The Jock, The Nerd and The Geek

26

As he entered, he noticed three things. Her eyes seemed vacant, blank, like she wasn't sure what she was doing there. Her hair, had grown considerably longer than he remembered last time.

And her skin...

It looked better than he remembered it. Better than she had in months. Better than how she did when he found her.

Relief bubbled through his body as tears gathered in his eyes, his hands going over to cover his mouth as a gasp left his lips, a sound that made her look at him, words flying out of his mouth in one breath, "How could you do that? You said you wouldn't take more than you should. You promised. Why did you lie to me? How could you? Do you have any idea how worried I was? What if you didn't wake up? What if you slipped into a coma? How could you call me and tell me that and just leave me? Leave us? How selfish can you be?"

And then he heard her ask a question that put his his whole world on a standstill.

"Do I know you?"

Marcos felt his eyes widen as he stared at her. The question striking his heart harder than anything ever had. His eyes studying her face, hoping to see any sign of her joking. Pranking him. Punishing him possibly.

But it was so obvious that she wasn't joking. Or pranking. And it couldn't be a punishment if the question was truly genuine. In fact, she seemed quite upset that he was standing in front of her.

"I don't—" His chest was starting to hurt again, breaths finding it hard to leave his mouth. "I don't understand, Alex, I—"

Marcos walked to her bed now, sitting on the stool beside her bed and held her hand and though he noticed the reaction on her face change to surprise, and something close to fear as he said, "It's Marcos. Eros. I'm your—"

Boyfriend.

Yet, he wasn't, was he? She had ended things with him. Cut him off. He couldn't even call himself her friend. So... So what was he?

"Alex!"

He watched as her eyes moved from him to the person entering the room, her dark orbs immediately lighting up as the person hugged her, her hand leaving his as she hugged them back, a laugh leaving her lips. "Alia, God, I can't breathe,"

Marcos felt a hand tighten around his heart, squeezing whatever breath he had left as he watched Alia Hooper pull away from Alex's grasp, cupping her cheeks as she said, "Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Should I call the Doctor?"

Alex laughed again, her eyes staring at Alia like she was the only one in the room. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just—" Then she paused, her eyes lingering back to Marcos again, clear distrust in her eyes.

Alia turned too, now noticing him as a surprised look crossed her face. "Marcos? What are you doing here?"

Marcos... Marcos couldn't hear her. Thoughts running through his head as he stared at the both of them.

Why are you holding her? Why is she looking at you like that? What is going on?

"I—"

Paris stormed into the room, his face twisted and filled with rage as he snapped towards the dark haired female, "What the fuck, Alia? Couldn't you see she had company?"