As The World Turns

Chapter 49

Poke, poke. Jodie's edged her eyes open as she felt something or rather someone poking her in the cheek, shoulder, and stomach in an attempt to wake her up. At first, she'd thought it was Blink until she realised that she was still living with Marshall and Blink wasn't allowed in the bedroom (Marshall's rule; his excuse being he didn't want to wake up with a cat sat on him). She groaned batting away the hand that was insistent that she woke up. She didn't care who it belonged to she wanted to sleep a little longer. However, that wish disappeared rather quickly in the space of a few seconds, when two hands decided to shove her instead.

The shove was enough to have her snape open her eyes. Jodie was met with the amused face of her boyfriend, who soon was grimacing due to the death stare she was giving him. She did not enjoy being woken up, especially when she had been so close to the edge of a dream.

''Morning,'' Marshall spoke, gracing over the fact that he had been poking her for the last ten minutes trying to get her to wake up.

''Why'd you wake me up?'' Jodie groaned, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands before reaching over to the side table; grabbing her glasses so that she put them on. It was only when her glasses were on and that she could she properly, she saw that Marshall was already completely dressed, ''shit what's the time?'' she then questioned, thinking that she'd slept later than usual.

''Around nine,'' Marshall replied with a shrug, leaning over to leave a lingering kiss on her forehead, ''but I didn't want your breakfast getting cold,'' Jodie frowned unsure as to what he meant until he moved off the bed to reveal the view on the dresser, where a tray of food and coffee sat waiting for her.

Jodie watched as he carefully carried it over to the bed and placed it on what would have been his side of the bed. The smell of the food alone, awakened Jodie's senses and as if by magic she was no longer annoyed at being woken up. She started to tuck into her breakfast; Marshall had tried his hand at an English breakfast, without the hash browns, but Jodie wasn't big on them anyway. It was only when she starting breaking the toast apart that she noticed Marshall was rustling around in his walk-in closet looking for something.

''Marshall, what're you doing?'' She called out, spluttering crumbs of toast over the duvet, which she tried desperately to brush away.

''I was looking for this, I had to hide it right at the back so you wouldn't find it,'' Jodie frowned as he approached the bed again, with a flat rectangular box in his hand.

''Wait, hang on a minute, why are you doing all this? You do know it's not my birthday right?'' She asked gesturing to the tray of food to the box he had now placed down next to it on the bed.

''I know,'' he chuckled, ''I just felt so overwhelmed by the comic books you gave me. I know it's super nerdy and shit, but I know how long it takes to collect them and I kinda wanted to say thanks,'' he explained, pushing the rectangular box closer to her.

''But Marshall, those books were a way of saying thanks for helping me, I can't just take this,'' Jodie placed her hand on the box, making sure not to push it away because she didn't want to upset him.

''I'm sure when you see what it is you'll change your mind, at least open it please,'' sighing, knowing that there was no use arguing Jodie lifted the lid of the box carefully since she'd didn't know if the contents were fragile or not.

Once the lid was off she was met with a layer of light pink tissue paper, ''I hate pink,'' she commented.

''I know,'' Jodie just rolled her eyes at his answer as she peeled the folded bits of tissue paper away, to reveal a piece of paper; no when she picked the first one up she saw another underneath. It was only when she read them that she noticed they were tickets.

''Wait, these are for Coachella?''

''Yeah, I'm performing and I thought maybe you could bring Taylor and enjoy it as a proper festival you...'' He didn't get to finish before his mouth was covered by her own.

''Thank you,'' she whispered pulling away from him, ''I do have one question though.''

''Shoot.''

''This is in like two weeks, I'm not going to be walking properly by then. How am I gonna get around?'

''Well, you'll have Taylor, if you wanna take her that is and I'll make sure you get one security guy to help you; plus these are VIP tickets so when you see the shows you won't be in with the crowd. See I thought of everything, who's a genius,'' Jodie just giggled as he started to mimic bowing and showing off his muscles in the most ridiculous poses she'd ever seen.

''Ok, ok, but I wouldn't say you were a genius,'' Marshall looked over at her an offended expression falling across he features as he stopped with his poses.

''Right do you want the tickets or not cause I'm sure Hailie would like them,'' he muttered, moving over to grab the box from her, but Jodie was too quick as she whipped the box away and hugged it to her chest.

''Whoa, I was just joking hay's coming anyway, Jesus,'' he held his hands up in mock surrender as Jodie started to giggle again.

''Wait is she really?'' Jodie asked, remembering the last interaction she had with Hailie led to her dropping and smashing a plate on the floor,'' I'll have to make sure I don't break anything when I see her this time,'' she added, making sure Marshall new she wasn't worried about seeing his daughter again.

''Nah as long as you don't break any of my shit I'm sure it's fine,'' he shrugged finding a space so he could perch on the edge of the bed, ''now finish your breakfast I didn't slave away in the kitchen for you to just leave it till it gets cold.''

''Wow, sorry didn't realise how much effort you put it putting pancake mixture into a pan. Poor you having to stand up while doing it too, do your feet hurt," Jodie cooed, teasing him.

''Bitch of course they do, which is why after breakfast you'll be giving me a foot massage,'' Jodie screwed her face up in disgust as Marshall stabbed a piece of pancake with a fork, before trying to shove it into her mouth.