Enigmus: Thanks ever so!I hope it developes well, here you go!
ReRe04: I'm glad you like new characters, I hope you like this one!
Dylanlover: I'm glad you like the realism of the story, I try and strive for the ideal…but still realistic characters. Hope you enjoy
Chapter 2: Sweat
"Mom, I- uh, I was going over to Lac- Leon's house for a few days, remember, and then it was off to camp?" Marco stammered out.
Lacy's keen green eyes zeroed in on the martini glass in Mrs. Del Rossi's hand and the slight hunched over state. He zoomed into action as he saw his mother's mouth move slightly," Yeah, Mrs. Del Rossi, Marco's gonna be captain of the soccer team, we're just getting the stuff over to my house since the bus stops right along the corner"
Mrs. Del Rossi gave Lacy a look and smiled slightly, the boy was charming," Well, then I won't stop you. Just give Marco a minute; I wanna talk to him…"
Lacy nodded, shot Marco a look that meant he needed to explain and pulled his luggage out towards the car.
She grabbed Marco by his arm and pulled him into the kitchen, adjusting the collar of his shirt and Marco just had to turn his face away, due to the alcohol rolling off her breath before she slapped his face playfully, though it hurt all the same and whispered into his ear," Just be back before your father gets home from his business trip…"
He nodded, his brown eyes freezing over. Being with his mom brought back lots and lots of memories.
Any second now, the storm will start. I know it, something wonderful about the way lightening lights up the sky…
As if on cue after Marco's thoughts thunder began to rumble over the house.
He picked up a bag full of his most important needs and began to walk out the door when his mother stopped him again," And be careful of that Leon kid" She said, knowingly," He's a real charmer, and probably a fag"
Marco gave her a wayward look but she didn't notice. She was too busy trying to see the bottom of that glass.
"What was that all about?" Lacy questioned, his green eyes flickering between the street and the houses as Marco sunk into the passenger's seat, his eyes closed tiredly." I mean, why lie?"
"It's a long story, Lacy" Marco sighed out, burying his hand deeper into his hair and blowing out a deafening sigh.
Lacy remained quiet, counting slowly in his head until-
"I- I dunno, Lacy. It's hard to comprehend…I- I-. I- just…" Marco broke off, his brown eyes filling up with water and overflowing down his cheeks in salty tracks, past his pink lips and into his lap.
Lacy parked the car.
"What are you d- doing?" Marco stammered, pulling his seat belt closer around himself, insecurely.
"Pulling the car over" Lacy drawled out," Hug me"
"What?"
"Hug me" Lacy repeated, opening up his arms.
"La- Lacy you've got to be kid-"
"Look, Marco. You're hurting and angst, I don't like that…now I know you don't, or can't ,tell me and that's fine. I'm not into emotion, so just do as I ask and give me a hug…"
"Lacy…" Marco trailed off, exasperated, looking into his eyes.
Persuasion, it was pure persuasion.
Marco collapsed into Lacy's arm and tightened his grip when long fingers ran their way through his silky hair, pulling him closer. He wanted to spill out everything to Lacy, he truly did, but he knew he couldn't, he wasn't ready.
After a few minutes of the warm embraced he whispered into the air," Now". A tingle shivered down his spine.
"Now, what?" Lacy murmured out.
A thud hit the roof, and then another, and another, until it was an arithmetic symphony as rain descended from the sky to dance upon the street.
Marco smiled into his chest," Rain…"
Mrs. Witmore was a kind woman, known for her embroidery and classic folk songs. Whenever Marco was hanging out at Lacy's house, which was almost every day, he'd always join her in a song or two.
"Leon, it's late" She scolded, pulling him into a sweet hug and kissed him on the head," Your dinner got cold and it's raining. Where were you?"
"With Marco, mom" Lacy said smoothly." Remember I had to pick him up from his house to get some things before he came here"
"And are you sure it's okay with his mother?" She asked, glancing at the young Italian who came bobbing into her door cheerfully. Marco smiled once he saw the woman and continued to make his way over to her before pecking her on the cheek and giving her a hug." Hey Mrs. Witmore, stunning as always"
"Of course" Lacy said, pulling Marco off his mother and crossing the room," He'll sleep in my room on the couch, we're just gonna take the bags up stairs" He picked up one of the heavier bags," Aren't we Marco?"
"Yeah?" He asked questionably," I mean, yes! We are" He took the other bags in his hand.
"Well, I'll re-heat dinner then, boys; it'll be done in 15 minutes." She said, crossing into the kitchen.
"Okay" Both boys called out, moving upstairs.
Lacy came into his room and threw Marco's bags onto the floor. He felt odd since hugging Marco in the car but he knew how much Marco needed the support. Breaking his thoughts Marco came into smiling and dropped his bags down next to the other ones." Hey, your mom is so nice…."
"You say that every time you come here" Lacy said as he sat down on his bed only to have Marco join him. Lacy moved over slightly.
"And I mean it every time" Marco said with a sigh, placing his arm around Lacy's shoulders," You live my dreams, mister"
"Yeah, well" Lacy said, uneasily taking Marco's arm from around his shoulder and shifting to face him instead, " I'm glad I can give you hope"
"Not hope, support" Marco said in a tone that was unreadable. Suddenly he felt uncomfortable and got off the bed and away from Lacy's prying eyes and began to unpack his clothes. " I brought a lot I think, if you don't mind, but if we're gonna pull off this summer we have to do it right" He pulled out a few of the more "Flamboyant" shirts that he had, carelessly tossing them to the side and pulling out an assorted pair of shorts, shirts, designer jeans, embroidered shirts and other things.
"What is your master plan?" Lacy asked, looking through Marco's casualness and towards the fact that he shifted away so easily. Like he knew what Marco was thinking he stopped him off as he opened his mouth, a trade that he had picked up," Oh no, not that"
Marco smiled widely," Of course, I mean, it is every boy's dream"
"Well, I don't think it's possible to pull it off. And I hardly consider this every boy's dream, more like two boys with twisted morals and goals for the unachievable" Lacy smiled back," Besides, it's impossible"
"Brown and black: Impossible" Marco remarked, pulling out some shoes." What we're going to do: very possible. Or at least as possible as an overly gay teen and his way intelligent class mate can be, or create"
"But creating a new world?" Lacy asked, hopelessly." A new idea, a new vision-"
Marco's head snapped up. He crossed over to the room and took his hands and placed them over Lacy's eyes." This is us now, this is what we have" Marco said quietly, breathily. Inside the darkness of Lacy's eyelids colors swirled around in a chemical fashion, all side effects of being a living, breathing human being. He felt Marco pull him up and guided him to the window in the far left corner of his room. He released his grip," This is what we'll create; we'll shock the reader, Lace, you and me. The world that we've created, it's out there, we just have to fabricate it for the readers to see like we do"
Lacy looked out the window to see the rain swirling around, white lightening flashing through the sky and the midnight moon hidden behind the clouds," We have the emotion, the interest and the dedication. All we need now is the canvas…"
"And how exactly will we get this?" Lacy asked, lost within the storm.
"I dunno, I haven't figured that much out yet. When it happens, you'll be the first one to know." Marco said, patting his back. His hands slipped away from his back quickly; however, when he peered down the street through the window he caught his reflection and saw a boy with red eyes and swollen lips. He shook slightly.
"Marco?" Lacy asked, carefully." What's wrong?"
He snapped out of it," Nothing," A bell sounded down stairs," The food's done, come on, I wanna sing She'll Be Commin' Round the Mountain with her, I've been working on my duet"
Lacy gave him a sideways look as Marco glanced at him before exiting his room. Shaking his head, he followed him. Boy was he getting tired of always having to figure things out. Really, why do people have to be so difficult? Couldn't they just fill him in on what ails them so he'd could fix it? Why the complication?
But Marco was always a puzzle anyway, so that was nothing new.
It was just another mystery for Lacy to solve.
After dinner and a few too many folk songs than Lacy could handle somehow he found Marco laying on his bed, shirtless and smiling contently. In his hands laid Black Reasoning Of Alexander Williams. Thumbing through the book to where he left off, on page 27, he sighed before blinking tiredly at Lacy, who was on the couch drinking a soda while reading." What page are you on?"
"32" Lacy said out of content, he winked at Marco," You won't like what happened to Bettleman"
Bettleman, for all of you confused readers out there, was one of the more villain like characters in the book who had it out for Daniel.
"Oh….don't spoil it!" Marco moaned, quickening his pace in reading until he got to that page 6 minutes later. " Oh! Oh! OH MY GOD!" He yelled, putting the book down, "He committed suicide because he was secretly in love with Daniel?"
"What?" Lacy asked, looking up," I was joking, I was on the same page as you were…what happened?"
"Nothing, you'll see when you actually get up to there" Marco smirked, adjusting his black framed glasses and opening the book again. A few minutes later he giggled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No reason…" Marco trailed off, another giggle bubbled forth.
Lacy put down the book," What?"
" Nothing, it's just that…" He laughed again," You remind me so much of Alex"
"What?" Lacy asked, shocked," Oh, please. I do not"
"Yeah, you do. Listen to this: " Oh stop being so flamboyant, Daniel. We both know that flattery isn't going to get you anywhere any time fast, in the meanwhile though, you can tell me how pretty I am." Tell me that isn't you"
"Well, you're exactly like Daniel, down to the very point. Listen to this :" But Lexy, I didn't mean to kiss him on your bed like that…" He trailed off for a second as Alexander paced across the room," Oh really, it was an accident?". "Yep" Daniel said, nodding his head up and down," He tripped and fell on my lips!". Like that doesn't fit your persona"
Marco laughed," Okay, I yield. We both are the book. Well, I'm going to bed, I need my beauty rest" He flipped out the light next to the bed," And oh…thanks…for you know, in the car…"
"Don't mention it" Lacy replied, turning off his lamp.
"I mean-"
"No, really. Don't mention it. Go to sleep .
"Night…Danny" Lacy said as he shut the book closed. Yep, Marco was another mystery entirely.
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