Keepsake

Chapter 12

Marcus Evers

Yesterday had worked out just as I had hoped. Mentioning to Alysia that we could appear as just friends was a good idea since no one knew we were related. It was the perfect plan that would help me get what I really felt for her out of my head and make some kind of move forward. This would be enough to get that done. Now all that I needed to do was keep going on this path, don't allow Alysia to see that I'm holding back and in a few days we'll be just like normal cousins.

I go to work, do my business, go home and shower, then pick up Alysia from the library. She is her sort of upbeat usual self and we talk all the way to school. Once we get there, Linda and Joanne rush us as though the most amazing thing happen. I give them their space and say bye to Alysia and tell her I'll see her at break time.

Mike catches me in the halls. "Dude, what happened to you and Alysia? What's with the whole breaking up thing?" He didn't sound like he cared much.

I shrug my shoulders remembering that I'd never explained my side of how it happen. And I still wasn't going to tell the truth. "We just didn't work out. Complications, you know?"

"If you say so," he says like a hint.

I decided to bite the bait considering that there was so much happening at the same time, that there was always a risk that the truth could've leaked out. "Alright, Mike, what did you hear?"

"I didn't hear anything. It looks to me like Alysia still has the old Marcus man on the brain, if you know what I mean. You should talk to her and stop avoiding her like you usually do."

"She and I do talk. I pick her up from work and we talk plenty on the way here. If she felt that way about me, she'd say it," I answer back. "Besides, what happened to you and Linda?"

"Hey, that's not fair." He stops for a moment as I stare waiting. "Fine, um, we are doing what most couples do. We're taking a break, but we still talk."

"Same as Alysia and I, except we're not on a break." We were more like on a guilt trip that's getting the best of me.

Linda and Joanne turn the corner. "Marcus and Mike."

"Where's Alysia? I thought she was with you?" I ask.

Linda spoke, "She was, but she went with Blaine to class. It looked like he was going to walk her to class." She spoke like she was giving out hints.

My eyes strained. "Blaine?" I suddenly couldn't think of anything else. Alysia and Blaine? She never mentioned it to me. I mean she didn't have to, but she still didn't.

"I guess you two really are done, huh?" Linda asks as though she wasn't sure of the answer. She was hoping more for me to do something about it.

Of course we were done. We were finished. But I didn't feel like I was completely out of this haze that made me want her. I suddenly wanted to tell them everything. If they knew what we were, then they'd see the reason why I wasn't darting after her right now to find out if she and Blaine were serious or just friends.

"I guess you are then," Linda said while backing up with an upset face. Joanne follows her in disappointment.

My mind went into deep thought and I completely lost track of my surroundings. Then suddenly Mike's hand thrust me in the chest. My eyes looked at him confused.

He points a finger at my face with a smile, "You still want her, don't you? Don't try to lie, dude; I can see it all over your face, Marcus. Look at yourself in a mirror." He laughs hard. "So what are you going to do?"