They've known each other for years. He's liked her from the moment he met her. She's an entirely different story.
Freshman year is throwing them for a loop. When things get low, will the Ducks rely on each other, or will they all break apart?
- or...
Ups! Ten obraz nie jest zgodny z naszymi wytycznymi. Aby kontynuować, spróbuj go usunąć lub użyć innego.
"I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Please, Marlene - let's not."
"We didn't even try to stop them!" Marlene squeezes her fingers together as she sighs heavily. She's close to full on panicking. She cannot believe that she allowed herself to be dragged out of that restaurant.
They sit at a booth table at the diner Adam wanted to go to. They're near the back of the building, away from the big windows and passing cars and the big neon light sign that blinds the people that sit near it.
They sit side by side in their classy clothes and they ordered cokes that they won't drink. They look out of place, sitting in this scrappy dinner.
Marlene's legs bounce with nerves, her stomach sick and her chest tight. Her elbows are propped on the table as she goes back and forth between wringing her hands and rubbing her face. She looks, well, manic.
"There wasn't much we could do, Mars." Adam feels exhausted. He was already going through something before the dinner, and now Marlene's worrying her head off about how much of a horrible person she is.
"If they didn't hate us then, they sure as hell do now."
"Don't say that. Just—" Adam stops when Marlene buries her face in her hands. Her shoulders curl into herself and her legs draw up to her chest. Adam moves to hug her, but just as quickly as she started to cry, she's sitting up straight again like nothing ever happened.
"Dumbass Varsity boys. God, I wish I never—"
In a flash of anger Marlene jammed her palm against the edge of the table, shoving the table away from her. The sodas spill over, splashing all over the wood. She frantically grabs paper towels from the roll and starts cleaning up the mess. The paper towels barely soak the liquid, instead they push the soda around.
Marlene's eyes close as she inhales. Her shoulders rise and fall, her entire face furrows. She throws down the paper towel and it splashes in the spill. She plops back down into the booth, back slumped and her hand shading her face. A frown forms on her face and her lip quivers as she curses herself.
Adam watches her with a worried expression. He looks scared, almost. Like his mind can't comprehend what it is he should do. He just stares at Marlene and her tears, not understanding what's got her so mixed up.
He sort of gets it, home problems can make you overly emotional. But Marlene doesn't have home problems. Her mother's an angel from heaven, and Marlene's an only child so anything she does is labeled as amazing in Ellie's eyes.
Adam's older brother, Liam, is by far Phillip's favorite. Always comparing the two of them. Liam got a scholarship to a private high school just like Adam did, but Liam's was based off academics, not sports. Liam is almost done with high school, and he's got many colleges offering him scholarships. Prestigious schools that Adam would hate going to, but he would sell his soul to be valued by his father like Liam is.
