He's Just a Kid

Confusion

Something felt wrong.

I couldn't place it but something felt totally wrong. And it was bothering me.

Ever since I saw Marcus behind me at the concert the day before I got the feeling that he was looking at me weird, but I decided to ignore it (like I do with all of my problems).

It hit me at like twelve in the morning, as do most of my unexpected ideas. The arched eyebrow. That's what it was. Though it was hot, I had never seen him do that before. It looked like he knew something and was trying to figure me out. I know I was probably being stupid, but I couldn't help it. When you have powers like I do you're always paranoid, no matter the situation.

It didn't help that I was having those thoughts in the middle of breakfast.

"Can you wipe that stupid look off your face?" Mom snapped at me. "You look like a fish out of water."

I glared up at her through my glasses. "Great. I was imitating you."

She wrinkled her nose at me and went back to her food. Landon was glancing back and forth between us nervously.

"Don't worry about it, buddy," I said to him with a smile. "No one's screaming right now."

"I might be about to," Mom mumbled.

"You know I can hear you, right?"

She growled and shoved her chair back from the table, snatching up her plate and heading into the kitchen. Good grief. That woman has no chill.

I heard the sound of gravel crunching outside. The bus had arrived. I stood up, shoving the last of my pancake down my gullet and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I gave Landon a quick kiss on the forehead and then I made my way out the door, up the driveway, and on the bus.

I walked down the middle aisle of the bus, past the prying eyes, and sat in my spot next to Bree, who was patiently waiting for me.

"You ready for school today?" she asked me cheerfully.

I sighed, placing my backpack at my feet. "I'm not sure," I admitted.

"Uh oh. What happened?"

"Did Marcus seem weird to you yesterday?" I asked, jumping to the point.

She thought for a moment. "Uh, no. I don't think so. Why?"

"I'm not sure. It just looked like he was . . . up to something to me."

She raised her eyebrow. I didn't like it. It reminded me of how Marcus looked at me the day before. Those prying eyes, that calculated look . . .

I shook myself. It was probably nothing.

"Well, I'm sure it's not a problem," Bree said, echoing my thoughts exactly. "Either way, try not to let it distract you. You've got to focus in school, unlike what you did at that study session." She said that last part with a wink.

I giggled. To be one hundred percent honest about the study session, I actually didn't listen at all. But are we surprised? I've got seventeen tabs open in my brain, three of them are frozen, and I don't know where the music is coming from. Something is bound to get forgotten or tuned out up there.

The ride to school was uneventful. It was when I arrived at school when things got interesting.

Leo was in the lobby arguing with Adam and Chase and Marcus was just watching from a distance, his eyebrow raised again. The sight made my gut clench. It was that calculating look again. Like he was trying to figure them out.

You're probably imagining it, I scolded myself. I mean, you're kinda making the same face as he is right now.

I realized that Fake Me was right and I quickly controlled my facial expression. It was controlling my heartbeat when I walked up to Marcus that was giving me the trouble.

"Hey, Abby," he said with a smile that sent my heartbeat even further through the roof. "Did you get a good night's rest?"

That was when my heart skipped a beat.

Why is he concerned about my sleep? Does he really care about me that much?

"Uh, yeah," I replied. "How about you?"

He shrugged. "Not as good as I would have liked," he admitted. "But it was decent."

I nodded at the Davenport siblings. "What's got them riled up?"

Marcus sighed, his shoulders sagging. His face looked more defeated than he seemed, which was odd. Those were the things that threw me for a loop about him. I could never tell what he was actually feeling, because his body and face would say two different things. I wondered how that was even possible but I just decided to leave it be because that would ultimately get me nowhere because of how broad of a topic that is.

I patiently awaited his answer.

"Me," he said finally.

The amount of rage, confusion, hurt, and shock that radiated through my body in that moment was obscene. They were arguing about Marcus? Okay, I understand Leo being slightly offended by the whole guitar situation and him thinking Marcus was evil, but Marcus had apologized from what I heard from Bree. Leo was still mad at him?

What was wrong with this kid?

I clenched my jaw. "You want me to drop-kick him?"

Marcus laughed. "No, it's fine. I can't please everyone."

But you please me, my brain said out of nowhere. I mentally screamed at myself. What the CRAP is wrong with me?

I know I had already admitted to liking Marcus, but it was like I still couldn't come to terms with it. Like I was still in denial. It was insane. Why couldn't I come to a single conclusion about anything?

The bell rang, jolting me out of my headspace.

"Well, I guess I should be headed to class," Marcus announced, swinging his backpack over his shoulders. "See you at lunch?"

My heart hammered again. "Yes. Yes, you can definitely count on seeing me at lunch." I added a small giggle to make it seem more light than how I was taking it.

He smiled again. "I'll save you a seat." He turned to walk away but paused, looking over his shoulder at me.

I swear if I could take the color of his deep brown eyes and made a coffee that exact shade, I would drink it all the time. Not even for the flavor. For the beauty.

"Can . . . can I get another hug after lunch?" he asked me, his eyes finding the floor.

My face heated to ten thousand degrees. I hoped and prayed that I didn't have a cherry head like I did with Bree in the Davenport's car on the way to my house. Another hug from Marcus. It was like a dream come true.

"Yes," I answered. "Yes, you can get another hug. You can hug me whenever you want to."

The smile that he gave me afterward sent ten thousand shivers down my spine and made my heart do a triple back flip twice.

"Great," he said. "I'll have something to look forward to in class, then."