The Life of a College Student. (DISCONTINUED)

Level Thirteen: Apology Accepted.

re-written on 12.05.17

"I was surprised you even remembered our conversation, dude." I commented the next day. After throwing my vans into the wash, because there was no way I was throwing out those costly shoes out just because they had vomit on them, I had received a text message from an unknown number and it happened to be Marcus, who wanted to grab some coffee and apologize for last night.

So, here I was with Marcus at some cute café in the richer part of town—Danny was grabbing herself some sweets, paid for by the slightly hung-over Marcus.

Marcus sighed and I couldn't tell where he was looking since he had on big, dark sunglasses to help ease his hung-overness, "I know how I look and trust me, I shouldn't remember anything from last night but for some reason, I do. I remember a lot and I shame myself for the next few years for it." He responds with a bitter chuckle as if this power of his had caused him a lot of trouble in the past.

"I don't doubt it." I mused quietly before taking a sip of my hot white chocolate.

"Uh, I told Ricardo I would pay to replace his shoes and I extend the offer to you, too, and I if I remember correctly...I think I threw up over expensive Johnston & Murphy oxfords and black Vans." He squints slightly as if recollecting about the moment.

"You sure know your oxfords." I mumbled not knowing that there were brands of oxfords. I just through they was all made by oxfords, like some kind of idiot, and not by different designers.

Even with those sunglasses I could tell Marcus was rolling his eyes, "Honey, I'm gay. I know my fashion." He informs patiently and gives a grin.

I liked Marcus—he was okay as a drunk but he was better sober. He was polite, had good manners, and was very charming. I liked his accent as well. "Where are you from, anyway? I can't place your accent." I asked curiously.

Marcus snickered, "I'm from Warsaw, Poland."

"Whoa," I said with wide eyes, "Poland? That's so cool because I just watched that super intense movie Zookeeper's Wife and geez, it was so bloody amazing. I read that the zoo was still open to this day? Is it true?" I blurted out excitedly.

Marcus's lips lifted upwards into a genuine smile, "I can see why Ricardo likes you so much," He leans back into his chair with a pensive look on his face and I blush at his comment, "Anyway, yeah, the zoo is still open. It's kinda a pride in our town. It survived so much, ya know? And it saved a lot of lives." Marcus says thoughtfully.

"Did your parents migrate to the U.S then?" I questioned.

He nods, "Work wasn't abundant in Poland back then from what they told me. I was very young so I don't really remember but we lived in New York for some time before moving out to this side of the states and my father really liked Las Vegas because of all the twinkling lights." He snorts and I laugh quietly. "Yeah, he likes looking down at the Strip and seeing all of the casinos and shit."

"So, how are things with your boyfriend then? He looked pretty mad when he picked you up last night." His boyfriend was seriously hot, not as hot as Ricardo, but pretty damn close.

"He doesn't think I should drink anymore," Marcus explains quietly as he stirred his coffee with a straw, "He thinks it's time to grow up and stop acting like some fuck-boy in high school."

I arched an eyebrow, "And what do you think?" I questioned.

Marcus finally takes off his sunglasses and squints at the brightness in the room before clearing his throat and adjusting his eyes onto me, "I think he's absolutely right. He wants to make a future together, ya know? Get engage, married, and eventually try to adopt a child and it sounds wonderful, honestly," Marcus smiles softly and I smile back because it does sound nice, "And we can't move forward if I'm acting like a douche all the time and partying like crazy. So, I told him he was a hundred percent correct and he was surprised but was happy." Marcus then shrugged, "I am usually a private person, believe it or not," He suddenly tells me as he peers at me with interest, "I don't trust strangers and lord knows how long it took my baby boy to break down my barriers but with you, girl, I can just...vent." He admits with a chuckle of surprise.