𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑 - marcus baker

seven

The classroom erupted with cheers as the final bell rang. Summer vacation had finally arrived.

Everyone made their way to an exit, some deciding to run. As i walked toward my usual exit, Sadie joined me.

"Happy summer, Lin. Got any plans for the next week?"

"No," I said as I remembered that my mother canceled our summer trip. 'Work things' she had previously explained.

"Great, you are going on a cruise. It's like a reward for the most involved parents from the school board. My mom loves to volunteer at Sam's school," Sadie explained.

"What about Monroe?" I asked.

"She can't go. She has to start studying for her AP classes next year."

I sighed at how her parents treated her. I mean, I didn't even think she wanted to go to college.

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow. We'll be gone for a week."

We kept walking toward our houses as we spoke about things to take with us. Eventually we separated and I made it back home.

"Lin! Look at what Tony brought over!" Devin yelled the second I opened the door.

He was standing at the top of the stairs as if he was waiting for me to get home. I chuckled before following him to his bedroom.

I stopped the second I looked into his room. He was holding a puppy.

"He gave us a puppy! He gave him to us for free and he said he's mostly mine! Wanna hold him?"

"Do Mom and Dad know?" I asked as I grabbed the puppy from Devin.

"Yeah, Tony called them to make sure it was okay." Tony was our dad's friend and we've known him all put lives so we're on a first name basis.

Our parents were still at work, so there was nothing for the dog to eat here.

"You should go ask the neighbors for a little bit of dog food, just to last the day," I suggested to the excited boy.

"Can I take Oliver? That's what I named him."

"Yeah," I chuckled a his name choice.

As he walked out of the room, I got a text.

'got a new number. haven't blocked this one yet ;)'

From those two sentence fragments, I knew it was Marcus. Everything about it screamed 'it's me, Marcus!'  The lowercase letters, the winky face, everything.

'It's about to be blocked.'

I replied simply before making my way to my own bedroom. I tossed my backpack on the floor before laying on my bed. This is what summer is.

I decided to start packing my bags, just to make sure I was ready for tomorrow.

As I put the last of my things into my duffle bag, Marcus continued.

'you wouldn't. come over?'

I rolled my eyes at his text message.

'No. I'm busy.'

'ok. see you tomorrow then ;)'

He was the worst. What did that even mean?

"They gave us food and a collar!" Devin ran back yelling.

Oliver was already wearing the collar that Devin mentioned.

Oliver was a small brown dog. There was no doubt he would grow to be a ginormous dog. Not Great Dane size though.