Promises We Keep

14

MARCUS POV

Three days. Three days of the silent treatment and I'm seconds away from putting my fist through another wall. How did I manage to lose two fucking friends in one day? How did I manage to have two people run away from me? I sigh. Of course, shit like this, would only happen to me. The universe is definitely against me. 

Grace hadn't come to school so far this week and she didn't answer any of my calls or texts. I was about to risk death from Officer Mike and go to her house if she didn't show up today.

But she did.

And then the hoe walked right past me as if I didn't even exist. She continued to ignore me all throughout the first half of classes, not even sparing me so much as a glance. What the fuck is her problem? So we're not going to get together. Big deal! Does that mean that our friendship never meant anything? I try to push down the anger rising in me. 

Why do people keep leaving me?

No. I shake the thought away. Fuck that. This whole silent treatment shit is over. I'm not spending another lunch period alone in the psychology classroom like some pathetic loner. Even if I have to drag her by her hair, her ass is sitting with me at lunch and talking to me. If she wants nothing to do with me anymore then she is going to have to tell me to my face.

I open my locker and resist the urge to slam my textbooks into it and ditch the rest of the school day. The notebooks that Ken borrowed for homework are sitting on the top shelf. I sigh. He didn't even give them to me himself. I don't really know what I'd expect though. Just as Grace has been ignoring me, I've been ignoring Ken. Even though he's looking like a character from The Walking Dead. His hair is all messy and his brown eyes dull, red, and puffy. It looked as though he hasn't been sleeping for days.

Of course, I noticed this instantly when he showed up to school on Monday. He looked so gloomy that I almost didn't recognize him. He hasn't been paying any attention in class, just keeping his head down on his desk, and doing what looks like the bare minimum to function. I ignored the tightness in my stomach at his obvious distress. 

The bastard made it pretty clear he didn't want my help. No, specifically, that he didn't need me. Because I'm the pathetic one. Just hearing those words come out of his mouth, I should have kicked his ass. I really wanted to. But I wasn't even angry. I just felt....pain. 

His chocolate brown eyes looked almost black that night and I could tell that something was wrong. But no! The dipshit just had to lecture me and make me feel like I am the problem. I look down at my hands, bruised from The Circuit a few days ago. Okay, I admit I should learn to control my anger because it has put me in a lot of bad situations. But without that, Ken and I would have never met. If I didn't put the principal's dick of a son in the hospital for trying to force himself on Grace, we wouldn't have been transferred to this school, which is an upgrade from where we were before.

I close my locker as the bell for lunch rings. It doesn't matter. Fuck him. What does he know? Annoying rich boy. 

I look up and see Grace walking down the hallway most likely on her way to the cafeteria. I smile at her confident walk acting like she owns the place. That's my Grace. I guess Ken was right. I do need people. I need my best friend back.

I run up to Grace with a smile on my face. She stops, eyes wide, obviously caught off guard, but they quickly narrow into a glare. Before I can say anything, she walks around me.

Hell no.

I grab her arm and pull her towards the cafeteria.

"Marcus, let me go you ass!" she shouts, swinging at me, and earning stares from others in the hall.

I ignore her and them, dragging her to our usual spot in the cafeteria, and sitting her down next to me. She tries to get up, but I just shove her back down forcefully and turn her towards me.

"Are you going to continue to act crazy or do I need to tie you up," I say, my hands placed firmly on her wrists.

"Kinky," she smirks, rolling her eyes.

I sigh, letting her go slowly, trying to make sure she doesn't dart away. She crosses her arms but doesn't move.

We sit like that for a while, me staring at her, and her staring at the floor.

Okay, I guess I am going to be the one to apologize first when I didn't even do anything wrong. Why am I friends with her again?

I lift her chin so she can look at me. "I'm sorry, Gracey."

She tries to glare at me again but gives up, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry too, Marcus. I shouldn't have kicked you out. I was acting like such a jealous bitch."

"Hell yeah you were," I say laughing.

She glares at me and punches me hard in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You punched a hole in our wall."

Oh, yeah. "What did your uncle say? Do I need to sleep with one eye open?"

She laughs, a smug grin forming on her face. "Nope. I told him I slammed your head into the wall and that's where the hole came from."

I furrow my brows in disbelief. "And he believed that nonsense?"

"How is that nonsense? I can totally take you."

"Is that a challenge, Gracey?" I ask, wiggling my fingers, set to tickle the life out of her.

Her eyes widen as she notices my hands. "Oh god no. Keep those hands away from me. I hate that!," she says, laughing.

I laugh too, letting my hands fall back to my side. I can feel the air getting lighter and I smile. I missed my friend.

"So...are we still best friends?" I ask, slightly holding my breath.

She takes my hands in hers. "I'm sorry about what I said. Yeah, I do love you and I do have a crush on you, and when you didn't feel the same I was just....upset. But of course, I still want to be your best friend. How are you going to even survive without me anyways," she says, playfully shoving me in the shoulder.

I pull her into a hug, happy that I didn't screw things up and was able to keep basically the only person I have right now. "And you sure it won't be too hard to get over your feelings for me?" I ask, running my hands through her hair.

She punches me in the ribs and I immediately let go of her and start rubbing soothing circles on my stomach. "Don't flatter yourself," she says, crossing her arms.

"When did you become so violent?" I ask, through labored breathing.

"When did you become such a baby? Now, go get me food," she demands, shoving me out of my chair.

I laugh shaking my head at her and walking towards the food line.

I freeze, my breath catching as soon as I lay eyes on him. Was I looking for him or something? He is all the way on the other side of the cafeteria and yet here I am staring at him.

Ken.

I groan. And he's looking right back at me. Our eyes lock and I feel my throat in my chest and my jaw clenches. I want to ignore him. I want to just keep walking and pretend like I never even saw him. But I can't. Looking at him now, he seems like he's getting worse. His eyes look even more tired and I didn't think that was possible. And he's still staring at me! Did he fall asleep standing up or something?

I take a deep breath. The asshole has saved me so many times. I can't just turn my back on him. He's my friend and he needs me. Even if the idiot thinks he doesn't. So I walk right towards him, fully prepared to punch him in the teeth if he even thinks of refusing my help.