Disclaimer: See this shiny gum wrapper? This is the only thing I own.
Author's Notes: Squee!
Blackowl892006: Wow, your review was in all capital letters! You really liked it! Aww, your compliments made me blush. Thank you so much! –throws a Tickle-Me-Marco-
Ash: Yes, indeed I do. There are three lovely Sparco's done by KinseySix. There is also Fits Like a Glove, by Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Duckies. All of them are awesome! I've also started a Sparco vampire ficlet. Thanks for reviewing!
fox eye: Spin was playing Go Fish with Mozzy because Spin is Spin. –shrugs- That's the only way I can explain it, anyway. Sometimes he gets a mind of his own in these stories...
Chanelle: Yeah, some parts are suppose to be funny. I'm glad your enjoying this fic so far, I hope you like this chapter too!
Cyanide Anytime: -throws a PWDLATWDST club t-shirt- Yeah! Thanks for the review!
Sloan Miette: Eep! I'm updating! Please don't sick Mozzy on me! I think Spinner and Marco are absouletly freaking adorable! Thanks for the kind review.
smoothNcreamy: I'm updating! Thanks for reviewing!
Amanda: Oh, getting you all hooked is part of my evil plot! I mean...err...I do it for the drugs? Thanks for reviewing!
drew's baby: -giggles- Gotta love the priceless. I swear, one of these days, I will make a tickle-me-Marco doll. Mark my shiny! Thanks for reviewing!
KinseySix: Everyone go read Cake, right now. That story was awesome! Yay for dirty doll sex. –laughs- Aw, thanks for the review.
torian princess: -blushes- Aw, thanks. I'm not that great, but I try. –throws tickle-me-Spinner as well- Thanks!
Squrlie Jack: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!
MyMindIsMyEchoside: -highfives- Yeah, go those of us who get Ellie! Thank you for the review.
anjel919: Oh, well thank you for the kind review. Hope you like this chapter!
RiseAgainPhoenix: -laughs a bit- I was at a total loss on how to spell that word. I hate it with a passion, and never say it, so I didn't real know how to spell it. Thanks for the kind review!
Enigmus: Yeah, I know, I've been lacking on my updates. I'll try, I promise! Thanks for reviewing!
Bridget N: Get together? Oh, you poor thing. I have to make them suffer before they get together.
Marco: What do you call the last fourteen chapters?!
...plotline...
This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has been reviewing, and all my fellow Sparco and other slash couple writers. You all rule.
---
Chapter Fifteen: When The Smoke Clears
Geometry is stupid.
Geometry homework is even stupider.
No one understands it. I mean, no one. I don't think Mr. Lyle even gets it! It's evil, and it should die, an awful, horrible, painful death. In case you haven't noticed, I hate Geometry with a burning passion of...um...hatred. The only reason we have to do this stuff is because it's all some sort of conspiracy; the teachers want to slowly drive us all insane so they don't have to deal with us anymore! I've yet to find solid evidence to support the theory, but I will someday. Come on, you know it's true.
"Boys night," I overhear Jimmy say. "We'll go see the new slasher fic down at the mall, grab some buffalo wings, play some pool; no girls in sight!"
"And that's a good thing because...?" Craig questions.
"Because girls are stupid," Spinner comments as he takes his seat in front of me. I peer up at him underneath my bangs before returning my attention to the book –evil, evil!- in front of me. I feel him patting my shoulder. "Marco will agree with me."
"Yeah, yeah, girls suck. God guys...I don't have time for your perverted comments right now. I have to figure out whether this chick can figure out if she makes a right triangle with the duck. Why does she need to make the right triangle with the duck, anyway? She's such a freak."
I can feel their eyes on me, giving me confused looks. I ignore them, instead frowning as I try to count up the angles. Apparently, triangle AFI equals 143, which isn't right, because it has to equal 180. Mr. Lyle has drilled this into my brain, into all of our brains, and yet these idiotic people are trying to tell me it equals 143. Ha, they can't fool me!
"I know you equal 180. I don't care what..." I pause to look on the front of the book. "Jared Carter, Jonathan Cyrus, Jane Carry, or Jeremiah Carson say! Their just trying to throw me off! They can never defeat me. I am Marco, the angle master!"
I look up to see Spinner starring at me, a kind of terrified look on his face. Heh...perhaps I went a wee bit too far, but I can't help but be frustrated. Whoa, I just realized something. All of the authors names have the initials of JC. I knew it. It really is a conspiracy.
I look up when a pair of hands wrap around my calculator, trying to pry it out of my own grasp. "Dude, drop the calculator," Spinner tells me seriously.
"No," I say, trying to pull it back. "Mine. Give it back."
"You're gonna drive yourself crazy with this stuff," he assures me, yanking a bit on the top. "Besides, this is English. Why are you doing maths anyway?"
I glare at him defiantly as I try to pull my calculator back from him. "Because I didn't have time to do my homework last night, so I have to finish it up before class. Now give...it..." I tell him, scowling.
Jimmy and Craig exchange apprehensive looks.
Spinner continues pulling, and we keep up our mini-tug-of-war for the calculator. "Just let...go...of it," he says, his face twisting as he continues pulling.
"Never," I say confidently.
"Dude, it's just a piece of plastic with numbers. Hand it over."
"It's mine, damn it. Give it."
"No, you give."
"No, you give."
"You give!"
"You give!"
"Mr. Mason, Mr. Del Rossi! Hand over the calculator this instant!"
We stop our argument long enough to look up, seeing a rather irritated Kwan standing in front of us, her hand outstretched and waiting expectantly. Each of our grips on the calculator falters, and as soon as it is back in my possession, I quickly hand it to her. She gives us a cold glare before walking back up to her desk. I sulk a little, pouting, then glare at Spinner when he looks back at me. Maturely, he sticks out his tongue and turns around in his own seat.
I look over, seeing Ellie and Paige giving us blank looks. "Boys," they both mumble in unison.
I scowl down at the Geometry book, mentally cursing it. It's not my fault I couldn't finish it last night. Mozzy kept forcing me to do magic warm ups. Lift this, set that on fire, turn that to ice, control this hamster...it's tiring, and after a while, the redundancy of the lessons does get rather annoying.
I'm totally gonna flunk Geometry.
-
I stare at the test paper I hold, my eyes never straying from the deep red 76 at the top of the page. All right, so maybe I didn't flunk, but I was pretty close. No more supernatural practices on school nights. If Mozzy's insane schedule keeps up, I'll never graduate! The bell rings and I stand up, my gaze darting around the room to catch a glimpse of a friend to walk me to my locker. I never go alone anymore. It's so scary. Those fan girls will jump out at you when you least expect it!
I see Jimmy and stand up, walking over to him. He looks over, a small smile on his face, which quickly disappears when he sees me. I lift my hand and wave to him. He frowns, looks around frantically, then turns and quickly hurries from the room. I blink once or twice. What was that all about?
Confused, I continue to look around. Upon seeing no one else, I choke down my fear and begin the journey to my locker. Why did Jimmy run away when he saw me? That was...weird.
As I turn the corner, I see Jimmy and Craig, huddled together with thoughtful looks on their faces as they speak quietly but rushed. Raising an eyebrow, I walk over to them, smiling though I'm still confused as to why Jimmy avoided me earlier.
"...but I really wanted to see that movie. I mean, dude, Angelina Jolie. Angelina!" Jimmy says, his eyes narrowed.
Craig sighs, placing his hand on his friends shoulder. "Look, Jimmy man, I know. I want to see it too. But he said that..." He trails off, his gaze moving from the boy in front of him to me. I smile brightly. "Um, h-hey Marco!"
I tilt my head a little as I shift my books. "Who said what about what?" I question. "You guys aren't backing out of guys night, are you?"
The look on their faces tells me yes, and instantly a feeling of disappointment floats through me. Well that...that just sucks. I feel like I hardly ever get to spend any time with them anymore, especially Jimmy. We all used to be so close, and now it's as if we barely know each other anymore. I hate to think that our friendship is just going to crumble and disappear. Almost like Spinner and mine.
Spinner...hey, if their not going, then that means it's just Spinner and me, all alone for the whole night.
God, I can be so selfish sometimes! If they don't want to come, who am I to attempt to lay a guilt trip on them and force them to go? If they want to stay home -coincidently leaving me all alone with Spinner- then they can just do that!
"Hey guys," Spinner says, coming up behind me. "What's going on?"
Jimmy shifts, a huge, cheesy smile twitching his lips upwards. "Nothing. Nothing at all. We were just discussing our plans for tonight," he says, and his voice sounds strangely...fake.
Nodding, Craig adds, "Yes, yes we were. We," he says, throwing an arm around Jimmy's shoulder. "Jimmy and I, have decided how incredibly sexist and pigheaded we would be if we went out to a movie if only to try to get a glimpse of something underneath Angelina's shirt. And also, our girlfriends would highly disapprove. Therefore we have decided that, as already taken men, we shall not be attending the cinema with you tonight, which also means we shall have to forgo the entire boys night out."
I give him an odd look. Did he just say forgo? What the...? Since when did Craig speak in proper English? Wait, since when does he have a girlfriend? Did he and Ash get back together? See! I told you no one tells me things!
"Oh gee, that is to bad," Spinner comments, his surprise and disappointment just as fake and forced as Jimmy's was earlier. "I suppose that means Marco and I will just have to go alone. It can just be a bachelors night."
I look between them all, confusion in my eyes as I do. What's going on? I know something's going on, I just can't exactly place it. It's like they planned this whole meeting or something. But...why would they do that?
"Guys-" I begin, but am quickly cut off.
"Well that's settled." Craig grabs Jimmy by the wrist and leads him away. "See 'ya guys later!"
I blink at them as they go off, walking quickly down the hall. My mouth hangs open a bit, a question prepared to fall from my lips, but I realize I've nothing to say. I have no idea what just happened. I turn my attention back to the blond teen to my side, looking up at his face with a quizzical expression. He gives me a huge smile and pats my shoulder.
"Guess it'll just be us tonight," he says, that same smile, permanently fixated onto his features.
I nod, a bit apprehensive of the entire thing. "Yeah, guess so. Hey, did you think that they were acting a bit, um...weird?" I question.
He shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders as he pulls his hand away from my shoulder and runs it through the side of his shaggy blond hair. His soft, curly, shaggy hair, that smells like cinnamon, and suddenly I'm kind of jealous of his hand.
There's something seriously wrong with me, isn't there?
"I didn't think they were acting weird at all. In fact, they seemed perfectly normal to me!" I prepare to say something else, but he stops me, turning on his heel and beginning to head the way Craig and Jimmy ran off to moments earlier. "OK, well, gotta go Marco see 'ya later bye!" he says, rushed, then disappears down the hall.
I shift my books, still in a haze of confusion as to what the hell is wrong with everyone today. Deciding that it's not a good idea to dwell on it, since dwelling on such things could induce much unneeded pain, I head to my locker.
With a sigh, I walk to my locker, placing all of the books back in their correct order before grabbing my Civics book. I turn, looking out through the crowd, making sure that there are no crazy females who are going to jump up behind me and attempt to molest me whilst they comment me on my cuteness. Shudder.
Using my new, nifty little power-walk, I make it to Civ in record time. I quickly grab a seat near the back, making sure to rest my folder on the desk in front of me. I think I'd like to have a discussion with Craig, who luckily has this hour with me. As I wait for him, I allow a little grin to flitter across my features. Me and Spinner, totally alone, for one entire night. I probably shouldn't be this excited, but I am, and I can't help it. There will be no one to interrupt us. We can just...talk, hang out, like we used to. It will be a great bonding time for the two of us. I can finally get the dirt on the Paige and Ellie thing, and maybe even try to offer some support for him; I am his friend, after all, and I know he would do the same thing for me.
Not to mention the fact that we're going to see Blood and Guts, which will give me an excuse to get all snuggly with him whenever the scary parts come on.
"Hey Marco."
I look up at the sound of my name to see Ashley sitting in the seat which I had been planning to save for Craig. I open my mouth, preparing to inform her of this information, when a sudden light bulb goes off in my head. Duh! I can just ask her about it. I mean, come one, it's obviously Ash that he's dating. Who else could it be? Manny? No way. One, she's already going out with JT. And plus, it's just obvious that he and Ash are meant for each other. Their like...destined. Besides, if Manny married Craig, then her name would be Manny Manning; they couldn't possibly be together.
Perfectly content with this assumption, I decide to ask. "Hi!" I say brightly, giving a huge smile. "So, when did you two get back together?"
An odd expression passes over her features. She blinks a few times before tilting her head to the side. "Huh?" she asks.
"Hey, come on, don't keep the good news a secret!" I tell her. "I know." Leaning in so other people won't hear, I whisper, "Craig told me."
Her eyes narrow a but, almost looking suspicious as she speaks. "Told you what, exactly?"
"You know," I answer at the obvious question. Sighing, I decide that if she wants to play dumb, I should just go along with it. "You know...that you and he are back together."
And suddenly, her face is completely blank. Barren, expressionless, neutral...like Switzerland.
Um...OK. Wouldn't she be happy about the fact that she and Craig are back together? Oh wait, maybe I wasn't supposed to know! What if Craig just slipped about it because he was so excited that he finally got the women of his dreams back? Crap, I probably just ruined something. Mentally slapping myself, I begin to speak, trying desperately to think of something that could possibly save my friend in this situation. I am interrupted, however, when Craig decides to make his appearance.
Can you say, bad timing?
He gives a huge smile as he walks towards us. Ashley is still staring at me blankly. Uh, that's actually kind of starting to freak me out now. "Hey guys," he says brightly as he stops to the side of our desks. "Hey Ash, not to be rude or anything, but I was planning on sitting..." he trails off as she slowly turns, then stands up, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Oh no, I'm so sure you wouldn't mind, you egotistical, big-headed, rude, lying, cheating...hose head!"
There is an odd type of reverberation as she slaps him as hard as she possibly can across the cheek. He let's out a little 'ouchies!' before she turns around and stomps out of the classroom, declaring she has to go to the bathroom. Coach Langston just nods, then sits down, motioing for Craig to stop being such a 'whine baby' and sit down already. He does so, his palm still pressed to his most likely still stinging cheek.
...right.
Err...what just happened?
Craig turns back to me, giving me a look which pleads for some type of explanation as to what just happened. "What was that?" he asks. "What did you say to her?"
"Nothing," I assure him in a harsh whisper. "I swear. All I asked was when you guys had gotten back together, that was it. Maybe she just likes to see you in pain, or something. Hey, maybe she's one of those dominatrixs, like on Eurotrip, and she just-"
"You what?!"
I blink at him, trailing off in my rant. Don't ask where that came from. I had to explain to Mozzy the whole thing about Dominatrix the other night –she'd gotten into some of my parents movies; I didn't want to know- and I kind of had to explain it to her. Not that I knew, because I didn't! Yes, anyway...made me think of Ashley hurting Craig. Don't look at me like that...
"You asked her what?" he repeats again.
I shrug my shoulders a little, trying to put up my best 'I'm-innocent-don't-hurt-me' look. "When you two got together." He gives me a look mixed between confusion and anger, so I elaborate. "You said earlier that you were a taken man, which implies you got a girlfriend. I figured that since you and Ash are like, madly in love, it was her." I blink. "It was her, right?"
His eye twitches slightly. "What do you think?"
"Heh...oh...well...sorry." I let out a nervous laugh. "So, who are you dating?"
"No one!" he tells me.
I blink at him, suddenly very confused, and kind of angry, because I just know I'm being kept in the dark about something. "Craig," I begin softly, "If you're not dating anyone, then how, prey tell, can you have a girlfriend?"
His face goes blank for a few moments. He opens his mouth as if he is going to answer me, then closes it again. "I...do your work, Marco," he tells me sternly before turning around in his desk.
With a slight scowl, I tap his shoulder, trying to gain his attention. He bats my hand away. "I said do your work. You don't wanna end up living underneath a bridge, do you?" he questions me, not even bothering to turn.
Frowning at his logic, I comment, "I hardly believe that one failed crossword puzzle in Civics will somehow cause me to live underneath a bridge. And you said that-"
"Marco!" he says, still not turning. "Listen, it's simple. You fail this crossword puzzle, Langston gets upset, and makes you have detention, then your dad finds out you have gotten said detention, grounds you, and so in an act of rebellion, you sneak out, join a traveling circus, end up getting distracted in New York by the shininess of the Empire State building and miss the rest of the carnies, and, since you don't even have your GED, have to settle for walking ferrets and eating leftover corndogs while you sleep underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. For Gods sake man, do the freaking crossword!"
I grab my pencil and begin scribbling down the answers.
I hate corndogs.
-
It's not a date, Mozz, I tell her for the umpteenth time as we continue walking down the lightly frosted sidewalk to Spinner's house. I pull my jean jacket a little closer to me, thanking the almighty Gods of coincidence that I live close enough to my friends homes –and practically everywhere else in this town- that I can walk without having to bum a ride or freezing to death.
It's finally Friday, and I've been disturbingly hyper about this fact for the past...three days. I decided to just let go of the fact that Craig doesn't really have a girlfriend, or the weirdness of Jimmy and Craig dropping out of boys night; I decided to accept the fact that I would be alone –and possibly cuddled- with Spin without question. We're just gonna walk to the mall, have some wings, go to the movies, then head back to Spin's for the night. Yes, I'm spending the night, but I'm not kidding myself. I know nothing will happen. I mean, hell, it's not like we're...dating or something.
Yes you are.
We're just friends.
Who tend to kiss...a lot.
Good friends.
With weird jealousy rituals.
Shut
up Mozzy, I'm trying to think here!
Whatever. It's obvious that the two of your are going to...what is it you kids say now? Hook up? Yes, that was it.
I roll my eyes.
What? It's true. His girl left him, and he's probably kind of heartbroken right now. Added with the fact that I know he wants you, it's just a matter of time before he ends up jumping your bones! Honestly, you kids with your hormones. It's like some type of freaking ongoing orgy...
"Mozz!" I yell, my cheeks flaming with all the talk of Spinner and jumping and orgies. What? I'm sixteen! It's not like I'm completely innocent. I can have impure thoughts about Spinner and orgies!
Not that I would, of course...
Right, Mozzy tells me, and I can hear the mirth slipping into her voice. Your love for him is completely pure, devoid of fantasies involving the two of you and copious amounts of chocolate.
I stop, completely paralyzed in embarrassment and fear. Shocked, I don't even register the fact that I am knocking on the thick green door in front of me as I cry out, "You read my diary again?!"
A few chocking gurgles escape her, and at first I believe she is laughing. After a few moments, I recognize it as inconspicuous coughing. Raising an eyebrow, I look up, the blush that never really left my face intensifying tenfold as I see Spinner standing in the doorway, an odd look twisted onto his features. His bottle blond hair is slightly askew, as always, and my usual obsessive compulsive need to brush it into place is gone, because I suddenly realize how incredibly adorable it makes him look. I remove my eyes from his, realizing his gaze is making me even redder. I take in the baggy jeans he wears, the dark blue Kid Ellrick shirt and jacket. It's his usual look, but for some reason, tonight, highlighted in the soft glow of the setting sun, he looks...different somehow. Maybe it's because of last weeks revelation, you remember, the whole, oh-dear-God-I'm-in-love-with-my-best-friend, thing, or maybe not.
And suddenly I'm nervous. This is the first time we've been out, alone, since I realized that I loved him; and not just the friendship kind of love, the innocent kind, the kind of love that you say with as much heart and sincerity as any other kind of confession, minus the bleeding heartache. I mean the angsty, this is hell, wish I didn't but know I couldn't live without it kind of love. How pathetic am I? I decide to accept my feelings for him, and suddenly I can't even look him in the eye anymore! I have to brave! Deciding this, I look up, meeting his gaze.
"Dude, you keep a diary?" he questions. "That's so gay."
I'm both hurt and relived by the comment. Hurt, because yeah, I know, it means he still sees me in the light of the dirty homosexuals of the world, and I mean less to him because of that –I know I must- but the relief cancels out the pain. I guess I was worried that because I realized how I really felt about him, things would be different between us. But of course, that's not true, is it? Why would he change if he didn't know?
I do love it about him, though. He has no tact what-so-ever, he never will, and I thank God for it. It might have saved me a lot of heartache, but in the end, it's one of his most endearing qualities. He'll always tell me the truth. He'll always look me straight in the eye and tell me what he's thinking. I will always know where I stand with him –when he knows, anyway- even if I don't like it. He's a constant in my life, one of the things that will always stay the same.
Like a puppy.
Exactly- no! Not like a puppy. Why must you always try to dehumanize him when I'm doing my little internal monologue thingies?
Because he is like an animal! All animal instincts. Survival and reproduction. You do fall under the latter category, of course. One of these days he's just going to-
A heavy sigh pulls my attention away from the cat.
The cat? Is that how you classify me now? You know, other familiars have charges who freaking respect them. Call them sensei and actually, I don't know, listen to them at times instead of trying to seduce every boy they know.
Spinner is starring down at Mozzy, looking at her with confusion and a bit of bitterness. "You brought the cat."
What the hell is up with everyone call me 'the cat'? It's bad enough you give me a stupid little kitty nickname. Mozzy, ha! Do you know if any man in the village had called me that, I would have strung them up by their-
"Yeah!" I say, choosing to tune out the rest of Mozzy's comment. "She wanted to come. She likes horror movies."
He raises an eyebrow, and a little smile plays on his lips. "You're a weird kid, Marco." He reaches out, ruffling my hair affectionately. Mmm...Spinner warm. "See 'ya Mom! I'll be back in a few hours." Without even awaiting his mothers answer, he closes the door.
"Ready?" he asks me. I nod happily –if not a wee bit too enthusiastically- and turn with him as we begin making the twenty minute walk towards the mall.
Mozzy walks a few steps behind us, and I glance back at her, making sure she's not going to do anything. Not that there's anything she can really do, other than jump on Spin's back and try to claw him to death.
Frightened by the thought –and more frightened that I thought of the thought- I decide to strike up conversation. "Sucks that Craig and Jimmy couldn't come." I pause to look at him, then lean up, whispering almost in a conspirital tone. "You know, I don't think Craig even has a girlfriend."
A look of something akin to fear passes over his face, but it is quickly replaced with surprise. "Really? Huh, I had no idea. That's just...odd."
I furrow my brow. He knows something. I can smell it –not literally, cause that would be creepy, but it sounds cool. I will get something out of him! "Maybe," I press on lightly. "You don't think it's me, do you? I didn't do anything to...upset him, did I?"
"No," he says quickly, an almost concerned kind of...something slipping into his voice. "Of course not. Craig's just...OK, well, actually, it's the movie. He's like, completely freaked out by horror movies. He would probably piss his pants or somethin' if he went to see it with us."
You're not going to buy that, are you? Mozzy asks.
Well...yeah. It makes sense, actually.
Dilli. I wouldn't trust anything that raklo (1) said.
Would you please stop calling him names in Romany?
I'll stop calling him names when he stops being stupid.
You're so immature.
"Oh," I say, remembering to carry on my conversation with Spin even as I talk to Mozzy. "And Jimmy...?"
"Needed an excuse to play tonsil hockey with Hazel."
"Of course."
We both laugh a little at that. It's weird seeing him with her, but oddly, it fits...in an odd sort of way. We carry on conversation to the mall, stopping only to burst out into our very own rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, if only to scare the passing pedestrians with our horribly off-key voices. We stop only when Mozzy sees fit to attach herself to Spinner's ankle with her teeth. Discovering that we've got another good thirty minutes or so of free time before the movie, we decided to eat now.
"...and so the dude like, freaking, takes the thing and stabs it into the other guys eye!" he says.
"Is that even humanly possible?"
Grinning –the kind of grin that I can't tell is just comedic or actually really- he says, "Think Radditch would suspend us if we tried to do it as a science project?"
Before I answer, I stop dead in my tracks, starring at the flashing red sign of the restaurant we were heading in to. Spinner looks at me, then taps my shoulder, gaining my attention.
"What's with the hold up?"
I sigh a little, glancing back at Mozzy, who is standing behind us. "What about Mozz? I don't think anyone 'll care about the movies, but in there?" I say, pointing at the Mater D who is currently showing a couple to a table.
A thoughtful look passes over his features. "We could leave her at the Pet Store."
She hisses, and I bend down to pick her up, if only to keep her from lunging at him. "I don't think so," I tell him, petting her behind the ears, trying to calm her before she tries scratching anything important.
"Why'd you bring her anyway?" he says, a bit annoyed. "It was just supposed to be you and me tonight..." he murmurs.
"What?" I ask him. I'm sure I caught the words, but they don't make sense.
He catches himself, scratching the back of his neck in an almost nervous fashion. "I said...uh...it's coast-to-coast Scooby-Doo tonight."
I raise an eyebrow, giving him an apprehensive glance. "Yeah. Um, that's uh, what I thought you said."
Hello. Issue of 'the cat' here. I know your completely captivated by your raklo's breathtaking stupidity, but you are not leaving me in the pet store.
"I know Mozz. I would never leave you in there." Alone. With mice. I would never have enough money to pay all that...
"Oh, oh, light bulb!" Spinner says suddenly.
This should be good, Mozzy murmurs.
Shh, I tell her. I wanna hear this.
"What?" I ask him.
With a small, scary kind of smirk, he says, "Hand over your jacket."
Spinner's mind works in...mysterious ways. Sometimes when he gets an idea, well, bad things happen. And, for some odd reason, I always seem to agree with them. So when he suggested I stuff Mozzy into my jacket and zip it up all the way, I could only argue for a few moments before actually doing so, much to the detest of my cat. Finally, after a bit of begging and pleading like the pitiful sap I am, she agreed.
The Mater D barely even noticed. I mean, he glanced down, and his eyes took on a small shine of curiosity at my slightly giggling stomach. Sitting was a bit uncomfortable, but after a bit of readjusting on Mozzy's part, it was all good. In fact, I managed to kind of forget about her, and just talk with Spin. I got the details on the break-up with Paige. He's hurt, yeah, but apparently not heart-broken.
And, of course, this brings up Ellie's earlier words. He loves someone else. I'm not sure if I should pursue the subject. I want to know, don't get me wrong. Curiosity is killing me. Who is it that really holds his heart? Who is it that, deep down, truly, madly, deeply, Spinner really wants? On the other hand, I think it might completely break me if I knew. What happens when he tells me about her? About this incredibly gorgeous, funny, smart, perfect girl that he can't live without?
I'm almost grateful when he cuts me off as I begin to ask him.
"Marco, I um...well...I kind of wanted to tell you something." He almost looks serious, and if it wasn't for the twitches of nervousness passing over him, I would be scared.
"Yeah?" I ask as casually as possible.
He smiles a little, almost nervously so. "Look dude, I don't know really...how to say this. Hell, I guess I'll just come out and say it. I'm not...see, I'm not exactly who you think-"
"Oh my God!"
Both Spinner and I jump at the blood curling shriek. I turn my head wildly, searching for the source of the cry. Finally, my gaze lands on a middle-aged woman. She has to be at least fifty, I deduce as I trail my eyes over her wrinkles, which are caked with foundation at least two times to dark for her skin color. Spinner looks over at me, and I can tell that not only is he seriously frustrated, he is wondering why in the hell the fat old chick –his words...thoughts...glare, not mine- was screaming. I shrug my shoulders in response.
The Mater D comes rushing over towards her. "Ma'am," he questions worriedly, a napkin in one hand and a try of chocolate deserts in the other. "Ma'am, what happened? Are you all right?"
She turns to him, her eyes narrowed, and I get a glimpse of the deep purple she has smudged over her eyelids. "No, I am most certainly not all right!" she huffs. Her voice has a slightly British tone to it, thought it's quite obvious that she's from around here. Spinner and I both snicker. She steps up to him, looking anything but intimidating as she pokes the taller man in the chest. "What kind of establishment are you running here? I come to get a proper meal..."
"Not like she needs it," Spin whispers.
"And what do I find? Filth! Utter filth!" Her lips curls into a sneer as she pushes him a little. "You disgust me."
The Mater D flushes, and I can't help but feel a bit of sympathy for him. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. Please, tell me what's happened. I will try to-"
"Try?" she questions, her voice seeming even more snotty. "My good boy, you have tried, and you have already failed! Why, just look! Look there! How could you allow such a dirty, disgusting, filthy, inhuman...animal into this place?!"
She points perfectly sculpted, ruby red finger towards us, and for a moment, I think she is pointing at me. For a moment, I believe that somehow she has honed her gaydar to the max, knows what I am, and Spin and I are going to be thrown into the street after I'm beaten with kitchen utensils.
It is only moments later that I realize she is indeed not pointing at me; she is pointing at my cat.
Blinking, I look down to see Mozzy's slick black head sticking out of the open place of my pocket. She is lapping at my French fries, meowing happily as she leans across the table, taking a bite of Spin's cheesecake.
Mozzy! What the hell are you doing? I scream mentally.
She turns to look at me, the bottom of her lip smeared with cheesecake, and she looks so incredibly cute that I wish I had a camera. Aww, she would make a cool calendar page!
"Look at it...it's just...it's just eating on the table! How dare you allow such a disgrace in this restaurant!"
Mozzy stops, her head slowly turning to narrow in on the woman standing in the middle of the floor.
Oh no she didn't.
And she pounces.
Spinner and I just stare blankly as Mozzy leaps onto the woman's shoulders, her nails out, reaching to scratch, bruise, or hurt the woman in anyway. For the first time since I got her, I realize just how graceful she really is. They way her body moves, the way she has such feline grace...I have a beautiful, mini-killing machine for a house pet.
Should I be proud of this?
"Oh! Get it off of me! Get it off of me!"
You wanna fight me, bitch? Bring it on!
"Sir," the Mater D says turning to me, a pleading expression on his face. your...animal!"
Animal? You want a piece of me too, Nancy boy?!
Spinner nearly falls out of his seat laughing when she begins clawing at the Mater D's perfectly slicked down blond hair.
How do I get myself into these situations?
-
"I'll take two tickets for Blood and Guts, please."
"That will be fourteen dollars. Thank you, sir, enjoy your movie."
"Spin," I tell him as he comes back over to me, tearing off a ticket and handing it to me. I take it, tucking it underneath Mozzy's body, "I would have paid for my own."
He grins a little, then shrugs his shoulders. "You paid for dinner, dude. I pick up the movie. No big."
I bite my lip a bit, trying not to sound pushy. "Yeah but...at least let me pay you back?" I suggest, tugging Mozzy more securely underneath my body. We got thrown out of the restaurant, and we're never allowed back again...ever. I gave Mozz a scolding, but really, how could I be angry? I don't think the woman deserved to be attacked, but still...she still had cheesecake all over her. I dare anyone to attempt to be forceful when they have a cute little black kitty with cake smeared all over her.
With a sigh, he opens the door, waiting for me to begin walking in before following. He leans in, and I feel his breath, still smelling faintly of Mountain Dew, against my cheek.
"I'll find a way for you to pay me back."
I freeze completely, looking up to see him smirking lightly, then all out laughing at the expression I have on his face. A small breath escapes me, one I didn't know I'd been holding. He was joking. Ha ha.
...I wish he didn't have to sound so...suggestive whilst joking.
I let Mozzy drop onto the floor and allow her to walk behind us. Was he...flirting with me? I could have sworn he was...but no. It was just a joke. An innocent, flirt-like joke.
We settle into the third row of the movie theater. We wait a while, Mozzy curling into my lap, talk, and try to guess the old songs that blast from the speakers until the lights dim and the movie starts. The credits begin rolling, and for a moment, I wonder just why in the hell Angelina is doing such a cheesy horror flick? Then again, I have to wonder just why in the hell I'm watching such a cheesy horror flick. Peering underneath my dark hair, I see Spinner's eyes practically glued to the screen. A little smile is working his lips upwards.
Oh yeah...that's why.
It's around thirty minutes into the film, and I have to admit, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it's pretty good. It has a plot; shocking, I know. There's been drama, angst, comedy, horror, blood...not total gore, though. I think Spin's a little disappointed. I watch the screen, engrossed as Angelina wanders through the woods, her katana gripped tightly, light eyes darting around, looking for the killer, who I swear is her twin, Anthony, but...
Eep! I nearly jump out of my seat in surprise and sudden fear when I see a greenish figure blur past the screen. Zombie! I totally just saw a zombie! What the...that has nothing to do with the plot!
I hear soft chuckling, almost giggling, to my right, and turn my head, only to see Spinner staring at me with a look of utter amusement on his face. I pout a little, resisting the urge to stick out my tongue. He's silently mocking me for my little outburst. I turn my attention back to the screen, deciding that I'll just ignore him. Only, as I do, I see an entire zombie of drooling greenish people, arms outstretched and screaming for Angelina to come to them. She shoots her gun, and I see the small Italian zombies head come off.
Kind of ironic, eh Rom Baro? Mozzy questions.
Apparently, Spinner notices my distress. He places his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him. For a second, I just freeze, unsure of what he's doing.
"I'll tell you when the zombies are gone," he informs me.
I glance up at him, and he gives me a small smile, which puts me completely at ease. I bury my face into the side of his shoulder, wincing as the sound of screams and curses and what I know must be blood spattering reaches my ears. I am thankful for Spinner's warmth, and for his thoughtfulness. I love having his arm around me, being so close to him like this; it's just...perfect.
Aw, you two are so sweet, Mozzy comments. I think I'll go vomit now.
You're just jealous.
Yes, I'm burning with jealousy. I really want Spinner all to myself. One day, when your not looking, I'm going to take one of your potions and have my kitteny way with him.
The way she says it, sarcastically yet with the hint of mirth, I can't help but giggle into Spinner's shoulder. I think he takes it as a whimper of fear, because he pulls me closer. And, hey, I'm not complaining. Maybe it's because he forget about me, or he's completely engrossed in the movie –cough Angelina- or the zombies really are still there, but he never releases his hold on me. And, of course, I never pull away.
It is only another half-hour later, when Spinner, Mozzy and I are walking out the movie theater, Spin blabbing on about how awful the special effects were and how stupid the entire movie was and how he wonders how much it will cost when it comes out on DVD, that I realize exactly how sad it was that I had to use the fact that I am deathly afraid of zombies –why do I go to so many damn zombie movies?- to get closer to him. I was practically snuggled up against him during the entire movie. Not that I found it a bad experience, or anything, but I feel kind of cheap now. Like, I know it meant something to me, but to him, he was just dealing with his fradey cat friend glomping him for thirty minutes. I frown a little, unable to hold back a sigh. He stops talking, then raises an eyebrow, giving me a slightly questioning look.
Forcing a yawn, I raise my hands above my head, stretching. "Kind of tired," I mumble.
"Tired?" he asks incredulously. He reaches down, grabbing my arm gently and then rolling up the sleeve to see my watch. "But it's only...seven, dude. You can't be tired yet. Boys night hasn't even started."
I look up into his face, and though he looks disappointed, I can't help but catch a little glint in his eyes. Kind of like he's...anxious for something. Confused, I stare at him a bit longer. Then suddenly our conversation at the restaurant comes back to mind. He seemed to have something really important to tell me. I wonder...I wonder if it has anything to do with the girl he has supposedly 'given his heart to'. Suddenly my stomach turns.
Are you all right, Rom Baro? You look a little pale, Mozzy says.
I look down at her, giving a soft smile. I bend down to my knees, patting the top of her head until she nuzzles my hand. "You be a good girl, Mozz," I tell her before standing up. I then look up at Spinner, whose facial expression hasn't changed. "I gotta go wash my hands. Watch the cat for me, please?"
He nods, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What do you have to wash your hands for?"
"Germs," I tell him matter-of-factly. "We were just in the movies. I had my hands all over the seats..."
And Spinner.
Shut up Mozzy.
"...and stuff like that. Who knows what's been on there. Just give me a sec."
Shrugging his shoulders, he mumbles a whatever, and I turn, walking towards the bathroom. Breathe Marco, breathe. I knew this was coming. I knew, way back in my mind, when Ellie told me about she and Paige, that this was coming. Spinner apparently wanted someone else. As much as he felt for Paige, he had deeper feelings for another girl. It was stupid of me to think that he wasn't going to tell me one of these days. To pretend that he could just be single forever and stay with me. To think he might actually ever...
I shake my head as I move to the sink, flipping on the faucet. Of course he'll never want me. I know that. He'll only ever see me as a friend. One of these days, I really am going to find a way to accept that. It kind of hurts, though, knowing how much I really care for him, and the only thing that I can be sure of more than the fact that I love him, is that he'll never love me back.
Listen to me. I'm completely depressing myself. I can't think about this, not now, not when he's just outside. Right now, he's the one who needs a friend. I mean, his girlfriend just broke up with him for another girl, who happens to be my ex-girlfriend. It's like, the Ex Factor, or something. Both of our ex's got together...how ironic would it be if we did? Not that it'll ever happen, or anything...
Supportive friend, Marco! Not Angst Boy with a man crush. Spin needs me to be there for him, to lend him a shoulder and a helping hand. If ever he decides he wants to talk anymore about Paige, or anything, then I'm gonna have to suck it up and put him first. That's what people who are in love do. They take care of those people, and they sacrifice those people. I suppose I'm gonna have to get used to that.
"Well, well, look what we have here!" says a mocking voice from behind me.
I look up in the mirror, mentally wincing when I see the three images behind me. Slash, Danny, and Corbin. A couple of bullies from grade 11 who get a kick out of making us younger kids suffer. The only kids I think they don't pick on are Spinner, because of his pre-bully rep, and Liberty, because I think their mostly just afraid she'll like, attack them with a protractor, or something.
"It's Degrassi's own resident fag."
I ground the back of my teeth, but decide to ignore them. There's still a handful of kids who have not let the whole Spinner and I kissing thing go, and are kind of never going to let it go. Like the fan girls, though I think I prefer cake and brownies over getting sneered at and beat up. Which is probably what's going to happen if I don't get out of here, quickly.
Turning the faucet off, I turn to leave, but am stopped when Danny and Corbin cut me off, leaning against the door. They both smirk at me, looking a lot like punk-rock-bouncers in their leather jackets and slicked down hair. Trying to show at least a minor amount of backbone, I walk up to them, looking them in the eye for as long as I can manage before lowering my gaze to the doorknob.
"Could you move?" I question, thankful my voice isn't shaking. I've seen those looks, I know this type of guy. It's the same type that I ran into that night when I was bashed. If I don't get out of here...it may be a public place but...there aren't any cops this time. And there are three of them, I can't possibly use my magic to fight them. "You're kind of in the way."
They both laugh, and Slash comes up behind me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. He pulls me to him, even as I try to push him away. "Such a polite little faggot," he says, chuckling, before his light smirk turns into a sneer. He curls his hand into my hair and pushes me. I let out a small grunt of pain as my shoulder blade collides with the hand dryer, accidentally turning on the hot air.
The whole situation seems kind of surreal. The sudden, almost unbearable heat that reaches my skin through the jacket, the way Slash stalks closer to me, his shoulder length brown hair covering his tanned, not enough to hide dark brown eyes which seem to be flashing with way too much enjoyment at the small whimper that escapes me. Spinner and Mozzy are just outside the door, and if I scream, they could probably hear me. They could come and rescue me. That is, if they could push Danny and Corbin –who are both fairly large fellows- away from the door, which at the moment I'm doubting they could. It doesn't matter now, anyway. I don't think my voice is working. Even if it was, Slash has covered it with a large hand. I blink with the realization, shaken that I can't even recall when he got this close. His fingers grasp my jaw in an almost bruising kind of grip and I try to bite the palm of his hand, but to no avail.
I lift my leg, deciding that maybe I can kick him and then make a run for the door. He dodges and then, in order to stop me from trying the same move again, slides his knee between my legs. They all laugh.
"You look scared, Del Rossi," he tells me in a mockingly calm voice. I can smell the beer on his breath, mixed in with caramel. "Doesn't he look scared, boys?"
Corbin grins, elbowing Danny in the arm. "Yeah," he calls back. "He kinda does. Maybe it's just because you ain't as pretty as Spinner."
A joking offended look passes over his face, and he turns to me, with eyes that have a look I really don't want to see right now. "That right?" he questions, tilting his head, his chestnut mane swaying as he does. "I'm not prettier than Mason? Well, now, that just hurts my feelings." He places his hand, the one not over my mouth, over his chest. "Seriously little man, I've got low self-esteem."
I look over to see Corbin and Danny now locking the door –why the hell are there locks in public bathrooms, anyway?!- and looking a bit more serious. "You should have him make it up to you," Danny murmurs.
"What an excellent suggestion, Daniel," Slash says. Then he turns back to me, leaning in even more, pressing his leg closer into mine. "What about it, Del Rossi? Got any tricks you can show us that will make me feel better? Anything in particular you do for Mason you can do for me, somethin' that'll make my frown turn upside down?" He leers at me, and the other two laugh, hard.
I feel sick.
I nod a little, as much as I can, and he moves his hand away from my mouth, slowly, so his fingers brush against my lips –I resist the urge to shudder, hopefully in disgust- until his hand settles on my neck. Meeting his gaze, I try to keep my features, and my voice, as emotionless as possible. I don't know exactly what their going to do to me –I know it'll involve pain, somehow- but I'm not just going to take it. If those creeps who bashed me and Slade taught me anything, it's to not let anyone scare you, no matter how hard you know their gonna hit you.
"Go to hell," I hiss, sounding much more angry and afraid then I thought I was. His glare hardens, and he looks ready to murder; this is when I realize I should take this opportunity to scream.
Seems my voice decided to stop working again.
Damn.
"Kick his ass, man," Corbin grins from the doorway.
Slash nods to them, then pulls his fist back, hitting me square in the stomach. The breath is completely knocked out of me and my hands go around my torso. He steps away, and I realize the weight I had been leaning against him, because suddenly I fall to my knees. I take in deep breaths, trying to be calm. They all chuckle again, and I peer up through my bangs, seeing Slash grinning down at me.
"Hmm..." he murmurs, as if thinking. "On your knees...I think I like you better in this position, Del Rossi." His hand begins moving down, and I am completely frozen. I can't tell if whether his hand is moving down to his zipper –oh please God no- or to slap me.
Before he can do anything, there is a loud knocking on the door; well, more like banging, as if someone is throwing their entire body weight against it. Both Danny and Corbin exchange apprehensive glances, while Slash just looks seriously pissed. Ha ha to him.
"Marco?!" Spinner's voice yells from the other side of the door. Oh, thank you Lord, I'm saved! Spinner...my knight in shiny armor. "Are you in there?"
I open my mouth to yell, but find that I can't say anything. The only thing I can do is stare up at him.
"It's Mason," Corbin hisses.
Slash looks at me, then makes a small growling noise underneath his breath. "Open it. We're getting out of here."
Corbin looks down, motioning towards me. "What about the faggot?" he asks.
Glancing down at me, he sneers before answering, "Forget about him. It was just a bit of fun, anyway." Danny and Corbin nod, then begin unlocking the door. Slash quickly bends down, his hand reaching for my hair. He pulls me up into a standing position. He pats my shoulder, and I shudder a little. "Next time I find you, I'm expecting my payback."
He lets me go, then smiles, turning to face Spinner, who is standing in the doorway. He takes in the scene, and, contrary to popular belief he is not that slow, and I can see understanding pass over his features.
"Get the fuck away from him," he hisses.
I take a few steps back from Slash, never taking my eyes off of him. After exchanging apprehensive looks, Corbin and Danny shuffle past him. Without a word, Slash begins walking out, giving Spinner a distasteful look. In the blink of an eye, his hand lashes out, grabbing Slash's leather clad arm. I wince as he slams the slightly taller boy into the tiled wall. With slighlty blurry eyes, I watch as Spin punches him in the jaw, then wraps his hand around his throat, squeezing only slighlty.
Leaning in, he begins speaking, his words frighteningly, un-Spinnery like calm. "If I see you around again, I swear to God I'll kill you."
My breath catches in my throat.
I think he's serious.
He releases him, and Slash speeds away from the room. Spinner turns towards me, and the anger on his face scares me. It's possibly ten-times the rage I saw when he found out about Slade. The thing is, I think that some of it is directed at me.
"You were taking a long time," he says. "I think Mozzy was getting worried about you. I came to the door, and it was locked." I lower my eyes from his face, because I don't think I can take the look of disappointment I see in his gaze. We both stand here, in the middle of the mall bathroom for at least five minutes of incredibly awkward, tense silence. When I finally gain the courage to look back at him, he is only a foot in front of me. "You could have screamed for me," he says, almost softly. "Did you...I would have come."
I blink at him, then swallow a bit as I step closer to him. He stares at me, our eyes completely locked. "I know, Spin. I know you would have." Does he think that I doubted he would help me?
"One of these days, some of these random people that keep attacking you are going to kill you," he informs me, in a very mater-of-fact tone. Before I can say anything, his arms are around me, and I'm pulled flush against him. Without even thinking, I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him back. "Don't you ever do that again, okay? I'm sick of it. I'm fucking sick, Marco! You just let them hurt you, over, and over, and over again, and I'm tired of it. So just...stop...all right? Just...if you ever need help, need anyone...I'm here." His voice is shaking, and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that he was crying.
"I'm sorry," I mumble into the fabric of his shirt. "I thought I could handle it. I didn't want to..." I trail off.
"Didn't want to what?" he questions. "Worry me? Hell, dude, I thought you'd like, drowned in the toilet or something." His arms tighten around me, and for the first time in like, forever, I feel safe. Standing here, my stomach still pounding like crazy, my best friends arms wrapped around me so tightly that it's cutting off my circulation, I know I'm safe. I know Spinner will keep me safe. Always.
He pulls back, a little, and reluctantly I do as well. I look up at him, surprised to see what looks like wetness gathering in the tear ducts of his eyes. The usually clear, dark eyes are glassy now, with a little bit of a red tint. I reach up, wiping my thumb over where a would-have-been-tear might have fallen. His skin is really soft, and really warm, and I'm reluctant to bring my hand back down to my side. I do, eventually, then stand there for a few moments, awkwardly awaiting him to do something.
"Where's Mozz?" I ask him, trying to pull ourselves from this very...odd moment.
He sighs a little, then slings his arm around me, guiding me out of the bathroom. "Out here, waiting," he informs me.
"Good."
We walk outside, and there she is, sitting atop the pinball machine, watching in fascination as the silver ball is tossed back and forth. I allow a small, tired smile to lift my lips.
"Dude," he whispers. "Your cat is seriously freaky."
"Dude," I whisper back with a smile. "You have no idea."
He nods a little, then looks at the doors. "Ready to go home?" he asks.
I nod enthusiastically. He smiles, then pats my shoulder. "All right," he says, rubbing his hands together. "Time to get the cat."
I watch him, feeling ridiculously happy, and yet at the same time insanely afraid and depressed as he runs around the lobby, attempting to catch the speeding black cat, that is mercilessly taunting him in Romany. That's my knight, all right. My Spinner.
Mine?
I shake the word from my head as Spinner finally manages to grab hold of Mozzy. She hisses at him a little before settling down in his arms. He looks at me, a rather proud grin on his features as he pats her on the head. I give him a tired smile as he walks back over to me, passing her into my grasp. I take her, nuzzling her neck a little, and although I'm sure it's against her will, she purrs in delight.
"Come on," he says, beginning to head for the door. "Let's get home."
"Can we make hot chocolate?" I ask him hopefully.
He nods his head. "Course. With the little marshmallows, too."
"You're the greatest Spin."
"I know."
-
About half way back to his house, it begins to rain. Not just a light drizzle, it's practically like a waterfall. In a sad attempt to get home dry, we both take off running, ignoring the pounding rain, but in the end, we are both completely soaked. Spinner unlocks the door as quickly as possible, and we rush inside. Mozzy jumps out of my arms and announces she is going to go pass out in front of the TV. I watch her go into the living room with a little smile on my lips. The lights are all on, but no one is insight. I tilt my head, peering into the living room and then into the kitchen. Strange...
"I guess everyone went to sleep," I murmur, rubbing my freezing arms.
He pauses for a moment, then looks down at the carpet, before finally meeting my gaze. "I uh...I didn't tell you?" he asks, his voice having an odd sort of nervous shake to it. I raise an eyebrow at him, then shake my head. Taking in a breath, he continues, "Oh, sorry. Guess I just forgot. My mom took Kendra shopping in Beauport. No one's really...home."
"Oh," I murmur, shrugging my shoulder before giving him a smile. "Too bad you don't have a girlfriend this weekend," I try to joke, before realizing how utterly tactless that was of me. "Sorry, Spin, I didn't-"
He raises his hand, stopping me from speaking. "No problem, dude." He looks at me, then places his hand on my forehead. Even after being stuck in the freezing rain, his skin is warm and I absently lean into the touch. "I gotta get you out of the clothes." I blink, then pull away from his hand, feeling a blush on my cheeks. He laughs –nervously?- before quickly adding, "And into something dry. You're gonna get a cold or something..."
I nod to him and he turns. I follow behind him towards his room. He opens the door, and I go inside, standing awkwardly near the end of the bed as I watch him begin pulling out some dry clothes from his dresser. He tosses me a pair of draw string pants and some boxers, which are probably a few sizes too big for me, but I take them gratefully. As he turns to me, I see a pile of clothes in his own arms as well.
He motions to the door with his head. "I'll go change out there," he tells me.
I nod. "Where do you want me to put these?" I ask, making a small gesture to the soaking clothes I'm wearing. He knits his eyebrows, as if trying to think of a place, and I force my gaze to stay on his face instead of drifting down to study the way his shirt clings to his chest. Bad Marco!
"Wherever," he answers, shrugging, then leaves the room.
As soon as the door shuts, I quickly peel off my wet clothing, letting them pool to the floor. I slide into the happy face boxers –I can only hope Paige got these for him- and pants. I tug on the strings, trying to force the pants to fit around my practically non-existent torso. Maybe I should start working out, or something. Get some muscles. Like Arnold! I shall be a girly man no more.
I scoop it all up in my arms and walk over to his dresser, depositing them on top of it. Then I head back to the bed, prepared to throw on the shirt, when I realize he forgot to give me one. Shivering, I reach down and grab a small sheet, wrapping it around my shoulders. I suppose I should go grab a shirt, or something, but oddly, I feel like standing around my best friends room half-naked and freezing to death. I blink. Maybe it's a witch thing...
The door is pushed open, allowing the hall light to fill the room. He steps in, his light hair still matted to his face, now dressed some baggy black pants and a white shirt. In his arms, he carries a sleeping bag and some more comforters. With a sudden sinking feeling, I remember that we're not sleeping in the same bed. Well, duh! I should have known this. I mean, geeze...what was I expecting? He walks up to me and drops them down on the floor before running a hand through his hair, slicking it back. Spin stares at me for a while, then blinks suddenly, a little color coming onto his cheeks. I wonder why he is blushing before remembering that, hey, don't have a shirt on here. I laugh a little as I pull the sheet around me tighter.
"Sorry," he says, reaching out to rub my shoulders a bit. I sigh a bit at the warmth the friction brings to my arms. "Guess I forgot to grab you one."
"S'kay."
He stops for a moment, then leans down, taking in a deep breath of sheet. He pulls back and wraps his left hand around it, beginning to pull it off my shoulders. "I wouldn't use this one, dude. Kendra spilt nail polish crap all over it, or something. One night curled up in this and you'd be as high as a kite."
I laugh a bit as he takes the sheet and throws it off into the corner. At first, I expect him to turn around and retrieve me a shirt, but he doesn't. Instead, he resumes his earlier motions, placing those warm, slightly calloused hands on my arms, rubbing up and down. I lower my face, hoping that he doesn't notice my face on fire. What is he doing? Not that I'm complaining, or anything. It's probably just innocent. I doubt he's even thinking of what this is doing to me. He's just trying to help out a friend. This...what I'm feeling...it hasn't even crossed his mind. I feel his right hand slide from my arm to my back, rubbing my shoulder blade. A feeling of warmth spreads from every place his skin has made contact with mind through my limbs, settling in the pit of my stomach, that's suddenly full of knots and butterflies and little tingles that probably aren't good to feel, at least not in this situation. I realize suddenly how close he is; I can smell his scent perfect, even feel a rain drop fall from his bangs onto my cheek.
His hands become quicker, trying to help me keep in as much heat as possible, and I really think he should stop doing this now. Before I have a time to stop myself, a small kind of groan escapes my lips. I pray to God that he didn't hear it, but as his movements stop, I know he did. Timidly, I raise my hand to look up at him, expecting an angered, disgusted look to be on his features. I can barely read his eyes, which makes me incredibly nervous. Usually he's a pretty readable person.
Those warm, loving hands suddenly leave my body as he takes a step back. "Dude, did you just...purr?"
My head snaps up and I blink at him, my mouth opening and closing at sixty miles per second. "W-what?" I stutter.
"You did! You freaking purred," he says, chuckling.
I shake my head furiously in protest. "No...I most certainly did not just purr! You...you were h-hearing things."
For some reason, I don't think my words reach him as he continues laughing hysterically. "Aw," he says, his eyes still swimming with mirth as he reaches out to pinch my cheek. "I think someone's been spending a bit too much time with their kitty."
Sticking my tongue out at him, I cross my arms over my bare chest. "I was not!" I declare once again. "Besides, you were the one who was...pressing flesh!"
Still chuckling, he closes the distance between us. "I couldn't help it," he says, and if he wasn't grinning so much, I would think he was serious. "You're just so dead sexy all wet and shirtless."
My face must be blood red at the moment. He's joking, but Mozzy help me if I don't wish he were being honest. He is still laughing, and I glare at him until he calms down. After he does, he takes in a deep breath, and we both just stand here, staring at each other. My breathing becomes a little quicker, and I don't really know why. It's not like I haven't stood alone with Spinner in his room before. No big new surprises there. Maybe it's just because he's suddenly so close, only inches away from my face. H-hey...when did that happen? And why is he getting closer? He's leaning in, but as I look into his eyes, he appears to be thoroughly confused. What...? Unless, of course, it's not him that's getting closer.
My suspicions are confirmed when my lips press against his very softly, and I realize that it was me, not him, who had been leaning in. Oh God, what am I doing?! I'm kissing Spinner. I. Am. Kissing. Spinner. And I really have to stop. Before even a full second passes I pull back. As I stare up into his face, I see once again that he is expressionless. That must mean he's very, very angry. He's probably going to strangle me for that, I just know it.
"Oh, my...oh my God Spinner..." I mutter apologetically as I begin stepping away from him. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just...I mean I wasn't thinking, Spin. I um...it just happened and...uh...well I..." I falter, tripping over my words as I realize there is nothing to say. I'm not going stand here and scream out, 'I'm sorry Spinner, but I love you!' because then he would probably never speak to me again. Maybe, if I leave right now, he'll have the weekend to recover, and won't even be angry with me on Monday.
Deciding that is probably the best plan of action, I begin to run forward, prepared to jet out of the room, stopping only to grab Mozzy, then continue to run home. It's not as if I haven't run all the way to my house barefoot before. And, if all goes well –which it of course won't- I can do so without slipping and breaking my neck or catching pneumonia. I am nearly to the door when I suddenly feel strong fingers wrapping around my wrist, digging into my skin a little as I am suddenly pulled backwards. I attempt to slip my wrist from Spin's grip –cause it obviously has to be him- but he only holds on tighter. Suddenly I find myself pressed flush against his chest. I begin murmuring rapid apologies into his shirt, my mind racing as to why in the hell he just isn't letting me run away. Taking in a deep breath, I look up into his face, praying that maybe the look of apology and shame will get to him and he'll release me.
He doesn't.
"Spinner, I-"
I am cut off when he crushes his mouth to mine, his tongue plunging past my lips before I even have a chance to blink. One hand, the one that currently does not have the iron grip on my wrist, slides behind my head, curling into my hair before he tugs my head down, using the new position to his advantage as his lips begin moving more quickly, more harshly over mine. Another moan escapes my mouth and my hand clutches a fistful of fabric as I kiss back, trying desperately to keep up with his furious pace. His lips are soft and warm, just like I remember, with the lingering taste of Mountain Dew. His hand releases my wrist and slides down, brushing against the hem of the pants before settling on the small of my back. I press myself against him even more, if it's at all possible, and using the little courage and experience I have, suck on his bottom lip before pressing my tongue into his mouth. He groans, loudly, and suddenly pulls away.
At first, I think he did so because he was angry. Angry because he just realized he was kissing his best friend, who just so happened to be a guy. But as I look up into his eyes and notice the happy, confused, slightly dazed expression, I can't help but get the feeling he enjoyed that as much as I did. His hand slides slowly up my back, leaving goose bumps on my skin as before he reaches my cheek. His fingertips brush over my hair as I rest my face against his palm, allowing my eyes to flutter closed at the pleasure of the contact. Without thinking, I lean forward, pressing a kiss to the exposed skin of his neck.
I have no idea what's going on. One moment we're joking around, and the next I kiss him, think I'm going to be murdered, and then we're...this. I blink at him, a little dazed smile on my face when he places a hand on my chest and pushes me. I hit the bed in a kid of sitting position. Never breaking eye contact with him, I begin scooting back until my back hits the headboard. He moves onto the bed as well, his body stretched out over mine, and I can feel the heat radiating off of him. Suddenly Spinner is warmth, he is air, and my hands decided that they just have to touch him before I die. I trace his jaw line with one hand, threading my fingers through his soft hair with the other. I move my hand over his face, then trail feather light touches down his neck. My hands slides down his chest and I wrap my fingertips around the bottom of his shirt, but I'm too afraid to do anything else. His eyes seem to darken, and he nods his head, soothing my fears. Slipping my hand underneath his shirt, I press it to his chest, moving slightly. My earlier shyness comes back, and I realize I can do nothing else. He seems perfectly fine with this as he leans back down, capturing my lips to share another heated, but more gentle, kiss.
Minutes, hours, days pass and we are still laying here, lips and bodies intertwined. I think he must taste like wine, because my head is swimming, and I can't seem to stop it. Spinner lifts up for a moment, but barely gives me time to catch my breath when his mouth descends on my neck. Do people have a fetish for my neck? I swear, it's like some sort of conspiracy. I tense for a moment, just waiting for him to scrape his teeth against my skin, before finally biting down. A gasp escapes me when he finally does. Ha, knew it.
He kisses up to my ear, before his tongue snakes out, tracing out my earlobe. Groaning, I arch up, wrapping one leg around his waist to pull him down against me. We both moan together at the contact. This, this must be what Heaven is like. Heaven and Hell and Purgatory all rolled into one. Spinner runs his hand up and down my chest, stopping to trace the hem of my pants. He slips his index finger underneath, lightly rubbing the skin there as he gives me a questioning glance.
"Marco," he breaths softly. "Do you want me to...?"
He leaves it hanging in the air, and I pause, not quite sure what to say. I want this, Gods I do. I love him, and I want him, I know that. I'm more sure of that than anything. But what about him? Is all of this just some lust crush? Experimenting? A way to work off some steam from he and Paige's break up? I love him, I do, and I would do anything for him, but if he's just going to use me...I couldn't do it. I don't think my heart could take it if I gave this to him and he didn't really love me.
On the other hand, that look he is giving me is the closest thing to loving I have ever seen. Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe it has been me all this time. Maybe the other person Spin gave his heart to was me. Doubtful, but after what just happened, I don't think it's all together impossible.
I think I am much to confused to answer him, but I've made my decision anyway.
"Spinner, I-"
Ring.
"I want to-"
Ring.
"You're my-"
Ring!
Huffing angrily under his breath, Spinner pushes himself off the bed. "It's my mom," he says, as he picks up the cell phone from his desk. "I've gotta take it."
I nod to him, taking in a few deep breaths myself before I can speak again. "Yeah. I'll uh...I'll watch the fort."
Smiling at me, he rushes forward, dropping a kiss on my forehead before flipping the phone out. "Mom? Oh, hey Kendra. What? No!" He continues speaking into the phone as he heads out of the room.
I lay unmoving for a few minutes, just taking in the whole situation. There is a chance that Spin might return my feelings. I think I must be the happiest gay Italian kid in the world right now, or at least in Canada. I begin to sit up, wrapping my arms around myself for warmth. Without his prescience, it's suddenly very cold. I stand up and move to the dresser, pulling it open to look for a shirt. I don't think tonight is really the night. Maybe after we talk, or something. I want to be sure that he feels for me, and this just isn't some kind of rebound or one night thing. I place my hand inside the drawer, feeling around for a shirt that might be slightly my size. My mind races as I do this, remembering the smile on his face and the way he looked at me only moments ago.
Apparently, I am so caught up in my thoughts, I lose my concentration. I squeak in pain as my finger hits something sharp. Quickly, I pull my hand up, squinting my eyes as I see a huge drop of crimson on my fingertip. Pouting, I suck on it a little –what? It works, all right- before pulling the drawer open more. I probably just cut myself on one of Spin's porno magazines –you know he has them- or something like that. I look inside for a moment, no sign of Playboy –or Playgirl- anywhere. In the corner of my eye, I see something in the back of the drawer, shining a bit in the dim light of the room. Curious, I reach for it, wrapping my hands around the end of whatever it is before I pull it out. When I finally have it, I hold it up to the hall light, examining it.
It's a dagger. About nine inches long, three or four inches white, with a silver hilt in the shape of a dragons head.
Oh, God.
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Marco: This chapter was incredibly long because nothing could be cut out, and it would have been just weird as two chapters.
Spinner: Review if you liked the fact that I was close to defiling Marco! And also review if you don't like being left at cliffys and want her to update!