Atelo [MXM] [BOOK 1] ✓

CHAPTER 31: WARM

Marley avoids Leilani the next day, and the day after that, and basically until she stops waiting at their meeting spot for him. He decides to just start sitting with Lola and Nero at their lunch table because damn the consequences, and he slowly begins to feel himself slip into a routine that he far better enjoys than the Leilani mess he'd been in before.

Marley knows why Nero and the others haven't lost their minds yet. It's because they have each other.

"But so then I told him that, like, I'm not gonna read her mind because 1. That's creepy and 2. I don't even like him anyway. That's why he gave me this," Lenny points to his black eye, "and I don't regret it."

Marley's starting to realize that Lenny gets in trouble with other people here. A lot.

"Isn't that the same guy that tried to get me to convince two rats to fight?" Bren asks. Lenny nods.

Lola looks mildly interested in this conversation, and Marley can't blame her. He sort of want to know more about this rat story.

"Honestly, I think Nero should just beat the shit out of him," Lenny states. Nero raises an eyebrow. "What? It's Howard. He's also the one that was being a dick to Lola, saying she'd burn the whole facility down if she'd let him fu—"

"Why me?" Nero interrupts, thank god. Marley already knows the answer.

"Uh, because he's huge?" Lenny asks. "You're the only one that could kick his ass. Bren's, like, 14 and I weigh 120 pounds."

"15!" Bren corrects at the same time Nero replies, "no."

"What about Marley?" Eli asks.

Marley scrunches his face up. "What?"

"Yeah! You're a prince, didn't they teach you self defense stuff?" Lenny looks genuinely excited. Too bad Marley's gonna crush his dreams.

"I'm not fighting anyone. Remember, I'm trying to get out of here?"

Lenny pipes down as everyone seems to agree. Honestly, most conversations are like this. Lenny and Bren talking about random stuff and everyone else joining in when they have something to say. Marley typically only speaks when spoken to.

It goes like that, though, for a few more days. Eventually Marley's birthday comes.

Nero's the first one to say happy birthday to him, and when Marley checks his phone there's a simple text from his mother. She doesn't ask to call, like she normally would, and Marley tries not to feel hurt over it.

Marley's honestly expecting it to go like every other day, except... it doesn't.

"Marley Nocona, please report to Doctor Rellik's office."

Marley perks up, attention switching from watching Nero change clothes (at this point there's no way the dude doesn't notice. He hasn't told Marley to stop, though) to stare at the intercom in the wall.

Holy shit! Is he... is this the day? His birthday is when he's finally getting his heart back?

Maybe he shouldn't get his hopes up, that's what he did last time and it ended up blowing up in his face. Still, he's starting to feel jittery.

Marley grabs his blanket and shoots up to a standing position. His hair is still sort of wet from his shower so he starts to run his fingers through the tangles as he searches for his shoes.

Once he finds them he slips them on hastily and turns around to rush out the door and probably sprint to Rellik's office. He totally forgets about Nero, until he spots the man standing by the door. Waiting for him.