The Broken Date

|3|: Part 2

Jack's POV:

When Mark grabbed his heart, I saw the little man in the jewelry store, saw the circle of blood growing on his shirt front, saw him grab his chest and fall.

I looked at Mark, walking beside me, snapping his fingers to some silent tune, acting very nervous, very different, and I felt as if I were walking with a stranger. This couldn't be the same person I had felt so close to, the same person I had made so many wonderful plans with.

“Did you hear me?” His voice broke into my thoughts. “I said, you're very quiet tonight.”

“Oh,” I kept walking, looking straight ahead.

I decided I couldn't go on with this. I couldn't pretend any longer. He had betrayed me. He had betrayed us. It was all broken. All of the feelings I had for him, all of the love. Broken. Gone.

What made me think I could go ahead with the date, pretend everything was normal?

I decided to confront him right there on the street. Why drag it out? Why torture myself any longer?

He smiled at me, an awkward smile, a forced smile. He looked into my eyes, trying to determine what I was thinking. Despite my anger and hurt, I felt a rush of warm feeling for him.

This was no stranger. This was Mark.

Maybe he had an explanation.

I shook my head. What kind of explanation could there be for robbing a store, for killing a helpless man?

These thoughts spun through my mind, the conflicting feeling crashing again one another---first love, then anger, then a cold bitterness---until I thought I would scream. I had to stop and ask him about it. I had to know.

“Mark---” I started to say.

“Look, there's Wade and Molly!” Mark cried, waving to our friends at the corner. “Wait up, you two!”

Molly was wearing a pale blue Benetton sweater outfit. “Hey, we're twins!” Mark declared,holding the sleeve of his sweater up to hers. “You've go great taste in sweaters!”

Mark, Molly and Wade had a good laugh about the sweaters. Wade suggested the Mark must have knitted his. Mark replied the pale blue matched Wade's face. Wade shoved Mark off the sidewalk.

I was a few yards behind them. The more Mark kidded around, the worse I felt. And it was obvious, to me, at least, that he was kidding around a lot more than usual.

I knew that Mark didn't even like Wade and Molly that much. (Get rekt Wade) They never hung out or anything. But he sure acted glad to see them tonight. It took all of my strength to keep walking behind them quietly, to keep from screaming at Mark to stop the foolish masquerade and admit to me about what he had done.

Luckily it was just two more blocks to the high school.

When they got to the door, they were stopped at the ticket table by Mr. Seidendorfer, (I literally typed in random letters and it auto corrected to that... I don't even know how to say that XD) the music teacher.

“Tickets, please,” Mr. Seidendorfer hummed.

Mark, who had been telling a joke to Wade, turned back to me. “Have you got the tickets?”

“Oh.” The tickets. They were in my wallet, and my wallet was gone. “Uh. . .no. I don't.”

Mark put a hand on my shoulder. It felt hot and wet over the silk dress shirt. “What's wrong with you tonight?” He asked, smiling.