Just Another Love Story

Chapter 2

"Well there is no reasonable excuse to be spending more time with some girl than with your girlfriend." She says girl like it is poison in her mouth while gesturing to me.

"It's her birthday and maybe I've been trying to break up with you all day and you're just making it easier." He says smoothly, something he is clearly far from actually feeling.

"You've been planning to breakup with me all day?"

"Yes Samantha, I have. And now we're through. Permanently." he says 'permanently' because they had taken little breaks before.

Quincy turns back to face me and he grabs my hand under the table, trying to stop the tears from falling down.

I squeeze his hand reassuringly and turn back to the board to copy down my assignments. I don't let go of his hand until we part ways to go to lunch. Even though we are neighbors and have the same schedule, we still don't have lockers near each other. I put away all of my stuff and head up to the lunch line.

"Ugh, sushi. Guess I'm getting pizza today." I mutter under my breath.

I got in line behind Taylor, one of Samantha's sidekicks.

"Hey, get away from me! I don't need you to break up me and my boyfriend." Taylor says like she is rubbing in my face the fact that she has a boyfriend and I don't. But I am happy with where me and Quincy are right now.

"Man, news travels fast in here." I reply, not even really caring that she was trying to be mean.

"Shut up you home wrecker!" She yells.

OK, now I'm ticked. "'Home wrecker!? It's not like they were going to get married anytime soon. And it also wasn't my fault. All I did was support Quincy in his decisions."

"Yeah, because you like him because you think it will make you be more popular if you date him."

"What? I don't like him-" I yell just as Quincy turns the corner. He stops in his tracks. Wait, does he like me?

He starts running to the lunchroom door because he brought lunch and I run after him, forgetting to buy food. I see him at the table where he normally sits but he doesn't actually sit down.

I remember that I have to do student store and I decide not to eat and I work up the courage to walk up to him and ask him if he wants to come and talk to me in there. We aren't supposed to let people in there but I trust him and these are dire circumstances.

After he agrees to talk, we walk in and I start setting up because I still have a job.

After 5 minutes, Quincy says "Do you really not like me?"

"I'd rather not answer that question." I respond, trying not to have to tell him.

"Why not?"

"Would you like to be outright asked if you liked someone?" I retorted.

"Well, I don't really know. It depends."

OK then, lets see.

"Do you like me?"

"Touché."

"See no one likes to be asked if they like someone, especially when it is-" I cut off realizing what I was about to tell him. Luckily there is a customer, so I turn and sell them what they want.

Quincy leaves, but not after he gives me his sandwich.

During Science class, I'm zoning out until the teacher, Mrs. Tomoke, says that the reproductive system diagram project will be with your table partners. I glance over at Quincy next to me, and I let out a small chortle. I thank the science gods for letting me work with him.

He whispers in my ear "Now we have an excuse to hang out." His whisper sends shivers over my shoulder.

I try to keep my voice still as I say, "Yeah, we do."

"Do you want to hang out at my house? Or yours?" Quincy asks me later on the bus.

"Yours." I reply, knowing he wouldn't have a sister annoyingly interrupting every 10 minutes.

"OK, but I gotta warn you, my sister is being exceptionally annoying at the moment."

"How can yours be worse than mine?"

"Well, mine is 11." He retorts.

"And mine is old enough to actually know everything that goes on."

"Oh you're going to lose this fight..." After that comment we just get in a one-upping war until we are at our bus stop.

As soon as we round the corner to Quincy's, I stop dead in my tracks. Is that who I think it is? Beer bottle? Check. Falling over? Check. Jet black hair? Check. Though I've never met him, some things don't change from the pictures taken 15 years ago.

"Marrissa! Marrissa!" He calls out to me.

"Who is that?" Quincy whispers to me.

"My dad." I say, regretfully.

"Oh," Is all he says, not knowing what else to say. He knows what happened, but still isn't clear on the subject.

When my dad finally makes it to us after we stop walking, he says "Hey Sweetie."

"Don't call me 'sweetie', John." I say, meaning to hurt him by calling him by his first name.

"Hey, can't a dad talk to his daughter?" He responds defensively.

"No Mr. Nefario, you were never my dad. No real dad tries to leave his wife after finding out she is pregnant, impregnates her again, leaves her to take care of 2 children alone, then comes back 15 years later, expecting it all to be fine." My voice starts out soft, but I end up yelling at him.

"Hey Marrissa, calm down it's OK." Quincy soothes me while pulling my shoulder to turn me to him. That's when I lose it.

"No! It's not OK. It will never be OK. First he estranges us, comes back, and then my best friend tries to tell me it's OK. I'm not a two year old throwing a tantrum, I actually have feelings and you have no idea how it feels to grow up with one parent." I turn to my dad. "Why don't you just go back to the bar where you belong?" This brings on another bout of tears. I turn to the road and try to get control. Quincy takes my wrists in his hand and he unbeknowingly gives me the support that I need.

I stop crying and face my dad, but don't let go of Quincy.

"Why did you start crying?" My 'dad' very insensitively slurs.

"Maybe because I was screaming at my very drunk dad that just came back after 15 years of being gone off the face of the Earth." I retort, quieter than I was. While I was talking, I felt the tears try to return, but I blinked them away.

"Come on Marrissa, let's go." Quincy says gently to me. We push past my dad and I don't look back.