The Same Love (An Eminem Fan Fiction) 2 of 2

Chapter 3

My hands were shaking at my sides as we walked together to a nearby pizza place. It felt weird running into Marshall again. He seemed different, physically. His physique was more lean beneath the grey sweater he had on. I couldn't see well since he had his hood over his head, but it looked like he dyed his hair back to blond as well.

We arrived at the small pizza place that consisted of only a few people. That was probably why he had chosen this spot to come and catch up. He kindly opened the door for me, and I walked in. There was only a teenager with his headphones on, and an older couple.

I took a seat down in a booth, far from the windows so people couldn't see in.

"What do you want?" Marshall asked, his hands burried in his pocket.

"Um, plain," I answered.

He nodded and walked over to make the order, leaving me in the booth with my thoughts. "Why was Marshall suddenly being so nice to me?" was the question that would not stop repeating in my mind. We had left off on terrible terms. In those two years, we hadn't had any contact. We had never called, texted, emailed, nothing. Whatever respect we had for each other had seemed to disappear.

I took my phone out of my purse and turned it on. It was a text from Darron that read:

"You better be home soon, Daya. Or you know what happens"

I stared down at the text, my shoulders shutteringc and I gulped. It wasn't the first time I had read that threat, but each time I read it, it got worse.

"You okay there?" Marshall asked, sitting down with the tray of two slices.

He got the pizzas really fast, I thought. I instantly threw my phone back in my purse, and pretended nothing happened.

"Yes I'm fine."

He eyed me slightly but shrugged and looked away, pulling his slice closer to him. I grabbed mine and took an anxious bite, the text still in mind

"Oh my god," I said.

I tasted the savory bite I had taken. The pizza was made by God himself. Yes, it was that good. I took another bite, forgetting I was in public and with Marshall. I looked like someone who hadn't eaten in days.

"Jesus, you're going to town with that thing," he laughed.

I half looked up at him, my cheeks turning a redish color. I forgot how his smile looked, and it still had given me that nerve tingling feeling that caused me to smile back.

"So can I ask you something?" I said to him, swallowing the last of the pizza in my mouth.

"I guess."

"How come you just invited me out today? I thought you hated me," I asked, playing with my thumbs. I suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore, no matter how good that pizza was. I both wanted to and didn't want to ask him that question but like most things, I asked anyway.

"Well, first I don't hate you. I never did, no matter how much I should have."

He gave me a small wink. I giggled like a little girl under my breath but shook it off quickly. A solemn look returned to both of our faces.

"And second, it's been a while. I just thought it'd be nice to catch up. It's not like I asked you on a date," he continued.

"Oh this isn't a date?" I joked.

I had a sarcastic rift in my voice. Marshall chuckled to himself, and joked back,"Not unless you want it to be."

"Nah, I already have a boyfriend."

Right then, the air around us seemed to had gone thin; Even though it was the highest point of summer, it felt almost like the midst of an Arctic winter. His smile had dropped from his face, and he looked up at me with questionable eyes.

"Oh, you have a new boyfriend?"

"Uh, yea," I muttered, shifting in my seat.

Awkwardness settled around us. It got comfortable and had decided it was not going to leave. It seemed his eyes had grown dark again, and he looked away from me. He also had shifted very slightly in his seat.

"That's good."

I was mentally kicking my shins very hard. Suddenly, his phone had gone off. He looked down to read the text, leaving me there to wonder "Why did he react like that when he heard I have a boyfriend? Was it petty? Jealousy?"

"Uh sorry to cut our date short." He had an oddly playful tone in his voice when he said "date."

"I have to go down to the studio, work on some stuff. You still have my number?"

I looked back up at him, my eyes filled with eagerness. "Oh yea, I still have it somewhere. You still have mine?" I said, my smile coming back. I still felt like an idiot to had let that phrase slip out, but it didn't seem to bother him anymore. The awkwardness disappeared, and I was able to speak.

"Of course I do. Text me later or something," he called out. He pushed open the doors, and began strutting down the sidewalk, his hood over his head, and his adorable notebook tucked between his arm and side.

I had felt giddy on the inside to see him again, but I was also worried. All those feelings I once had started to creep back up on me, and it's a dangerous game to play with Darron still around in my life. I smiled to myself as I began thinking about what Marshall had said, how he doesn't hate me. Even though he should, and I very much deserved it.

I stared down at the two pizzas before I had remembered why I came out to the avenue in the first place.

"Oh shit," I gasped under my breath.

I jumped out of the booth. I grabbed the tray of pizzas and threw them out since neither of us finished the godly pizzas. It was sad to see them go, but I couldn't stay for another minute. I needed to hurry up, get groceries done, and get home before Darron gets mad. No one wants to see him mad.