Brady Hutton
“Good news is that you’re going to the finals.”Ryan said as if something was funny,” But the bad news is it’s going to be tonight.”
“Just look at me, asshole.”I clenched my teeth, “Do I look like I’m able to step in the ring anytime soon?”
So, the night before I got brutalized by bigfoot and he ended up getting disqualified, which allowed me to proceed but everything hurt at the moment. I was lying on the motel bed with what felt like a broken rib even though I’ve never got it checked out and my face was fucked up with all the stitches.
“You look like a champ.”He encouraged but saw that I was not amused by his sudden excitement, which made him shrugged,” Or not.”
“Look, Ryan, “I lowered my voice, “After all of this, I’m begging you to stay away from Liam and call of your friends to do the same. He is extremely innocent and doesn’t deserve everything you guys did to him the last couple of months.”
After getting the last voicemail from Liam, I felt like I at least owed this to him. I have been nothing but bad to him when we were dating and especially when we broke up. He deserved so much better than what I have been giving him.
“If you keep me alive until the fight, then we’ll talk.”He said sarcastically.
“I mean it, Ryan.”I said angrily, “Please.”
I said desperately as if I needed it more than Liam did.
“Okay, fine, I’ll call my guys now.”He rolled his eyes, “But I still don’t like that kid.”
“What’s your problem with him?”I asked after wanting to know for so long. It was unusual why Ryan did everything in his power to ruin Liam’s life and I never knew why he did it in the first place.
“I mean, aren’t you annoyed at him.”He mumbled, “He thinks he is better than everyone else by going to school and getting good grades and have an asshole of a father that cares about him.”He muttered the last part.
I could obviously see that he was jealous of Liam.
Nonetheless, I understand why he was doing all of it. His father has been dead for his entire childhood and that might just trigger some people, especially since the sheriff had something to do about it, I just didn’t know what was his role in Ryan’s father’s death.
“What did the sheriff ever did to your family?”I asked softly, “You had this vendetta over him since we were kids.”
“No one has ever asked me that.”He said with a sad face and sat down on the other bed.
“Ask you what?”I raised my eyebrows.
“About my feelings.”He sighed, “If you have to know, the sheriff was the one that shot and killed my dad during a riot at the prison. It was his final day in prison and the second that he was about to step out, a riot started because of the warden banning something so silly, I think it was cigarettes. Anyways, my father was forced to stay in as everyone was going crazy. I stood outside with my mother, waiting for him but he never got out. Well, at least not for a few hours. I remember the police there with their riot outfits and reporters were all around us. A few hours later, there were already multiple gun shot inside which meant that the prisoners were armed and my dad suddenly came running out of the building with blood all over his clothes and a gun in his hand. He was sprinting towards my direction before there was another gunshot. My father was on the floor with a bullet on his heart and there was Sheriff Rawley, standing there and shaking like a scared little child. We tried pressing charges but since the prisoners were already armed, the authorities were allowed to shoot if there was a threat. If that’s not terrible enough, my mom got depressed and died from heroine overdose the next month. So, there you go, that’s why I hate that entire family.”
“That is very terrible, Ryan,”I said sympathetically, “But it probably wasn’t his fault.”I lowered my voice, “I’m sure that it was an accide-“
“Stop defending him.”Ryan snapped, “Fine, I’ll call my guys off for now but I swear that nothing will ever be over between me and that asshole of a sheriff.”
I mean, I don’t blame him but at the same time, I couldn’t root for him either. What the sheriff did was terrible but then again, he probably didn’t mean to do it since how much of a nice guy he is.
“I’m sorry, Ryan.”I said genuinely, “You didn’t deserve any of that.”
“Maybe I did.”He let out a soft chuckle,
“At least I met you on the way. As much as I hate you for the last few years, your the closest thing I had to a family and I appreciate you, Brad.”
“Don’t remind me of that stupid name you call me.”I rolled my eyes.
“Brad is cool.”He defended, “Like Brad Pitt and Brad Cooper.”
“It’s Bradley Cooper.”I corrected, “And I love the Brady more since it’s the name of both our favorite football players.”
“Tom Brady.”He raised his eyebrows, “That was just a phase for me.”
“I don’t think obsessing over him was just a phase.”I joked.
“Says the guy that was in love with Ben Affleck when he was younger.”He shot back.
“I still do and I’m not gonna deny that, “I said, which made him burst out of laughter.
This was the Ryan that I remember. The same Ryan that I grew up with before he started being friends with all those jerks in town and maybe I can get him back for good if I keep this up.
“Hey, can I borrow some money to buy beer?”He asked.
“Is drinking a good idea right now?”I raised my eyebrows.
“It most definitely is.”He said jokingly, “Do you have it or not?”
“Yeah, sure, check my wallets over there.”I pointed at the counter.
He cheered before going to my wallet and opening it but his face froze. He got all tense and turned around to glare at me.
“What the fuck is this?”He spat and showed me a small picture of Liam kissing my cheek that I kept in my wallet. I used to bring it everywhere I go and it has gone to a point where I forgot it was there in the first place, “Are you fucking the person I hate most in the wordless?”
“Technically, you hate his father and-“I decided to shut up as he glared at me.
And just like that, whatever friendship that we rekindled is gone.
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