East Chapel Academy

Chapter 38: Marcus

I'm miserable. 

And on top of being miserable I've been an ass to almost everyone I've come in contact with, including E.J, who I made cry last night.

"Bubby! Bubby!" he ran into my room like he always did. He wore a shiny black cloak and was waving a wand.

"What, E.J!" I yelled at him. "God, I've told you a million times not to barge in and you keep doing it! Can you just go away."

He stood on the platform by my bed staring at me. "I just wanted to show you my costume," his lip trembled. "But you're being a big fat meany!" he screamed before running out of the room.

I groaned collapsing back on my bed. Great, now I'm going to get in trouble.

Like clockwork, my dad came into my room. "Marcus, did you make your brother cry?" He asked knowing that I did.

"Everything makes him cry," I said, staring up at the ceiling. "He barges into my room without knocking everyday and I'm sick of it."

"That's no reason to yell at him, he was excited about showing you the Harry Potter costume Rosa made for him. He's been talking about it all day."

"Oh." I just wanted him to leave so I could be by myself. I looked at my phone screen again, it was empty. I had been texting Nia, each text growing more desperate, but she hadn't responded to any of them.

I tossed it on my side table and ran a hand over my face frustrated.

"Are you okay?" Dad asked. I felt the bed dip as he sat down.

"No," I answered honestly. "I'm not fine." Furthest thing from it actually.

"Talk to me about it," he commanded in that way that he always did when he knew I needed to vent about something.

"Nia saw me kissing Whitney, but I wasn't kissing Whitney, she was kissing me. And I'm an idiot and could barely even defend myself," I said barely pausing to take a breath. "Now she thinks that I'm some skeeze who was only using her because Whitney was away, but that's not true! I've been trying to text her and tell her, but she won't even text me back."

"Marcus," he said patiently. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm finished."

"You may not want to hear this but you have to give her some space."

He was right, I didn't want to hear it. "But I want to explain myself."

"I know you do, and you should. Because from what you just told me there's a lot that needs to be discussed, but if she's not ready to talk to you it's not going to go well," he explained.

"What if she never wants to talk to me again?" I asked fearfully.

He placed his glasses in his shirt pocket. "I don't see that happening. Let her cool down and try again tomorrow."

Ugh, but I want to talk to her right now.

"Fine," I grunted. If giving her a little bit of space is what it's going to take then that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to be happy about it though.

He patted me on the shoulder. "It's all going to work out, trust me."

Mom came in with E.J holding her hand. His round cheekswere tear stained behind the wire rimmed glasses that were too big for his face. He was possibly the cutest Harry Potter I had ever seen.

"I think you owe someone an apology," she said, she hates it when I'm mean to him.

"Come here," I said holding my arms out for him. He crawled into my lap reluctantly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just had a bad day."