Marshall, You're Not Alone (GxG)

Chapter 13

"Which one?" Tommy asked for my opinion while trying to decide on the shirt.

Laying on his bed I threw my head to the back so it hanged above the floor. Squinting my eyes, I seriously didn't see that much of a difference between any of them. "I mean, they all look good?" I answered, evoking a groan from the boy. 

"Useless," he grumbled and went back to shuffling through his wardrobe.

Rolling my eyes I focused back on my phone or more specifically chatting with Amira. It's been few weeks since the dinner, and on that day, I decided to give this entire friend thing a try, which also included Tommy. However, unlike with him my heart always acted up with as little as her name being brought up. Maybe I was sick?

"Stop flirting and get your ass over here, I got you a dress."

I choked on my own saliva. "First of all! Not flirting," I remarked flustered, as I pulled myself up from the bed. "Secondly, dress?! Seriously Tommy?" I groaned already hating myself for agreeing to this thing. 

He smiled and threw it at me. "If I told you earlier you would never agree. Come on, pretty please," he batted his lashes in an adorable manner. 

Taking it out of the bag it was an elegant black dress, literally something out of my nightmares. "This dinner thing, do I need to prepare mentally?" I deadpanned. 

With an apologetic expression, he sighed, "I will do most of the talking... I just need you there to agree and nod. Be quiet as much as you can, and in no circumstances talk back to my father, because trust me you will want to do that. He's an asshole."

Scratching my neck, I saw Amira's message asking whether I wanted to hang out tonight. Since I promised Tommy to keep this a secret, I only told her I was busy, without any further explanation.

"So, pretending to be your girlfriend huh," I stood next to him and watched us in the mirror. "He gonna buy it?" I worried, looking at the taller boy from the side.

I could tell he was stressed out about the entire thing, and while he did explain a little, I was still confused. But hey... friends and all! This was the time when I could finally pay him back for all the times, he's offered me his help.

I didn't mind pretending for a night, but seeing him this stressed out made me grow concerned. Wasn't a family dinner supposed to be a good thing? Not like I knew much about them, but from that one time at Amira's, this felt like completely opposite situation. 

Noticing his shaky hands when he tried to do his tie, I stood in front of him and for the first time reached out to someone by gently placing my hands on his and moving them away.

"You can tell me, whenever you're ready," I consoled while finishing it for him.

His defined jaw clenched to the sides and tears gathered in his deep blue eyes. I suppose not having a family had its perks, at least I didn't have to deal with whatever he did.

"You look very han-" I paused myself, something inside telling me handsome wasn't the word he wanted to hear. "-beautiful. You look beautiful Tommy. I will be the best fake girlfriend you ever had. Let's crush this dinner, yeah?" 

Through the tears, he nodded and smiled brightly, "Yeah!"

Putting on the dress I had a hard time looking at myself in the mirror, it wasn't me. With my hair tied into a neat bun, one pair of some fancy earrings, an expensive necklace, and a black dress. However, tonight wasn't supposed to be about me, and so I decided to swallow my pride and do what had to be done.

"Please, do this for me... I need my father to lay off of me for a bit, I can't take it any longer!"

That's what I heard when I picked up my phone at four in the morning, his voice was trembling, something I never heard him do before. Tommy was a good friend to me, and we did get along quite easily. I felt this comfort and peacefulness when I was with him, being able to talk about the most embarrassing things without getting flustered or shy. However, I still haven't told him about James or Andrew, or any of my shitty part of life. I'm quite certain he knew something wasn't right but didn't push me to confess, just like I didn't push him about his father.