Marina's POV
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wake up early just to get ready to see Elizabeth. I'm excited to see her, and talk to her, and try to figure her out.
I'll only have about 10 minutes to talk to her because we don't live so far from school. But I'm going to really make the most of it.
Also, I think Lafina thinks that I've gone insane. She's lingering around my doorway, just observing me but pretending not to.
"You know, you can just come in and say hi?" I tell her sarcastically. I'm at my desk doing my makeup, I see her in the reflection of my mirror. She enters my room properly.
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about things."
"About me?" I ask, she nods.
Called it.
"I suppose.." she sits down on my bed "You know that it's only about seven, don't you? Are you getting ready early because you're so anxious?"
"No no.." I reply, putting on my mascara. From what I can see of her face, she doesn't look convinced. "I have a ride to school, I made friends."
"Oh?" She smiles "That's excellent, then. Well done you."
"Guess who my ride is." I smile, rather smug.
"Who?" She asks
"Elizabeth Grant. The girl next door."
"The girl you stalk? How've you managed that?" She smiles too, I roll my eyes and turn around to talk to her properly
"I don't stalk her. And she brought it up when we sat together in art."
"I bet you're excited. I think you have a bit of a crush by now."
"I don't know what you're talking about.." I mumble, turning back to my mirror. I'm actually almost ready, I just have my hair to take care of now.
My hair shows my Grecian genetics clearly, as it's thick, black and wavy. It's far easier to maintain after a shower, but I just couldn't be bothered to take one this morning. I have more on my mind than my shower schedule.
"Have you agreed on a time to meet?" Lafina asks, I shake my head a little
"No, but I presume that she'll just knock at the door for me when she's ready."
"Do you have her phone number?"
"No"
"Were you too nervous to get it?" She teases, I scoff a little
"No.." I'm lying. I'm far too nervous to ask her for something like that.
"What about social medias? Is she on any?" Lafina asks, clearly getting invested. It's funny how nosy she's being. It's very her. In fact, it's very our mum, but she's not here.
"I've looked but they're private" I admit. She 'hmm's.
"Very casually bring it up to her today?" She suggests, I laugh
"Gosh Laf, sounds like you're the stalker, not me.."
"It's just exciting" she defends
"I know. I actually meant to tell you about my interactions with her yesterday." I start to brush my hair. It's knotty. "It was almost as if she was flirting with me."
"How so?"
"The conversation just had that sort of a flirty undertone.. and I even made eye contact with her."
"Wow, that's a shock. You don't often hold eye contact with me, and I'm your sister.. She must be rather important."
"I don't know yet. That's why I'm excited for today, and why I'm up too early. I couldn't sleep."
"Again?" She asks, I nod. She's worried about my sleeping since we moved here. I haven't got more than three hours yet. I'm running on nothing. "Can I help in any way?"
"Don't worry, Laf.. I'll figure it out soon."
"I hope so. I love you, you know."
"I know, I love you too. Can you please make me some breakfast?" I ask nicely, she smiles
"Of course. What would you like?"
"Just some toast please"
"Alright I'll make it when you're ready.." she gets up from my bed and starts to leave the room "Do you just want butter on it?"
"Yes please. Or Nutella."
"I'll see what I can do.." she mumbles, then walks out.
I get myself all ready for school and then head downstairs. Lafina gives me my toast, and she must've managed to find the Nutella because that's what was on it.
In reality, I was silly to get ready so early. School starts at about half past eight, and it's currently only half past seven. I don't have a lot to do.
"Marina, if you're not busy please could you help me take this stuff to my car? It won't take us long." Lafina tries to persuade, I nod.
She didn't have to try to persuade me, I'd do anything to help her, even if I do complain sometimes.
"Yeah okay.."
I pick up an armful of books and follow her outside to the car. I think her university course is very intense, I mean, she is training to become a doctor after all. I'm proud of her for learning all this stuff, it seems difficult.
"Is that okay?" I ask, placing the books down on one of the backseats.
"Yeah thanks for the help.." she leans into the car and puts down her paperwork too.
I use the time that I'm outside to check out my surroundings, and especially to check out the Grant house. It looks all lit up, so I guess I could go and knock on for Elizabeth whenever I'm ready.
I can't help but look into their windows. I want to see her. She's very intriguing, and very beautiful. She's almost unreal.
"Right, thanks for the help M." Lafina says, making me turn back to her
"Oh, it's alright." I smile nicely. I like being good to her, she deserves everything.
Behind me, I hear movement. It's coming from the Grant house. The door has opened and closed.
"Look, it's your ride.." Laf says, I turn around to see Elizabeth coming out of her house. I feel nervous. "I'll leave you to it. Have a great day at school if I don't see you before you go."
"Thanks Laf, see you later.." I reply. The second she starts to walk back inside, I turn away from her to watch Elizabeth.
It's strange, but I think she's only out here for me. She's looking at me, with a little sort of smirk. It's kind of hot.
Mentally, I say 'fuck it' and just walk over to her. I need to be brave with her.
"What're you doing out here?" I ask her, she walks up to me too, meeting me in between our two driveways.
"I could ask you the same."
"I was putting books in the car" I explain, even pointing at them through the window. She laughs a little
"I believe you, you don't need to provide any evidence.."
"Oh, okay.. So what're you doing out here then?" I go back to my question, she raises her shoulders slightly
"Just.. checking on the neighbours." She smiles "I also wanted to remind you that I'm taking you to school, in case you'd forgotten."
I really wouldn't ever forget - Elizabeth Grant offered to spend time with me before and after school. That isn't something I could let slip my mind.
"No no, I hadn't. I'm very grateful, as is Lafina." I gesture back at my front door, where she just disappeared back into.
Actually, I have a horrible feeling that I'm being awkward. I should tone down my silly hand gestures.
"Like I said, no problem. I think you're fun to talk to." She pauses "We've got a little time to kill. Are you ready for school?"
"Yep.. Got my bag and everything." I cringe at myself.
See? Awkward. I'm being awkward. I need to get a grip. She smiles at me a little
"Good, I'll take you somewhere. Get in." She tells me.
It crosses my mind again that this isn't at all what Stella said she's normally like. She might be treating me differently to other people, which is very exciting.
"But you're a stranger, how do I know you won't kidnap me?" I joke, almost entirely out of awkwardness. I didn't think she actually liked me, and actually spending time with her has caught me off guard to say the least.
But, she laughs a little at what I said.
"I guess you just gotta let me prove it." Her confidence is very attractive. It gives me little butterflies inside. I get into the car with her and do my seatbelt.
"Where are we actually going?" I ask
"My secret place. It's better I just show you, it's not like you know this area, anyway." She looks over at me "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I am"
"Perfect.." she starts her car and pulls out of the driveway, quickly getting onto the road.
The roads are empty, and it's like the rest of the world is asleep. It feels like I should be asleep too. My eyes sting with tiredness, but they sting less and less the longer I keep them open.
"I love the morning when it's still dark." She breaks the small silence.
"I've noticed" I sort of joke, to which I catch her smile. She's looking at the road but smiling because of me. It's beautiful.
"So you do stalk me?"
"I don't. I just don't sleep anymore, so I see you at night and morning." I reply, she laughs a little
"I don't sleep anymore either."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, she raises her shoulders
"I just don't sleep anymore."
"I only don't sleep because I'm not settled into LA yet. What's your reason?" I push
"I'm sort of an insomniac."
"Oh.. That makes sense." I think of all the times I've seen her awake at strange hours. "Don't you feel the exhaustion I feel? I'm practically dead on my feet."
"I guess you could say that I'm dead on my feet, too. Living dead." she smiles. I don't quite understand what she means, but it's nice that I'm not being the awkward one for once. "I don't even feel tired anymore."
"Well you don't look tired, so at least there's that." I compliment her, trying to make it seem like a casual reply. She smirks a little, showing those perfect white teeth. This time, she's turned towards me
"Are you complimenting me?" She puts me on the spot and I feel my cheeks get warm. My heart's beating faster too
"What? No, I just was saying that I look tired and you don't, and you sleep less than me, so by logic, you should look tired. But you don't. And I do." I ramble, she kinda laughs and looks back at the road.
"Thanks. You don't look tired, either."
"Lafina says I do, but it's just because she's worried about me. She doesn't say it to be mean." I explain, she nods a little
"Yeah I've noticed you're close."
"She's my best parent. She loves me unconditionally and I know she'd do anything for me. I owe her everything."
"You don't like it here though, do you?" She says, knowing my answer. It's strange that she's noticed how I feel about LA.
"Is it that obvious?" I ask
"Only to people that know you as well as I do" she jokes, I smile a bit. We've talked twice, she hardly knows me. "I don't know, you just don't seem completely happy."
"I liked London, but I loved Lafina. I didn't want to be without her." I sum it up, but there's lots more to it.
Telling stories like that one with so little words shouldn't be allowed - a lot is left out.
"That's sweet."
"No it's just what happens when you have shit parents." I admit, she nods
"I get it, my mom left."
"I'm sorry, that must be difficult." I feel a little guilty that I'm complaining. Having a parent leave is different to having a parent make no effort.
"It's okay, I was only young."
Again, I feel guilty. She must feel like she's missing out on a parent, especially since she gets along so well with her dad. She might've gotten along with her mum just as well.
"Do you have siblings?" I change the subject
"Yeah I got a little brother and a little sister, Charlie and Chuck. They attend a boarding school though." She hesitates a second "I did too until a couple years back."
"Why'd you leave?" I ask, she smirks a little before answering.
"I was bad." The way she says it is hot. And I want to ask more.
"How bad?"
"I could've died. I made bad choices and.." she shrugs a little "My dad saved me."
"He saved you?" I repeat
"Yeah, he took me from boarding school and I'm with him now. He looks after me."
I think about the times I've seen her dad scolding her when she's come home at an early hour. He's just protecting her. He must really love her.
"I'm glad you're with him."
"Yeah me too, despite the boring rich neighbourhood we live in." She pauses "I'm sorry. That sounded privileged."
"Just a bit" I smile
"Look, we're here." She pulls up in a little parking lot in a clearing of the woods.
It's still dark because the morning is still so early, and any sunlight there is is unable to seep through the thick trees. Only a few rays are cast. It's very pretty.
"Impressive. I didn't know there was more to LA than palm trees and juice-cleanses."
"You have to look in the right parts" she smiles "Come on, I'll take you to my spot."
We get out of the car and I follow her down a little path. I'm putting an awful lot of trust into her right now, she could get us lost or anything.
I'm lucky that she isn't dangerous.
"Why are you nice to me?" I find myself asking, breaking the silence whilst we walk.
"I feel sorry for you."
"Oh, thanks.." I mumble. She takes pity on me.
"No, not like that" she laughs "I mean, I can imagine you're going through a lot. It's only right that I do what I can for you."
"I don't need help, you know." I say a little defensively, she nods
"I know, I'm not trying to help." She doesn't expand on it, which makes me think maybe she understands. I appreciate it.
"I like being alone here, and me and the sun don't get along." She says, I look at her pale self.
"That makes sense. You're quite pale" I reply, she laughs. "What're you laughing at?"
"You."
"What about me?"
"You're like a detective. What are you trying to find out?"
"Nothing, I just pick up on things." I think a second "Why, what is there to find out?"
"You tell me, if you pick up on so much." She challenges. I smile a little
"Well I certainly think you're interesting.." I start
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" She asks, sitting down at a little shady bench. I sit down next to her
"The first time I heard of your existence was when your dad asked my sister if she'd seen his daughter Elizabeth." I tell her, she laughs a little
"My dad's old fashioned. He can be pretty formal with me, you don't have to call me Elizabeth. Lizzy's fine." It feels nice being able to call her a nickname, like she's inviting me into her life. "And that was nothing. He just worries."
"I'd worry too, you come back home at strange times of the night."
"Insomniac." She says simply
"I suppose.. Another thing I noticed is your paleness and love for the shade." I pause "Anyone would think you're a vampire or something." I joke, she laughs
"Yeah they would, wouldn't they?"
The area she brought me to is very pretty. It's nice and dark, but it isn't cold. If anything, it's warm, with comfortable warm breezes passing by us every so often.
"So what do you think of my spot?" She asks. It's almost like she read my mind.
"I think it's beautiful, I'm glad you brought me. I didn't know this side of LA existed."
"I was desperate to find it too when I first moved in with my dad." She looks at me "It gets easier, you know. Easier with familiarity, and I hope I'll feel familiar to you after a little while."
It feels nice to know that she cares like this, and honestly pretty exciting. It means I can hang out with her more often, and get comfortable with her.
"I think I need to take us to school. I can't let you skip the second day." She breaks the silence
"You can't?" I ask disappointedly, she smiles
"No I can't. So come on, back to the car."
--------
Lizzy's POV
School goes slowly, but my favourite parts of the day are when I catch sight of Marina and her friends. Sadly, we didn't have art today so I couldn't sit next to her and talk to her more.
I wait for her by my car at the end of the day, and thankfully she doesn't take long. I say 'thankfully' because of the sun burning away my energy. I could've waited inside my car and not gotten drained, but I wanted her to find it okay. Not to mention that she's more than worth it.
"Was today okay?" I ask her, quickly getting to my car. Getting shelter from the sun feels nice. Refreshing, almost.
"It wasn't so bad. I didn't like PE though.." she replies, getting into the car with me.
Immediately, my mind switches to how I imagine Marina's curvy body looks in the school's PE kit, in those long socks and tiny shorts. I envy whoever she changed next to.
"Yeah, my dad lets me skip it." I reply, without thinking. I hope she doesn't ask why, but it's Marina - she's bound to. I know that by now.
"Why?" She asks. Fuck.
"In case I get sunstroke" I make up, she raises her eyebrows
"Wow, protective father. Lafina wouldn't let me get away with that."
"My dad gets it." I simplify, she looks at me curiously. "What?"
"Can't you just put on sun cream if you're so bothered about getting burnt?" She asks, I smile
"Sun cream? That's British. Usually, it's called sunscreen here."
I start the car and pull out of the parking space, but only once I make sure she has her seatbelt on. She isn't immortal, and she's mine to take care of in this car.
"Well, can't you?" She pushes
I'm beginning to think that maybe I'll have trouble with her. She's very inquisitive. I can feel how interested in me she is through the emotions I can read from her.
"I guess I just don't like the feel of it." I need to change the subject. "Where are you from?"
"Wales originally. I'm half Greek half Welsh."
"That explains your very Greek name, but your accent's very British?"
"I've moved around all my life, this is the accent that benefits me the most. People are picky about how you sound, you know."
"Oh, I know. I'm from somewhere near New York." I tell her, getting onto the road. It's a shame that we live so close to the school. It means we don't get so long to talk in the car.
"I like your accent though, why are people mean about yours?" She asks, I smile at how sweet she is
"I don't really know. And what about yours? Why didn't people like that?"
"Welsh accents aren't everyone's favourite, I suppose." She explains "Not in the UK at least. I didn't fit in."
I'm sure she's wrong, and I almost tell her how I bet that her voice has always been pretty. But I don't want to compliment her too much. I can't tell if she's gay or just cute and nervous.
If she isn't gay, I would end up embarrassing myself. I'm already playing it pretty risky, offering her rides to school, watching her any chance I get.. I'm being gayer than I've ever been before. But I think she's worth it.
I look over at her, watching her get comfortable in my car. She's leaning against the car door, with her head against the window. It's cute. I think she's tired.
I forget that unlike me, she has to sleep.
"Are you tired?" I ask her gently
"School seems to have worn me out.." she mumbles, I smile
"It does.."
"I'm just going to close my eyes.."
"Alright." I reply, glancing over at her again. She has her eyes closed, and for a second I experience how heavy and tired she's feeling. Poor Marina. She needs a nap.
For the rest of the ride home, I drive gently and avoid every little bump in the road so that I don't wake her. I know the she's asleep because her breathing is deeper, and I can hear her soft heartbeat slowed down. It's usually fast from her nerviness.
I pull up in my driveway and she still doesn't wake up, which honestly I'm glad about, because I think she was exhausted. She's going through so much and getting such little sleep.
It's important that I help her get as much rest as she can. I turn the air conditioning onto a low setting so that the car doesn't get too hot and wake her up, and it pleases me when she sleeps through the quiet whooshing noise that it makes.
I want to watch her every second she's asleep, just admiring how beautiful she is. But I shouldn't do that - I'd look like a creep. So to pass the time, I go on my phone, looking over at her every minute or so to check she's still okay.
After about twenty minutes she starts to fidget, making little sleepy noises. It's cute, but I know it means she's waking up.
She sits up a little and then asks me in a sleepy voice
"Are we here?"
--------
A/N
hi guys. More parts r coming soon but I think I'm go my gonna launch with three.
Anyways, how are u all? I hope ur enjoying it so far. i want to rip my hair out bc the first few parts of a story are so awkward but give me time
See u soon, stay safe <3 dms r open