The Masked Emotions Redux: Linger

A BAD IDEA

Enzio & Marie

It has been a week since that incident and Enzio was standing outside the food pavilion, waiting to see Lana. She had been avoiding him all week by staying over at her boyfriend who had a large private room two floors above them. He hadn't had any form of contact with her. Every text was unanswered, her daily wake up call, even in class. Normally they would sit next to each other, but now she'll wait for the last possible minute to enter the classroom and would make sure she was the first one out the door. It was just a full week of avoidance and it was bothering the shit out of him. "So, what you're doing?" it was a playful tone that caused him to smile. He looked up and the first thing he focused on was the ankle-length light grey sweater dress that he knew very well the purpose of that dress.

Yet a lovelier sight awaited him as he focused his gaze upwards. Her soft, light mocha shoulders were exposed, and her dark brown curls fell rested perfectly on her shoulders. Her lips were carefully tinted a tone darker than her flawless skin. "You look pretty today Marie," he said with a smile, "but correct me if I'm wrong, the only time you wear that dress is when you don't feel like shaving your legs."

"God, I hate it that you know me so well." She complained while plumping herself down onto the chair next to him. She briefly stared at his face and saw that he was upset.

"Just waiting for Lana, I really need to talk to her." He said before she could ask him anything.

"I just guessed that you two had another fight again." Marie reached up and moved the strands of hair away from his eyes. "Do you feel like talking about it?" She asked while making sure she got the right amount of eye contact, "maybe over lunch if it's not too much to..." At that moment he saw Lana enter the pavilion being her usual self, cheerfully speaking to other classmates and professors while lovingly holding onto her boyfriend's arm. She seemed livelier than before as if that day never happened. Their eyes met momentarily, and she quickly turned the opposite direction, making it clear that she did not want to see him. Normally he wouldn't care, but now, it deeply hurt him, and it made him feel like the boy he used to be.

He looked into Marie's sad brown eyes and he knew it was because he just ignored her. He reached over and brushed her long curly locks off her shoulder. "Sorry about that." He sighed, causing her to blush instantly. "Look, I have to drop off the final assignment for cognitive science, rain check?" Marie let out a soft smile and lowered her head.

"Yeah, rain check." She repeated in a lower voice and he smiled at her before placing a soft kiss on her cheek and walked away. Marie always hated the way he looked a Lana, mostly because she wanted him to look at her that way too. Lana was like a sister to her, but at the same time, she knew it was selfish of her that she ignored a man who was obviously head over heels for her, even though he hid it poorly. Yet who was Marie kidding, she looked at Enzio the same way. She has such a serious crush on him and he saw it. Marie knew he saw it because he always looked at her with sympathy and not the pathetic kind either. He holds himself back.

One night several months ago, they were making out. It was hazy on what lead to it, but she knew she was the one who made the first move and it was as if all that pent-up sexual tension was released at that very moment. They were almost naked, and Lana called him out of the blue, crying because she had a fight with Samuel and was, she needed to be picked up. Without any hesitation, he went to her side. Enzio never knew this, but the two of them fought for days because of it. But like always, the two of them made up and things were back to normal, especially between her and Enzio. However, Marie knew Lana liked him as much as Enzio liked her and it pissed her off that she was denying her feelings towards him.

She knew there was something there, but Lana was afraid to admit it and Marie was not going to try or force her to. Eventually, Lana would have to come to terms with it and until then, she would try and be with him. From the moment she saw him, she knew that Enzio would be the man she would give her virginity to. She just had to figure out just how to make that happen.