, pulling close to his body for warmth. "He just crushed my arm like it was a twig... And you warned me that night... But I didn't listen..."

"You can't blame yourself for this. What Brian did was cruel and not your fault at all. You hear me?" he reprimanded gently, placing gentle kisses on her forehead.

"He said I wouldn't get my MVP title this year and made sure to step harder...."

"He's going to get what's coming to him sooner or later. I promise you that much. I know he said mean things to you in order to hurt you... I know. But you're with me, and I'll keep you safe."

"You will?" she whispered faintly.

"I will. I give you my word."

"I know," she sighed, trying to gather her composure. She really needed to get the boys to the game so they could warm up. She took a deep breath, finally pulling from his arms. "I need to get you guys there, huh?"

"I can drive so that ice pack stays on your neck—"

"Or Jamie can drive and we can sit in the back seat together for more comforting?" Oriana asked softly, hoping she didn't look too needy.

"That sounds even better," Howie agreed.

"Okay," she answered, tossing the keys to Alex. He nodded, hurrying out with everyone's gear. Oriana quickly rubbed her cheeks for a moment, composing herself further. She glanced to her boyfriend, quickly stepping to unbutton the top of his uniform shirt so he could breathe. "But, I do need to tell you one thing."

"And what's that?"

"I think you could make it into Duke if you wanted."

"You do?"

"If you really wanted it, yes. Howie, you're very smart no matter what anyone says. The only reason Mac is in Duke is because of football. He got the lowest SAT score in the history of Tartan, so I doubt he got in because of his brains."

"But—"

"Sweetheart, you're brilliant. You could do laps around Mac with your SAT Scores. You can do whatever you want with your life and succeed fully," Oriana encouraged, reaching up to smack a kiss to his forehead. "And, I'll just have to follow you where ever you go."

"You're amazing," Howie sighed, finally smiling.

"Oh yeah?"

"Definitely."

"Yeah, I know you love me," she teased, tugging him forward.

"Good, because I was just going to say that," he chuckled, delivering a soft kiss to her lips as Alex honked the horn impatiently.

"Why don't you just tell me one more time for clarification," Oriana teased with a faint smile, pushing past Brian's attack.

"I love you more than the sun shines, the stars gleam and the moon glows," Howie replied, smiling as well.

"Yeah, I'll definitely take that."