Asterisk*

Affirmation and Aspirations*

*In recognizing the idiotic world of feelings

Muster some strength,

Courage embarked on a journey.

Speak.

Pour it out,

Breathe in and breathe out.

A kiss on the mind of urgency,

The devastating glory on the other.

Apollo

This entire trip, my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest and trying to yank me towards Marcus. It was like 'go over here, go get to know him better, tell him how weird you feel around him.' Hearts are stupid. I didn't listen to it.

In all honesty, if the world was spinning out of control, Marcus would be the first person that I would hang onto. I know he would hold me as tight as he can, making sure to protect both of us as best as he can. He'd tell me what I wanted to hear; not that everything was going to be okay, but that things could end the next second, but we'd spend that second together, making sure that it's the best second we've ever had. Tumults of fear would be all around us, but a safety harness would be found in our embrace. Winds could blow around us, but we would let ourselves fly for the first and last time, leaving ourselves to the mercy of the wind before fluttering down in one last breath of hurrah. We would make it because that's what we do. We make it through tough times.

I was currently making breakfast, trying to be really quiet so I didn't wake anybody else up. I wanted to thank everyone for coming out here to do free work and also thank my parents for not only being amazing people, but just letting me bring a group of people to stay here. I wasn't a great cook, so I had to pull up one of those recipes on YouTube by Giada, but I think I could do this pretty well. Breakfast was probably the easiest meal to make, so I can't really screw it up badly no matter how terrible things went while making it.

In just a little over a month, these people really changed my life. I had people who cared, people who I could confide in, people who I knew would be there every step of the way, regardless of if I did well or not. I felt like one of those kids that could just fly in the clouds any second, completely freeing myself from any stupid personalities I had put on before. For once, I lived in a world of cotton candy; a soft landing wherever I went and a tasty treat to eat whenever I wanted. I was done putting myself in situations where I didn't want to exist as myself. If nothing, these people proved that people could actually enjoy my company without me having to pretend to be someone else. That in itself was a huge step for me.

Marcus crept down the stairs and waved a little hello to me in the kitchen, sitting on the barstool in front of me. I was working on slicing strawberries to put on top of the waffles that I was making, but Marcus kept eating them all before I could get anywhere. I eventually had to smack his arm away, promising he could have however many he wanted after I finished cutting everything up. He smiled back at me when I said that and I tried to hide my face before I turned the color of a strawberry. Propping up his chin with his hand, Marcus just watched me make the food in comfortable silence, until I decided to break the quiet bond we established by asking what he was doing up so early.

"I'm a morning person. I like the silence," he replied, shrugging it off.

"I wouldn't say I'm a morning person, but I'm not a late sleeper either," I told him, taking plates out of the cabinet to set the table.