unrequited love.

20.

she could faintly hear some popular song that had been remixed leaking out of the house. she gulps, her nerves getting the best of her.

she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and she hurries to take it out. it was a text from nessa, saying 'i'm in the backyard, are you here yet??' to which norah sends a quick, 'be there in a sec' before walking into the modern house.

she observed the half-ass party decorations that she had no doubt was probably zhangs doing which he most likely gave up on when no one helped. the many teenagers that flooded the residence didn't seem to care as they mindlessly drank down the free booze and danced to the music.

she politely shuffled past them and finally made it to the backyard where she found all her friends gathered in the patio furniture, seeming unbothered by their reckless peers around them.

she frowns when she didn't see marco.

within seconds, nessas eyes landed on her. "norah!" she squealed excitedly, causing their friends to look up in the direction. they were all shocked to see her and bombarded her with questions, seeming fairly happy to see her.

"hi guys," norah finally greets her friends. nessa pulls her away from her friends, who continued their discussion about handcuffs. i'm not going to specify wether it was sexually or law enforcement, so just don't question it.

norah nervously tugs at the sleeves of her grey sweater, wishing the oversized article of clothing could just swallow her whole.

if marcos tone from nearly a month ago was any indication of what she'd put him through, getting him to forgive her wouldn't be easy.

"where is he?" norah asks.

nessa smiles, feeling a sense of accomplishment. she only wanted her two friends to be happy. "last i saw him, he was heading for the roof with two bottles of beer."

norah furrows her brows, surprised by his choice of beverage. like herself, marco wasn't a huge drinker. nonetheless, she gratefully nods, making her way back to brunos home after thanking nessa.

she rolls her eyes at a group of boys she walked past who mumbled something along the lines of 'look who's back' and so on.

she went up the stairs, knowing there would be a ladder to the skylight in the family game room. she recalled the previous fourth of july when they all shot fireworks off the roof and zhang dared a drunken noah to stick a sparkler in his shorts.

she climbed the ladder and lifted the hatch. she felt a crack in her heart when she set her gaze on a boy.

the beautiful but broken boy.

he was seated, leaning against a half wall that bordered the leblancs roof. he had a half-empty beer in his hand and another ready beside him. he looked straight ahead at the view in front of him, his disheveled curls on display.

he must've noticed that the music grew slightly louder when she opened the sky-light because his gaze wandered to her.

and what she saw scared her.

her best friends once bright, vibrant chocolate orbs held nothing as they beamed on her. he averted his gaze back to the view, taking another swing from his bottle.

she frowns, climbing onto the roof fully and closing the window behind her. she hesitantly walks towards the robber of her damaged heart, her nerves on high alert.

"marco," she began, hoping to capture his attention, but his gaze doesn't falter. she purses her lips, taking a seat beside him, still leaving a few feet between them. "i thought you hated the taste of beer." she tries to spark a conversation, but he appears completely unfazed.