The Robosapyent

New starts

This chapter is dedicated to srinidhidodo who unknowingly gave me the energy to come on and write despite all the exam worries :)

------------Chapter 9.5 starts here------------

Marcus tugged me along behind him as we navigated the streets. Weaving through the tents and in between people.

"Where are we going?" I called to Marcus loudly. Loudly being the keyword, since it didn't seem like he'd hear me otherwise. He seemed focused on something important, but i had no idea what.

"Just something that I have to do. Wait a little bit longer," Marcus replied, continuing to pull me forward through the crowd.

And so I waited. Seconds seemed to turn to minutes with the anticipation. But it was alright, since those minutes were not alone, but beside Marcus. 

"Technically, you're behind Marcus... " My mind told me. To which I only had to reply "Does it make a difference?" Needless to say the mental argument ended then and there.

Finally Marcus's hand pulled me... Backwards?

I blushed. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't even realized that he had stopped. I turned to face him, finally turning to see what he was looking at. It was his tent.

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A few minutes later

"Mom, I want you to meet someone," Marcus said out loud.

I started to panic. What was he doing? Did he not see the knife wound I had? How would she even react? How would I even react?

The person in the chair slowly stood up, turning around. I tensed a bit, naturally suspicious after everything that had happened. I slowly looked her up and down to check if she was armed. She was an older woman, maybe in her forties? It was hard to tell. Her movements were slow, not aggressive as before, but almost as if dulled by pain. What had she been through? As soon as she saw me, her eyes changed. Not anger- as I was expecting- but sadness.

"I think you owe her an apology."

"But Marcus," the woman responded, obviously upset at the request. I guess I couldn't blame her for that. Even though what she did was horrible, despicable even, to be asked to apologize by her own son was a big deal.

"Mom, I love her."

I felt my cheeks turning more and more red. What did he just say? My heart beat furiously, threatening to jump out. Out into Marcus's hands where it'd be safe forever. I felt myself start to sweat and my knees start to shake, almost as if waiting for his permission to follow my brain's orders. I felt my hand grip his tighter and then loosen a bit. That was good, after all if i let my emotions loose on his hand, he'd definitely get a few fractures.

But his words touched me. More than I could ever imagine. This was his mom he was introducing me to. No, it was much more. It was his mom who he was asking to apologize to me. His mom- who had given birth to him, who had brought him up with only help from one uncle, who had done so much for him and his brother over the past few weeks.

And the fact that he loved me. Not just that, but that he was ready to say it in front of-

"I'm sorry."

I snapped out of my thoughts to see Marcus's mom with her eyes unable to meet mine.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated, as if she was a broken tape recorder. But only when she finally looked up at me, did I realize that she was... Broken...

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A few minutes later.

"It's time I told you about something Marcus, about your dad." After ten or so minutes of weeping profusely, she barely managed to choke out that sentence.

Marcus made no visible signs of interest, but I knew he was curious inside. Years of trying to forget his dad, building up walls against his memories- vague memories of his dad from when Marcus was only a few years old, trying to grow up without being hurt by the fact that everyone else seemed to have one had made him used to pretending to be indifferent.

But he wasn't. He just couldn't live with it. Inside, it hurt him every time he saw someone else with their dad. Almost like a piece of him was being ripped out.

"Marcus, your dad wasn't killed raiding from the rich..."

And that's when someone ran in. I hadn't met him before, but he vaguely fit the description of one of Marcus's friends. Jake?

"Marcus, I have to tell you something."

------------end of chapter 9.5------------

Yay i think i'm finally getting into a groove here. I've got my next few chapters planned out pretty well and i think it's going pretty good :)

Oh and btw sorry for any spelling mistakes. It's pretty late and i'm only doing one proofcheck as compared to my regular 2-3 reads. That being said, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.