Chapter 9

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I yawn, stretching as the sun beams down in the room. I slowly sit up, rubbing my eyes. The other side of my bed lay occupied by Mark, snoring quietly as a puddle of drool forms on his fluffy pillow. I lean down to him and sigh. How did I manage this? I hear slamming downstairs, multiple voices yell out as my door is thrown open. I am greeted by the numerous camera flashes, screaming of questions one after the other.

"WAIT STOP! HE IS SLEEPING!" I say, throwing up my hands to block the flash.

Mark groans slowly sitting up, draining pale at the camera flashes of at least ten people. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY MANOR AT THIS HOUR?!"

A woman jumps up and down. "Mr. Fischbach! Can you confirm the relationship between you and Mr. Northstrum? Confirming your sexuality rumor, starting late in 2013 with your old employee, Mr. Ackerman?"

Mark wrap himself in the blanket as his face flushes red in embarrassment. "GUARDS! GUARDS!"

Three men run in, grabbing and yanking each one from the room. He goes to grab for a camera and the man pulls away. "NO WAY! FREEDOM OF PRESS!" He yells as they are escorted out of the room.

A guard slowly walks in. "My apologies Mr. Fischbach, they..."

"Take their cameras! Every picture they took. I want them DELETED IMMEDIATELY!"

The guard looks down. "We can't, sir. Freedom of press. You would be reprimanded quite harshly."

Mark looks down for a moment before nodding. "Leave my quarters. I will address you and the other slackers later." His bitter tone drives the man shamefully out of the room

"Well. This is nice! Now people will know we..."

"They won't know shit. I'm gonna cover it up." He says, standing up and yanking on his boxers from the floor. I feel my stomach curdle at that thought.

"Are you ashamed of me or something?! I deserve a real relationship. You know what? Get out." I say lowly.

"This is my home, how dare you insist I..."

"GET OUT, OR I WILL LEAVE AND NOT RETURN."

Mark growls, stomping out and slamming the door behind him. I grab my phone off the nightstand. Two missed calls from mother. And a text from... oh my god? Abby! It has been so long. I dial her number and shove the phone to my ear, hearing an immediate squeal of excitement.

"Hey, darling. It has been too long! What, like, two days? Haha. How are you and the hubby?" She says softly over the phone. For me and my best friend, two days feels like a millennium.

"Uh. Rough. It's like he is... ashamed of me. I just wanna be happy. Honestly, it won't last long at this rate." I whisper.

"Aww honey. I'm sure he cares, Ryland. He is just... at a position of power. He is being careful." She says, a blender going off in the background, next to a scream of surprise

"Forgot the lid?" I say, laughing.

"Yeah. The lid. That. Well. That's my morning smoothie. Everything will be alright. Hey, listen I have to go and clean this shit up. Call soon!" She quickly hangs up and I sigh, even my friends don't wanna talk to me. It's all his fault. He is...

Isolating me.

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