GOOD GIRLS! marcus baker

CHAPTER THREE, first monday as sophomores

That morning she woke up to her loud alarm clock, groaning as she rolled over and smacked the button to silence it. She yawned and stretched, the sheets tangling around her legs as she sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her mind still hazy and unfocused. She glanced over at her clock, the bright red numbers flashing 6:00 am. She groaned and laid back down, pulling the covers over her head.

"I hate mornings." She mumbled, her voice muffled by the blanket.

A soft laugh sounded from the other side of the room, the sound making her heart skip a beat. She pushed the covers off her head, her gaze landing on the familiar figure standing at the foot of her bed. Marcus was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his hair messy and tousled.

She narrows her eyes at him. "Why are you here this early? You hate mornings too." She pauses after noticing his shirt. "And it's Monday. Why does your shirt say Wednesday?"

"Why are you wearing pj's that have unicorns on them?" Marcus asks teasingly. He tilts his head to the side, smirking at her. "You know unicorns aren't real, right?"

"I didn't ask you to come to my house at six in the morning to be teased, M." Anastasia rolls her eyes, tossing a pillow at him. "But if you must know, I wear them because unicorns are unique and majestic. Just like me."

He catches it effortlessly, grinning at her playful response. "Well, you're not wrong about that." He retorts, tossing the pillow back at her. "And to answer your question, I'm here because I wanted to make sure you didn't oversleep on the first day back to school. Plus, I missed you already." He admitted with a sheepish smile.

Anastasia's heart swells at his words, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Aw, you missed me, huh?" She teased, her tone affectionate.

"'Course I did." He replied with a shrug.

She smiles a little, knowing that despite him trying to act nonchalant about it, Marcus's presence at her house so early in the morning spoke volumes about how much he cared about her. She couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through her chest at the realization. "Why are you here this early, by the way?" She adds, laying back down and pulling the covers over her head. "I thought I locked the window." She mumbled.

Marcus chuckles. "Did you forget I have a key?" He teased, the smirk on his face evident in his tone.

Anastasia huffs in annoyance. "You know, it's rude to break into someone's house." She muttered, her voice muffled by the blanket.

"Good thing I didn't break in then." He shot back, the amusement in his tone clear.

Anastasia couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, whatever." She replies, her tone light. "Now, can I go back to sleep?" She asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

"No, no. C'mon, let's get you up." Marcus replies, standing up and pulling the covers off of her. "I came over this early to make sure you were awake and ready for school. Can't have my best friend showing up late on the first day back, now can we?" Anastasia groaned, her eyes squeezing shut as the light flooded her vision. She reached blindly for the blankets, trying to pull them back over her head. She heard a soft chuckle and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, bubba. Up and at 'em." He keeps the covers pulled back and grabs her hands, forcing her to sit up. "Time to face the day, sleepyhead!" Marcus teased, gently pulling Anastasia out of bed.

She grumbles incoherently, her eyes still closed. He chuckles, the sound deep and husky, sending a shiver down her spine. "Open your eyes, Stas." He instructs, his tone gentle, poking her cheek lightly. Anastasia groans in protest, but eventually complied, blinking sleepily as she looked up at him. "Happy Monday." He greeted, grinning at her with amusement shining in his eyes.