Marked | ✔️

Part 8:Cappuccino

"Lavender, I mean, Ms. Wes..." I stand up.

"Amber messaged me, but I didn't think it was true. Is it?" she asks.

"It's not...at least, I don't think it is. It's just admiration!"

"Jason..."

"Ms. Wes, Jason says he feels happy when you are happy, and he feels hurt when you are hurt, but he doesn't feel that way with other people," Kristy says.

"Do you think those are signs of love, Ms. Wes? I have felt that way before with my ex-boyfriend," Bex pitches in.

"Guys, those feelings aren't only limited to love. I feel hurt when I see orphans and kids getting abused, and I feel happy when they get the love they deserve." Lavender purses her lips. She looks at me. "Why don't you take a few days off to figure it out, Jason? You seem a bit stressed, and I don't want it to affect your work."

"Lavender, crap! I mean Ms. Wes."

"It's alright, Jason. Just call me Lavender." She chuckles a little then frowns. "Come back when you feel like you have it all figured out." She squeezes my shoulder. I look around, and they all nod their heads. I sigh then pack my belongings to go home.

I enter Amber's house and flop down onto the couch. "What the fackkk?!" Amber appears from the bathroom and is shocked by my presence. "Did you really come home to kill me?!"

"Yeah, you better watch your back, Amber." I look at her with a careless face. For the next three days, I pretend to be mad to scare Amber.

"Hey, I'm going out to buy some beer," she says. I spin the knife in my hand and chop the head off the fish I'm cutting up for dinner. She jumps at the loud sound of the knife slamming against the cutting board. I look up at her and give a sickly smile.

"Don't take too long," I say. She swallows hard.

"I won't." She gives a sheepish smile and dashes out the door.

The next night, we eat lobster. We use a small hammer to smash the lobster shells open. I take a few and smash them repeatedly like a maniac. I glance at Amber a few times, and she smiles nervously. "Would you like me to smash yours too?" I ask, and she shakes her head vigorously.

"No, no, no. I'm fine." She laughs nervously.

"Really? But you haven't even touched yours." I bring the hammer up to her plate, and she flinches. "Hahaha, relax. I won't hurt you...unless you did something to make me to." I laugh and wave the hammer around.

"Ahahaha...yeah." On the last day, I don't even bother with Amber because I notice something. I really want to see Lavender. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we're not opening, so I won't get to see her. I miss her dimply smile and her bright, purple hair. What is happening to me?! Why do I feel this way?

Other than the anger channeled through Amber telling Lavender my feelings, I've been wondering how Lavender is doing these days. I want to know what she thinks of me. Does she hate me? Does she feel disgusted? Does she want to get back together with her fiance? My thoughts are killing me!

Not only do I want to know those, but I also want to get to know her more. After she told me about Isaac, I felt like we were closer, but now, I feel like we are miles apart. Stupid Amber! Why did she have to go and tell Lavender? She stayed quiet about my mom. Why can't she do the same this time?! Ugh, this is so frustrating, I'm even pulling my mom into this.

What would mom say about this? Would she have said the same thing Amber did? My mom was always an 'emotions' person. She only saw the optimistic side of things. She would've wanted me to admit my feelings. I really miss her, but she's gone, and I can't bring her back. I can't dwell on something that's in the past.