Taking Chances | Marco Peña (On hold)

Chapter 8

Older - Sasha Sloan

Loving is hard, it don't always work. You just try your best not to get hurt.

My day had passed relatively easily. Nobody else really made attempts to talk to me, making my plan of independence all the more solid. At the end of the day, I packed all of the things I needed back into my bag. I was desperate to go home. 

The sun blazed down on me as I stepped outside the school. Shoving my earphones into my ear and jamming on a new Adele song and put my hands into my pockets, preventing the cold. I hummed along with the song and jogs across the parking lot.

My legs stopped moving when I heard a faint "Lora!" in the background and thought I'd remove my headphones to make sure I wasn't hearing things. When I did, I spun around to see the charming himself sprinting his way to me.

"Lora!" 

With a sigh of annoyance, I raised my tone in a stern one. "Marco, I really am not in the mood to t-"

Once he made it to me,  he held up small sheets of paper, crouching slightly out of tiredness. "You- you forgot your lyrics again."

I scrunched my face. "I did?"

He let out a pant. "Yeah."

I slowly took the papers from his hand. "And did you read it this time?"

"No."

"Really?"

"No."

I shot a glare at him even though he was busy catching his breath. At the same time, I was cursing at myself in my mind. Why do I have to be so forgetful sometimes? These are important for God's sake!

I lift my eyes from the notes and watched in sympathy as he did run all the way here to me just to give me back my stuff. His dazzling hair was falling on his forehead, making him infinite times more attractive. "Thank you again, Marco I'm sorry you have to deal with my shit but I gotta get home now. I'll see you later alright?"

The boy let out a sigh and gazed at me with a stern look. "Lora, can we please talk just for a minute?"

I shook my head, backing away. "No, Marco I gotta get home."

"You haven't eaten yet, I saw a small waffle shop on your way home the other day. I can treat you one. Don't lie, I know your stomach is growling with hunger right now."

"N-no it's not." And right on cue, as if it knows, my stomach growls with hunger right then and there. I inwardly groaned, cursing my stomach for betraying me. Marco's lips curved up a smirk. "I promise you it's just gonna be for a short while. I can walk you home, deal?"

With a scowl appearing on my face, I gritted my teeth as I gripped the papers in my hand before folding my arms across my chest. But I knew deep down he was right, I could use some food right now. I removed my eyes from his gaze and stared at his shoes. "Deal." I croaked out, folding my notes to fit into my pocket.

His eyes wrinkled as he had a satisfied look on his face. I began to look away and spun back around, continuing my walk home. I didn't bother to look as I felt Marco walking beside me. 

He didn't talk at the first 10 minutes when we were walking, I guess he was thinking of what to say. I glanced at him a couple of times and he looked like he was deeply in his thoughts. I didn't bother him and actually didn't mind the nice silence. Then, finally, he decided to say something.

"Why do you push people away?"

I blink, taken aback by his sudden question. Furrowing my eyebrows,  I gulped. "I think you're getting a little too personal there, bud."