"Have any of you talked to Marco lately?" Paige asked as she sat down at the lunch table. When none of us answered, she sighed. "Dylan's been trying to call for several days but nobody ever answers. He's getting really worried. Marco hasn't been in school, and doesn't answer his cell."

"Maybe he's sick," I suggested, not really all that worried. I mean, it happens, right? He probably had the flu and had turned off his cell and was sleeping all the time.

Paige looked at me like I was being stupid.

"We should ask Ellie," Hazel suggested. Unlike my suggestion, hers was met with murmurs of approval from everyone else. Like that's so much smarter than what I said?

"Someone should stop by his place after school," Paige added, looking at me pointedly.

Why was she looking at me like that? "Me?"

"Well you are his best friend."

"Actually, that would be Ellie," I replied just to be argumentative. It's not that I minded going to see my friend, but...well, Paige and I were planning to go out. And, no offense to Marco, but I'd far rather be out driving around with Paige than sit around watching him throw up or something.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine," she scowled, turning away and pouting.

I sighed. I guessed that meant that unless I agreed to go check on Marco, we wouldn't be out driving around together any time soon. "Fine. We can go by after school and make sure he's eating his chicken soup," I relented.

"Thank you, Honey Bee," she cooed, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek.

I am such a sucker.

Since I said I would, after school I headed over to Marco's to make sure he was okay. I wasn't too upset, though, when nobody answered the door. Hazel and Paige were going to wait for me at The Dot, so I was just going to head there and tell them that the Del Rossis appeared to have left town or something.

Unfortunately, before I made a clean getaway, Ellie showed up.

"Nobody's home," I informed her as she passed me coming up the walk.

"The light's on in Marco's room," she replied simply, pointing up to the window. Not bothering to go to the front door, instead she went straight for the rose trellis. Like she'd done it a million times before or something, she scaled the trellis, slid open the apparently unlocked window, and slipped inside.

Fine. Showoff.

I wasn't about to be outdone, though. Not if I'd have to go back and admit to Paige that Ellie had gotten to see Marco while I hadn't. I waited for a moment to make sure that she wasn't going to just climb back down a moment later announcing that Marco wasn't home, and then went to climb up after her.

She made it look really easy, but I'm telling you it wasn't. Those rose trellis things were not meant to be climbed.

Not to mention I got about a thousand little cuts from thorns.

All to make Paige happy.

I tumbled into Marco's room less than gracefully.

"Ow, damnit," I cursed, rubbing my head. "You could have gone down and unlocked the door," I informed Ellie, who looked less than impressed.

Her attention didn't stay on me long, though. Instead, it returned to the space between Marco's bed and the wall. It took me a moment to realize why. Though I couldn't see him clearly, I could tell that Marco was sitting over there on the floor. He was bundled up in his blanket, and had his head down, avoiding looking at either of us. Or more likely hiding his face.

Probably the chicken pox. He was always so concerned about looking good. It would be gasp horrible if he had blemishes on his pretty little face.

"Oh, hey, Marco," I greeted, flopping down on the bed, not worried about catching the pox. I've already had it. Like twice, which isn't supposed to be possible, but somehow it had.

Ellie stared at me, incredulous.

"Go away," Marco mumbled, sounding absolutely terrible. Maybe it wasn't the chicken pox after all. A cold, maybe. He sounded really stuffed up. I scooted a little bit farther away. Chicken pox exposure, fine, but a cold? Then again, taking three days off from school like Marco had would be cool. I scooted closer again, inhaling germs as much as possible.

Ellie stared at me, incredulous.

"Please, just go away," Marco tried again, not looking up.

"Marco, what's wrong?" Ellie asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he replied, sounding anything but fine. "I'm just tired. Go away."

"Look at me," she insisted.

"Ellie, please, just go away," he pleaded weakly.

"He's moody when he's sick," I surmised.

Ellie stared at me, incredulous.

"Fine, we'll leave, but only if you tell us what's wrong, first," she returned her attention to Marco. She reached out, apparently to like start petting him or something weird like that, but as soon as her hand neared him, he jerked away, hitting his head against the wall.

Ellie glared at me before I could start laughing at his misfortune. What?! It's funny when it happens to other people!

"Marco?" she tried again. "Look at me."

When he finally did, I lost all temptation to laugh. Ellie sucked in her breath and turned away for a few moments to compose herself while I stared at him, stunned. "W-what...?"

He looked toward me through bloodshot eyes. Actually only one bloodshot eye. The other was swollen shut. His eye wouldn't meet mine. "The park..." he let out a shaky laugh. "I don't learn...stupid, huh?" he rasped out, smiling bitterly before lowering his face again.

What did he mean about the park? I had to think for a few moments before I realized what had happened. He'd been bashed again. Man. He looked a lot worse than the last time, even. I grimaced, thinking that if his face looked that bad, what the rest of him probably looked like. Not that I'm like wanting to see the rest of him or anything weird like that.

"When...?" Ellie asked softly, wiping her eyes before turning back to face him.

"Saturday."

"Wh-why didn't you call me?" she asked softly, pulling the bed away from Marco, and then moving so she could squat down beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. At first he seemed to be trying to draw back, pressing himself against the wall, but after a few moments, he gave in and leaned against her, letting out a little sob that he'd obviously been trying to hold in. The warning look that Ellie gave me convinced me not to say a word.

"I'm sorry," Marco whispered.

I sat awkwardly on the bed, wondering if maybe I should go. I had no idea what to say to him. I mean, I felt bad and all. He didn't deserve getting beat up. Again. Same park and everything.

Wait.

I frowned.

"What were you doing there?" I asked, confused. There wasn't like a hockey game that night or anything. And he wasn't out with Dylan. I'd seen Dylan over at Paige's and he'd said something about studying for a midterm.

"Spinner," Ellie hissed. I was just asking!

Marco didn't answer, but buried his face against Ellie. My eyebrows shot up at the way she held his head to her boobs without even seeming to notice. Wow.

I wondered if that was a move that only worked for gay guys.