Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:40:13 -0500
From: Justin Luong <yellowcard_911@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Difference Chapter Fifteen

Hey guys, hope you have fun with this chapter. Sorry for the wait :'( well
send me your emails PEACE


Chapter Fifteen: Is Anything Ever Real?

    A few months had passed since the day of Ryan's expulsion, his
goodbyes. A day where trust was no where to be found. Since that day, Brian
hasn't been at his best. His mind had been racing thoughts of suicide, he
thought there was no hope for himself. He was a jerk and there was no way
he could ever look at himself the same way ever again.

    For those very few months, he himself had changed in so many ways you
could not even tell that he was once the star of the football team. Not
only did he change in personality, he also changed in look. He wore dark
clothing, used heavy make up, and isolated himself from his "posse."

    He turned into what he everyone thought he would never be. He turned
himself into his own "Ryan." He couldn't look at his all star self, it
disgusted himself.

    Not only was he having problems with himself, but his friends and
family were also worried about him. He wasn't himself, he even let down the
team several times by not showing up to the games. Luckily, though, the
team was still good with or without the all star player.

    His mom knew that something was up but she wasn't the kind of woman to
get into anybody's business, even if it was her own son. But even though
she didn't was to pull the secrets out, she hired a paid professional to
dwell into Brian's most deepest, darkest secrets.

    Speaking of the paid professional, right now the paid professional was
interrogating him.

    "Brian, I know this is hard for you but you must listen to me if you
want to get better."

    "What if I don't want to get better? You're just a stupid shrink. Why
do I have to listen to someone else's advise when most of their clients
just kill themselves anyways?"

    The paid professional was in shock. She didn't know what to say to this
boy to make him listen to her. It was like talking to a brick wall.

    "What? Got nothing else to say?"

    "Let's talk about something else, shall we? Let's talk about your arm,
again."

    "There's nothing to talk about. Like I told you last time, a cat
scratched my arm. Why is that so hard for you to comprehend?"

    "It's not hard, it's just that it's not quite believable."

    "And why not? Cats scratch, it's what they do."

    "Yes, I know. But there's a cat that scratches you in the same spot
everyday? Now I know that's not true. Brian, I know that after this, you'll
go home and start cutting yourself. That's a serious problem, if you don't
stop now, your life may end soon. You don't want that now, do you?"

    "Maybe I do, there's nothing left for me here, what I did to him wasn't
right."

    Brian paused a moment to catch his breath.

    "I was jerk--no I was worst than that, I was heartless bastard that
doesn't know how to accept that good things that he gave me."

    "Him? This is the first that I ever heard about you talk about "him."
Who is this person you are talking about? Was he your friend? Did you hurt
him?"

    Brian didn't answer. All he did was look down at the floor while his
tears streamed across his face.

    "I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. I
was only trying to--"

    "No, it's okay. He was my friend, he really was. But I don't know what
happened to me. Everything around me changed. My thoughts, my feelings,
everything. I wasn't me anymore."

    "And this was all because of him? What did he do to you to make you
become a different person?"

    "That's the thing. He didn't do anything. All he did was be real. He
wasn't fake like all the people around me, all they want is to be popular
and nothing else. They're not my friends, I don't have any friends. He was
my only friend and I threw it all away."

    "What did you do, exactly?"

    "Look, here's the thing. I know that you're really trying to help me
and it's really hard when I'm being a complete ass. But I don't want to
talk about this, it's too personal."

    "Okay, well that's okay. You're session is already over. We'll talk
about this again on our next meeting."

    That was it. That was how Brian's day went for two weeks.

    Brian returned home and popped in Ryan's CD. As he listened, images of
Ryan and himself popped into his head. Tears started falling from his face
once more. The more he listened to the CD, the more he drowned himself with
his tears.


    SWOOSH

    Brian's bedroom door suddenly flew open and out came Jace.

    "Brian, what's up dude? Back from that crazy dyke? Man I swear if that
mom sent me to some dyke I would kill myself before I got in that
room. Even thinking of being in a room with a freak would gross me out, you
know? Like when that fag boy, um uh Ryan? Yeah that's his name! When he
came around you man, I just wanted to kill him. He is such a fag! Why
doesn't he just do everyone a favor and kill himself already. Sheesh, I
know I would feel better. Wouldn't you, Brian?"

    "..."

    "Brian? Oh come on, Brian is that girl still bothering you?"

    A secret break up with some girl was the best Brian could muster up so
Jace would just shut up about his depression issues.

    "Anyways, what I came here for was to tell you that I got tickets to
Venice for spring break!"

    "Woo hoo..."

    "Come on, dude. This is perfect timing, you can forget about that
stupid girl and come to Venice with me! I hear they're having this massive
masquerade ball there."

    "So? What's your point?"

    "My point, is that there will be TONS of girls there! Don't you wanna
get some before we graduate, dude?"

    "If I say yes, will you get off my case?"

    "Only if you say yes, bro."

    "Fine! I'll go with you, just let me pack my--"

    "Oh don't worry about packing, I already did that for you when you were
with that dyke shrink. And don't worry, I already gave the liberty of
telling your mom, she's happy you're getting out of the house."

    Brian got out of his bed and walked to his stereo. He stared blankly at
his stereo.

    "Dude, are you okay? Do you need your meds?"

    Brian shook his head and popped out the CD.

    "Wait in the car, I need to do a few things before I leave."

    "Fine, but don't take too long, our flight is in an hour."

    Jace left Brian's room and went outside to his car. Brian stared back
at the CD.

    "Ryan, I don't know if I can do this...I can't cheat on you with
another girl. It's just not right."

    "It won't be cheating, Brian. I'm already dead," said a voice in
Brian's head.

    "Who's there?"

    "Do you really need to ask that, Brian? Seriously, don't you remember?"

    "Who is this? I'm not in the mood for tricks!"

    "Why not? You tricked me in thinking we were friends, until you
literally STABBED me in the back!"

    "Ryan? Ryan, is that you? Is that really you? Where are you coming
from?" Brian asked going paranoid.

    "Yes, it's me, Brian. It's Ryan. Where am I, you ask? Well I'm in your
head, forever haunting you of your mistakes."

    "What are you trying to say? I killed you and now you're going to haunt
me forever?"

    "Is it working?"

    "I won't believe this, I will not believe that I would kill the boy
that I fell in love with."

    "Love? Is that what closet cases say these days? You hurt me and later
that day I killed myself."

    "No! You're lying! You wouldn't kill yourself, you're not that kind of
person. You're smarter than that!"

    "Am I really? If I'm so smart than why was I so foolish in becoming
your friend? When all you did was feed me lies?"

    "I never lied to you!"

    "Really? From what I remember, you said we were friends. Until you got
me expelled, that is."

    "That was an accident, I'm sorry."

    "Well sorry isn't enough. I'm dead and now you're facing the
consequences."

    "Quit feeding me lies! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Brian yelled clamping his
ears.

    "Fine then, if you don't want me anymore than just wake up!"

    "What did you say?"

    "Wake up!"

    Brian shot up and awoke from a bed that he was unfamiliar with. He
looked around, but he couldn't see much because it had already turned into
night. Brian turned around and noticed a lamp, he pulled on the lamp light
which revealed that he was in a hotel.

    "Did I just sleep through the whole flight?"

    Brian got out of bed and noticed a note on the floor which read:

    Hey Brian, if you're reading this then I guess you finally woke up. On
the dresser is your mask and costume for the night. And you probably
already figured this out, but I kinda spiked your meds.

Jace

    "I am going to kill that punk!" thought Brian.

    Brian walked towards the dresser and found a gold mask and another
note.

    Hey Brian if you're wondering why you only found a mask, well that's
because...well you're basically nude the whole party except for your
mask. Have Fun

Jace

    "Great, nude parties."

    Brian stripped all the way down to nothing. He looked at himself and
saw the cuts on his left arm. Brian grabbed his mask, strapped it around
his head. Brian walked towards the door and as Brian opened the door he
said, "Hope it won't just be girls."