My phone began obnoxiously ringing, "Hello", I groan.
"Hello Miss Konn, my name is Mrs. Deyes and I'm one of the counselors here at Slade University. I want to talk to you about your application's status"
I quickly sat up from my bed and I felt my nervousness come about, "Oh good morning Mrs. Deyes, is everything okay with my application?"
"Everything is fine, I would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to Slade University of Fine Arts. I was wondering if you can quickly stop by the school today, you must pick up your schedule. I must apologize for the last minute meet up but it's been a hectic day. School is about to begin in a few days and well, we must have everything prepared for our students"
I smiled from ear to ear, I could not believe it! I was trying to contain my screaming, so I tried to let it out with a small squeal.
"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much and believe you me, I will not disappoint. I will give it my all! And do no apologize, I am available to make it today. What time would you like me to be there?"
"Wonderful! I'm sure you will be an excellent student. As for what time is appropriate for you to stop by, I was hoping you would come in right now. Like I said before, I do really apologize for the last minute setting"
"No worries, I'll head over there right now. Thanks so much Mrs. Deyes!"
She laughed, "Excellent, I'll see you in a few my dear. And no need to thank me, your interest in art is welcomed. Goodbye"
"Bye!" I cheered
I ended the call and fell back onto the bed, "I can't believe this is really happening"
I picked up my phone again and dialed Matthew.
It didn't even finish ringing once when Matthew answered, "Hello? Marceline?"
"Hey Matthew, listen I'm sorry I didn't call sooner but-"
"I thought something bad happened to you! You didn't call or text and I couldn't even call you because every time I did, the call dropped. I seriously thought I lost you"
"I was busy finding a job and applying to a university, I'm sorry. But trust me, you crossed my mind a lot"
"You did too Mars" he breathed, "Listen, about that day-"
"It's forgotten", I said, "I'm starting a life in a new country and I don't want anything from NY to keep me from enjoying it. You've grown on me for so long that I don't want to lose my best friend"
"Yeah, neither do I" he took a pause, "How are things over there by the way?"
"It's truly been amazing Matt. I got a job yesterday and I just got a call from a university that I got accepted to. All I'm waiting for is a scholarship to help pay for tuition and I'll be set"
"I'm so proud of you Marceline, congratulations!" he cheered, "I'm not surprised to be honest, you're always on top of things"
"Thank you Matthew, it means a lot to me. How are things over there?"
"Not much has changed, only your location" he chuckled, "So tell me, have you made any friends yet?"
"Yes, I have. I got a job at this bookstore and the owner of the shop, her name is Abbey, helped me get into this university called Slade University. And I also bumped into this skate boy while I was exploring the campus. His name is Sam Pepper and I met his best friend, Maz as well. They seem pretty cool and we a few things in common"
"They aren't disrespectful to you, right?"
"Of course not Matthew! If they were, they sure as hell wouldn't be my friends"
"That's true" he paused, "Marceline, I-"
"I don't mean to be rude but I have to go. I have to meet with a counselor at Slade to go over my schedule"
"Oh, okay" he said sounding hurt
"But I'll call you soon to keep you updated, okay?"
"Sure, sounds good. Hey, you take good care of yourself Marceline, alright? Please" he said sounding worried
"Thank you Matthew, I will. Take care and be safe, bye" I hung up.
I got myself ready to meet with Mrs. Deyes.
Before leaving, I shot Sam and Maz a quick text to tell them the good news. Maz called me the second I hit 'send'.
"Congrats Marceline! It doesn't surprise me that you got accepted! Wanna celebrate?"
"Thanks Maz, but I'll take a rain check on that. The counselor told me that I have to go to meet up with her"
"Would you like me to accompany you? Or do you know how to get around?"
"Aww thanks Maz, but I wouldn't want to trouble you. I have my GPS on my phone, I'll find it myself. Plus, I have to learn my way around this place solo.
"Oh okay then. Well, yea sure call or text whenever you're free."
"Sure thing, bye Maz have a good day"
"Bye Marceline, be safe and have a good day as well"
I arrived at Slade and I got to walk up those colorful stairs. I went inside and met up with Mrs. Deyes.
"Good morning Miss Konn, how are you?" Mrs. Deyes shook my hand
"Good morning Mrs. Deyes, everything's good thank you and yourself?"
"I'm fine", she smiled, "Let's get started shall we?"
-
I left NY feeling confident in moving to London. I felt refreshed and motivated to keep it up. That's something I haven't felt in a long time.
I took a different route off campus and I saw Maz and Sam looking around as if they were looking for someone.
"Hey, guys" I said
"Marcelinee!" they cheered
"Congrats Marceline, I'm glad you got accepted!" Sam pulled me into a tight hug
"Thanks Sam, that really means a lot to me"
"Maz could not stop talking about you. He constantly kept reminding me about your acceptance to the school" he laughed.
"Shut up Sam!'' Maz punched Sam's arm.
"Oi Mate! That really fucking hurt!"
Maz rolled his eyes at Sam but tried to compose himself right away when I was laughing, "Anyway" Maz chuckled nervously, "What are you up to today?"
"I'm free now so we should go hang out somewhere. I want to explore London a lot more"
"Sure, we can do that" said Sam, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder
Maz's P O V
We first took her to Buckingham Palace where she made fun of the Queen by calling her a reptilian overlord. Sam and I were dying of laughter when she got knee deep in conspiracies about the Queen of England.
Marceline gasped, making Sam and I jump, "Marceline, are you-"
"Is this..." she gulped, "Banksy?"
Sam and I looked at each other before answering, "Yeah, it's Banksy. Pretty cool, aye?"
"It's amazing! I have to take a picture of this!" she said, rushing to get her camera out
After taking a few shots of the piece, she handed the camera to me and asked, "Do you mind taking some pictures of me standing next to the piece?"
"No of course not, go ahead and pose girl, I'll get all your angles"
She giggled and stood next to the mural, casually posing. I took the shot and told her to keep posing.
I switched positions, I stood back for a wider shot. I got close for a focused shot. I took a shot while the sun was peeking behind the mural.
"You were born for this, love!" shouted Sam
"Very funny!" Marceline laughed
I snapped a shot while she laughed. It made the picture look more genuine and warm. Her smile is so welcoming and real. She had something unique about her that had me on my toes.
"Maz, come here! Let's take a picture! First one with just Maz and I, then Sam and I, and then a picture with all three of us together" said Marceline.
She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the mural. "You have to take the picture" she said, "My arms are embarrassingly short, so I won't be able to get us both in the shot" she whispered
Her voice sent butterflies in my stomach and her presence gave me Goosebumps.
"My turn" yelled Sam as he yanked her away from me.
I felt a shock run through my body when she was pulled from me. I wonder if this means something? Should I discover whatever this is?
"Say cheese!" shouted Sam
Sam was using a few strands of her hair and placed it on his upper lip to make it look like he had a mustache. The way they hugged each other brought back memories.
Seeing Sam hug her reminded me of the day my girlfriend cheated on me with Sam. It wasn't Sam's fault though.
I witnessed everything. She threw herself at him and he pushed her away but she kept trying to get on him.
My ex-girlfriend, Lilah, was my first love. I gave her everything she needed, but she never appreciated it. Nothing was ever enough for her, but I'm glad we aren't together anymore. The break up taught me to value myself a lot more, but I still have a hard time with that. The only I hate about it all is the sudden memories that haunt me every now and then.
Ever since that day, I never fell for a girl again. I just kept to myself and focused more on graffiti.
But now I feel like that isolation that I put myself through is slowly fading away now that Marceline is in my life. It's scary for me to even admit that I have a crush on her. But it's hard not to, I mean she's innocent, independent and courageous. She's truly an interesting person, that's what draws me to her.
Marceline's P O V
"Sam you're crushing my ribs!"
"You don't need them!" chuckled Sam
While Sam was too busy crushing my rib cage, I noticed Maz doing that thing again where he stares deep into my soul while in deep thought. I can tell something was bugging him a bit. He had a light smile on his face but he was in deep thought about something. I couldn't make anything of it though.
"Right, I have to split for a quick minute" said Sam
"Where?" Maz and I said in unison
"I have to go see my dentist to help with the three cavities that I have"
"Holy shit, you have three cavities?" I winced
"Dude, I felt that" said Maz as he rubbed his cheek
"Yeah" Sam laughed, "Well, I'll see you guys later" Sam hugged us and skated his way to the train station
"Well Marceline, what should we do today?" asked Maz
"Let's go eat somewhere, I'm starving"
We went to an Italian restaurant near Abbey's Eyes and got a booth in the back.
Maz and I ordered spaghetti and a personal pizza pie each. It was such a cozy little restaurant. It felt like we were dining in someone's home.
We were getting to know each other a lot more and it feels like I've known him for a long time.
Maz and I were ready to head out so we asked for the check and continued chatting up the night. Then suddenly my phone rang, it was Matthew.
"Hey Matthew, what's up?"
"Hey Marceline, do you have a few minutes to chat? I'll be real quick with it" he said
"Sure, just give me a sec" I covered the mic and told Maz that I have to step out for a bit and he nodded his said and mouthed the word 'go'.
"Sorry about that" I chuckled, "You were saying?"
"First off, sorry to bother you like this but I just have to tell you what's been happening" he sighed
"You're worrying me Matthew, what's wrong?"
"Alright look" he sighed, "Please just listen to me and don't say anything until I finish, okay?"
"Yeah, go ahead"
"I love you Marceline. I'm in love with you. I've tried to stop myself from loving you more than a friend, I swear, I really tried. I kept trying to force myself to only see you as my best friend but I couldn't. Marceline, I want us to grow into something that's more than just a friendship. I'm sorry, for feeling this way about you Marceline. There, I said it"
There was a long, awkward pause between us.
"Please say something Marceline"
I was frozen. I couldn't believe Matthew was telling me all this.
"Marceline please talk to me" said Matthew.
"Marceline, are you okay?" asked Maz in a low voice behind me, making me jump
I was too choked up to even answer him so I simply shook my head.
"Marcey, who's that? I heard another voice" asked Matthew.
"Matthew", I breathed, "I don't think this is a right time to talk about all this"
"Marceline, please let's just talk about this. Please think about this, you cannot just say you never felt an ounce of love for me. Remember that time you and I were at the park and you wanted to snuggle. You fell asleep on me, and you whispered 'Matthew, I wish I can stay here forever'. I know you felt something that night too" Matt said in a frustrated tone.
"Matthew, I love you as a friend. I care a lot about you, I do. I'm sorry Matthew, I really am but you and I will never happen" I said
"Then why did you wish to 'stay forever' with me that night? Why would you say something that can easily mean something else? You can't say that and expect me to not feel a spark between us"
"I said that was because I had a terrible day at home, don't you remember? My father was yelling at me about the dumbest shit and it was driving me crazy. I needed some time to get myself together and you were there for me. You helped me calm down and feel secure in that moment. Matthew that day at the park did mean something to me, it meant that I can always count on you for anything"
"Marceline are you okay?" interrupted Maz
"Who's that? It sounded like a guy. Is he...?" asked Matthew.
"No Matt, he isn't my boyfriend. He's one of the people I met when I arrived to Slade"
"Marceline, give me a chance to prove to you that we're meant to be, please!"
"Matthew", I said trying to keep it together, "please don't make a scene right now. Look, just call me when you've calmed down. Don't bother calling if you're gonna act the way you're acting now. Goodnight Matthew"
I hung up the phone and avoided Maz's stare. This was all too much to take in.
"Mars, who was that?"
"It's one of my friend's from back home, Matthew. He called to tell me about a few things, that's all" I said, trying to brush it off
"It sounded like he told you he likes you more than a friend, but you don't feel the same way. Am I right?"
I shrugged in agreement
"What's the matter, not your type?"
"I just don't feel the same way. I always thought of him as my best friend and nothing more. I feel really bad for letting him down the way I did but I don't want to lead him on either"
"Marceline, you shouldn't feel bad. Your heart says no, so you have every right to say no. It's alright to feel bad. Imagine what would happen had you lied to him and told him you felt the same. Both of you would be living a lie and both of you would be devastated once it's revealed that your feelings for him were a lie"
He grabbed me by the shoulders to meet eye to eye, "You turned someone down, and that someone happened to be your best friend. Things will change between the two of you, good or bad, it will happen. If you two can manage to talk things out, everything will be okay and even if you can't make things better between the two of you, everything will be okay. You'll soon find someone that can match your pace, don't worry" he said, rubbing small circles on my shoulders
"I'm guessing you went through the same thing?" I murmured
"No, the thing is, I only ever had one girlfriend. She cheated on me with Sam. But Sam is 100% innocent, I saw her flirting with him but Sam kept pushing her off of him"
"That's horrible Maz, I'm sorry to hear that"
He nodded his head, "It was a very dark time for me indeed. She admitted to never being in love with me. She only used me to get to Sam. But I was never upset with Sam, bros before...uh...yunno...'chicks'"
"Have you ever tried to reconnect with another girl since?"
"Since then, I never really fell for a girl. I don't really like feeling lonely but the girls around here are just not right. They don't understand me and they judge me for being a 'vandal'. I've met girls that whenever I wanna have a walk to look for good street art, they scrunch up their noses and prefer doing basic shit. But honestly, I've learned to be okay with that. I'll find someone, someday and so will you. I'm not worried about it, to be honest, I know I'll be fine" he said with a sensitive smile.
I nodded my head and leaned over to hug him. His mentality was so different than what I'm used to dealing with. He never scolded me like Matthew. Maz listened and spoke wisely.
Maz's P O V
Holy shit! She's hugging me!
She looked up and said "Thanks for listening to me ramble about my bullshit, Maz. Most importantly, thank you so much for giving me such amazing advice"
No one has never even thanked me for anything before. She's such a sweet and gentle person.
I felt like kissing her so damn bad.
I leaned in for a kiss . . .