"Do you mind if we stop in here? I'm starving." Duff asked, gesturing in the direction of the diner. They were halfway back to her house and to Marcelline's relief the streets had been mostly empty. Nobody she knew had seen her in her embarrassing state, yet.
"Sure." Marcy shrugged. Duff had offered to walk her home, so she couldn't really protest if he wanted to do something on the way.
The moment they walked through the door, heads were turning. Marcy knew what it looked like. She was wearing his clothes and both of them had clearly just woken up. Everyone probably thought they had slept together. But they hadn't. Marcelline had woken up next to Axl, not Duff.
"D'you want anything?" Duff asked, studying the menu.
"I don't have any money." Marcy stated. An old woman who was sat in one of the booths was staring at them with a look of disapproval. Marcelline felt her cheeks flush.
"I'll pay. What d'you want?" Duff insisted.
Marcy wondered why he was being so kind. He owed her nothing. She looked up at him (which was quite a feat due to their height differences) with a confused look on her face. Men in Los Angeles usually treated her like dirt. "Could I have one of those?" Marcy asked timidly, pointing at the bran muffins on the counter.
Duff ordered the food and they sat down. Marcy looked out the window and sighed. She wondered if Aubrey's morning had been half as bizarre as hers. She was glad Duff was with her. He was comforting and made her feel like everything was going on was a little less weird. Marcy didn't know what she would have done if she hadn't bumped into him earlier.
The odd man - Slash - had crossed her mind many times since her and Duff had left his house. Something about him had attached itself to her thoughts and was refusing to let go. Marcy's heart fluttered as she remembered the way he had moved towards her. How his voice had been so smooth. He had sounded young.
Younger than he acted.
"Marcy? Is that you?" A voice startled her out of her daydream. It was the waitress. She was vaguely recognizable. Aubrey had introduced them once before. Marcy knew her name started with an S.
Sasha? Stacey? Stella? "Selena," Marcy grinned, proud of herself for remembering. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Yeah, I work here now," Selena laughed, placing the food they'd ordered on the table. She was pretty, with classic dark hair and blue eyes. Marcy knew guys must have swooned at her everywhere she went. "Tell Aubrey I said hi."
Selena swept her eyes over Duff as she began to turn away. The moment she noticed him she froze in her tracks. Selena glanced back over at Marcy, as if she had just become aware of her outfit. Marcelline could see her mind whirring. "Duff!" Selena squeaked. "I'm a huge fan." Then she scuttled off.
That was odd, Marcelline thought to herself. She shook her head and took a bite of her muffin. "How do you know each other?" Marcy asked once she'd finished chewing.
"We don't." Duff laughed. Marcelline decided she liked his laugh.
.
"Marce! Where have you been? I was calling and calling but you never picked up so I came round but you weren't here either. Your neighbor says you haven't been home all night!" Aubrey exclaimed the moment Marcelline came into sight.
Duff had said goodbye outside Marcy's apartment complex. She was glad, Aubrey would have made a big deal out of it if she'd seen him.
"I'm here now," Marcy chuckled. She fumbled with her keys for a moment before opening the door. "How'd your night go?"
