“I don’t really know,” Brandon said. “All I can really suggest is that you be patient with your dad. Try and respect him when the issues are small, and try to explain to him in a calm and thoughtful way why you might not be inclined to comply with his request when it’s a bigger issue.”
“He’s done just a complete one-eighty,” Brandt said. “His argument is that I need to change because I’m an adult, but, I’ve been an adult for three years.”
Brandon gathered his lips in response to Brandt’s profane emphatic.
“It’s like he’s trying to deny that he’s only pushing me to change because of her,” Brandt said. “He’s even alleging that he’s not changed his standards or anything like that, but that I’ve randomly decided to be pigheaded or something. It’s so frustrating.”
Nodding again, Brandon looked sober.
“I mean, I know, we Remingtons are stubborn,” Brandt said. “But, he’s… he’s lying.”
“You’ve lied to him, Brandt,” Brandon replied.
“But, like… I’ve had a legit reason,” Brandt said. “I don’t understand why he’s lying, I would rather he just tell me he wants me to change to make Veronica happy instead of continuing to beat the broken drum of ‘you’re an adult, you’re an adult, you’re an adult’. I would rather the truth.”
“As you know,” Brandon said. “I would never say there’s a legitimate reason to lie, but I will agree that it sounds to me that his lying isn’t really warranted, considering that the truth is kind of obvious.”
“Kind of?” Brandt asked. “It’s as obvious as the nose on my face.”
“I’m functioning on hearsay,” Brandon said. “As much as I’m your best friend and know you well, I’m not going to speak in definitives of things I’ve not witnessed.”
Brandt sighed. “I feel like Veronica doesn’t like me, and she’s twisting everything to Dad, trying to drive him and me apart. Even Uncle Maynard says he feels like Veronica’s trying to drive him and Dad apart.”
“It’s kind of early to be saying that, isn’t it?” Brandon asked.
“They’ve been dating for three years,” Brandt replied. “And they’ve made all kinds of plans in that time without telling me, including the plans to build the new house. They might well tear the old one down around my ears on me for all I know.”
“I wouldn’t think they’d go quite that far,” Brandon said.
“That’s what it feels like,” Brandt said. “But… I mean… Dad tried so hard, I know he was trying — misguidedly, but trying — to forge a bond with me once Justine and Summer moved out and it was just the two of us, and now he’s just obliterating it, as if it never mattered.”
“Have you told him that?” Brandon asked.
“What good would it do?” Brandt asked.
“You never know until you try,” Brandon replied.
Brandt sighed. He wasn’t sure that it would do any good, but he doubted Brandon was going to let him get off without trying, no matter how much he might want to.
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