House Of Pain | Marko

three

I've been here for three days and still no sign of Jordon. This was good. I had finally made my escape from him. My mental health would soon be healing from the damage he had done to it.

Making my way down the boardwalk, I passed a store that I hadn't seen before. Video Max was the name. It must've just been leased to the person, because it wasn't here when I left for Nevada. I noticed Greta's friends moving around in the store. To avoid them, I quickened my pace as I headed down the path of stores.

After getting decently far, I slowed my pace so I could look at the store selections. I hadn't seen them in ages and I was wondering if there was anything new they had to offer.

There was this cute little handmade jewelry store that I liked shopping at and I was glad to see it was still in business. My body came to a holt in front of the windows so I could see what was in for the season. It was the same o'l shell necklaces and bracelets, but in new designs. Another day I would have to come in here to really look around at the updated selections.

I turned around to continue walking and nearly fell at the person standing in front of me. They scared the hell out of me and I jumped from the sudden presence.

"Hi, Portia!" Marko greeted me with a big smile. I gave him a glare before walking around him.

"What do you want?" I hissed with a bit of an attitude. I was still upset that Greta had left me the other night for them.

"I brought you some cotton candy." He smiled and handed me the blue and pink sugar on a paper cone. I hadn't noticed it in his hands before, probably because I was scared out of mind.

"That's sweet, but keep it. I don't want it." I shoed him away with my hand, but he didn't budge. Marko just held it out until I took it. "Marko, go away. Why are you bothering me anyway?" I took the cotton candy with a sigh.

"You're really a Frog, huh?" His face held a frown, but it vanished a second later. "I would never have guessed!"

"What do you want? An award?" I began to walk away so I could continue down the boardwalk. Marko chased after me.

"An award sounds great actually. Can it be me taking you out for dinner?" Marko responded cockily. That was smooth. Real smooth. It made my cheeks burn bright red and I came to a stop to look at him. Marko held a Cheshire grin on his face.

"No." I simply said. "Don't let David see you near me. I know how much he hates me after our five minute conversation with each other." I waved my hands around sarcastically before walking again.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what David said. He's just a bit protective of his brothers." Marko explained.

"Greta not choosing to defend me hurt more than David's rude comment. He's the least of my concern, Marko. It's my best friend I'm worried about. How could she not stand up for me? Has she any idea how upset I was?" I started spilling my emotions all over Marko as if he cared. I had just met the boy. I needed to keep it to myself, but I was too caught up with what happened last night to care.

"Portia, if I'm being honest. I think it's because Greta likes David and David likes Greta. He's a bit stubborn and once he finds a girl he might like, he becomes protective over her. Just like he is with his brothers." Marko explained and I stopped to look back at him.

"David may be a little crush of hers, but why would she pick a guy over her best friend!? I mean, how long have you guys been here? I've been by her side her whole life and she chooses a guy, she met probably months ago, over me."

"Who says we haven't been here the whole time?" Marko raised an eyebrow up at me and I shook my head at him before responding.

"You don't have the Santa Carla sparkle yet. You just arrived. Check back in with me in a couple months, and I'll let you know if you shimmer yet." I responded. Marko's face lit up at my comment.

"I like you! You're a bit feisty!" Marko smiled.

"Sure." I shrugged. "But this is my stop. Goodnight, Marko."

Marko took a step back to see where we were. We stood in front of my family's comic book store with the flickering of the sign that needed to be fixed. He looked back down to look at me.

"Goodnight, little raven." Marko turned around and swiftly took off, leaving me in front of the store by myself. He was a strange one, but I liked it. He was definitely no Jordon.

I shook my head at the ridiculous nickname he had given me before entering the store. When I opened the doors, I was welcomed to water being splashed against my face. Some of it had hit the cotton candy and the fluffy sugar started to deflate into the cone.

"You guys!" I shouted. "My cotton candy!" I looked at the deformed fluff ball of sugar. "I'm not a vampire! I'm your sister!"

"But you were with him! We had to make sure!" Edgar whined with the empty glass in his hand.

"With who?" I dabbed my face off with the bottom of my shirt and then realized. "Marko is not a vampire, you two. Get it through those thick skulls of yours that vampires don't exist in Santa Carla!"

"Poe, yes they do! You gotta believe us!" Alan whined next. "Marko is one of them!"

"No, he's not! He's just a citizen of Santa Carla! Stop claiming that people are vampires! They don't exist!" I shouted back at them, still bummed at my cotton candy.

"But Por-"

"But nothing!" I cut Edgar off. "I came here to take your dinner orders, but I don't think I want to get food for you anymore."

"Portia, please. Can you at least wear this? Use it if you ever feel threatened by him." Edgar handed me a necklace with a capsule of water. I doubt it would do any damage, but if it made my little brothers feel better.

I sighed before taking it and clipping it around my neck, "there? Happy? You two are buying me replacement cotton candy."

My two brothers looked at each other and then back at me before I stormed away from their presence. I was angry. Very angry. One day, they're going to realize they were wrong and I was right. That'll be the day, I tell you.