Prove It

Chapter VIII

The next morning I wake up to frantic texts from Sofia, asking where I was and who I was with, which I don't understand why. She was in that group that Marcus told where we were going.

But she demanded an apology by the only means Sofia accepts- Gossip, and I'm already dreading it.

We had just ordered our stir fry and I know it's only a matter of seconds when the waitress leaves the table that she's going to start hammering me with questions.

Without delay when the waitress walks away Sofia focuses all of her attention into me. "Now tell me everything, and don't you think about leaving anything out. I want every dirty detail" she says and I snort a little.

"There are no dirty details, you little hoe. The most scandelous thing we did last night was sit next to each other" I say. Well, laying on top each other, but she won't know if I left that detail out.

"Well what did you do when you got there? Sit at the table and have a cup of tea?" she mocks.

"Well I did meet his mother" I tell her, and she nearly spits out her Diet Coke.

"No way! Did it go well? I remember when I met Kevin's mom for the first time" she faked a shiver for emphasis. "Not the proudest moments of my life" she admits, although I already know the whole story.

"It was actually fine. Mrs. Sloane is super nice" I say. "She told me that she's heard Marcus talk about me for years" I confess and Sofia stops mid-sip.

"Oh my God, was it awkward? I mean, her gossiping about her son with you?" she asks.

"No, not really. It was, well, it was normal. There isn't anything more to it" I tell her. She looks at me as if she doesn't believe me, but I can't tell her anything else unless she wants me to lie.

"You're so boring. And so is this gossip. There really wasn't anything that she said that was hinting at you not being good enough?" she asks and I roll my eyes at her.

"Quite the opposite, actually" I say.

"Of course. What soccer mom doesn't know about the most perfect girl in the entire world?" she teases and I smack the air, imitating actually smacking her cheek.

"Marcus plays football, dummy". I think back to what Mrs. Sloane said, asking me why I had suddenly decided to relent to her son's wishes. Maybe I don't read between the lines enough, maybe she was thinking that I'm using him for something. I start to get anxious, and Sofia picks up on my mood change as soon as it happens.

"What's wrong?" she asks, reaching over the table to put her hand on my wrist, bringing me back to life.

"I was just remembering she asked me why I suddenly gave into Marcus. What do you think that means?"

"I couldn't tell you, but to me she sounds suspicious. Is there anything to be suspicious about?" she asks.

"I mean, at first I only said yes to get him off my back, but now just spending the night with him, I don't even know why I said no to him all these years. He really is a gentleman, Sof" I sigh.

"Aww, someone's falling in love" she teases and I stick my tongue out at her.

"I'm not, I just didn't expect to like him this much" I admit, and she raises her eyebrows.

"So you do like him" she says.

I sigh and tilt my head to the side. "Yeah, I guess". Sofia squeals as the waitress comes back over with our burgers, setting them down before retreating quickly to another table. I don't blame her- she's probably hoping to find someone more normal to leave her a tip.

"Please don't make a bigger deal out of this. I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm just figuring this whole dating thing out" I don't even know who I am right now. I've never been so unsure about anything. I've always been in control of everything, and I'm losing control and it's scaring me.

"Girl, I'm here for you. I've dated enough to tell you anything you need" she says, but I shake my head.

"No, I want to do this on my own. I-I need to" I tell her. I don't know how to explain this to her without sounding like a complete control freak. Even around Sofia I've been able to maintain my image.

"Don't get too frazzeled Manda, you'll freak the poor boy out. Don't forget that he's saved his first date for you, too" she points out, and now I suddenly feel even more horrible than before.

This boy has waited 17 years to go on his first date, because of me. For me it was by choice, but I occassionaly heard the boys giving him a hard time about it. That's hard being called out by your friends like that has to be humiliating for a teenage guy.

"I know. But that's good, because then we'll be able to take it slow with each other" I say, and Sofia starts to giggle.

"Oh honey, please. Boys always have one thing on their minds, and Marcus has been waiting for you forever. He's not gonna go slow".

**********

"Hey Emma?" I call into her room and lightly knock on her door. As always she's sitting on her bed with Molly on her phone, probably texting Christopher.

"Yeah?" she says, looking up from the screen, but keeps her right hand on Molly, stroking the feline's soft fur. That cat's always greedy for Emma's attention.

"How do you be a girlfriend?" I ask, not building up or sugarcoating it at all. That's something I always like about my sister. No bullshit.

"Marcus?" she asks back, and I nod. She pats the spot next to her on the bed next to her. I walk further into the sophisticated bedroom and sit on the soft sheets.

"You just have to start by being his best friend. You can't begin to start any sort of relationship without establishing a strong friendship first. I mean, you've known him for years, surely you at least have a mutual sort of friendship?" she asks, but she'd be wrong. We were merely acquaintences before this whole ordeal, people who ran in the same circle, but didn't associate unless necessary.

"Not really" I admit, shyly. God, I didn't think it'd be this embarrassing exposing myself to my younger sister. To think that I'm the one asking her for relationship advice is a little degrading to me, but I'm going to have to suck it up.

"We only talked occassionally, really. Nothing too much other than a few awkward conversations here and there".

"So after ten years of him asking you out, you've only ever become acquantiances?" she looks down at Molly whose now purring with content. "Start out slow, become his friend, then you can start going further" she says, and I sigh.

"Sofia said he wouldn't want to go slow. Is bad if I do?" I ask, slightly panicing.

"If he really likes you, he'll do whatever he has to do to keep you. And if he doesn't respect what you want, then he's a dick" she says, and I almost choke on my saliva. I've never heard my sister use any sort of curse.

"But just remember, he's been waiting for you. You'd have to do something major to make him leave".