Chapter Seventeen

Al grabbed his food and walked with Marcie over to a booth, taking a seat. "I'm glad you decided to stay." he said

"Well... you were right when you said I have nowhere to go." Marcie sighed. "There's no getting back into my room now until morning Today has been a disaster. First with Ron... then with Jen and I..." Marcie's shoulders fell. "I've gotta find my purse."

"Well you can get a new set of keys, right?" AL said.

"Yeah, but... I had photos... they were really special. I can't. I can't replace them. They were..."

"Of Al," he said

Marcie nodded, starting to cry. "Graduation photos. He was so happy and..." Marcie was balling now. "That roll of film was the last... they were the last pictures of us together."

Al moved over in the booth, situating himself close to her. "It'll show up, Marcie." he said. "I garuntee it."

"It's just that they were really important..."

"I know, they were memories. But Al's alive, Marcie. He's alive in here." He reached his hand out, placing it above her heart, "He's in your heart, right?" Marcie pulled back slightly. "Sorry," Al said, retracting his hand.

"No... no I'm sorry." Marcie sniffled. "Here you are trying to be nice to me and I'm... I'm falling apart on you."

"You have every right to." Al said. "You were in love with Al."

"No" Marcie corrected him. "No. I am in love with Al. I'll always be in love with Al. I will never... ever love anyone but Al. Never."

"He'd want you to live your life." he said. What am I saying?' Al thought. I'm right here. I'm right in front of you Marcie. Why can't you just see it?'

"He was my life" Marcie said. "Al... he made me feel special. He made me feel beautiful. He'd say it... and he'd mean it. He loved me." she cried. "And I killed him."

Al's heart sank. "No," he said. "No, Marcie. Don't say that. Don't even think that."

"It's true" she cried. "It's true. I gave him that disease. I gave it to him and he died from it. "

"Marcie" Al said. "Al just couldn't fight off the infection. It's not your fault."

"So it's his then?" Marcie shot. "Is that what you're saying, Michael? It's Al's own fault that he's gone?"

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying,' Al thought. "It wasn't anyone's fault." he sighed. "It's kinda hard to explain. Sometimes... stuff like this... bad stuff like this, just happens. We don't know why it happens, but it does. And... there's nothing that we could have done differently to change the outcome. Do you understand, Marcie?"

Marcie shook her head. "No" she said. "No, I don't think I'll ever understand why he had to go. Not when he had his whole life going for him. He was doing so much better, he was gonna go to law school... we were gonna move in together." Marcie wiped her eyes. "We were supposed to be together forever."

We can be Marcie. We can be, baby. Just look at me. I know you see me. You have to.' Al looked in her eyes. "Al loved you... more than anything in this world." he said. "You gave him a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to go through every day. You gave him that Marcie. Believe me. I know."

"Al never mentioned you" she said. "How is it that you two were so close and he never once mentioned your name?"

"Now that... I can't answer." he said. "But Marcie, he talked about you. God, he talked about you all the time. He was a lucky guy to have someone like you."

"I was the lucky one." Marcie smiled thinking of him. "I never... I never imagined anyone ever loving me like that. Especially not someone like Al. He really knew how to make me feel special." She wiped her eyes, checking the clock. "Wow, look," she said "I've gotta get going. I've got class tomorrow." She stood.

"Well... where are you gonna go?" Al said. "You can't back into the dorms...."

Marcie sighed. "Well I guess I could wake up Ronnie." she said. "He'd let me stay the night."

"Ron has no space." Al said. "You know that"

"Yeah I guess he is a little cramped living across from Roxy." Marcie paused. "I don't know... I guess I could call Jen..." she sighed

"Or... you could stay with me" Al wanted to kick himself for even suggesting it. This was sure to get him slapped. He knew it.

"Oh.. no" Marcie said "I can't impose on you. Your hours are murder and you need to sleep and..."

"Marcie." he smiled. "Granted the place isn't as clean as it should be, but I've got the room. The bed's comfortable... I'll sleep on the chair." Why not, he thought, that's where he'd been sleeping the past two nights anyway.

"Michael... I can't."

"There's nowhere else, Marcie. Come on." he nudged her. "Come on. It's no trouble. You can get a new key in the morning. Hey, who knows, maybe your purse will show up by then." he smiled. "Come on."

She smiled, giving him a nod. "OK," she said. "Michael... thank you."