Author's Note: I should probably update Get Out first, but I had inspiration for this chapter, so here we go. Enjoy! Please review.
"Marco," said Paige gently, making certain that she had covered every spot he needed, "tell me what's going on." Paige was smart enough to make guesses, but she'd never assume without his true answer.
"How come Dylan's home for the weekend?" he asked. It wasn't just to distract her from the current conversation. He really did want to know.
"He missed us, I guess," she said. "He wishes you'd visit him more often, so you could talk like you used to."
Marco nervously drummed his finger on his legs as he moved from the bed to a standing position. Paige looked up at him, concerned.
Marco took a moment to remember exactly what happened the year before. He and Dylan had become pretty good friends after the beach catastrophe and the bashing, even with the fact that Marco had basically told him to leave him alone. They'd survived, and their friendship thrived. Marco told him many of his secrets, problems, and wishes, and Dylan did the same.
When did all that change? Marco had strong feeling for the older boy, and was sure he felt the same, so why didn't Dylan ever ask him out? He didn't think that Marco was ready at that time. However, it was quite the contrary. He was ready, which is why as soon as he felt Dylan wasn't interested, he went for Corey, a quiet boy he befriended. It was more than obvious that he and Corey were attracted to each other, and after falling in love with him, Dylan didn't matter anymore. Of course, it wasn't immediate. It had been a gradual thing, but he had fallen so hard for the boy that he was in so deep to just pretend that Corey had no flaws. He cared about and feared him too much to notice that he may have been hurting him so gravely.
But sitting there in Paige's room, seeing her pain stricken face, he knew that it wasn't just a few little pointless bruises and scratches, (as he liked to pretend) but it was so much worse.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd known that. Why else would he try to cover them? He never wanted them to worry if it wasn't necessary. Maybe…it was as bad as Paige made it out to be. 'No, Marco,' he thought to himself. 'Corey only does this because he needs you to stay with him. He's insecure, and he loves you.'
He shook the painful thought from his head. No one would convince him to get rid of Corey. 'He loves you,' he told himself again confidently. He realized he was pacing, so he turned back to his worried friend.
"Nothing's going on," said Marco, knowing she wouldn't believe him, but it didn't really matter. Corey wasn't her boyfriend.
"Marco, tell me who did this to you!" she shouted, not in the mood for his games. "Marco, I—" Marco saw there were tears in her eyes. "I care so much about you, Marco, and you keep pushing us all away."
"Paige, Marco," said a voice from behind the door. "Um…you both just disappeared, and we'd—"
"We're coming back out," said Marco, immediately walking over to the door. He never gave her a straight answer, and he figured it was for the best.
Paige followed him out into the other room, seeing that Jimmy was standing there, looking confused. Marco smiled at him, and then went quickly back into the kitchen.
Paige and Jimmy walked at a much slower pace. "What happened?" he asked.
"He's hurting him. Marco didn't say it, but I am going to find a way to prove it," she whispered furiously, watching from the hallway as Marco hugged his boyfriend.
"Corey's hurting him?" said Jimmy. "Are you sure?"
"Well, no…but I'm pretty sure," she said, putting her finger to her lips. Jimmy nodded, knowing they were getting closer to the two they were talking about.
"What happened?" asked Corey, pushing hair out of his eyes, ignoring everyone else in the room.
"Nothing, just…" Marco didn't think Corey realized how much he had to cover-up, which made him even surer that he didn't mean to hurt him so badly. Marco was glad for the interruption.
"Why don't we all get out of the kitchen?" Dylan suggested. Corey rolled his eyes, and kept his arm strongly around Marco's waist.
They all followed Dylan's proposal, walking back into the living room, and Marco actually getting a seat next to Corey (as opposed to on top of him.), and Paige made certain to include both of them in conversation. Somehow, in someway, she would prove Corey was, at least, involved in the injuries
"So, Dylan, how is College (University? Lol) going?" asked Jimmy, glancing at Marco's close proximity with Corey. He couldn't help it. Paige had put the bad idea into his head. It would explain how Marco had been acting for a while.
"It's good, I suppose. Missing you all, though," he smiled innocently in Marco's direction. Corey didn't see it as so innocent, though, and Marco could feel his arm tighten painfully around him. He was not looking forward to the ride home.
Marco immediately looked down, giving no smile in return or even any acknowledgement to Dylan. Dylan pretended he wasn't hurt, moving on with the conversation.
"So," said Dylan, avoiding Marco's eyes, "how's everything with you all?"
"Good," they chorused. After the odd incident was Marco, everything had become a bit tense and awkward. Marco was sure they had all come up with their own ideas of why he had run into the bathroom.
"You know, I really have to go," said Corey, mostly speaking to Marco. He was lying, Marco knew. He had nowhere to go. He just didn't want Marco to be around his friends anymore. "Marco?" said Corey, obviously expecting Marco to get up with him.
Honestly, Marco had never been more afraid to be with Corey than he was at that moment. However, Marco knew he would be in much more trouble with his boyfriend if he didn't go with him when he asked.
"So, go," said Paige, clearly implying that she didn't think he'd be taking Marco with him. She'd given up her polite act with him.
Marco got up reluctantly, grabbing his jacket from the couch, trying not to show Corey how unhappy he was about it.
"Wait, Marco!" said Paige. "Don't go," she said, her eyes pleading with him.
Perhaps she wasn't right. Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions. Marco could have just been leaving because he wanted to (which was almost laughable, but she didn't want to cause trouble where it wasn't needed, even if she'd done it before).
Marco walked with Corey to the door, waving a solid good-bye, being pretty impersonal with his friends. He eyed Paige once more before he walked out the door, though. The fear was evident, the begging of 'please don't tell anyone what you saw (too late)', the pain, but the fear.
Perhaps she wasn't right? Maybe she was jumping to conclusions? No. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind any longer. It took all of her willpower not to practically murder Marco's boyfriend right there. She breathed in deeply after he shut the door behind them. She couldn't go after them. If Corey knew she knew, more complications would arise.
Paige, Spinner, Jimmy, Hazel, Craig, and Dylan looked around at each other, utterly bewildered and amazed.
"Doesn't he just give you a bad vibe?" Hazel asked Dylan.
'I've met him before, Hazel," said Dylan, rolling his eyes. "Are you still trying to set me up with Marco?"
"It's something deeper than that now, Dylan…" said Paige, staring out the window, watching Corey and Marco argue.
……………………………………………………………………………………
"Corey, you asked!" said Marco, his hands thrown up in exasperation. They were walking down the driveway to the side of the road, where Corey's car was parked.
"I don't care if I asked, Marco! You're my boyfriend, Marco! Not Dylan's," he said angrily, slamming the car door. Marco got in quickly afterwards, closing his own door more gently.
"I love you, Corey. Dylan…Dylan's nothing. He's my friend," said Marco, leaning back against the seat wearily.
"Well, I don't want him hanging around you, Marco," said Corey, starting the car. "Okay?"
"I—" Marco started, and then turned to look at Corey's serious face. He was not driving away until he got his answer, the answer he wanted. "Fine," he gave up.
"No, not 'fine'. That only proves that you want to see him." Corey still didn't move the car, and Marco was sure people inside were starting to become curious as to why the vehicle was still sitting there if Corey had to leave so badly.
"Well, of course I want to. He's my friend!" Marco realized he'd made yet another stupid mistake that day. Not only had he been talking back to his boyfriend, but now he had yelled at him, something he was never permitted to do.
Corey turned to him, surprised. "And I said I don't want you hanging around him. What the hell happened with you today in the bathroom?" Marco was surprised that he'd let the whole yelling fiasco go.
"Ah, I'd had to go to the bathroom for a while, but was ignoring it. When I saw the water shoot at me," he laughed convincingly, "I realized I had to go take care of that."
"Oh," said Corey. Marco wasn't sure if he believed him or not, but he didn't press the matter any further.
"Are we going?" asked Marco, anxious to just get home.
"No," said Corey. "I want you to promise me you will not be around Dylan at all," he said, crossing his arms.
"Corey, he doesn't even go to our school—" Corey took his wrist, holding onto it excruciatingly.
"I didn't ask if he went to our school, Marco," said Corey, using his intimidating calm voice.
"They're going to wonder why we haven't le—"
"Marco!" said Corey, letting go of him, but pushing him roughly away. "You're avoiding it! I want your answer now!"
"Okay, I'll never see him. He's only home for the weekend, anyway," said Marco.
"Yes, I remember he told you that when you two shared your beautiful hug," said Corey bitterly. "I don't want to see you that close with any guy, especially not Dylan, you understand?"
"Yes, Corey!" Corey had ignored his yelling once, though, so why hadn't he taken that as a blessing? He had to do it again? Marco couldn't help being slightly stupid, he supposed. He was being told he couldn't hang around with any of his friends, mainly Dylan, who he had been missing so much.
He saw Corey raise his hand, and immediately closed his eyes, imagining himself somewhere else with Corey. They had good times every once in a while, so he liked to picture those. It reminded him why he stayed with Corey, and lessened the pain…slightly.
Marco was able to keep his hand down after being hit. It was a skill he had acquired after taking so many beatings. He no longer had to lift his hand to rub the spot. He just dealt with it, pretending it had been nothing. The things he did for Corey…
"Do not ever speak to me like that again."
Marco nodded. "Okay, Core," he said softly, not yelling. He wasn't stupid enough to do it a third time. Corey finally started driving.
"So, did you have a good time?" asked Mr. Michalchuk, arriving home later that evening.
"Pretty much, yeah," said Paige, watching television with her brother on the couch. "Oh! Can you fix the sink?" she asked.
"He's barely gotten through the door yet, Paige," Dylan said, laughing.
Paige smiled, grabbing the remote from her brother, turning off whatever junk he had playing.
"I was watching that!" exclaimed Dylan.
"So was I," said their father from the kitchen.
"No, dad, you were fixing the sink," she said, pulling her brother off the couch. "We need to talk," she mumbled, leading him to his bedroom, and closing the door behind them.
"What's up?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when she laid herself comfortably on his bed, leaving him standing in the doorway.
"Okay, don't freak out or anything, but I have reason to believe that a certain Marco is in an abusive relationship," said Paige cautiously.
"Meaning…you just hate Corey? Or do you actually…?"
"He pretty much told me so, and we came in here because the water washed off his cover-up that was hiding bruises and such," she said.
"Wow," said Dylan, surprised. "Paige…if we find out that he really is doing this, that boy is going to suffer the consequences," said Dylan. "Nobody has the right to hurt Marco like that."
In the midst of the bad situation, Paige smiled. "You care so much about him, Dylan."
"That I do," he seated himself down on the only empty spot on his bed, taking his sister's hand in his own. "Do you have any idea how…when…how long…maybe even why?" he asked.
"I saw the bruises…and I don't need any proof, Dylan. He was hiding it from us, his personality has changed so much, he…" she paused, "he never wants to be around his friends anymore. Well, he looks like he wants to, but he forces himself to be around Corey instead. He obeys practically his every whim, and you should have seen the look of terror on his face when he was walking out with him, Dylan."
"He was terrified, and you let him walk out with that guy?" asked Dylan, shocked. "After seeing all those signs? Paige!"
"What was I to do, Dyl? It would only make things worse," she said, sighing. "I'm so scared for him, and I don't know how much I can do without just making random accusations."
"It's okay, Paige. We'll figure something out," he leaned over to hug his sister, attempting to relax her. "I won't let him get hurt, Paige."
Author's Note: Please review :) I didn't edit this! Bad me! I didn't have too much time, so hopefully, it's okay anyway.