It had been about a month, and the situation between the brothers still wasn't any better, along with Nixon's downward spiral. They were getting worse. So much worse than Nixon got pulled into the Dean's office because of his academics and behavioral issues. The drinking was way out of control.

Even with the Dean warning him it didn't matter, he still kept going until he took his anger out on another party guest and almost beat them to death. Nixon's rage was like no other.

The police showed up, and it took four officers to subdue him. He sat in jail for the night, and it took Noah to call home and tell his parents.

Hello?

"Dad?" Noah said, trying to maintain his composure.

Noah, what's going on, bud? Nate's voice filled with concern.

"Dad, it's Nixon, and it's bad."

Where's Nash? Nate's question hung in the air as Noah knew he had to tell his dad what was going on with Nixon and Nash.

"He won't listen to us, Dad. He hit Nathan. Dad, I don't know what to do," Noah said as his voice cracked.

Noah, it's okay. We're coming up there.

"I'm sorry, dad," Noah apologized to him.

No, Noah, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with this. Nate! Why did we get a letter from the school about Nixon? Noah heard his mom in the background. *Sigh* I have to explain things to your ma.

"Okay," he told his dad as he hung up with Nate and looked at Nathan, "when did we become the adults?"

"When the adults became the children," Nathan remarked to him.

I came downstairs to get something to drink when I saw Noah sitting outback alone. I walked, opening the door, and walked over, taking a seat next to him.

"Want to talk?" I offered as I sat next to him.

"What's there to talk about, Maggie? My brothers can't stand each other, and I feel like the mediator," he sighed.

"Noah, all families go through this. Sometimes they have to, just to become stronger," I explained.

"Maggie, you don't understand, it's always been us The Gray Brothers against the world. Now it's a Gray Brother against the world, alone," he said as he turned his head, looking at me with disappointment.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, and he leaned his head on me. "I just want things to be normal again."

"They will, but it's just going to take time," I assured him.

"Stupid Bryson," he mumbled.

"Bryson? What does Bryson have to do with this?" I looked at him, and Noah took a deep breath, exhaling it. "Noah, what does Bryson have to do with this?"

I dropped my arm, and Noah took a deep breath then said, "After you guys left, I went back into the dance and saw Bryson and Tiffany laughing and talking. I thought they broke up?"

I looked at him, "That's what Bryson said, but it was weird when they encountered each other at the diner. Then he kept pestering me about the dance."

"What do you mean?" He looked at me as he furrowed his brows.

"He tried to get me to go to the dance, but I turned him down. I also turned down Carson and Jace. I didn't even plan to go, and I was planning on all this happening."

"Wait, you weren't going at all?" He questioned me as I looked at him perplexed.

"No, I figured why bother? I wasn't with Nash, and I wasn't in the mood to attend a dance."

"But we took you to the dance," he told me. "Nixon even mention one day he would marry Kat."

"Noah, did you guys know about Nash proposing to me?" I asked him curiously.

"No, all we knew was he would try to get back with you. I mean, yeah, we knew he planned on it but not at homecoming."

"Wait, you guys knew he wanted to propose to me?" I looked at him even more confused than I already was.

"Well, yeah, when we followed him, Nixon punched him because he thought he was cheating, and Nathan accused him of being on drugs, then I found the engagement ring."

"None of this makes any sense. Then why would Bryson make such a spectacle of things at the dance?" I questioned the whole situation.

"Well, because of Nixon, Bryson got his ass beat in high school," Noah reminded me.

I thought about it, then it hit me, "Oh god, this had nothing to do with me," I said, getting up.

"What?" Noah got up and followed me inside. Before I went to talk to Nash, there was a knock at the door. I changed my course and opened it to reveal Nate, Pat, and Nolan.

"Hey Maggie, our boys wouldn't be around, would they?" Nate asked me.

Noah saw his parents and turned to leave when Nate said, "Noah, stay." Noah stopped dead in his tracks. "Good, now you can get your idiot brothers, especially drunky. I would like to have a word with them."

They walked in, and Noah went to get his brothers, returning shortly with them.

"Ma!" Nash said.

"Dad!" Nathan added.

"Shit," Nixon commented.

"Hello, boys. Would someone care to explain to me why all hell is breaking loose, and Nixon is getting kicked out of school?" Nate questioned the four of them looking pissed.

We all looked at each other. It would be a long night.

"So, let me get this straight. You screwed up your academic future and relationships because you told everyone that you love Maggie," Nate pointed at Nixon.

"You are a big tool and turn your back on your brother while hitting your other brother," he pointed to Nash.

"And you decided that calling Maggie a hoe was a way to get your brother's attention," he pointed at Nathan.

"All the while, all three of you have put Noah in the middle. That caused a rift between everyone," Pat added.

"Damn, you guys are tools," Nolan remarked while shaking his head. We all looked at him as he shrugged.

"Dad," Nash started to say.

"No, Nash, you don't get to talk. None of you get to talk. Because none of you fucking listen," Nate spoke sternly. Whoa, I have never heard Nate cuss like that.

"You boys are brothers. We did not raise you to fight against each other, well, siblings fight, but that's not the point," Pat said.

"Hun?" Nate said as he looked at Pat.

"Yes," she replied to him.

"Let me handle this," Nate said to her.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Now, since the only one who can be reasonable is Maggie, I will let her explain," Nate said to them.

"What?" They all shouted, then started talking.

"Enough! Now shut it!" He ordered them.

He looked at me. Well, this was great.

"Maggie, what happened?" Nate asked me.

"Bryson happened," I said.

They all snapped their attention to me.

"How so?"

"When Nash and I weren't together, he asked me to the dance, but I declined. He kept asking, but I said no. Then Carson and Jace asked me; I said no to them."

"Carson and Jace?" Pat and Nate exclaimed.

"Yeah, apparently they have a crush on me," I replied, brushing off that part. "Anyway, the boys and the girls tied me up, taking me to the dance."

"What?" Nate looked at the boys who sunk into their seats.

"But in their defense, they were trying to get me to the dance after Kat tackled me, and Macey knocked me out," I added, not making the whole scenario sound any better.

"Oh, this just gets better and better," he said to Pat.

"Hmm," she nodded in agreement.

"Then they got me to the dance where Nash and I got back together. Then Nash proposed to me, which I never gave him an answer," I told them.

They did a double-take and exclaimed, "Propose?" They looked at Nash, who covered his face with his palm.

"Before I answered, Bryson, started yelling, next Nixon started yelling, and in the process, Nixon said that he loved me."

They did another double-take, "What?" They looked at Nixon, who shrank down even more in his chair.

"Then, Kat and Nixon broke up. Nash quit talking to Nixon, who started drinking, and things spiraled out of control. Then Nixon went to jail for disorderly conduct, which how did you get out?" I asked Nixon.

He glared at me as Jaime said, "We bailed him out," as he came down the stairs. Jaime, Jace, and the triplets walked into the room.

"Oh, Nixon hates me. I hate him, and we're one big happy family," I said.

Nate and Pat looked at me then promptly sat down.

"This is more drama than a damn soap opera," Nate commented to Pat.

"Yep," she agreed.

"So, how does Bryson fit into all of this," Nate asked me curiously.

"He set Nixon up," Noah answered.

Everyone looked at him as Nash asked, "What?"

Noah turned to Nash. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, but you wouldn't listen. After you all left the dance, I found him with Tiffany, laughing and talking."

I looked at Nash, who looked like he would hurl. Nixon looked pissed, and Nathan looked lost.

"It doesn't matter," Nixon said. We all looked at him. "I lost my brother, my girl, and I'm getting kicked out of school. So yeah, fuck my life." He got up and went upstairs.

"You know, Nixon got the shit end of the stick here," Caleb said, breaking everyone from their thoughts. "He did nothing wrong but yet still got the blame. Shitty if you ask me?"

At that moment, I didn't hate Nixon but felt terrible for him. He didn't deserve this.

"I'll talk to him," Pat told us.

"Let me," we heard a voice say. We turned to see Kat standing there.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked her.

"Long enough to know to understand." She turned and went up to Nixon's room. She walked to his door and knocked on it, then opened it. "Nix?"

"Oh, you're talking to me?" he remarked with sarcasm oozing from his lips.

"Don't be an ass, Nixon," she ordered him.

"Whatever," he replied, not wanting to talk to anyone. He turned and faced the window.

She walked over to him. "I'm sorry." He said nothing. "It's just when I heard those words come out your mouth. It shocked me."

"But I didn't mean it like that," he replied defensively.

"I know," she added.

"Maggie is like a sister to me. I love her like a sister. I have no romantic feelings for her. I tease her because I love her like a sister."

"I know she explained it to me."

"I'm glad she did because apparently, no one gives a shit about the truth anyway," he huffed, still feeling hurt from being treated with disregard.

She looked at him, and he sighed.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. Things got so messed up, and it's my stupid fault. I should have just knocked him out."

"Nixon," she said, giving him a look.

"Kat, it's over. They're kicking me out. It was just a matter of time," he grumbled.

"Okay, but it's not over between us," she mentions to him.

He looked at her. "What?"

"Well, that's if you don't want it to be over with," she said, holding up her hand and showing her ring to him.

"You still wore it. Why?" He looked at her, surprised.

"I had hope," she shrugged.

He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "That's the best news I've heard in weeks."

"Maybe it's time for better news," they heard a voice say. Nixon and Kat turned to see Nash standing there. He walked over to Nixon. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to Noah."

"Yeah, you needed to, you twit," Nixon agreed.

Nash gave him a look, and Nixon shrugged.

"Nix, you're my brother."

"Yeah, yeah, you need not get all mushy on me, you big sap." Nixon waved him off, and Nash grabbed him, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you, brother."

"Love you too, you big dolt."

It was nice to see them make up. I still wasn't in the forgiving mood. That would take time.