East Chapel Academy

Chapter 28- Marcus

Nia and I are dating.
I'm dating Nia.
We are together.
No matter how I phrase it, it still doesn't seem real. I could still feel her lips against mine, and my blazer smelled like her. I can't get our kiss out of my mind.
She was everything I had imagined and more. Sweet and soft. Her mouth tasted like marshmallows and fruit punch, and it couldn't have been more perfect.
I had half a mind to just skip my last class, I had already skipped one why not just take the rest of the day off, right.
But I was already on thin ice from my fight with Sam, my mom would kill me if she finds out I skipped two classes. Who knows what she would make me do? Running errands with her and E.J. was going to be bad enough. And she was making me drive her, like I'm an Uber.
Though I did go to class, I did not pay attention. I had other things on my mind, like Nia and her mouth. And her smile. And her laugh. Her everything.
While I was in class my phone would not stop vibrating. Sam and Nick were blowing up my phone with text messages. I couldn't answer any of them because my teacher was already sending me dirty looks since I came in late.
I wanted nothing more than to stay at school and see Nia again, but my punishment calls. When I got out to my car, I found Sam and Nick leaning against it.
"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" I asked them. I looked over at Nick who should have been on his way to practice by now. "Why aren't you at practice?"
Sam looked over at Nick. "Tell him. Tell him what you did."
"I am. Jesus, Sam, give me a minute." Nick sighed before saying, "I quit the team."
"You quit?" I can't believe it. I thought he was just thinking about it, I didn't think he would actually do it. "I thought you were just thinking about it?"
"Wait...Wait," Sam said stopping Nick before he could answer. "You knew about this?"
I hesitated. I looked over at Nick for help but he looked away immediately. "Uh, well, we had talked about it before..."
"Unbelievable," Sam said exasperated. "What else have you two been keeping from me?"
"Nothing. Honestly, Sam, that's it."
He didn't look convinced. Sighing, he said, "I don't believe that, but just try to keep me in the loop when you start talking about quitting things and liking girls that I also like."
"Bet." Nick and I agreed to stop keeping things from Sam.
"But how did Coach react when you told him you were quitting?" I asked Nick.
"Oh, he flipped." Nick laughed, "I'm pretty sure he threw his iPad when I left the room. I thought he was going to pop a blood vessel."
"I can't believe you did it." I wanted to be mad at him, but he looked so relaxed. He looked genuinely happy about it.
"Me either. I think I might be jealous," Sam admitted.
Nick gave him a playful nudge in the side. " You can always join me."
"No, you cannot," I protested. "I can't bear Coach for another year by myself."
"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere," Sam assured me, "I don't think my parents would let me even if I wanted to." Sam's parents are very strict, they dictate almost everything he does. Before he could start tutoring, he had to run it through them. Before he joined the football team, he had to ask them. Sam calls them conservative, I would say judgmental.
"What happened with Nia? Are you guys dating?"
I grinned, "We're together."
"Yes!"
"Finally!" Nick exclaimed. "I feel like we've been waiting for this forever."
"Well not me, because I just found out about this yesterday," said Sam. "But how did she like everything?"
"She loved it, Sam. She said you had great taste."
He shrugged cockily. "I knew she would."
"Looks like you're stalking finally paid off."
Sam muttered under his breath. "I was observing, not stalking."
Nick asked,"So everything's official now?"
"Completely," I responded. "We kissed."
"Really, in the library?" he nodded his head in approval. "Crystal and I have made out in there a few times, it's a good choice. Very quiet."
Sam rolled his eyes at him. "Honestly, Nick, where haven't you guys hooked up?"
Nick thought about it. "That's a great question, Sam, I'll call you when I know the answer."
I shook my head at them. "Anyways, she was worried about Whitney."
"Why? You said that was over," said Sam. "What is she worried about?"
"I think she's more worried about Whitney knowing it's over than me."
Nick drew in a breath through his teeth. "Yeah, that might be a problem."
"I assured her that we weren't going to get back together, but I don't even know how Whitney's going to react." Not that I care, but for Nia's sake, maybe I should. "
"I haven't even seen her today. Is she here?"
Nick shook his head. "She's in Paris, Crystal told me."
"Paris, for what?"
"To get a prom dress," Nick rolled his eyes. "How pretentious do you have to be to leave the country for a prom dress?"
Well, I'm glad to have a few Whitney free days. My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. My mom's name and photo popped onto the screen.
"Hello."
"Marcus, where are you? We're going to be late for E.J.'s swimming lesson," Mom said on the other end of the phone.
I apologized. "I'm sorry, I got side tracked I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Okay, be safe," she warned me. "I can't wait to hear about you and Nia."
I said goodbye and put my phone back in my pocket.
"Was that your Mom?" asked Sam.
"Yeah, she's making me drive her and E.J. around. It's my punishment for getting into a fight." I wanted to blame Sam, but it was my fault just as much as it was his. "Did you get in trouble?" I asked Sam.
"I didn't tell them," he replied.
"So what are you going to do when they ask you why you're not at football practice?"
"Oh, that's easy, I'm just not going to go home until the school day is over, and I'll change into my work out gear before I go home."
"You can chill at my house if you want," Nick offered him.
"Thanks, Quitter."
"Your welcome, Stalker."
I chuckled at the two of them. "You two have fun, I have to go."
"Tell Ellen I said hi," Nick said moving away from my car.
"I won't."
****
"Bubby! Where have you been I'm going to be late for my class?"
E.J. stormed up to me his pool floaties already strapped onto his arms and his blue swim trunks on. The floats made it hard for him to put his arms down on his sides so they just hung in the air.
"I'm sorr--" I started to apologize.
"No time to talk boys, we have to get going. We're already late," Mom said as she sped past me to get to the door.
"I don't even have time to get changed!" I called after her. I thought I would at least be able to change into a t-shirt or something.
"Nope," she replied. "If you wanted to get changed you should have been here earlier." She cannot be serious. I do not want to run errands in this damn uniform.
"Hurry up, Marcus!"
E.J followed behind her through the front door, "Yeah, hurry up, Bubby! Everyone's going to start swimming without me!"
With a disgruntled sigh, I went outside making sure to lock the front door behind me. E.J. was already buckled in his carseat in the back seat, while my Mom sat up front. Her hair was high up in a pony tail and a pair of large sunglasses took up most of her face. She wore leggings and a white tank top. She looked like a classic East Chapel mom, minus the botox and disgusting green juice that they carry around. I don't know how anyone could pretend they liked those it tasted like dirt.
"After we take E.J. to swim class, we need to go to the grocery store and get food for dinner," she said as I backed out of the driveway.
"Isn't Rosa making dinner for us?" I asked confused. Rosa always goes to the grocery store before dinner.
"No, Marcus, she isn't. Rosa has a family too and sometimes she wants to spend time with them."
"Okay, but why can't we just get take out or something?"
"Are you afraid to eat my cooking, Marcus?" she asked glaring at me over the tops of her glasses.
"No...," I lied. I can't remember the last time she cooked for us. Rosa usually does all of that type of stuff. I'm sure my mom can cook, but she just chooses not to.
She huffed. "Well, tonight we're all going to help in the kitchen. I'm thinking pizza."
"Do I get to make my own pizza, Mommy?" E.J. asked from the backseat.
She smiled at him through the rearview mirror. "Of course you do, pumpkin. Is that okay with you?"
"Oh, me?" I kept my eyes focused on the road to afraid to look directly at her. "Yeah, that sounds great." E.J. spent the rest of the drive to his swim class talking about pizza and why he loves pizza, and what he loves on pizza.
It was cute for the first five minutes, but he just kept going on and on. I think I might hate pizza now.
I let out a sigh of relief when Mom took him out of the car.
"I hope you don't think you're going to stay in the car," Mom said to me from outside the open passenger door.
"I'm not," I said unsure. I had every intention of staying in the car.
"No, you're not," she said propping E.J. On her hip. "Turn the car off and come inside."
"Dammit," I thought to myself. This punishment is turning out to be worse than I expected. I stepped into the familiar building, I used to take lessons here when I was E.J.'s age. I always loved the smell of chlorine in the air. Kids were already swimming, their bright colored floaties keeping them upright in the pool.
"Mommy, Mommy, help me take off my shirt so I can swim," E.J stressed trying to take his shirt off by himself and failing. My mom untangled the t-shirt from under his float and pulled it over his head. It didn't take him long before he got in the water with the rest of his classmates. He doesn't even need the floats anymore he's a great swimmer without them. He practically lives in the pool during the summer.
My mom and I sat in the bleachers that lined one side of the room.
"So tell me how it went with Nia." Said Mom, she slid her glasses so they rested on top of her head. "Was she surprised? Did she love it?"
"Yes and yes," I replied, thinking about how Nia's face lit up when she saw how we had decorated the library. "She loved everything, and the picnic basket was perfect. I'll have to tell Rosa thank you when she's back tomorrow."
"Even the juice boxes, E.J was very proud of himself for sharing."
"And she appreciated it." I watched as E.J swam to the other side of the pool. He had his hair pulled into a bun with the scrunchie Nia had given him. He has hardly wanted to take it off since she gave it to him. If it's not in his hair, he'll wear it around his wrist like a bracelet.
"You really like her, don't you?"
She was smiling at me. "I do," I answered honestly. Sometimes it feels like too much. I've never felt like this before, with Whitney it was just easier if I said yes. Because why not--she was there and she wasn't ugly so I went along with it. But it's so different with Nia.
We like the same things, and I can actually have a conversation with her without feeling like she's getting bored with me. I don't feel like just an accessory with her.
Unexpectedly, my mom reached over and squeezed my cheeks. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Marcus."
Scrunching up my nose, I moved her hands from my cheeks. "Ow, Mom, don't do that." I ran a hand over my cheek where she pinched it, it hurt more than I thought it would.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that you've found someone that makes you happy." She gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Smiling, I said. "Thank you, Mom."
"I can't wait to tell your father," she grinned excited.
"Where is he?"
"He had to stop by the office, but he'll be home by the time we get back." Placing her phone on the seat, and she put her hands in her lap. "Does this mean you've decided to go to prom?"
"I think so." I hadn't planned on it, but it might not be so bad if Nia is there.
She clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "This is great! I think we still have enough time to get you into the tailor to get a tux ready!"
With that said, she went on her phone and began making arrangements. Today, the last two weeks really, has been a whirlwind. But I wouldn't trade anything for how things used to be.