Not Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Marcus is on the bus the next day. We don't say much to each other; I still have the idea of my dad coming back to Oregon, walking through my kitchen door, hugging my mom, it all just seems so surreal to me. I haven't seen him since i was a little girl, and now he expects me to welcome him back into my life? Uh, nope! Not gonna happen.

That's not all that keeps me and Marcus from talking though. While I wam arguing with myself within my head, Marcus is staring at the romance scene occurring in the backseat of the bus. I lean over and tap him on the shoulder.

"Looks like Anna moved on, huh?" Marcus looks toward the back of the bus again and stares at Anna, kissing some freshman.

"Yup." He pauses, "Are you, uh, thinking about going back to..."

"No! Never going to happen. Nope."

Marcus smiles, noticing the denial in my voice. "Good."

That confuses me. "Good?"

"Uh," Marcus pauses. "Well, if you did get back with James, uh,"

"I wouldn't be available for you?"

Marcus blushes.

The bus arrives in the round driveway of the school, and I follow him down the bus isle and into the school. We walk side by side to Ms. Lorenette's class. We don't talk the entire hour.

When lunch comes, I wait for Marcus by the front doors so we can escape to Pizza Hut. I see him walking towards me, but when he sees me waiting for him, he turns around and walks toward the cafeteria. I stare after him, but when he turns the corner I come back to my senses. I look around, but only see James heading my way. I roll my eyes and walk right past him, without even stopping to listen to him babble on about how sorry he is, and that he wants me back. If it was a normal guy, who did listen to me when I said don't take it that far, who didn't start making out with Anna to feel better, than I might have stopped. But James, well James is just a five year old who wants attention. I don't have time for a child.

I run after Marcus, but when I slid around the corner, i can't see him.

"What did I do?" I ask myself. "What did I do to make my only friend ignore me?"

I sneak into the cafeteria and search the tables for Marcus. I finally see him sitting at a table in a corner by the window, all alone, with no food.

I approach him with a puzzled look on my face, but soon that face turned into confusion, then finally anger.

"What? What did I do to upset you?" I cross my arms and stare at him until he answers me.

"Um, nothing?"

"Well then why are you ignoring me!" I say it so loud that the people at the tables around us turn and look at me. I give them a dangerous look and they all turn back around, pretending nothing happened.

"Well, it's just, when you didn't call me last night, I thought you were creeped out, horrified that I sort of asked you out." He looks at the table, but then looks up again when I took in a deep breath. "What?" He whispers.

"I was waiting for you to call me."

"W-what?"

"I, was waiting, for-"

"Yeah, I know what you said. I guess I thought it would be to pushy."

I smile and sit next to him. Leaning over, i whisper in his ear,

"You know, there's still some time to get some pizza."

I back away and watch him. He seems to ponder the idea, then smiles and says, "Let's go."