Alterity

Chapter Twenty-Five

I continue to go over to Marley's house to play video games with him almost every day. He blasts music, making a point of playing me new songs every time; singing along to every lyric and only stopping to hit his vape. Vaping, like smoking, is incredibly gross to me, but the vapor he blows out smells like raspberries which I do admit I kind of like.

Just as I am getting killed for the millionth time in The Last of Us, I turn to notice Marley with an odd look on his face, his body turned slightly away from me so he's staring out the window at the lightly falling rain.

"You good?" I ask.

"What?" He says, turning back towards me. "Oh, yeah."

I pause the game. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Just some stuff on my mind."

"You wanna talk about it?" I ask.

"No."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No." He says.

"Want me to sit with you?"

He smiles a little. "Yeah."

So, I join Marley at the far end of the bed. He puts his arm around me and lays back, so we are both lying down together, staring up at the faded-glow of plastic stars on his ceiling—that I imagine were put up there in his childhood—and listening to the gentle tapping of the rain against the glass. I hadn't noticed before but he smells good. Unlike Leo, Marley is bigger than I am, so his arm around me, pulling me in close is a different sort of experience. Obviously not a romantic one like it was with Leo but still. Even though we're just friends, lying with him like this makes me feel good. And cared for. And safe. And no longer alone.

Marley gently places his hand on my cheek and turns my head to face him.

"You look tired." He says.

"I'm just really comfortable." I say. "It's making me tired."

He inches a bit closer to me so that our noses are almost touching.

"You can sleep." He says; the smell of raspberry vapor still strong on his breath. "I don't mind."

Something stirs inside my chest. A feeling that is both exciting and familiar. A feeling that makes me think that maybe this isn't the best idea. But as Marley's hazel eyes look back at me and the way he speaks so softly and breathes so deeply with his hand still on my cheek, I decide that I don't care. And I close my eyes, immediately falling asleep in his arms.