BranDrew

“So, who is Devon?” Andrew pressed.

The group had just dropped off Renee. Ashanty, Andrew and Branli remained in the car. The conversation was heating up and making Ashanty uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure just how much more she was going to take.

“He’s someone from my past,” Branli tried to be short and vague. “That’s all.”

“No. That’s not all,” Andrew kept on.

“What do you want from me?”

“To be honest. Did you say-?”

“Be honest? Since when do you even say things like that? You’re never one to question or really care what we’re doing-.”

“It matters when I’m along for the ride and when you start lying to your friends.” Andrew’s words lingered in the air.

“Can you pull over at a gas station?” Ashanty broke the silence. “I need to use the restroom.” She needed any excuse to get Branli to pull over. The boys needed to work it out without her being in the car. She needed a break from them.

Branli pulled into a gas station. Ashanty stepped out of the car without saying a word and the silence grew deeper. Branli didn’t know where to begin.

“Devon is someone that remembers me but I don’t remember him,” Branli finally said.

“A bridge you’ve burned?” Andrew fished.

“I honestly don’t remember.”

“I know your memory can be selective but you seriously don’t remember him?”

“Not even a little,” Branli admitted. “He’s a nice guy and we’ve been talking for a few months now, but I can’t remember him.”

“Then how do you know he’s telling the truth?”

“There’s something about him. He seems to know a lot about me, where I’ve been, my habits, my likes-.”

“He could have gotten that from your twitter feed, god knows you tweet a lot.”

The two chuckled.

“He honestly hasn’t been very clear on how he knows me,” Branli went on. “He just said he’s from my past.”

“Is he the one that gave you that watch?” Andrew pointed out.

Branli hesitated for a bit. “… yeah.”

“What’s it mean?”

“Apparently I’m supposed to be making this decision by the time it gets to zero.”

Ashanty took her time inside the gas station’s mini market. She grabbed a few bottles of water and snacks. As she went to pay she turned to see how the boys were doing inside the car. Branli cracked a smile and it set her at ease that the boys were working things out.

“You boys okay?” Ashanty asked before stepping into the car. She held the door open, jokingly wary.

“Yes, yes,” Branli answered with smile. “We’re fine.”

“So, what’s going on?” Ashanty was hoping the details were ironed out to find out what was happening. “We still going on this secret trip?”

“Not so secret,” Andrew revealed. “More like creepy. He’s been talking to a burned bridge.”

“Oh, an ex or something?” Ashanty asked.

“No,” Branli replied. He thought for a moment before continuing. “He’s someone that remembers me but I don’t remember him.”

“That is kinda creepy,” Ashanty frowned.

“Told ya,” Andrew said.

Branli felt something familiar about Devon. He couldn’t explain it. This was more than just a burned bridge.

448hrs remaining…