Ernie glanced around his room and cringed. To his shame, it was horribly messy. Here he had always prided himself on keeping it under control, and now it was a complete wreck. Sure, twenty-some years worth of stuff is a lot. He hadn't been at home a lot since he started college, but that still didn'tchange the fact that he had to get it all cleaned up before he moved out in a few weeks. Surveying the many objects littering the floor and knowing that the closet was even worse, he couldn't help feeling thankful that Marisa had agreed to come and help him out. It was a very generous offer considering how busy and stressed she was, and it had been just what he needed to finally get motivated enough to start the task he had been dreading for so long.
He decided that he would attack the problem at the source and start with the closet. He gingerly walked over careful to avoid all of the mysterious objects littering the floor. He closed his eyes, reached in, and pulled out the first thing his hands landed on—his old backpack. Goodness gracious, it had been so long since he had used it. Yet, as opened it, he found himself taking inventory of the items inside just as he had before. One sweat shirt, one pair of sweatpants, one water bottle with purification tablets, one rain poncho, one protein bar, one can of bug spray, and one pink shirt. He pulled out the ratty pink shirt and spread it out on the floor. Its now worn white letters still said "#1 team", but the hems of the shirt were littered with holes. He held it up to his nose to discover that the original smell had been replaced by the pungent odor of his own perspiration.
That pink shirt held so many memories and instantly took him back to his first mission with the Organization's Next Gen Agent program. Ever since he had found out that his parents were spies, he had known that his future lay in following in their footsteps, and he had put in his application for the Next Gen program his senior year of high school. However, he couldn't help but feel scared as he anticipated his first mission. It was a weed-out step, and only those who passed it were invited to join the program. Sure, he'd been doing fieldwork for years, but those who knew him best had made no secret of their lack of faith his abilities. Besides, the stakes were high—flunking meant letting those around him down and perhaps the same fate that had awaited his Aunt Erica. He had been absolutely terrified as he went to the room where his briefing would take place. He just wasn't sure he was going to make it.
Finally, the very overwhelming briefing ended, and Ernie was taken to meet his partner. His racing heart slowed down when he caught sight of her pink shirt. It was Marisa! In his excitement, he threw his arms around her enveloping her in a ginormous bear hug. She had been surprised at the gesture but had simply lead him in making their plan for completing the difficult mission. Somehow, her confidence was comforting even when she admitted that she didn't really know what she was doing either. By the time that they stepped out into the August daylight, he had felt like he had a chance.
Despite their plans, the mission was very grueling. Crossing DC to the Organization headquarters without getting caught by the Organization agents on their tail was anything but easy. They found themselves often on the run, frequently stopping at questionable restrooms to change, and repeatedly almost getting caught. When darkness fell, Ernie felt his nervousness return—he didn't trust the city at night. Marisa too was wary and reminded him to look out for suspicious individuals. Hearing her words reminded him that he had always considered it his duty to look after Marisa. Their situation was no excuse for him to hold back. Looking out for her kept his mind off of fears of failure as they bravely crossed the dark streets of DC.
They finally reached their destination at 3:00 am—thrilled but exhausted. After congratulating each other, they headed home for a much needed rest. The next morning, Ernie felt on top of the world to have conquered not only the mission but also his own fears of inadequacy. It was an occasion worth remembering, and he strained to find some little memento to remind him of his conquest. As he cleaned out his backpack that day, he had discovered Marisa's pink shirt. Doubtless, she had accidentally mistaken his backpack for her own during one of their countless clothing changes. Initially, he thought that he would return it, but then he realized that it would be the perfect souvenir. It smelled of Marisa's perfume giving him the same warmth the bear hug had. It said "#1 team", and that was what they had been. He was soon thoroughly convinced that there was no way that he could give it back. It meant too much to him already.
As the months past, Ernie only became more attached to the pink shirt. He carried it at the bottom of his backpack on training missions and slept with it under his pillow on nights before a test. Seeing its bright pink color reminded him of the time that he had believed in himself and succeeded, and smelling the sweet hint of perfume that still lingered always calmed him when he was feeling upset. It was his little secret; no one else would ever see the pink shirt. How could he really explain how he had acquired it and if he succeeded at that, why it meant so much to him?
The week of his sophomore finals, he slept with the pink shirt under his pillow as usual. On his way out the door, he took it out for one last whiff before he set out for his test. Its once strong smell was now becoming faint, but its presence still comforted him. Why not cut off a piece to take with him so he could have it physically with him while he took his test? He grabbed his scissors and was about ready to make a cut in it when he hesitated. What was he doing thinking that a little piece of cloth could really make him feel better? It was just a dirty old shirt with no power to make him do or feel better. This was getting ridiculous. He was becoming obsessed—with a shirt no less. Unless…a sudden thought stopped him dead in his tracks….unless this wasn't about the shirt at all. It wasn't ridiculous at all if this was really about Marisa.
Why wouldn't it be? She was the one who had made that day worth remembering. She had helped him to believe in himself and lead him to success. Honestly she had always done that for him. Even when others' opinions were negative, she was always kind and supportive, and she let him be a man—someone who looked out for her and treated her with respect. Her attitude gave him the space and inspiration to be all that he could be. Maybe this whole obsession was ridiculous, but only because he was embracing the shirt and forgetting the girl.
Come to think of it, he honestly wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it before. He and Marisa been close friends forever. Although he had always viewed their relationship as strictly platonic, there had always been those little moments when they had ventured out of that territory. Years ago, she had even called him cute. He hadn't made anything of it at the time, but that was very high praise coming from Marisa. Heck, they had even fallen in love with each other online and almost gone out on a date. Letting the shirt slip out of his hands, he had walked out the door of his dorm room with a joyful heart knowing that his problem was solved and that he had found his happily ever after.
However, telling Marisa took more courage than he had anticipated. Although he considered it very likely she felt the same way, her friendship meant more to him than ever, and he knew that saying something to her could ruin it forever. Besides, he considered her way out of his league. She was a very classy girl, and her taste in guys was refined. He was the first to admit that he was quite quirky himself. Despite the fact that she had always treated him like he was worth her time, he couldn't help wonder if she would say no.
A few weeks later, he finally gathered the courage to call Marisa. To his surprise and delight, she was thrilled at the prospect of meeting him for picnic. They met at a park in DC on a beautiful May day. When the food was gone, Ernie had decided that the time was right to tell her all that was on her mind. He had said simply that he liked her a lot and that she was the best partner a guy could ask for. Her face had immediately turned red, and a small smile had graced her face as she said yes. They had wandered the park hand-in-hand after their picnic. Ernie's heart had been so light it felt like it would fly away. He had the girl and would never need the pink shirt again.
In his happiness, Ernie had buried the pink shirt in his backpack and forgotten about it, but seeing it now brought back so many memories. The past two years had been such good ones. Becoming Marisa's best friend was best thing that had ever happened to him. He had always thought he knew her well, but now he knew everything about her from her deepest secrets to the little things that her smile. In turn, he had been able to tell her his biggest fears and buried ambitions. In the love they shared, he had found something beautiful that exceeded his wildest dreams. After they started dating, it hadn't taken him long to know for sure that this was it. Last Christmas, he had given her a ring, and they were just a few weeks away from making the promises that would make them partners for life.
Just then, the sound of heels clicking on the stairs roused Ernie from his reverie. Marisa had arrived.
"Hey, that's my shirt," she said as he turned to look her way. "I was looking for it forever."
"Finders keepers," Ernie said with a evil grin on his face. "It's mine now." He hugged it tight.
"So Ernie Cooper, tell me what you're going to do with that shirt," she said sassily. "If you'd ask me, I'd suggest you wear to your bachelor party."
"Ahh, Marisa, I don't think it's really my style," Ernie replied tossing the shirt back to her. "Here you go."
"It's full of holes. What have you been doing with it? Sleeping with it under your pillow?" Marisa teased.
"Well, I was for awhile," Ernie said with a smile. "I've always needed you, and before I had you, all I had was this shirt. So why wouldn't I treasure it?"
"Dear sweet Ernie." Marisa came over and planted a kiss on his face.
"It was a poor substitute," Ernie said when they broke apart. "I love you, Marisa, you and only you." As he stared into her bright blue eyes, he couldn't help but feel thankful for ratty pink shirt and the journey it had taken him on. He was quite the lucky man.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this Marnie one shot. I'd love to know what you think. Just so you know, I'm still planning on continuing my other story. Look for an update soon.