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Chapter 25

Bryant didn’t know why he had barked at Sooz the way he did. No matter how upset or angry Bryant might get, he rarely ever snapped at people, let alone barked at them as he had just done to Sooz. It didn’t make sense in his own mind, if he wanted more from the woman walking silently on his arm, then why had he shoved her away so harshly? Of course the first answer to appear in his mind was Tori Dunnigan’s revelation about Sooz’s hidden pregnancy. It bugged him – deeply.

As Bryant walked with Sooz on his arm, he continuously tried to figure out why he had any right to be so upset. No answers came to him. They had been standing before one of the oldest rail cars on display out here. From the moment Sooz had said, “Shhhh…let’s just walk for a while please,” neither of them had so much as sighed aloud.

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Bryant could see Sooz was completely lost in thought. Her short, sexy hair style still stunned Bryant momentarily, but he realized as he watched her that he loved how it instantly drew attention to Sooz’s neck. The crystal necklace she wore shimmered in the moonlight, drawing Bryant’s full attention now. “I should have known she was taken,” Bryant thought to himself as he allowed his eyes to travel down Sooz’s body. The words “to good to be true” rang through Bryant’s mind just as Sooz spoke into the night.

“Your staring at me.” She whispered. Bryant snapped his eyes forward, focusing on some dark shadow near the end of the rail car.

Bryant struggled for a reply, but found none. Sooz’s soft voice could easily be heard straining as she stared straight ahead but continued speaking to him. “You’ve been doing it all night. Is my hair that bad?”

“Sooz!” Bryant yelped. Looking down to her once more, he watched as she turned very skeptical eyes towards him. “Didn’t I tell you I love your hair?” he snapped.

“Yes, you did Bry. But then you continue to stare at me and you don’t look happy.” She countered. In the dark Sooz’s eyes glittered, as if lit up by her accusation.

Bryant sighed. No words of explanation came to him as he stared down at her and shook his head helplessly. “I…”

“Something is wrong Bry. Please don’t tell me it isn’t.”

Bryant looked away from Sooz just for a moment. Feeling torn between admitting that he knew and wanting to give Sooz her privacy, Bryant didn’t know what to say. In fact he was so torn over the situation he started shaking his head no without realizing it.

Sooz’s hand slipped from Bryant’s arm. Bryant looked down to see Sooz quickly walking away, back towards the front of the inn.

“I spoke to Tori” he blurted out suddenly. Sooz froze. When she didn’t turn around, he continued babbling. “Actually she came and spoke to me. I didn’t look for her.”

Sooz remained where she had stopped. Bryant knew instantly by her posture that Tori was right, Sooz had been hiding it from him. The anger that hid Bryant’s deep sadness boiled to the surface. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want it to ruin the evening.” She whispered hoarsely. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I knew you’d be upset.”

Bryant felt his hands clench tightly as tension flooded through his body. “Finding out from Tori Dunnigan upset me Sooz.”

Sooz remained with her back to him and it suddenly infuriated Bryant. “You could have told me Sooz.” He growled at her. “Haven’t I always listened to you?”

Sooz whirled around and the glare in her eyes was evident. “When Bry? Tell you as you hung out on top of a boy scout pyramid, or while you sat quietly in the limo, when, as we danced? When was the right time to tell you?” She demanded defensively.

Bryant marched forward so he stood nearly toe to toe with her. He met her angry glare head on and struggled to keep his voice down. “As soon as possible would have been a good time Sooz. Right away…so I am not broadsided with it at my nephew’s only senior prom!”

“I tried to keep you from being broadsided you…you…. How was I supposed to know she’d show up here and tell you?” Sooz roared loudly.

“Well at least Tori had the decency to look after me enough to tell me the truth.”

“Well she’s not the one who has to deal with it Bry. I DO. Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe I was too upset to want to speak of it right away with you? I…”

Bryant lost his temper as soon as he heard Sooz’s shrieking tone of voice. Being acutely aware of the teenagers milling about, Bryant reached out, pulled Sooz against his chest and hissed, “Well if you didn’t want to deal with it Sooz, you should have never put yourself in that position in the first place!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bryant regretted them. When Sooz’s angry eyes flew open and instantly the fight left them, Bryant knew he had struck her deeply with his words. Sooz’s eyes filled with large, sorrow and shame filled tears and she yanked herself free from his grasp. It happened so fast Bryant didn’t even have time to reach out and catch her. In less then a second Sooz was running as fast as she could away from Bryant.

“Sooz” Bryant cried as his arms flailed out and then fell to his thighs.

Bryant stepped forward to go after her. As he did he felt something crush under his foot. Looking down the delicate floral corsage he had pinned on Sooz’s gown hours earlier lay crushed upon the cement. Bryant looked up to see Sooz disappear around the corner.

“Son of a bitch” Bryant moaned softly. Bryant bent over and picked up the crushed, mutilated corsage. Suddenly Bryant clenched his fingers around what was left of the beautiful flower that had reminded him instantly of Sooz. As the cold, dark spot formed in his heart, Bryant cast his eyes in the direction he last saw Sooz running at.

“How does it feel to be crushed?” He muttered to the corsage.

—–

“Did you see either of them?” Drake asked as he walked to Jade and reached for her extended hand.

“She isn’t in any of the ladies rooms,” Jade offered as she shook her head no. “They’re probably out walking in the moonlight or something. You saw how they were dancing.”

“Jade I am telling you, I saw Soozie running through the parking lot. I know I did!” Drake insisted. Less then ten minutes ago, As Drake was walking with Jade towards the front doors of the inn; he could have sworn he saw Sooz running away through the parking lot. Ever since then, he had been searching for either her or his uncle. Neither of them could be found.

“She wasn’t running to my Uncle and he is no where to be found either. Plus,” Drake paused as he looked at the girl he loved so much; “I spotted your mom talking to my Uncle earlier.” Drake confessed.

“Oh my God,” Jade wailed. Instantly she began looking through the large foyer again. “Why does she do this, is she trying to ruin my life?”

Instantly Drake felt bad. “Now come on, they were talking. Maybe she did nothing. It could be a coincidence.”

Jade turned cold, disbelieving eyes to her boyfriend. “Yeah just like the accident that led to Soozie’s hair being hacked off…..”

Drake’s chest heaved with a deep breath. Unfortunately Jade was probably right. Her mother probably has caused some sort of problem, but without finding Soozie or his Uncle, Drake couldn’t begin to imagine what it might be.

Jade pulled on drakes hand as she began walking through the foyer. “Did you check out at the rail cars?”

“Yeah, twice – nothing.” Drake admitted in defeat.

“Is the limo still here?”

“Uhm….I don’t know I didn’t check….” With that, both kids began walking towards the large doors that led outside.

Jade stepped aside to allow Drake to pull the heavy door open for her. Suddenly something or more accurately someone caught her attention. Turning to glance into the bar & grill located just beyond the foyer, Jade instantly recognized Bryant sitting on one of the stools.

“Oh My god, there’s your uncle…look!”

Drake’s eyes followed Jades finger. Seeing his uncle sitting on a bar stool slugging down a shot of something absolutely stunned Drake. His Uncle Bryant had never been a drinker. Something was definitely wrong.

Without saying a word, both Drake and Jade quickly made their way into the Bar & Grill. Walking towards Bryant, a bartender instantly spotted the formally dressed couple and started hollering; “Alright you two, turn around and head right back out. This ain’t the prom”

“Excuse us Sir but he’s my….”

Bryant suddenly turned around and shrugged his shoulders, Turning back to his drink he muttered, “That’s my nephew, he’s with me,” To the bartender. The burley man behind the bar nodded and waved the kids in.

Drake was the first to reach his uncle. “Uncle Bry….” Drake’s words faded off when he noticed his Uncle now wore his tie untied and looked disheveled. His Uncle was also ordering another shot as he flipped his wallet open and laid a fifty dollar bill on the bar.

“I don’t see her in here” Jade whispered to Drake as she clung to his arm.

“I’d buy you kids a drink but you’re too young….” Bryant slurred slightly. “Savor it boy….it won’t get any better then this.”

Drake and Jade exchanged worried looks. Drake was so shocked by his uncle’s appearance, drinking and words; he could only shake his head. It was Jade who approached Bryant and gently began to talk to him.

“Mr. T, where’s …”

“She ran off.” Bryant interrupted. Slugging down the second shot, Bryant set the glass upside down on the bar and turned on his stool. With a twisted unhappy grin he looked at his nephew and shook his head.

“Why’d she run off Uncle Bry?” Drake asked as he stepped closer to his Uncle. Bryant wasn’t drunk enough to be wobbling or slurring all his words, but his speech was definitely slowed and his mind was clouded with alcohol.

Bryant shrugged. Turning to Jade, he reached up and lightly touched her cheek.

“Mr. T, what’s….what happened?” Jade asked as she glanced nervously at Drake.

Bryant jammed his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor. “Your mother told me about today Jade. I know all about it. How you covered for Sooz, how everyone knew but me….”

Drake gave Jade an ‘I told you so’ look. Earlier in the evening, as they drove to the prom, Drake told Jade he didn’t like keeping things from his uncle. Although he understood that Sooz wanted to tell his Uncle, Drake still felt it was a bad idea for Sooz to wait. Obviously he had been right.

“But….” Jade suddenly gasped.

Bryant shrugged again and then sighed heavily.

Jade began to protest. “But you said you loved her hair…I mean sure….so it was a big change….but to fight,”

Bryant’s hands suddenly flew out of his pockets and up into the air. “I DO LOVE HER HAIR” he roared, cutting Jade off. “What is it with the hair? I don’t have a problem with Sooz’s hair Damnit.”

Drake didn’t like his Uncle yelling at Jade and he immediately cut in. “Then what in the hell did you two fight over so that Soozie ran off and you ran into a bar?”

Bryant blinked upon hearing Drake’s raised voice. “Well exxxxxxxccccccccuuuuuuuuse me for being upset that she is pregnant, didn’t tell me and Tori came over to drop that bomb!”

“PREGNANT?!?” Jade and Drake cried in unison.

“Yeah that is what I thought too and when I tried to talk to her she got all defensive and bitchy. She ran off, I let her.” Bryant ended his miniature rant.

“What makes you think she is pregnant?” Jade cried defensively.

“Oh cut the cover Jade. Tori told me all about it. I know how Sooz stayed with you because she was too upset to come home and face me. So don’t even try to act surprised. I’m not in the mood.” Bryant declared as he spun around on his stool.

Instantly Drake and Jade understood now what Tori Dunnigan had done. She had taken some true life events and twisted them with a horrible lie in order to upset Bryant. Jade stepped back two steps and her hands instantly rested on her hips.

“Oh sure you’re the adult so you know it all. Well you’re wrong Mr. T. Dead wrong. Soozie was upset because my mother hacked her hair off in one section and she had to get it all cut off.”

Bryant whirled around and gawked at the young woman. Jade never stopped.

“Mr. Big Shot probably jumped all over Soozie just like you did me. Well, why don’t you go to hell Mr. T.?” Jade turned and glared at Drake. “He’s YOUR uncle, you deal with him. I’m going to go look for Soozie.” Jade announced. In a flash of satin Jade had spun on her heel and was storming out of the Bar & Grill.

“Not pregnant?” Bryant whimpered. Looking to his nephew Bryant’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “But Tori said…”

“Yeah Uncle Bry, and since when is Tori reliable?” Drake angrily snapped. He was mad Jade stormed off without him. He was mad that his Uncle was so whacked right now. He was worried for Soozie and he wanted to go beat Jade’s mother. “Don’t you remember when you rescued her – they checked for that, a pregnancy – just in case…..do you remember what they found – NOTHING!”

“But…”

“So unless Soozie got laid since you found her, it ain’t the truth Uncle Bry. Way to go.” Drake barked in disgust.

Bryant looked mortified. Rubbing his face in his hands, Drake watched as common sense flooded back into his Uncle’s brain. Bryant kept saying over and over, “Not pregnant, oh shit” as Drake glared at the man.

Bryant looked up to hi nephew and instantly Drake’s anger faded away.

“Drake…I….”

Drake exhaled slowly and softened his facial features. “Let’s just find her and make sure she is okay and then you can apologize.” Drake softly stated. Bryant stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t….”

“Uncle Bry – shut up. Don’t you think you’ve said enough stupid shit tonight?”

—-

Technorati: Forgotten Freedoms, NaNoWrimo 2006, Writing, Romance