We have almost the same schedule, and we're practically neighbors. This really helped us to become friends. If it weren't for this, we probably wouldn't even see each other. I will be eternally grateful for that.
After we get done with math 3rd period, we walk to english together. Mr. Clappers greets us outside the door with his normally cheerful "Good morning" and we both match that cheerfulness in our "Hello"s
As soon as we walk into the room, we both stop dead in our tracks. We see Samantha pressed up against the wall with Jacob kissing her. And she seems to be perfectly fine with it. She makes eye contact with me and she immediately pushes Jacob away from her like he had suddenly just kissed her without her consent. She knows I always walk with Quincy on the way here. But it was too late. We - most importantly Quincy - had already seen her OK with it.
I grab Quincy's wrist and feel his hand clench up. But his eyes tell a different story. Tears are welling up in his eyes and he does nothing to try to stop them. Even though he knew this was happening, it still clearly hurts, just like with any normal human being. I would never think to do this. I would be too grateful to have him to even think of this. This is the second time today I've seen him cry today. And before that, he was the strong Quincy that rarely showed any emotion. Except for his eyes. I momentarily release his wrist to move my hand down to unclench his fist and weave our fingers together, to show him I was here for support, but he was already gone.
He ran up to Jacob and shoved him against the wall while grabbing Samantha's arm so she didn't run away. Against my better judgement, I run up and pull Samantha away, not wanting her to get hurt in the skirmish that was about to happen.
"What the hell man?!" Quincy yells at Jacob with his chin wobbling. "Why would you do that?" Now there are tears streaming down his face from his eyes to his chin. They always tell a different story, his eyes, the only part of him that ever really showed anything.
"Because you weren't treating your girlfriend right!" he yells back.
"What do you mean 'not treating my girlfriend right'?"
"You never even kissed her!" Jacob replies to Quincy.
"I was giving her time. I didn't want to force her to do anything." By now the tears had stopped and there was just burning hatred behind his eyes.
"I don't think it would have been forcing her, it's been 4 years."
Quincy opens his mouth to respond and Jacob was about to land a punch on Quincy but I had just broke them apart. "Enough! Both of you! If you want to fight, do it on your own terms. But not here, and not now."
I grabbed Quincy and pulled him to the seats in the back, because after what happened, Mr. Clappers will understand why we moved.
We both sit in silence for a couple moments before we both start talking at the same time.
We pause and he starts talking, "Man you really sounded like a teacher right then."
"I know I've always wanted to do something like that but I thought I'd be too scared."
"Well, people will do amazing things for the people they love."
He seems to realize what he just said and looks down at his paper.
Once again, it's quiet for a moment.
Quincy whispers to me, "I hope it's clear that we broke up."
"Sorry, but I don't think it is." I point to Samantha walking to us.
"Quincy can I please explain?" Samantha begs.
"No. There is no reasonable excuse to be kissing a guy that is not your boyfriend." Quincy responds.
"Well there is no reasonable excuse to be spending more time with some girl than with your girlfriend." She says girl like it is poison in her mouth while gesturing to me.
"It's her birthday and maybe I've been trying to break up with you all day and you're just making it easier." He says smoothly, something he is clearly far from actually feeling.
"You've been planning to breakup with me all day?"
"Yes Samantha, I have. And now we're through. Permanently." he says 'permanently' because they had taken little breaks before.
Quincy turns back to face me and he grabs my hand under the table, trying to stop the tears from falling down.
I squeeze his hand reassuringly and turn back to the board to copy down my assignments. I don't let go of his hand until we part ways to go to lunch. Even though we are neighbors and have the same schedule, we still don't have lockers near each other. I put away all of my stuff and head up to the lunch line.
"Ugh, sushi. Guess I'm getting pizza today." I mutter under my breath.
I got in line behind Taylor, one of Samantha's sidekicks.
"Hey, get away from me! I don't need you to break up me and my boyfriend." Taylor says like she is rubbing in my face the fact that she has a boyfriend and I don't. But I am happy with where me and Quincy are right now.
"Man, news travels fast in here." I reply, not even really caring that she was trying to be mean.
"Shut up you home wrecker!" She yells.
OK, now I'm ticked. "'Home wrecker!? It's not like they were going to get married anytime soon. And it also wasn't my fault. All I did was support Quincy in his decisions."
"Yeah, because you like him because you think it will make you be more popular if you date him."
"What? I don't like him-" I yell just as Quincy turns the corner. He stops in his tracks. Wait, does he like me?
He starts running to the lunchroom door because he brought lunch and I run after him, forgetting to buy food. I see him at the table where he normally sits but he doesn't actually sit down.
I remember that I have to do student store and I decide not to eat and I work up the courage to walk up to him and ask him if he wants to come and talk to me in there. We aren't supposed to let people in there but I trust him and these are dire circumstances.
After he agrees to talk, we walk in and I start setting up because I still have a job.
After 5 minutes, Quincy says "Do you really not like me?"
"I'd rather not answer that question." I respond, trying not to have to tell him.
"Why not?"
"Would you like to be outright asked if you liked someone?" I retorted.
"Well, I don't really know. It depends."
OK then, lets see.
"Do you like me?"
"Touché."
"See no one likes to be asked if they like someone, especially when it is-" I cut off realizing what I was about to tell him. Luckily there is a customer, so I turn and sell them what they want.
Quincy leaves, but not after he gives me his sandwich.
During Science class, I'm zoning out until the teacher, Mrs. Tomoke, says that the reproductive system diagram project will be with your table partners. I glance over at Quincy next to me, and I let out a small chortle. I thank the science gods for letting me work with him.
He whispers in my ear "Now we have an excuse to hang out." His whisper sends shivers over my shoulder.
I try to keep my voice still as I say, "Yeah, we do."
"Do you want to hang out at my house? Or yours?" Quincy asks me later on the bus.
"Yours." I reply, knowing he wouldn't have a sister annoyingly interrupting every 10 minutes.
"OK, but I gotta warn you, my sister is being exceptionally annoying at the moment."
"How can yours be worse than mine?"
"Well, mine is 11." He retorts.
"And mine is old enough to actually know everything that goes on."
"Oh you're going to lose this fight..." After that comment we just get in a one-upping war until we are at our bus stop.
As soon as we round the corner to Quincy's, I stop dead in my tracks. Is that who I think it is? Beer bottle? Check. Falling over? Check. Jet black hair? Check. Though I've never met him, some things don't change from the pictures taken 15 years ago.
"Marrissa! Marrissa!" He calls out to me.
"Who is that?" Quincy whispers to me.
"My dad." I say, regretfully.
"Oh," Is all he says, not knowing what else to say. He knows what happened, but still isn't clear on the subject.
When my dad finally makes it to us after we stop walking, he says "Hey Sweetie."
"Don't call me 'sweetie', John." I say, meaning to hurt him by calling him by his first name.
"Hey, can't a dad talk to his daughter?" He responds defensively.
"No Mr. Nefario, you were never my dad. No real dad tries to leave his wife after finding out she is pregnant, impregnates her again, leaves her to take care of 2 children alone, then comes back 15 years later, expecting it all to be fine." My voice starts out soft, but I end up yelling at him.
"Hey Marrissa, calm down it's OK." Quincy soothes me while pulling my shoulder to turn me to him. That's when I lose it.
"No! It's not OK. It will never be OK. First he estranges us, comes back, and then my best friend tries to tell me it's OK. I'm not a two year old throwing a tantrum, I actually have feelings and you have no idea how it feels to grow up with one parent." I turn to my dad. "Why don't you just go back to the bar where you belong?" This brings on another bout of tears. I turn to the road and try to get control. Quincy takes my wrists in his hand and he unbeknowingly gives me the support that I need.
I stop crying and face my dad, but don't let go of Quincy.
"Why did you start crying?" My 'dad' very insensitively slurs.
"Maybe because I was screaming at my very drunk dad that just came back after 15 years of being gone off the face of the Earth." I retort, quieter than I was. While I was talking, I felt the tears try to return, but I blinked them away.
"Come on Marrissa, let's go." Quincy says gently to me. We push past my dad and I don't look back.