As you do~

~Note, Please tell me if there’s anything really good, or anything I need to work on (other than grammar.) I feel any feedback helps me become a better author. So any questions, comments or concerns are welcome. Thank you for reading this!~

If there’s one thing I’m afraid of it’s losing someone.I’ve never been big on friends, but the ones I have, they’re mine. I would take a bullet for them, even if they wouldn’t for me. I’m not the scared type. Or the romantic type. While all the other girls have been running around with guys, shrieking and giggling on the playground; flirting in middle school was not my forte. Hell, I didn’t even like a guy first.But once just for shits and giggles I joined in the game.

•Flashback•

“Marli come join us!” Lucienne yelled as she and my other friend Isolde giggled.

Okay this is fifth grade... why are we still doing this?!

Isolde’s puppy dog eyes coupling with the fact that I stayed up reading last night make me crumple.

“Yeah... Okay” I rolled my eyes as I got up from the bench I was sitting on.

“So... we just, we just run around? And flirt?” I asked staring at the group of guys playing soccer.

How I wished I could join in. Lucienne nodded her coarse black hair shivering as she grabbed a piece.

“Lucy you’re fine. Don’t eat your hair.” Isolde was like our mother figure.

Lucienne and Isolde went perfect together. They looked like sisters as well, if you count that Isolde has light brown hair that was naturally curly. Lucienne was taller, and Isolde was skinny and looked like a twig while Lucienne, well... she was the same.Lucienne quickly took her hair out and looked around.

“There’s Alaric.” She blushed and smoothed down her hair.

“I’m, I’m going to talk to him”

She stared at him with whatever the most passion a 10 year old could.

Alaric looked over at us, a ragtag group and waved and smiled. “I’m going over there” Lucienne whispered with determination and grabbed at her arm to stop it from shaking. I looked over Isolde's shoulder.

I could see why Lucy liked him.

Blond hair, aqua eyes. I took him in.

And I saw him smile at Lucienne with his white braced teeth and saw him wrap his somewhat tan arm around her.

I was jealous. I stared at him looking into her eyes.

And I was jealous.

I didn’t realise it but when she was coming back Lucienne was biting her lip and blinking furiously to hold back tears.

“So when do we run?” I asked as she got back.

“Never.” She bitterly snapped. Then she burst into tears.

“What happened Luci?” Isolde asked as she sobbed into her jacket.

“He said, he said that, that he would never, never chase no-bodies around, like us, because, because we are ugly and our mothers wish we weren’t born.”

I had half a mind to snap his neck right then and there.But it wasn’t all

“He said, he was willing to do, do it, if only Marli joined in. Because she, she was beautiful”

Isolde turned to me.

“Go.” She whispered, her eyes flashing.

“What? Why?”

“You’ve just broke Luci’s heart. Go”

I shook my head. And walked away.

•End of flashback•

That was the worst day of my life. Lucienne and Isolde are popular now, waltzing around with their friends. I don’t need anyone. I have my friends. At least I think I do...

While Isolde waltzes around with her prize, her girlfriend named Naomi, Lucinenne has made it her mission to date every hot guy in succession. Her only woe? Alaric, who now goes by Al.

He goes to the same gym with me. He lives next to me, moved in 8th grade.

He’s gotten hotter while I’ve dyed my hair pink, then blue and now purple. His braces came off, he somehow got so much more muscular.

He’s also I think Gay... I’ve only ever seen him with guys. I don’t know if he just doesn’t have girlfriends, or if he doesn’t invite them over, but I swore I saw him and the lead of our last musical kissing in his room last night.

Our last play incidentally was Fun House.

You know I still like him.

His personality probably hasn’t changed. But I have. And I’m done with romance.

One bad encounter has ruined it. And my parents love life isn’t much better. So why try, when it will probably end up like your parents?

What’s the point in trying if the person you are trying for won’t see you.

There’s a knock on the door.I look up from my phone. Where I’m texting my one friend, Christine.

I rush down the stairs and Open the door.

“Oh, uh, hey”

It’s Alaric.

“Hey Al” He smiles

“Why are you over here?”I ask pulling my fingers through my hair.

“Just finding a place to hide a body, as you do” he smiles at me.

I laugh“Well I won’t tell. Personally I wouldn’t hide it here”

I smile back at him

“Well. Yeah.”

He falters and I take the silence and run

“Are you gay?”He blushes

“No.” “Oh. I swore I saw you and Justin-"

He cuts me off

"I can’t talk now- well not here. He grabs my arm.

“Meet at my house, 9:30.”

And he gives me his number and leaves.

How mysterious.Honestly I’m going to text him.

“Hey it’s Marli,”

I don’t know if he’ll respond, but the little bubbles show up and he quickly responds.

Unknown Person: “Hey”I’m naming him

🤣He who can’t talk now🤣

Me: “What was that all about?”🤣He who can’t talk now🤣: “My mom”

I don’t buy that for a second.

Me: “Oh”

🤣He who can’t talk now🤣: “Are you straight?”

Me: “Ummm”

🤣He who can’t talk now🤣: “lol thought so”

Me: “what does that mean?”

🤣He who can’t talk now🤣: “oh nothing. Btw I’m pansexual”

Me: “Oh. I’m... not really... sure”

🤣He who can’t talk now🤣: “it’s fine, whatever floats the proverbial boat Mar”

Me: “lol”

So he has changed in 7 years.When is 9:30?Okay like 5 hours. That’s too many.I wonder what we’re going to do. So much fills my head, many involving kissing.Maybe I should be an author. I look down at my phone and see that well.

Mom: “Tacos or Burgers for dinner”

Of course my life isn’t going to be anything interesting. It’s going to be same old same old.But there’s got to be a way out. I sigh and respond.

Me: “Burgers please.”

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