Birds of a Feather

Chapter 3
Chapter 3

---

Chapter Description: Brandy finds out that Chelsea got a strange invitation to meet at a bar, which apparently came from Chad's phone.

---

It was one in the morning and Brandy was wide awake. Chelsea said she was going to meet with someone and hadn’t returned yet. Normally this wouldn’t be concerning to her, but since she hadn’t heard from Chad for a whole day she found herself a little worried. Finally, she decided to call.

“Oh, hi Brandy, what’s up?” Brandy was slightly relieved to hear Chelsea’s voice.

“Bitch, you left me here all alone,” Brandy whined, “What time are you getting back in?”

“I couldn’t tell you…hey, listen I heard from Chad!” Chelsea exclaimed, “We agreed to meet at the bar for drinks.”

“What!?” Brandy exclaimed. Sure, Chad could get his hands on alcohol, but as he didn’t have a penny to his name, bars were out of the question. “Is he with you?”

“No, but I’ve been getting quite a few free drinks,” Chelsea laughed, “Bar maid said ‘Chad’ bought them for me…you know, I think he has a thing for me, but I’m not sure what to make of it yet.”

Brandy almost dropped her phone. Chad never even noticed Chelsea till now, and the bar? The whole story gave Brandy a bad vibe. “Chelsea, did you speak with Chad over the phone or did he send you a text?”

Brandy could hear Chelsea take a swig, “Oh, it was just a text, I think he’s running a little late, but I see Chris so I think I’ll go sit with him while I wait for Chad.”

Brandy’s eyes widened. Chris said that he’d look for Chad and now he and Chelsea were both at the bar, presumably over an invitation sent from Chad’s phone. Brandy bit her lip. “Chelsea, I don’t know how much you’ve had to drink already, but you need to stay at the bar till I get there, alright?”

“M’kay,”

“Which bar are you at?” Brandy asked.

“The Holly Jolly, you know where that’s at.”

Brandy nodded as she got her shoes on, “Yes, I do…listen, though, you have to promise me you’ll stay put till I get there.”

“Alright.”

“Hold off on any more drinks till I get there.”

“No promises.”

“Dammit, Chelsea, this is serious!” Brandy snarled, “Just give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be there.”

“Clock’s ticking.” Chelsea laughed.

Brandy hung up her phone. She didn’t have a car and there was no way she’d make it to the Holly Jolly in fifteen minutes on foot. She did have one idea as she raced to Emily’s room.

“Emily, wake up,” she pulled the covers, “I need your car.”

“GET THE FUCK OUT, I’M TRYING TO SLEEP!” Emily’s roommate, Katherine, roared. “SOME OF US HAVE EXAMS IN THE MORNING!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Brandy countered, “I need a fucking favor, fuck off bitch.”

Katherine growled before putting her head on her pillow and covering her ears.

Emily sat up confused, to Brandy’s dismay she could hear plastic crinkling. “What,” Emily moaned.

“Look, I need your car for a little bit…long story and time-sensitive.”

Emily blinked her eyes, “How long will you be?”

Brandy bit her tongue, “Hopefully less than an hour, but I can’t say for sure.”

“I’ll drive,” Emily offered.

Brandy hesitated. She needed the car, not the driver, and Emily would draw too much attention. “How about I get you the keys by morning?”

Emily shook her head, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but my dad would kill me if anything happens to this car.”

“Alright,” Brandy relented, “But you stay in the car.”

Emily put on the pants she’d worn the previous day. Brandy wanted to tell her to wear something tight so she wouldn’t crinkle, but that would mean coming clean about yesterday’s drama. Instead she said, “Put something warm on, it’s cold outside.” The two headed for the car.

***

“You had me wake up so you could go drinking!?” Emily exclaimed as they pulled into the bar, “It wasn’t even worth the gas!”

“Time-sensitive,” Brandy reminded, “… and I’m not drinking.” She bolted from the car, glimpsing Chris getting escorted out on her way in.

“Keep going, Chris, worthless son,” an older man guided the drunken mess of her friend out of the bar.

Brandy stopped. She didn’t recognize the man, “Where are you headed, Chris?”

“I’m taking Chris home,” the older man answered, “It’s one thing when he’s a fuck-up at home, it’s another when he acts out in public. He’ll probably be gone for a few days while we sort things out.”

“What happened?” Brandy inquired, hoping Chris would speak for himself instead of hearing responses from his father, who she was just meeting for the first time.

“Ughhh…” Chris moaned.

“Wouldn’t leave that poor girl alone,” the man muttered, “Well, you have a good evening and stay out of trouble.” Brandy thought she heard the man mutter “College brats” under his breath.

She stormed into the bar. “Chelsea!” she called. Everyone looked at her.

“Has anyone seen my friend? Her name’s Chelsea, she’s yay tall, bleach-blonde hair, and wears black-“

The bar maid nodded, “She was sitting with a friend. They both had a lot to drink and a couple guys offered to give them rides.”

“You mean Chris didn’t do anything?” Brandy’s eyes went wide.

“Her friend?” the woman asked, “No, they were both enjoying the night until they could hardly keep their heads up anymore-“

“Shit,” Brandy exclaimed. That man wasn’t Chris’s father. “Chelsea’s already gone?”

“Left a few minutes ago.”

“Alright, thanks.” Brandy dashed outside just in time to witness Chris slumped over in the front seat of a car that was pulling out.

She dashed to Emily’s car, slamming the door as she got in. “Follow that car!” She pointed, “And turn off your headlights, so they don’t see you.”

Emily did as she was told. They followed the car to an abandoned building, in a part of town that the girls didn’t recognize.

“Why are we following them again?” Emily asked, sounding completely disenfranchised.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but Chad’s gone missing. We haven’t heard from him in over a day.” Brandy breathed, not knowing a better way to deliver the news.

“Maybe he’s just sick or something,” Emily grunted.

“You don’t understand, Chris is in that car,” Brandy pointed to the car parked in front of them, “and he has absolutely no business being here.”

Emily watched as the driver door opened and the driver went around to the other side to retrieve Chris. “Chris!” she exclaimed.

“Ding, ding, ding!” Brandy exclaimed sarcastically, “Now before we go anywhere take off the freaking diaper.”

“I better keep it on,” Emily replied, “I had to go while you were in the bar and didn’t want to hold it-“

“Fuck, whatever. Stay here. They’ve got Chelsea too and probably Chad.” Brandy snapped, eyeing the other parked car. The door propped open to allow Chris and the man dragging him into the building.

Brandy sighed, “Come on, let’s go. Try to walk quietly.”

 

---