𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄 | marcus arguello

chapter thirteen. sleep deprived

"That's not what I meant," he snipped. "I feel and look like utter shit right now. And you don't even look the least bit hungover."

Andi smiled at him. "One, that's because you were beyond wasted last night, and two, it's because I'm weirdly not hungover. It's strange because I was more hungover from drinking Petra's moonshine than I am right now, and I drank a lot more last night. Guess I just know how to hydrate," she shrugged.

Simon groaned in agony.

"Drama queen," she deadpanned. "Seriously though, you should go drink a gallon of water as soon as possible. You'll probably feel much better if you do."

The taller boy looked down at her for a moment. She did not look sick or hungover, just... exhausted. "You okay? You get enough sleep?"

"I never get enough sleep," she replied. When he continued to look at her with worry, which made him look like a kicked puppy, she sighed, "I just had a nightmare. No big deal. I promise." She lied. Anything involving Abaddon was a big deal. Simon reluctantly accepted her explanation.

"Okay then, not so subtle change of topic. Are you going to the Legacy dance?" Simon asked.

The blonde shrugged and nodded. "Probably. I'll get to hang out with you. And Maria will probably twist Saya's arm and get her to go, so it should be fun enough. Well, hopefully. If Chico's there, he'll suck the fun out of everything. He's been extra clingy and possessive lately."

Simon fumed silently. "He's always extra clingy and possessive. It's what makes him such a fucking dick."

"True," Andi agreed.

The two friends approached the table where two of Brandy's Cheer Death Squad minions were working. Andi was shocked to see Marcus there with Shabnam.

"No Rats at the Legacy dance," Shabnam told the other boy. Andi almost laughed. Marcus did not seem like a school dance kind of guy.

Only to prove her point, he sarcastically snapped at Shabnam, "Oh, bummer. I just had my asshole freshly douched."

"Too much information," Andi called out behind them. The roommates turned to her and Simon. Marcus smirked at her while Shabnam seized up, not knowing what to say to the beautiful blonde.

"Don't tell me you're going?" Marcus asked her.

She tilted her head at him in confusion. "Why so shocked? It's a legacy dance, I'm a legacy. Besides, I'll take any excuse to not be holed up in a dorm with Brandy for a night." Brandy's minions at the table shot her a couple of nasty looks to which she merely threw them the finger.

She looked back to Marcus and wet her lips. "I'd ask you to be my date, but as Shabnam said, no Rats allowed."

"What makes you think I'd even say yes?" he asked, still looking smug.

Andi laughed lightly. "Oh, I know you would," she leaned forward and whispered to him.

"Cocky much?" he asked, using her words from their tryst in the bathroom before their more... intense moment later on the previous night. Apparently, the other two teens had been watching Andi and Marcus' exchange with a combination of curiosity and well...

Simon seemed to take notice of Shabnam's fidgeting around Andi. "You okay there Shab? Looking a little nervous. Maybe feeling a little tight in the pants. I mean, I know Andi is hot, but c'mon mate, control yourself a bit. We're in public."

Shabnam looked even more anxious than before after that comment. Andi glared at Simon and smacked him rather roughly on the arm.

He laughed and flinched away slightly. "Ooh, I like it rough," he joked.

The blonde's cheeks flushed pink. "Shut up," she scolded.

Andi never blushed, but Simon's forward comment around Marcus took her off guard. Apparently, Marcus was not a fan of Simon this morning either as he glared at the taller teenager for his comments, both towards Shabnam and about Andi.

"Just get our damn tickets," Andi told Simon. He stepped forward, between Marcus and Shabnam, grabbing the tickets from one of the minions who gave him a flirty smile. Before any other quips and comments could be made, the blonde grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off to class, only sparing Marcus a small smile over her shoulder as she walked away.

***

If it was not obvious already, Marcus was not a fan of Simon Aster. If it was not the jab at Shabnam, it was the quip toward Andi. It was just his whole demeanor. He was a pompous ass.

The new Rat did not know how to feel about the whole conversation that took place. He was glad that he and Andi were still getting along outside of the party atmosphere. Their teasing comments let him believe that she was not regretting anything that happened between them. However, Simon's mean-spirited jest at Shabnam made something churn within him, a sort of anger directed at his roommate.

He knew that other people found the blonde attractive. It was just a fact that she was. But, the thought of others lusting after her, whether it was Simon or Shabnam, made him uneasy. The worst thing about it, he hated that felt like that. Andi was not his girlfriend. She was just the girl he hooked up with at a party. Sure, he liked her, and he definitely hoped that there would be a repeat, but he had no claim on her.

Trying to dispel those feelings, he started toward class with Shabnam still beside him.

"I didn't realize you and Andi were such good friends," the teen said a little uneasily.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah. It's kind of a new development," he answered simply.

"All right. Well, despite your friendship, you should still be careful. Week of the dance, Legacy hazing is a time-honored tradition," his roommate explained to him.

Just to cement the warning, the two turned when they heard a loud yell from down the hall. Billy stood by his locker with a mousetrap stuck to his hand. As he watched the green-haired boy yell and clutch at his injured hand, Marcus thought about Shabnam's warning.

Would Andi do something to him and the rest of the Rats? Was their new civility just a joke? Now, as the paranoia set in, he understood her trust issues a little better.

***

Not 100% happy with this chapter, but I had to post something to move forward into episode three.

So, Shabnam mentions that the week of the dance is Legacy hazing, yet the episode seems to take place in a single day. I'm gonna stretch that out a little more. I'll mix some episode scenes in with original parts and I won't make it too long, but just stretch it out. In the next chapter or two expect a one-on-one scene between Andi and Maria. I mentioned how they are closer than Saya and Andi, yet I've focused a lot on building the Saya/Andi friendship. With Chico's possessive behavior, Maria has not been a big part of the story so far and I want to change that.

Even though it obviously wasn't written in the 1980s, the piano piece I imagine her playing is Time by Hans Zimmer. You should check out the piano version on YouTube. It's beautiful!

Anyway, let me know what you think as always! I have many plans for the future!

Also, anyone who saw, I posted my Umbrella Academy fic. I am not sure when I'll be updating the next chapter just yet. I want to prewrite some, like with my Billy fic, before I start publishing.