Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Ten: I Am Right Here

"You ass!" Jessamine greeted Mari as she arrived at the gate, she was flustered, a bit annoyed yet relieved.

"Well, good morning to you too?" Mari asked, confused.

"You didn't respond to any of my calls or my texts after! I was worried!" she said, almost crying.

"Oh, sorry. I was playing a joke you see, I think it went a bit too far!" Mari said now, stroking the back of Jessamine's head.

"You idiot! You called me, hung up and then just disappeared! At least text me or something!"

"Fine, I won't do it again." Mari said seriously, and Jessamine stared at her.

"You mean it?"

"Yes, I won't do it again. I won't ever call or text you ever again." a smirk spread across her face as she easily dodged Jessamine's attempts to smack her in the shoulder.

"Marinelle Antonia Cruz you dumb ass!" she shouted as she chased her into the university.

–

"So you and Mari huh?" a boy asked Jessamine as she sat alone in the cafeteria, he was a good looking boy, he tried to court her once but Jessamine didn't feel any connection of sorts.

"Is that the gossip of the town?" Jessamine commented, wishing Mari were here, but she was in a different class at the moment.

"Yeah, it's been obvious for the past few days, it didn't strike me that you were into girls as well." the boy continued.

"Dale, let's not get into it." Jessamine said, sighing, "I didn't know I was into girls until I met her."

"I understand." Dale muttered, "You could have told me earlier, instead of getting my hopes up that we could be something."

"I don't recall being tied to that responsibility, Dale?" Jessamine said, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, but I was courting you, that should have some exclusivity or even the right to be told that I was going to be rejected." Dale told her sadly, and she would have felt sorry for him, but it was just pathetic how he's trying to build sympathy in a very bad way.

"We weren't a thing, there's nothing between us, you courted me because I thought at the time, what the hell why not?" Jessamine continued, "Then Marinelle arrived and everything is history. You don't own me, I don't owe you anything, you don't owe me anything. There are other women you could pursue, hell, you tried to pursue Mari when she first arrived and look what happened."

Dale blanched, remembering that time, it was Mari's first day at school, and he immediately went up to her and asked her out.

"Where's exclusivity there? You were courting me, yet you asked Mari to go out with you? Isn't that a bit... hypocritical?"

"But I'm a man, that's what we do." Dale countered.

"Oh yes you are." Jessamine answered acidly, "That's what you all do, and you wonder why I went with a woman this time around?"

"Leave now." a cold voice came from behind Dale, he froze, his back stiffening up as he slowly backed away from the irate Jessamine, who instantly felt relieved at the arrival of the familiar voice.

"You actually didn't need me there, but I just wanted to have some fun of my own." Mari commented as she sat down, facing Jessamine.

"Took you long enough, sister." Jessamine mocked her, "How was class?"

"Oh you know, it's just class. It's of things I already know, so I just ended up thinking about tearing your clothes off and..." Mari trailed off and Jessamine immediately got up to cover her mouth with her hand.