The next day I see Marcel in class and I approach him. "Hey, Marcel, listen. About yesterday, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just gone ahead and done that. I don't know what came over me."
"It's fine. I-" He's cut off by a jock throwing his books out of his hands.
"Hey everybody this dweeb fangirls over One Direction! Haha! What a loser! Listen weakling I got a huge English assignment due and you're gonna do it or else I'll give you a free swirlie tomorrow morning. Got it?" The jock cackles while Marcel lowers his head in a nod.
"Marcel you don't have to listen to him," I speak. The jock and him both look at me.
"Mind you'r own business freak. Keep you're slutty mouth to things you do best," the jock gestures to a B.J.
I turn on the class stereo and put in on a song and let the music flow through the room as I clap along.
"We've got a bit a of love/hate, you take me to the edge when you hit the breaks, I say it's over one day, but then I'm crawling back begging you to stay. We make up and we break up all the time! I'll say that I hate a song, Then you'll go and request it all night long. Some people say it's so wrong but even when we fight girl you turn me on. We make up and we break up all the time! We're like na na na! Then we're like yeah yeah yeah!" I sing at the top of my lungs to One Direction's Na Na Na song. I jump on the desks and twirl from one to the next. A few people join in clapping a few others sing along. But it's mostly me. Marcel looks at me shocked but I can tell he couldn't be happier. The jock is stunned but I push him out of my way as I pass him by.
"We're like na, na, na! Then we're like yeah, yeah, yeah! Always like na, na, na! Then we're like yeah, yeah, yeah! We're like na, na, na! Then we're like yeah, yeah, yeah! Always like na, na, na! Then we're like yeah, yeah, yeah!!!" I finish out the song, smiling like crazy.
"What is this?!" Our teacher walks in as I jump off a desk.
"Marcel and this freak over here are disturbing the class with their outcastness!" The jock yells.
"Outcastness isn't even a word," I say, adrenaline still flowing through me.
"Put you're phones away!" Our teacher shouts at the students who had pulled out their phones, snapping pictures and documenting videos. "This is outrageous, Marcel, Isabella, to the principals office now!!"
I smile and take Marcel's hand, dragging him behind me. Before the door closes to the classroom I peer my head in and wave one last farewell.
Marcel smiles at me as we leave the principals office. "Although I did get suspended, watching you do that was worth it."
I return his smile as we walk out the front doors of the school, "So what's next?"
"You meet my family." He sighs. We walk down the sidwalk and just talk. We arrive sooner than I thought and Marcel takes an extra minute outside the door. "Whatever you do... Just keep an open mind." His words confuse me as he opens the door. Seems normal.
Edward is laid out on the couch watching something on his phone. "Some friend huh?" He speaks. I was beginning to think he was mute.
"What do you mean?" Marcel asks approaching the side of the couch where Edward's feet rest.
"She got you suspended." He mutters.
"But for a good cause." Marcel adds.
Edward looks up at him, raising an eyebrow, "But you didn't do anything. And you took the blame anyways."
"She was sticking up for me." I shift uncomfortably.
"You're right, I like her. She's cool." He goes back to his phone.
"Marcel is that you? I saw the video, that was bloody epic! I want to meet this amazing girl!" A familiar boy I've never met bursts into the living room from another room.
"Ah, Harry, this is Isabella, cute as a button isn't she? Isabella this is Harry." Marcel informs. Harry walks up and pulls me into a big hug.
"You are a genius, wait 'til the boys hear about this! Oh excuse me, Hello? Lou? Yeah! I know right!" He walks out of the room on his cell.
"Was that? But wait what? What video?" I ask. Edward shows us the video he was watching on his phone. It was the jock picking on us and then me dancing. There were comments like "Burn in you're face skank" and "Epic come back" and "Directioners unite!".
"Marcel? Who is this?" A pretty dark haired woman walks in.
"Mom this is Isabella," He answers.
"His best friend," I add offering to shake her hand. Instead she pulls me in for a hug. I guess they're huggers.
"It's nice to finally meet you. My boy has been so much happier lately. Thank you! Robin! Robin, come in here and meet this girl!" She calls. A plump and friendly man enters the room.
"Hi, I'm Robin, Anne's husband and the boys' step father." He shakes my hand. I nod grateful for not having to hug another stranger.
"Gemma doesn't live with us so you don't have to worry about meeting anyone else." Marcel notices my nervousness. "Well, we'll be going out for a bit, we'll be back after awhile. Okay?" He grabs my hand and pulls me through the front door.
He has me drive his moms little car and soon enough we pull up in the mall's parking lot. We get out and I pull him into the direction of HotTopic. I pull out a leather studded jacket and he looks at me in horror. I laugh and shake my head. "We need to find something that shouts Marcel. Something, in style though." I pull him to another rack of clothes. Deciding to start off simple I grab a simple gray V-neck and faded blue jeans. "Here go try these on." He grabs them hesitantly, studying them before I push him into the changing stall.
When he walks out I pull off his glasses and tousle his hair a bit. This boy cleans up nice. "Smile!" I snap a picture.
"What was that for?" He asks.
"You looked picture perfect. I don't like to let moments pass me by. Ever heard of seize the moment?" I smile.
I go back out into the store and grab more V-necks, jeans, a fadora, a couple graphic tees, and a pair of aviators. He walks out of the changing rooms wearing a button up shirt, top button undone, sleeves loosely rolled up, jeans, fadora, and pulls down the aviators and wiggles his eyebrows. I take another picture because he looks so adorable. We laugh and pay for the clothes we grabbed. As we walk out of the store, our laughter slowly dies down.
"Well, well, well, look at that rat and her geek pet out in public. I figured you guys would be hiding in a tall bell tower somewhere like the hunchback of Notre Dame." Angelo sneers holding the hand of some prostitute.
"We figured you were already occupying it so we didn't want to disturb you," I recoil. Marcel grabs my hand and tries to pull me along to the car.
"Isabella it isn't worth it," He whispers. I look at Marcel and see he's right. The urge to want to kiss him is so strong right now but I don't want him to think I'm using him to make Angelo jealous. I sigh and look down as we walk away. Maybe another day.
