Issues / ROMAN GODFREY / #wattys2019

Five.

"What the hell was that?" Peter asked Roman, acting as if her touch hadn't bothered him. Mariana stayed quiet as the two argued, unsure whether or not to tell them what had just happened. She had never experienced that before, why would it start now?

"We should probably get out of here," Mariana said nonchalantly. The boys looked back at her as if they forget she was there. Peter nodded in agreement, his eyes settled on Roman, "I still don't understand what you did, but don't do it again," he gave Mariana a little wave before jogging away.

"Jesus Christ," Roman muttered, reaching into the pocket of his black jacket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to Mariana, who shook her head. He shrugged and lit one up, inhaling deeply before he nodded to her. "Why did you say you came here?"

Mariana shrugged, "I just had this gut feeling that I had to be here, Brooke was my friend..." she trailed off, feeling tears prickle her eyes. Roman stared at her and didn't say anything. "I don't know, I didn't think anyone else would be here,"

"You and me both," Roman whispered, taking another long drag of his cigarette. It was silent between them; Roman staring up at the sky while Mariana's eyes swept over the dried up blood that bled into the wooden frames. 

"I'm sorry about your friend," Roman said after a while, not really understanding what she was going through. The only people he ever cared about were Shelley and Letha, though he knew he was starting to care for Mari, too.

She sniffed, before nodding in appreciation. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and Roman stubbed out his smoke. "Come on, I'll drive you home,"

-

Friday rolled around, and Mariana was back in school, not wearing her cheerleading uniform for the first time in weeks. Her denim jeans and off-shoulder top gave her a sense of normalcy; nobody to impress or intimidate (Captain Lucy's words). It was a relief to be herself for once.

She asked to be excused from AP History to use the bathroom. Mariana slipped out the door and walked to the nearest girls bathroom, turning the corner only to see Peter standing there with a grimace on his face."Peter, what are you?-"

A feminine squeal echoed from the bathroom, followed by a series of moans. Mariana gagged, not wanting to know the full extent as to what was going on behind closed doors. "Who is that?"

"It's Roman and some brunette, I come out to talk to the fucktard, and he's occupied," Peter said, his hands nervously jingling change in the pockets of his jacket. Mariana felt a pang of jealousy but quickly shrugged it off.

"Why are you standing here listening to it?" she asked.

"For the same reason you are," he threw back at her, making her cheeks flush. From behind Peter, Letha Godfrey turned the corner, making an odd, disgusting face at the both of them, figuring that they were both perverts. Peter watched her back as she walked down the hall, but Mariana couldn't take anymore. She brushed past him to find another bathroom.

-

"Okay girls, it's a very terrible tragedy what happened to Brooke, but she would not want the season to stop because she died!" Lucy called to all the cheerleaders who were sitting around in a circle on the gym floor. Mariana gave her a cold look, that's what you came up with?