Red Roses ~Marcus Lopez Arguello

14~Pit Stop

Lin had decided to give the campus a break for the week as he tried to figure out the intruders and their cause for returning. The campus location had also been compromised, and he intended to make sure there were no further security risks.

A pile of Marcus' clothes lay on top of the girl's dresser, along with a few other essentials. With the week off, Scarlett had offered Marcus to stay in her room, using the excuse that she needed someone's help with her wound. In reality, they both knew she was perfectly capable on her own, but Marcus didn't want to pass up the opportunity to be with her.

Marcus sat on the edge of the counter watching as the curlyhead stirred the mac and cheese in the pan. He stared at her side profile, her features a lot more relaxed than he had ever seen them. After their little kiss, the pair had grown more comfortable with eachother, and Scarlett had finally allowed her last wall to come crashing down. This was the first time she had ever had a crush like her back, and she didn't want to ruin it by being closed off.

Marcus had been a little shocked after the initial kiss, but it quickly shook off once it was over. Scarlett had looked at him, flustered, and Marcus just smiled and pulled her back in once again, not hesitating at all. He was happy she had liked him back. This was all new to him, and her as well. Maybe that's why it felt so perfect, so right.

A knock on the door had the pair turn their heads and then look back at one another confused. Another knock hits her door, this one more urgent than before, Scarlett puts the spoon down, heading to the door. "Marcus, can you just keep stirring this please?"

He jumps off the counter and picks up where she left off. As she's walking towards the door, she grabs her butterfly knife from off her little dining table, and she lightly limps towards the door. Another urgent knock finally causes the person on the other side to start speaking at the door.

"Scarlett come on, open up please." Another knock. "Please Scarlett."

She puts her knife down on her nightstand and she walks to the door empty handed, opening it up quickly. Immediately, Billy rushes into her arms, putting her in a bone crushing hug. She groans, and lightly pushes the door closed.

Billy hears her cry of pain, and he pulls himself back, taking note of the large bandage visible through her fresh shirt. "Holy shit, what happened?" He looks up at her.

She brushes it off. "Nothing I'm fine-wait," She takes a look at his face. She grabs a hold of his chin lightly pushing it up, so she can get a better look. "What happened to you?" All of her pain suddenly becomes irrelevant as she takes note of his face. Billy is bruised in the entirety of his face, his eye swelled so much, it was practically closed.

She sits him down on her bed. as she heads to her bathroom, grabbing a towel and heading to the kitchen, to grab an ice pack from her freezer. As she walks to her bathroom Billy answers her question. "It's just another Saturday night at the Bennett house." Scarlett makes it to her freezer, grabbing an ice pack. Marcus walks out with her as Billy continues. "My fault for going back." He takes notice of Marcus and just responds. "Oh. Hey Marcus."

Scarlett sits back down beside Billy, wrapping the ice pack in the hand towel and gently placing it on his bruised eye. "Scarlett, I got it." He laughs as he takes a hold of the ice pack.

"Your dad?" Scarlett asks and Marcus looks over at Billy.

With his other eye, Billy sees Marcus's confusion and responds. "An after-school special come to life. Read a book about it. Said abusive parents are like a human version of the flu. Don't go around them unless you want to get sick." He pushes the ice pack too rough on his eye, causing a soft grunt to exit his bruised mouth.