MARCUS (ongoing)

Chapter 11

The next day Marcus gets up.....
Marcus: where's Clare?
Chris: oh hey Marcus? She left for school.
Marcus: sorry, hey. You're not leaving too?
Chris: yeah in a few hours I will be. You'll be alright staying on your own?
Marcus: yeah I will. Why do her parents hate you so much?
Chris: [sighs] well, he wanted a successful man doing something constructive and big.
Marcus: what you're doing isn't?
Chris: business is like a job of a genitor at a huge firm basically, and well he's right.
Marcus: so why didn't you do something well you know umm.......
Chris: [smirks] it's okay just say it. Anyway, I have a vision or a dream. I would explain it but I can't. One time I tried saying it out loud as practice when explaining it to someone [laughs] I sounded like an idiot so, yeah.
Marcus: well I'm only nine so anything you say will sound cool [sits next to him].
Chris: [smiles] okay. I plan to make it big in my music like be famous and all then use my business expertise, oh my business umm knowledge [laughs] to start my own recording company where I represent upcoming artists and big time artists. It will have a studio, have agents like when we train agents and maybe teach music we'll have like a mini school of some sort. [Laughs] yeah it's totally stup.......

Marcus: it's not stupid. I like it like damn it's cool [smiles widely].
Chris: really?
Marcus: yeah!! Like are you kidding me? Your voice is really nice like, you have a very good voice have you ever seen how Clare blushes about it? [Smiles]

Chris: [smiles] yeah?
Marcus: you'll definitely make it for sure!
Chris: it's not decided yet though I might end up doing something else.
Marcus: what?
Chris: I don't know maybe like engineering [laughs]
Marcus: see you can't even keep a straight face when you say that [laughs]. Why won't you do it? Is it because of Clare's dad?
Chris: it's not just him my parents think I'm crazy too, but at least they let me make mistakes and decide on my own unlike Ben who when he saw me for the first time called me a twit and now all he does is look at me like a disappointment.

Marcus: what does Clare say?
Chris: she tells me to ignore him.....
Marcus: no I mean about your vision, what does she say about it?
Chris: [short laughs] I've never told anyone about that before you're the first.
Marcus: but you said your parents.....
Chris: they complain about the business course and the music that's it they don't know about it.
Marcus: oh.

Chris: yeah. I'm still deciding what else I can do.
Marcus: ........follow your dreams mahn. I know it's not the same, but if I had a chance to do something I really wanted which is to see my parents even just once and all I had to do was sing; I'd sing the hell out of the my vocal chords until they tear apart.
Chris: [laughs] right.
Marcus: [laughs] yeah so just do it. I mean you got the voice and you're in your final year of business, do it; like my mom would say if it was meant to be, it will be. You wouldn't have reached so far if you weren't meant for it.

Chris: now I see what Clare says [smiles]. Thank you [rubs his head with his palm vigorously and hugs him].
Marcus: ...........

Chris: I gotta get going now.
Marcus: okay.

Marcus spends his time alone looking around the house till he stumbles upon a photo album for Clare showing pictures of her as a kid, when she's with her friends, with her parents, with Chris and at the end pictures with him. He sits down smiles and sheds a tear. He gets his tiny bag, removes his jar and sees ten notes of money in it.

Marcus: where the hell? Hmmmm [sits to think for a moment] I don't remember ever putting money in this. Anyway maybe I'm hallucinating I think I'm just starving, let me go have something.

Later on that day Clare returns.
Clare: [walks in and finds the house so quiet] Marcus? [Walks around looking for him] Marcus?

She goes into his room and finds him asleep.

Clare: [smiles and covers him up].

Marcus wakes up to the aroma in the kitchen
Marcus: you're back early.
Clare: you're up [smiles] figured you'd be hungry so I just came to make you something.
Marcus: oh you didnt have to I already ate, I found some food in the fridge and just warmed it up.
Clare: do you know the time sleepy-head? [Laughs]
Marcus: what time is it?
Clare: its four PM.
Marcus: really? Wow, I slept for five hours [laughs].
Clare: see I bet you were starving.
Marcus: no I slept right after eating, or slightly after eating. [Laughs] I got bored so yeah.
Clare: I'm sorry we left you all alone.
Marcus: its cool.

Clare: what time did he leave?
Marcus: I think that was ten in the morning.
Clare: and he isn't back yet?
Marcus: .........
Clare: I'm sure he'll be here soon let's leave him some food.
Marcus: yeah yeah.
Clare: you good?
Marcus: yeah I am.
Clare: [looks at him intently]
Marcus: [laughs] I'm good I'm okay.
Clare: okay, okay.
Marcus: tastes good.
Clare: yeah?

Later in the evening at eight Chris arrived.....
Clare: Chris is that you?
Chris: yeah [shuts the door behind him].
Clare: [walks quickly towards him] where have you been all day? I've been calling and texting; what happened? Is everything okay?
Chris: I'm sorry I've been busy and I forgot my phone home.
Clare: oh. Busy with what? You usually have one class a day.
Chris: I spent my time at Dave's studio and time just flew by.
Clare: [hugs him] I was so worried about you [sniffs].
Chris: oh my [looks at her eyes] you're tearing [hugs her tightly] I'm so sorry baby [pecks her forehead and chick].

He carries her to their room while Marcus goes back inside his room from peeking with a smile.

The next morning, Marcus and Chris are just staring and smiling at each other.
Clare: what's with you two?
Marcus: just boy talk [smiles].
Chris: [points to him in the air with a smile while nodding. He is standing while holding a bowl of cereal and eating].

Clare: hmmm hmm alright, alright.
Chris: are you jealous?
Clare: oh please I'm walking out of all this [walking away] whatever it is.

Marcus: yeah she's jealous [laughs]. You spent your time at Dave's?
Chris: yeah I took your advice to heart.
Marcus: good [smiles].