Small towns are all over the south and that of course means small schools are rampant as well. When you have two small towns right next to each other things tend to get competitive and that is the same when it comes to the schools. The biggest, most fiercely honored, rivalry in the entire state of Alabama is between the sister schools, Hawark High School and Benton High School. The small town of Hawark, population 1,055, is bordering Benton, population 1,013. Both high schools house grades K-12 something very uncommon in all of America, maybe that’s why this two of a kind can’t seem to get along. Everyone knows everyone, whether you’re a lion (Hawark) or a tiger (Benton) you know each other and the irony is that all the kids in the area go to the same exact preschool, therefore they’re friends before they become enemies, and this was no different with Marlena Evans and John Black. Friends, the closest of friends in pre-school but now they were enemies. John the most popular of all Benton and Marlena the queen of Hawark they were destined to hate one another. Their parents didn’t understand it. They didn’t understand how the two cutest kids, who played house together all the time as kids, now were mortal enemies and hated each other, but the students at both schools expected it and wouldn’t have anything less. With only a year left in high school for both of them it seemed that they never would be anything more than enemies but things in small towns are always unpredictable.
********
“Marlena”, the voice was a little muffled over the noise of students opening and closing lockers and then preceeding to their 4th period class.
“Yeah Jennifer”, she looked over at her as she used her left arm to pull her books out.
“Hope told me to ask you if we are wearing the old hoochie or the new hoochie uniform tomorrow night.”
“Oh….um…..let’s wear new hoochie”, she pulled out the last book from her locker smiling triumphantly. Her locker was a mess, it always was but this year it was in even worse shape than usual.
“Okay, see you in 6th”, Jennifer headed toward her next class, Ecology.
Marlena however, contemplated her uniform decision. She was head of the cheerleading squad therefore she choice what they wore. Heading for Calculus she passed by Derek slipping him a note before she went inside. Derek was her brother, her twin brother to be exact, his light blonde hair and hazel eyes made it easy to pick them out of a crowd as brother and sister. He opened the letter carefully, Hey bro, word is John Black, yeah the Benton bast**d, only likes 50 more passing yards to beat the state record. Now you little brother better sack his a**! Love ya, Mar. He rolled his eyes, “This is just great if John gets the record Benton will have bragging rights and my sister will kill me.” Football was his passion, he played linebacker and receiver. The big game was tomorrow night, Benton v.s. Hawark and this was the last game of the year for either team, his nerves were jumping like hot potatoes out of a burnt hand.
********
“Hey John”, Bo came over to the table John was sitting on in the library.
“Hey….so what are you up to today?”, Bo was always up to something that never failed.
“Nothing just heard that the word is Marlena Evans’ brother is about to beat the sack record, he only needs 2 more and he’ll have the state rec.”
“Well, there is no way in he** I’m going to let that happen, Hawark and Marlena Evans are not going to win anything”, he got up walking to the door, not really mad at anyone just mad at himself. The words of his father kept drifting through his head. “All you have to do is break the record and you get a scholorship with Auburn.” He had to get the record for his sake if not for Benton’s.
“Hey you, are you going to the lot after the game?”, Bo yelled to John across the library, Ms. Williams sat asleep in her chair still unmoved.
“You bet, of course I will.”
********
“Hey Marlena, will you go to the lot with me tomorrow after the game?, Rick.” She stared at the letter and contemplated, how to let him down quickly and effectively. That’s when she realized there was no reason to be nice, writing NO she passed the note to Jennifer, who passed it to Hope, who passed it to Rick. His face fell immediately but there was no way Marlena was going to go with him anywhere. He was annoying as heck and weird as they come. He’d been following her around ever since he moved to Hawark, but she was used to guys following her all the time.
His face may have fallen but it later turned and his eyes shone pure anger and evil all at once. “You’ll see me at the lot after the game, you just wait and see.”
The lights burned brightly as the band finished playing The Star Spangled Banner and the crowd roared on both sides of the stadium, it was game time. Marlena, Jen, Hope, and Lexie were at the front of the victory line, next to the big field sign they’d made that had a huge H with all the players and cheerleader’s names in it. All four of them glancing across the field where the Benton victory line was, their sign a big B with everyone’s names. Laura and Kristen were at the front of the line next to their sign. The players ran out of their locker rooms and got behind their signs as the captains took the field. Marlena couldn’t help but stare at John Black and his tight butt, he was so hot and she hated him fifty times over for it.
Derek and John shook hands, though both their gazes never showed any sympathy only hatred.
“What will it be, heads or tails?”, the head referee asked John who’s eyes never left Derek’s as he replied, “Heads.” Both of them stared at one another as the coin hit the grass.
“Heads it is, what field position would you like?”, he looked at Derek who’s face as well as John’s was getting more and more intense, “The right side.”
“Alright, shake hands and let’s keep this as nice as possible.”
As the guys shook hands JOhn whispered to Derek, “Get ready to lose.”
“You get ready to fail”, Derek whispered back as both guys put on their fake smiles and headed back over to their field signs as their bands played their fight songs and the teams ran out. The biggest rivalry game in the state had begun.
The first half flew by, the score was still tied zero, zero. John had gotten about 27 passing yards and Derek had already gotten one sack. The crowds were going crazy this was the best game they’d ever seen, both defenses were playing a heck of a game. The second half had just begun. Hawark recieved the kickoff and ran it to the 50 yard line. Marlena was already getting a little horse from all the cheering she had done, that is the cheering she had done correctly most of the whold game she’d been so mesmerized by John she hand’t been paying much attention at all to her job. It had been at least 3 months since she had last seen him and he just kept looking better and better. What she didn’t know though was the fact that John’s lack of good passing had been due to her. She was a hundred times hotter than he remembered, and in the short skirt and diamond mid-drift cutout uniform he was completely entranced. Finally the coach had a bait of it.
“Black!”, the tall light haired coach yelled across the field, as John ran over to him. “What is wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?”, he knew what he mant he just didn’t want him to.
“You are playing worse than I’ve ever seen in my entire life!”
“I’ll get it together.”
“You better or you are going to lose your record, this is it, the last game of the season. Make it count.”
On the other side of the field Derek was getting laid into as well.
“Come on, you can do better than this!”, the chubby tan coach yelled at Derek.
“Yes sir.”
“Now, you put him out, get him out of this game”, he didn’t mean it literally but this is the game that costs everything including coachs’ their jobs and he knew the key to beating Benton was John Black.
The fourth quater began and Benton finally had the ball on the 15 yard line. The drive was mostly running but John had completed a ten yard pass to Bo and this was it, with 30 seconds left, the crowd was on their feet and the teams were pushed to the brink. It was now or never for both teams, and both Derek and John.
“Set…….Blue 42……….set…….hut!”, John rolled out right looking for Peter or Bo but what he didn’t see was Derek coming for him like a freight train, as John released the throw, Derek flattened him. Marlena’s eyes grew wide she wanted her brother to get his record and she wanted Hawark to win but Derek had floored John and something told her it wasn’t good. As Bo made the catch, the buzzer sounded, Benton had won. The medics came out onto the field, both John and Derek were down neither of them moving. The crowds grew silent as Marlena’s tears started to fall making everything go hazy. They had played their hearts out but was it worth losing their very lives?
“God please let them both be alright”, her eyes closed tightly as her tears began to fall slowly. The realization of just who John Black really was and what he really meant to her was as strong as ever. All sorts of memories flooded her mind, one in particular, her and John playing house while Derek was their butler. A smile played across her lips in the midst of her tears and everyone assumed that she was crying only for Derek, but she was crying for them both. Her best friends.
********
“Marlena?”, there she stood in front of him as beautiful as ever in her skimpy cheerleading outfit.
“Yes John”, her skin was angelic and her hair shone like beads of diamonds in the moonlight.
“I love you Marlena”, he mumbled as he began to come to, due to the constant poking his side was getting.
“Leave my sister alone Black”, Derek said catching his breath as he lay on his back next to John.
“What, you think I want her or something? You’re crazy”, he got up off the ground along with Derek and both guys walked over to their sidelines as they were met by the teams’ physical theropists; John was still completely astounded by his little dream and Derek was completely horrified that John Black was apparently in love with his sister. The remaining seconds dwendled away as Marlena thanked heaven over and over that both guys were okay.
********
The place was lit pretty well, a simple old parking lot that had become the place to be after a ballgame. Hawark had lost and because of that there was sure to be a fight between the schools, there always was. John and the rest of Benton High arrived just as Marlena and Hawark came upon the scene. At first things were pretty innocent. Benton talked to each other on their side while Hawark talked to one another on theirs. Rick was there indeed and Marlena rolled her eyes as he came toward her, “What is it Rick?”
“I want you to come check out my new system in my car, I parked over there”, he pointed across the lot as Marlena reluctantly said yes hoping that she could once and for all get rid of the nusance. John saw her getting into the car and it hurt him. He wasn’t sure why or maybe he was and just didn’t want to admit it, but still Rick was nothing to feel threatened by, but he couldn’t help shake that terrible feeling. He really wanted to run over to her and stop her but for what, so she could embarrass him. No way, he couldn’t get embarrassed in front of everyone, especially by the likes of her. Bo and Peter were heading over to the Hawark side to rub the win in Derek’s face but John didn’t go, he couldnt’ explain it but he had to keep an eye on Marlena.
********
“Okay, I’m here, now what is it?”, she was completely unammused and she was going to tell him to leave her alone as soon as he was finished showing her whatever it was he said he was going to show her, she could care less.
“The radio…my sound system..it’s brand new”, he smiled proudly as his eyes took on that evil gleam that sent chills down her spine.
“Well….that’s nice..now listen to me, Rick. Stop following me, I don’t like you and I never will. Got it?”, she reached for the door but it was locked, her heart began to beat faster as the hatred in his eyes burned more and more fierce by the second. “Let me out!!!”
“Oh, you’re a screamer? That will be interesting”, he held her arms gripping them though she struggled to get away from him as his lips moved closer and his eyes grew darker.
********
That feeling was at the point that he could not ignore it any longer, and he knew exactly what it was. It was the same feeling he got the day Marlena got lost in the woods when they were kids. He found her then and he’d find her now. It was that same exact feeling and he knew she was in danger, and he was determined to save her no matter how much he hated her.
********
“Stop! Let go of me!”, she was screaming in protest but it did no good, no one could hear her because the radio was blasting, Rick was just about to rip her shirt off when John slammed his fist into the driver side window.
“Leave her alone bas*ard!”, he jerked him out of the car pulling him through the glass, hoping he’d get cut because he deserved it, throwing him on the ground, Rick got up and ran off. John opened the door sitting in the driver’s side he looked over at Marlena, her arms were up in front of her as she shook, her tears falling rapidly.
“He….he….he tried to……John?”
“Shhhh…”, he smiled a little trying to do anything to soothe her, it was like nothing had ever changed between them in that moment and they were still the best of friends. “Marlena, I’m going to carry you to my car okay?”, he spoke ever so softly explaining his every move so that she wouldn’t freak out.
“Ok”, her reply was barely audible but he heard it.
********
Once they were in John’s black Mustang Cobra, she began to calm down a little, he never let her out of his arms, he’d gotten into the back seat with her, just so he could hold her and make it all better. After several minutes of silence passed, her body stopped shaking and her tears stopped falling on his already soaked white tee shirt; she looked up at him a hint of a smile and the fire that he loved so well returned to her hazel eyes,” Do you remember the time I fell off the monkey bars?”
“Yeah, I remember”, he laughed a little and smiled in rememberance.
“You held me until I stopped crying and then you helped me get back up on them, only you held on to me the entire time so that I wouldn’t fall again”, she looked him in the eyes before continuing, “You’ve saved me so many times, thank you. Thank you again for saving me once more.”
“It’s fine Mar”, he hadn’t called her that since they were kids and a single tear began to form in her eyes and in his in rememberance, “I have to save you remember I am your prince.”
She laughed at that and it warmed him ot his very soul, “And you even wore the tights, that was definitely the most fun I ever had trick or treating.”
His arms were still around her and he had no intention of moving them and she begged fate to let them stay there forever, “John, please, please don’t tell anyone what almost happened. If everyone finds out I’ll be ruined”, her eyes pleaded and he could never refuse her.
“Sure thing, don’t you worry, you can trust me.” Their gazes locked and as if drawn by a magnet their lips moved closer and closer until………..
“Hey! Black leave my sister alone!”, Derek beat on the window.
“Hey, I wasn’t bothering her okay”, he said as he opened the door.
“He wasn’t Derek, I just needed to ask him something that’s all”, she lied and hoped it would be sufficiant enough.
“Yeah okay, as long as the Benton bas*ard isn’t bothering you. Marlena everyone keeps asking me if you are going to the movies tomorrow and I don’t know what to tell them.”
“Oh..um okay..bye loser”, she said giving John a smile, before stepping out of the car and heading toward the Hawarks.
“Listen Derek your sister and I are enemies, that’s written in stone. I want nothing to do with her okay?”, he desperately wished he could break that stone, sure they were supposed to be enemies but were they really? And one thing was for sure he did want to have something to do with her, he wanted to have everything to do with her.
Saturday night’s are always *the* night to be out and about and the case was the same in small towns as well Marlena, Jack, Jennifer, Derek, Hope, Lexie, and Abe all had went to the movies. They had just arrived when they saw John, Laura, Peter, Bo, and Kristen getting tickets. Marlena and John’s eyes locked, and for a moment it was just the two of htem but the others brought them back to the real world.
“John do you want to watch The Butterfly Effect or Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King?”, Bo prayed he’d say Lord of the Rings he was dieing to see the final chapter of the trilogy.
“Yeah, I’ll watch it with you Bo.” Peter laura, and Kristen went to watch The Butterfly Effect and as the Hawark gang stepped up to the ticket counter, Marlena prayed she’d end up watching the same movie John was, and she hated herself for wanting him.
“Marlena, Jack, Jennifer, Lexie and Abe are all going to watch Ashton Kutcher’s movie, I’ll go whereever you decide to?”, Hope could care less, she loved all movies basically so it didn’t matter to her she jsut didn’t want to go with the *couples* and feel left out.
“Sis, what’s it going to be?”, Derek asked her again. She cursed her feelings as she replied, “Lord of the Rings.”
********
The theater was pitch black by the time Marlena made her way inside, the place was packed and there were two seats in front of John and Bo and only one empty seat next to John, but Marlena couldn’t see in the darkness, Derek and Hope had taken the seats in front of them, they didn’t know it was John and Bo and Bo and John didn’t know who sitting in front of them in the blackness. Marlena searched for a seat feeling her way through the darkness, she found one.
John saw someone coming closer and closer until finally they sat right on him. “Um….excuse me miss, miss you sitting on me.”
Marlena thought she was going to die when she heard his voice, carefully getting up so that he didn’t realize it was her, she headed toward the end of the isle.
“Hey, wait there is one seat here”, there was soemthing about this girl, he seemed to know her.
Marlena turned back sitting next to John. Swallowing hard she thought to herself, “This going to be a long night and a very long movie.”
********
The movie was underway and John was about to doze off, his drink was in teh holder but when he sat his arm on the arm rest he happened to knock it over, all over Marlena. She jumped up soaking wet, her first instinct was to pop John a good one and she did just that waking him up.
“Crap, what the he** is your problem!”, he yelled not really knowing what was going on.
“My problem is you just spilled coke all over me!”, she yelled back as everyone turned around in the theator but Derek and Hope who had fallen asleep and Bo was so into the movie he didn’t turn his head at all, much less hear them.
“Shhhh!!!!”, the others yelled then muttered under their breaths about these two idiots interupting their movie.
“Let’s take this outside”, Marlena grabbed his arm dragging him with her outside in the lobby not giving John any time to process the fact that she was the girl sitting by him, and the girl who had sat on him. Once in the light John’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was gorgeous her blond hair down reaching her brown sweater, which hid the coke well, her tight hip hugger jeans were driving him to the brink.
“Why the heck did you pour coke all over me?”
“I didn’t know I did, I was asleep, gawl why is everything always about you!”, his tight white long sleeve shirt, jeans, and blue letterman jacket made his azure eyes stand out even more than concievable and he was hot as hot could be and Marlena was ticked off at him for it.
“Oh, I’m so sure that your telling the truth Black”, she rolled her eyes, “Just stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you.”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”, Marlena walked back into the theater behind John, his tight butt was driving her mad and he smelled so good. He could feel her eyes burning into his back behind him and he could smell her Glow by JLO perfume and it was seductively heaven. Taking his seat by Bo he crossed his arms a milllion thoughts running thorugh his head, like how much he hated her. She drove him insane.
Marlena scowered the theator for another seat but to her dismay and total horror there was still only one and it was right next to John Black. Gosh she hated him. She plopped down next to him, “Say a word Black and you gain a fat lip”, crossing her arms and cursing him a million times over. John was grinning from ear to ear, he loved watching her get ticked at him. They sat in silence the rest of the film, both there minds racing, both their hearts facing.
The annual AHSSA’s banquet was going to be held in Lilling. Lilling was the city only a few miles from Benton and Hawark. John and his family were invited as were Derek and his family due to their achievments in football. John had broken the record for the most passing yards in a career and a season, a huge accomplishment to say the least. Derek had placed first in career sacks and second in season by only one. The weather in the two towns had begun to get quite nasty, the thunder was booming, and the lightning lit the dark sky above. The night air was getting even warmer setting up the perfect conditions for severe weather. The weather in Lilling was a little better because the rain had already began to fall, thus cooling th eair. Therefore the banquet went on.
John was sitting near the stage with his mom and dad and little sister Marissa, who was five years old and as cute as she could be. She had eyes just like her mother, the same eyes her older brother had aquired. Her hair was light brown like her mothers, it was down to he shoulders, and it went perfectly with her light blue dress. John loved that girl, even if she drove him crazy constatnly. If he really told the truth and allowed himself to realize it he’d admit that one reason was because she had the same firing spirit as Marlena. She had a lot of her qualities but she looked like his mom, who was now talking to his father about some trivial something. He on the other hand was nervous because he knew *she* would be there soon and she was going to be sitting at the same table. For the life of him he coudl not figure out how the Evans’ got seated in front of his family at the same exact table. He straightened his tie, the black tux was hardly what he’d call comfortable, but it looked amazingly hot on him. He was completely dashing. It was at that moment that Marlena entered the room, she was simply dazling, her sparkling white criss-cross strapped in the back gown looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled up with a few loose curls hanging down. She knew exactly where she was sitting due to the fact her parents and went on and on about it ever since they had recieved the invitation. John was looking down obviously bored out of his mind. Marlena’s breath caught when she saw him. He looked amazing and for a moment she htought he’d make a wonderful groom but she quickly vanished her thoughts away before taking another step closer to him. Her parents followed closely behind with Derek in tow. John heard her heels hitting the floor and looked up, his jaw dropped at the sight of her, she was stunning. Her eyes locked with his for a moment and time seemed to stand still as she stood in front of her chair. Derek saw the exchange and walked in front of Marlena, ending it. He sat down in front of Marissa. His angry gaze became softer, she was a kid and he loved kids even Benton kids. Marlena sat down in front of John. Her mom sitting in front of John’s and her dad sitting in front of his. “long time no see”, Brett Evans smiled shaking hands with Reese Black across the table., “Too long Brett”, he laughed. Marlena and John both rolled their eyes, how could their parents be friends? But then again, how could friends become enemies. Lindsey Black the spitting image of Marissa smiled at Sheena Evans, “Congratulations to Derek, he played great this season.” “Thanks Sheena. Congratulations to John too, he played wonderfully.” And then of course their parents entered into a barage of conversations about the past and the present. Marlena sat nervous and annoyed. John sat nervous, annoyed, and on guard due to Derek’s presence. Marissa was keeping Derek company, they were in a conversation about Wonder Woman and Batgirl. Marlena and John seemed to be the only other people to enter conversation with, but the truth was after hating each other so long they just didn’t know how to stop, much less start a *friendly* conversation. Marlena averted her gaze from his, she couldn’t look him in the eye for fear of what she would do. John was doing no better, he was staring down at his plate, making sure not to make eye contact either. Luckily they were saved by the beginning of the banquet as the president of the AHSAA went up to the podium.
The banquet was coming to a close and Marlena and John couldn’t be happier. Derek, despite John’s presence, had been having a great time talking with Marissa and both John and Marlena had to stifle a laught at the hilariousness of it. The thunder was getting much louder outside thus signaling to most of the guests that it was time to go, John and Marlena’s parents agreed and all walked outside into the hot humid air. “You all should come over for dinner sometime”, Sheena said. “Sounds great to me, I’ll call”, Lindsey replied before the lightning flashed and the thunder boomed once again. Marlena jumped, instinctively and John went to steady her, but he stopped when he realized she wouldn’t want him to, or at least that’s what he believed, and he was right, she believed it, but she didn’t mean it.
The Evans had reahced Hawark and were about to head home; the Blacks were about to take the road to Benton when the wind picked up and hail began to fall. “There is another warning coming in, this is for Lilling County, which contains both Hawark and Benton. Take cover now”, the radio warned both cars and both sets of parents decided to stop at the highschool.
“Did you get it?”, Marlena screamed at Derek who was opening the door, the school was locked but there was one door that was stripped and if you pressed down just right it would open.
“Yeah, let’s go”, Derek yelled back over the rain, hail, and thunder. Sheena and Marlena went inside and were followed by Derek and Brett. They were about to head to the library when something caught Brett’s eye.
“I see car lights, we better wait here and let whoever this is in.” Derek nodded and Sheena and Marlena waited.
Sihouettes reached the door and Derek opened it, “Come on!”, he yelled to them.
“You don’t have to scream”, John said behind Marrissa. Lindsey and Reese made their way inside as Derek and Marlena were completely floored. John had seen their vehicle outside so he wasn’t as shcoked to see them as they to see him.
“Get out”, Derek whispered to John getting right in his face, “We don’t want Benton trash in this school.”
“Yeah well that goes both ways, but I’m not going anywhere, if you think I want to be here you’re crazier than I thought”, he replied pushing past him as everyone headed to teh library.
**********
“Marissa you and Derek get in that corner”, Sheena pointed to the right. Linsey nodded she trusted Derek would take care of her little girl. If the truth was known, Sheena’s reasoning behind it was if something were to happen and they lost someone, neither family would lose both children. Sheena was always a realist, and right now she hated being one, just the thought of losing her children made her knees weak.
“John, you and Marlena go over there”, Resse pointed to the corner in teh rihgt of the room. He and Lindsey took one of the left corners while Sheena and Brett took the other.
***********
John and Marlena sat down side by side both uneasy, but not just because of the storm. Marissa sat in Derek’s lap, they couldn’t see their parents on the other side of the room due to the bookshelves, but Marlena and John could see Derek and Marissa. The thunder stopped for a moment and the lights went out. Marlena’s fists clenched at her sides and John noticed. At that moment he wanted to hold her in his arms almost desperately, but he couldn’t do it. The rain outside slacked and Marlena relaxed a little. John even relaxed some, but that is when it hit. Neither expecting it. It sounded like a freight train, apparently those that had witnessed them were right. The noise was deafening and they knew it was coming. Marlena’s eyes were wide as she clenched her fists again and John coudln’t take it, he grabbed her hand , and squeezed it slightly. She looked up at him and he coudl read the fear all over her face. Part of that fear because John was afraid and John wasn’t afraid of hardly anything. The room began to get louder, and louder. They could hear the splitting of lumber and the twisting of metal all around them, and the roof began to shake.
“John!”, she called out to him, his eyes were wide and he was scared to death, and all he could do was pull her closer to him. The suction was beginning to get powerful and in one second the roof was gone.
“Oh no!”, John screamed, and began to think. He knew they had to find something to hang on to and fast. He looked frantically to his right and then his left, and he finally saw their salvation, it was a heating pipe next to them, and he thanked all that is holy that this school was old. He grabbed it, luckily for them it wasn’t hot. “Marlena, hang on to me”, he yelled to her locking eyes, as he grabbed it with both hands, and taking the hand he held and placing it on the pipe, “Hold on to this too”, he winked at her and she smiled, in teh midst of turmoil she smiled because of him. She hung on to him, their bodies pressed together on the floor, one of her hands latched on to the pipe, the other to him as they lay there. It all happened in a matter of seconds but it seemed like an eternity to them. The winds began to suck everything out of the room, “Marlena, hang on!”, eh yelled to her, as the wind picked them up and turned them upside down and up right.
Marlena started screaming, “John! John! Hang on!” Then in a flash it was over. The fell to the floor. Both John’s hands stiff from hanging on to teh pipe, and Marlena’s seemed glued to the pipe and to him. Both had wide eyes still.
“Marlena”, John said softly trying to assess her emotional state, as he pryed his hands from the pipe.
“John”, she said back to him tears that were threatening to surface she pushed back and let go of the pipe and him as if both had burned her. She sat on the floor looking at the room whcih now was open all four ways, her school destroyed. “Hawark? John it’s gone”, she turned to him.
“But we aren’t.” She nodded shivering a bit for the cold rain that continued to fall had soaked both of them.
“Here”, he took off his tux jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Thank you. I guess it’s a bad day to wear white”, she laughed a little pointing to his shirt whihc she could see straight through. He just nodded a smile on his lips as he pointed to her white dress, luckily for her the sparkles kept her from being indesciently exposed. “Derek!”, she instantly remembered everyone they were with and jumped to her feet, pulling John up and never letting go of his hand as htey ran to the corner adjacent to them. Marissa and Derek jumped up, upon seeing that their siblings were okay.
“Rissa, you okay?”, John asked picking her up.
“Yeah, I’m fine Derek kept me safe”, she said smiling giving her brother a hug.
“Marlena?”
“I’m fine Derek, thanks to John”, she glanced over to him.
“Well I guess we owe each other one huh?”, John said outstreching his arm after sitting Marissa down.
“Yeah I guess so”, Derek said shaking John’s hand.
“Let’s go find mommy and daddy”, Marissa spoke up, tugging on John’s pants.
“Okay, let’s go.”
**********
Sheena and Brett were the first they reached, “Oh thank goodness your all okay”, Sheena said greatful.
“Well done”, Brett whispered to Derek and John, who nodded in response.
“Mommy, daddy”, Marissa ran to their corner, or what was left of it, but they were no where to be found. “Mommy! Daddy!”, she was getting angry, why were they hiding?
“Mom! Dad!”, John said getting worried, his smile fading.
“Lindsey! Reese!”, they all joined in screaming but all they heard in response was the sound of the rain.
John had finally come to the realization that his parents were really gone, he was over his denial and hyseteria, he had to be for Marissa. She was doing okay, better than expected at least. The funeral had ended and John didn’t know what to do next, Sheena and Brett had stayed with him and Rissa for the past 4 days but he knew they couldn’t do that forever. He didn’t know what would happen to Rissa. He was just 18 and he figured the courts wouldn’t let him keep his five year old sister, and he was right in that assumption. He contemplated all these things sitting on the church steps alone.
Marlena was really worried about John, from what her parents had told her he was going to have it rough. She wanted to go to him on those steps, but he hated her, and she hated him, she was supposed to hate him. Marlena was worried about Hawark too, the school was leveled. There was nothing left and she knew the board of education was voting on what to do with it’s students. She didn’t care what they did just as long as she didn’t end up going to Benton.
Derek stood with Rissa as they looked at the squirrel running around the pecan trees near the road. He didn’t care if she was Benton kid, he still felt so much pain for her. He had devoted much of his time to staying with her and making sure she was okay. He was goo at it too, her grieving process was going so very much better than is usual for a five year old, and a lot of that was because of him.
“Brett, I think we should tell him now”, Sheena caught her husband’s attention. He nodded in agreement and they walked over to John.
“John, I don’t want you to worry, Brett and I, we’re going to take care of you and Marissa.” He smiled back at her some what fakely, the only way they could help him and Marissa would be to…. “We want you to live with us. Will you do it?”, she interupted his train of thought with that very thing.
“Are you sure?”, John looked up at Brett and Sheena searching their eyes.
“Yes.”
“Okay”, he was moved to tears.
“Aww, come here”, Sheena gave him a strong hug.
“John, you go get your things with Derek and Marlena while Sheena and I go get your rooms ready.”
John nodded and headed over to his mustang cobra. He didn’t really have time to process any of what had happened all in the matter of less than a week. They searched all night for his parents, but never found them. The next day they searched again, with the police and the national guard but still they were no where to be found. That third day was the hardest day of all, the cops declared his parents dead since there had been no sign of them. The wake, and the funeral, he didn’t think made any sense. There wasn’t anything to bury, but it was in his parents will that they were to have caskets placed beside one another even if they’re bodies were not in them. He didn’t understand it, but he knew it must have had something to do with love.
“Hey, um John”, Marlena said from the other side of his car getting him back to reality.
“Yeah.”
“I’m supposed to go help you, Derek said he’s not coming, he wants to take Marissa to our house now, she wants to see the fish or something”, she got in the car and John’s heart began to race. He looked up at the sky, praying his parents were going to be with him now. He put the key in the ignition and the sounds of Headstrong by Trapt blarred throught the vehicle, making Marlena jump.
“Geez oh pete, that scared the he** out of me.”
He shook his head and smiled somewhat for the first time since that night. He reached around putting his hand behind her seat so he could see to back up making her uneasy. He noticed and cleared his throat as he put the car in drive removing his hand. “You can change that if you want.”
“Okay”, she flipped through the stations until she heard what she was trying to find, something that would bring them back to a time before Benton and Hawark.
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
“It was 1998, fourth grade at May Day”, he smlied remembering.
“And you, Derek, and me were on the hill behind the softball field, a bunch of high school guys were the band, they weren’t half bad either.”
“Or maybe, we were just too young to care if they were good or not”, he laughed, her plan was working, she could tell he was beginning to feel better.
Cotton on the roadside, cotton in the ditch
We all picked the cotton but we never got rich
Daddy was a veteran, a southern democrat
They oughta get a rich man to vote like that
Sing it…
“Maybe, I do know that was the day you soaked me with the waterhose.”
“Yeah, well I remember you little miss prissy, waltzing up to me with a bottle of sticky Mountain Dew and pouring it all over me.”
“You deserved it”, she crossed her arms.
“What did I do?”, he protested.
“You didn’t vote for me for May Day Queen”, she pouted.
“Oh, please you won the crown anyway”, he rolled his eyes.
“But you were the only vote I wanted”, she admitted before thinking.
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
“Yeah, I know, but Derek told me you voted for him for King and I got mad.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yep, completely serious.”
Well somebody told us Wall Street fell
But we were so poor that we couldn’t tell
Cotton was short and the weeds were tall
But Mr. Roosevelt’s a gonna save us all
“Well, why didn’t you just tell me that, back then. Derek would have gotten the bottle instead. You won anyway, but I don’t see how that is unless…”
“Unless, what?”, he raised a questioning eyebrow.
Well momma got sick and daddy got down
The county got the farm and they moved to town
Pappa got a job with the TBA
He bought a washing machine and then a Chevrolet
“Derek, he must have voted for us.”
“I know he is your brother and all but sometimes he makes absolutely no sense.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, believe me I know all too well.”
Sing it…
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
Play it…
Sing it…
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
Song, song of the south…
Gone, gone with the wind…
“You know what I remember most about that day?”
“What?”
“I remember us winning the three legged race.”
“Oh man, I’d almost forgotten, what was it we chanted so we’d stay in step?”, she put her fingers to her forehead as she tried to rememeber.
“Salute your shorts”, he sent her into a roll of laughter.
“We loved that show”, he was laughing now.
“Yes, we did.”
Song, song of the south.
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth.
Song, song of the south.
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
“You had a crush on Michael”, he said matter of factly.
“I did not, you had a crush on Dina”, she countered.
“I did not, you were the only one I ever….”, he stopped his thoughts, “I didn’t have a crush on her, but I’ll tell you what Zeke the plumber, now that was scary.” “Nice save black”, he thought sarcastically.
Marlena was taken aback for a moment by what almost came out of his mouth, something she knew too, considering the only guy she ever had a crush on was him, of course she couldn’t tell him that, so she went along with his attempt to change the subject. “Zeke, oh man, he was so creepy.”
Sing it…
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
Song, song of the south
Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
There ain’t nobody looking back again
They reached the house, and John pulled into the driveway, and put the car in park. A michievious grin crossed his face. “You know something else I remember?”, he looked her in the eye now and she knew he was up to something.
“What’s that?”, she said placing her hand on the door handle without his knowledge.
“How tickelish you are”, he dove at her, but she jumped out of the car. He got out and followed her.
“Mar, you can’t run from me”, he sounded as cocky as ever.
“Ha! Watch me”, she took off through the yard with him in tow. He wasn’t gaining any ground on her, until he remembered his secret weapon. She turned the corner but he had taken a short cut and the next thing she knew his arms were around her waist and he was tickeling her all over.
“Stop….John….stop”, she proclaimed in between giggles.
“Okay”, he picked her up carrying her to the pool, making her eyes grow wide.
“No! You wouldn’t! John! No!”, he threw her up and she held her nose, but he caught her in his arms, she opened one eye as he laughed. “Shut up!”, she slugged him in the arm.
“Don’t you tell me what to do”, he said with his best southern drawl making her laugh.
“Put me down.”
“Alright..okay, I will”, he sat ehr back on her feet.
“Thanks”, she smiled cheesily at him making him suspecious.
“What’s that for?” She winked at him before pushing him in the pool, “Mar!”, he grabbed her arm as he fell taking her with him.
“You are such a brat”, he said as he came up for air.
“Yeah, well it takes one to know one”, she replied smugly.
“My dad is going to kill me for getting this suit…….wet”, he trailed off in rememberance and his eyes began to glaze with tears.
“John, I’m so sorry”, she moved closer and touched his cheek while wiping his tears away.
“I’ll be okay”, he pushed his emotoins back and swam to the steps. Marlena sighed exasperated and followed him.
“I’m going to change…um”, he looked at her seeing that her black dress was soaked he relaized she’d need need something too.
“Um?”, she raised a questioning brow.
“Come on, I’ll get you something too”, he said walking in the house with Marlena in tow.
“John, it’s okay really, I don’t need anything”, she protested.
“Mar, you will get pneumonia and I’d rather……well I’d rather you not”, he insisted going up the stairs, thankful he didn’t finish his first thought.
“John I..”, she began as they approached his parents bedroom.
“My mom’s clothes are gone, my aunt took them for whatever reason. I don’t remember what, anyway, you’re going to have to wear something else”, he was a little uncomfortable as they reached his room. Marlena had not seen it since 6th grade and she herself was a little uneasy.
“Something else? Do you mean….”, she was interupted by him as he opened his closet.
“Yep, that’s exactly what I mean”, he replied rumaging through his clothes.
Her heart beat a little faster and she instantly inhaled the scent of the room. It was filled with trophys, and looked almost identical to Derek’s in that respect, “Typical jock”, she mumbled.
“Here you go”, he pulled out an old blue Benton Football tee, a smirk covering his face.
“I am not about to wear that, I’ll wear absolutely nothing Black before I wear that”, she was dead serious.
He just laughed and continued to search his closet, although he stayed somewhat distracted at the image she had sent into his mind.
She was getting tired of standing up so she took a seat on his bed, the sheets were so soft and she couldn’t help but fantasize. It was then that he threw a pair of jean shorts behind him which landed on the bed beside her, and brought her back to the real world. He tossed a white Abercombie tee after it. “Are those for me because I don’t…”
He interupted, “Nope, those are for me…these are for you”, he turned around throwing a pair of Nike shorts at her, “What’cha think?”
“Well, they’re red that’s a plus, but they are long….oh they’ll do”, she joked as he rolled his eyes, “What else you got?” He threw a grey tee to her. She held it up to look at it, “Okay, uh, turn around.”
“No!”, his hands flew up.
“No? John Black, you son of a of a….”, her eyes turned fire and ice.
“Hold up, I said no because you can change in Marissa’s room”, he rolled his eyes, “because Marlena I do not desire to see your Hawark Lioness.”
“Yeah, well I dont’ want to see your raging Benton tiger either”, she called back from Marissa’s room.
**************
“Marlena! You’ve been in there 15 minutes…come on, you’re acting like you care what you look like around *me*”, he yelled from outside the door, he knew that remark would get her attention.
She jerked it open, “Shut up”, he was left speechless anyway at the sight of her in *his* clothes, she had gotten some pony tail holders from Marissa’s room and now had her hair in low pigtails and she looked so darn cute, and so innocent, but the moment didn’t last.
“Come on Pippy Longshorts, we’ve got a lot to pack”, he turned and walked back to his room.
“Give it a rest Lurch!”, she yelled back at him.
“Oh that one hurt”, he replied sarcastically.
That’s when it hit her, “John, where are you going?”
“You mean you don’t know?”, he was abosolutely shocked.
“No, that’s why I asked bright one.”
He started laughing, “You’re really going to explode.”
“Just tell me.”
“I, John Black, Benton’s star, am going to be moving in…”
“With?”, her mind was racing and something told her this was extremely bad.
“With *you*!”, he doubled over in laughter while she looked on in complete horror.
“Shut up Black”, she hissed at him from the passenger seat of his car.
“Oh come on Princess, I know you just can’t wait to see my handsomely hot bod every single morning”, he turned and flashed her a cheesy smile.
“Ha! As if Tonto”, she barked back.
He stopped bantering thinking about just why he was moving and his face fell. Marlena noticed it and she wanted to take his hand and just be there for him, but she didn’t think he’d want that, so she sat there staring at his right hand, which sat propped on the gear shift. He cleared his throat and tried to think of something else. Glancing over at her he noticed she was staring at his hand. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer”, he mumbled.
She jerked her head toward the window, “Why would I want to break a perfectly good camera?”, she replied with a smirk. He rolled his eyes and thanked all that is good that they’d finally reached her house. She jumped out of the car and headed to her room. She slammed the door behind her and leaned againist it. “Oh gosh”, she walked over to her mirror and looked at herself in *his* clothes. She could smell him and it drove her insane. She couldn’t take it anymore and went into her bathroom, deciding she needed a nice cold shower and she needed to get his scent off of her, not thinking about anything else.
******************
Brett showed John to his room, which unbeknownist to him was the twin room to Marlena’s, thus they shared a bathroom. “I’ll let you get settled in”, Brett said closing the door and leaving John to unpack his things.
He looked around the place, it was nice, looked a lot like his room just without all the stuff which he was about to remedy. He picked up the box labeled clothes and opened it up. “Closet…hm….where’s the closet”, there were two doors and he didn’t know which one he should pick, “Right or left?”
*******************
Marlena lathered the shampoo in her hair, not thinking about anything but John. “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just stop! I can’t like him, it’s just not right”, she despereately tried to assure herself.
******************
“Right…I’ll go with the left one”, he opened the door for the shock of his life. The shower was running and the silhouette he saw through the red tinted shower curtain was exaclty who he thought it was, “Holy..”
Her eyes went wild and wide when she heard his voice, she pulled the curtain back just enough so that her head was visible. “John Black!”, she started before she began screaming and he joined in. Finally they stopped both still in total shock, “What the heck do you think you are doing?”
“I didn’t know, I was looking for the closet”, he averted his gaze to the floor.
“It’s on the right!”, she pointed to the door, “could you please be so kind as to get out!” He turned and hurried out the door.
“Sh**!”, she got out of the shower and grabbed her towel and went straight to her room. She plopped down on her bed, “The twin bed room! They gave him the twin bed room! Has the world gone mad?”, she fell back againist her pillows.
******************
It was now 8:30 and everyone was sitting in the living room watching American Idol at least until the phone rang, “I got it”, Marlena picked up the reciever, “Hello?”
“Hey Marlena, daddy just came home and we’re going to be going to Ferry High for the rest of the year”, Hope informed Marlena.
“Yes, that’s great news”, she sighed relieved.
“Isn’t it though, I mean we don’t have to go to Benton.”
“It’s the greatest, listen I’m gonna go tell Derek, talk to you later, bye”, she hung the phone back up and turned to Derek who was sitting on the floor next to Marissa. “We are going to Ferry High!”
John just rolled his from his seat across the room from her and took another sip of his Dr. Pepper.
“Oh no you’re not”, Brett spoke up.
“Marlena, Derek, your father and I have decided that we want you to go to Benton with John.”
John spewed his drink all over the place.
“No, you can’t be serious?”, Marlena sat up.
“Mom dad, you’re crazy!”, Drake sat stunned.
“But we can’t!”, she was on the verge of tears.
“It’s for the best”, Sheena tried to reassure them both.
Derek stared at her in disbelief and went outside to sit by the pool before he said something he’d regret.
“No, it’s not! I hate you, and I hate Benton, and I hate him!”, she yelled finishing off by pointing right at John before running up the stairs.
“Uh..Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it’s not a very good idea for them to go to Benton. I can assure you”, John spoke up.
“Well, you need them”, Sheena began before he interupted.
“No, you don’t get it. They will tear them apart, Hawark’s don’t go to Benton.”
“Well, then I trust you will watch out for them”, Brett said determained to stick with their decision.
John just nodded, and prayed that Derek and Marlena would make it.
Marlena had completely collapsed on her bed, not caring if it was just 10:00. “How can they do this to me? My whole life is ruined! And it’s all because of John Black”, she spoke his name as if it contained some sort of venom, “I hate him!”, she picked up the closest thing to her which luckily was just a stuffed lion and threw it at the bathroom door, visulizing it going right through it and right into John’s room. “Bas****!”
John decided to call it a night too, there wasn’t anything else to do, and if the truth be known he felt bad for Marlena and Derek. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, it was all his fault that they were having to go to school at Benton, at least from Marlena’s view and his. He heard the subtle bang coming from the door, which led to Marlena’s room from his and he figured she was having a tantrum and he couldn’t really blame her. It did alarm him though, he hoped she hadn’t hurt herself, but he knew if he went in to check on her she would most likely kill him with her bare hands alone.
**********
“John?”, she looked up sleepily.
“Yes, it’s me Mar”, he smiled before sitting next to her on her bed. ‘
“Why are you here? I thought you hated me?”, she looked up at him adoringly.
“I never hated you Marlena, in fact I love you”, he proclaimed before putting his hands on her face and letting their lips meet slowly.
***********
Are you breathing
What I’m breathing
Are your wishes
The same as mine
***********
“Marlena, please don’t hate me, I didn’t ever mean to do anything to make you angry”, he began but was silenced when she placed her finger over his lips, and locked her eyes with his.
“John, I could never hate you, but I do in fact love you”, she climbed on top of him and kissed him tenderly.
***********
Are you needing
What I’m needing
I’m waiting for a sign
***********
His hands began to travel the length of her, while he kissed, sucked, and nibbled her neck. “John, I’ve wanted this, oh how I want this”, she moaned, as he continued reaching her belly button he lifted her shirt and she sat up so that he could toss it away.
“You are so amazing”, he whispered and began to kiss her chest and abdomain.
***********
My hands tremble
My heart aches
Is it you calling
If I’m alone in this
I don’t think I can face
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
Consequences of falling
***********
She pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside as she ran her hands over his tight muscles. She looked down at him giving him a sly smile before beginning to ravage his chest.
“Marlena, I want you, I want you so badly.”
***********
Are you thinking
What I’m thinking
Does your pulse
Quicken like mine
***********
Once all barriers were gone he looked down at her, “Are you sure?”
“I’m more than sure.”
***********
Are you dreaming
What I’m dreaming
I can’t read your mind
***********
It was skin againist skin and he looked at her, and she knew exactly what he was wanting, she nodded her head and they’re dreams were finally about to come true.
***********
One step towards you
Two steps back
Feels like I’m crawling
Feels like I’m crawling
If I’m alone in this
I don’t think I can face
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
Consequences of falling
************
She jerked up, looking around her eyes wide awake as her breathing started to return to normal. “This has got to stop, I do not like and I certainly don’t love John Black. If anything I hate him. That’s right, I hate, hate, hate him.” She put her hand on her head, “There is just no way I can ever like him, ever love him. I mean that’s crazy, just because I have dreams about him and feel like I love him when I’m around him doesn’t mean I do. And it doesn’t mean anything that I think he is the finest guy I’ve ever layed eyes upon. I mean that’s not love or lust. It’s hate, that’s what it is, it’s hate. I hate him”, she lay back down on her bed closing her eyes praying she would not dream anymore tonight.
************
My hands tremble
My heart aches
Is it you calling
(Is it you calling)
(Is it you calling)
Is it you calling
If I’m alone in this
I don’t think I can face[/i]
*************
He awoke with a start, he sat up immediately. “Oh no, this can’t be happening, not another dream about her. I can’t take it. I hate her, Marlena Evans is a *itch and she’s not my type. I don’t like her, and I certainly don’t love her. This is crazy. I just dream about her because I hate her so much that she’s in my subconscious a lot”, he continued to reassure himself, “Yeah that’s it. It has to be, I mean just because I think she’s really gorgeous and she was my best friend at some point doesn’t mean anything because I can’t stand her. And just because I want to comfort her and hold her in my arms doesn’t mean anything I mean I’m a 17 year old guy. What 17 year old doesn’t want to hold a help a really sexy girl out? Did I just call Mar sexy? Sexy in a hate way, yeah that’s what I meant. I hate her”, he layed back down praying she would not invade his mind anymore tonight.
**************
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
The consequences of falling
(Consequences of falling)
(Consequences of falling)
(Consequences of falling)
(Consequences of falling)
************
No matter what they told themselves they knew it deep inside. They were falling in love, and whether they wanted to admit it or not, there was nothing they could do to stop it from happening.
“Hey Mar, I just want you to know that I’m really sorry about you and Derek having to go to Benton”, John called out from behind the bathroom door hoping his voice would carry through and into her room.
“John, don’t lie to me”, she barked back.
“Marlena, I’m not lying, I really mean it”, he opened the door walking in to the bathroom, glancing over at the shower his mind flashed back to walking in on her. He averted his gaze, determined to put that in the back of his memory and continued until he reached her door. It’d been a week since the Benton declaration had been made by Sheena and Brett; Marlena hadn’t spoken to John since. Derek had avoided the whole household with the exception of Marissa but even she felt somewhat neglected. Today was the first day of school. Well, really it was John’s first day back since the tornado and Derek and Marlena’s first day of Benton.
She knew he was walking between the two rooms and she was torn. John was all the things she hated which was basically Benton. So the only way to keep from leaving her home was to make sure to distance herself from Benton’s golden child. His footsteps ceased and she took a deep breath.
His hands reached for the door knob but to his surprise it flung itself open. She was gorgeous, her hair was down and she was wearing dark sandblasted hipsters and the most provocative thing of all, a Hawark tank. “John, what do you want from me?”
“I just want you…..to not blame me for this.” He was gorgeous as ever he had on dark jeans and a simple gray AE tee-shirt, “Mar, are you crazy?”
“What do you mean by that?”, she asked annoyed by his accusations and presence. He pointed to her shirt prompting her reply, “Oh, well I’m not about to back down not even in the tiger’s den!”
“I don’t think…”
“You never do Black”, she rolled her eyes and walked over to her door grabbing her purse off her night stand.
“Could you be any more hateful? I swear, you could trade places with the Wicked Witch of the West.”
**********
Marlena was not one to back down and she was determined for Hawark to rise again and to do that she’d defeat Benton any way she could. John tried to get her to ride with him but she’d refused. She didn’t need his help, she could take care of herself, at least that’s what she liked to tell herself. Derek left for school before the two of them did and Marlena didn’t count on seeing him there. So, she’d chosen to drive her black cougar with Hawark tag and all.
Benton looked almost the same as Hawark, inside and out. However, with the 7:45 bell she found life there to be completely different. Her first class was Anatomy and she had it with 20 other seniors including John. As soon as she walked in, the room went silent as everyone was hit with shock. Laura leaned over to Kristen as the two conversed about this current atrocity and Bo and Peter joined in eagerly as well. John, however, did not. He always sat on the back table usually with Randy Porter but Randy had transferred the week before.
“Hi, I’m Marlena Evans from *Hawark*”, she made sure to pronounce it with class and dignity and John could only marvel.
“Take a seat”, the teacher replied still astounded.
She moved down the center of the room each pair of people at a table snickering and trash talking amongst themselves, but she never faltered. She took her seat, the only seat left, next to John, and the room was hushed again. The two rivals would be sitting together for the rest of the year. Most people were in awe, some were angered by her provoking, and others were simply intrigued. No matter what, the wheels inside each mind were turning.
After four classes, four classes which Marlena felt would never end, finally had past it was lunch. Anatomy had been fairly decent. She was at the back of the room however, she was by John, which meant relief and agony at once. Her next class was government and much like Hawark the senior class was pretty much together throughout the day. She’d taken the only empty seat in the class, which at one point just like all her new found desks were Randy Porter’s. The girl who sat in front of her was named Simone and she looked like she’d crawled out of Dracula. The girl who was to her right was named Rafey J. She never spoke, not even about Marlena’s Hawark shirt. Her hair was up in a pony tail and her nose was stuck in a book the entire class. The boy who sat in front of Rafey J. was called Ham, she had no clue what his name was. It was obvious why his nickname had stuck. He was loud and liked to joke about himself. John was clear across the room in the back with Bo, Peter, Kristen, and Laura; she promised herself never to look that direction. Her third period class was English. The seating arrangements were basically the same except Ham was not in that class and a tall skinny boy whom they called Waldo sat in Ham’s spot. Her fourth period class was Calculus and her seating arrangements would have been the same only Simone, Ham, and Waldo were not in it. It was obvious now that each teacher had a seating arrangement for the first of the year and that is how things had stayed otherwise Randy, who wasn’t the most popular guy but certainly liked more than Rafey J. and the rest of the outcast crew which she sat with, would have been closer to the Benton “in-crowd”.
Now as she scanned the crowded lunch room she found the malicious stares to only get worse. The only two people she recognized were John and Rafey J. She wasn’t about to sit next to John, after all it was his fault that she was there. So, she walked over to the empty seat by Rafey J. who was still reading diligently.
“What are you reading?”, Marlena asked as she took a sip of tea. Rafey J. looked up with bright green eyes and simply pointed to the spine of the tainted blue book where the title was displayed. “A Tale of Two Cities, I read two books of it in the 9th grade but then I got so busy I just kinda gave up on finishing.” The auburn haired girl just smiled and continued to read. It was at this point Marlena vowed to get Rafey J. to speak or die trying.
************
“John, I still can’t get over the fact that that Hawark tramp is going here, I can’t believe you have to live with her”, Laura began, “I feel so sorry for you.”
“Me too, man if I had to stay with the royal Hawarkness, I’d I lose my mind”, Bo chimed in.
“She’s more like a royal pain in the….”, Kristen began before Peter interrupted……
“One things for sure she doesn’t belong here.”
John stared across the room, every word they’d spoken had gone in one ear and out the other. He’d been watching Marlena all day, trying to keep his promise to her parents. The fact of the matter was Marlena seemed to want to kill him and he’d need the protection not her. Nevertheless, he’d kept an eye on her, but that never had been hard for him considering he loved looking at her. Of course, he’d never admit it.
“John”, Peter waved his hand in front of his face, “Hello!”
“Oh sorry, what are you talking about?”, he averted his gaze as quickly as possible and tried to act interested in their discourse.
“John if I didn’t know better I’d say you were ogling at Marlena”, Bo inquired.
“Well, I hope you know better, actually I was just watching how low the Queen of Hawark has truly fallen. I mean look at who she’s talking to, bookworm!”, he laughed though his heart wasn’t in it.
Lunch had ended and Marlena found that the senior schedule at Benton was no different than Hawark. Half the senior class got to go home, due to the fact that there were no classes for them to take. The other half had to stay because of extracurricular activities or because they hadn’t passed the Grad. Exam, (therefore forced to take remediation classes). The ten blessed seniors poured out the white double doors and headed into the parking lot.
Marlena screamed bloody murder when she saw her Cougar; egged in classic paint eating style. “Who did this?”, she whipped around to where John and his friends stood.
All of them were laughing hysterically except for John. He stood there, staring into her eyes, wanting and needing to say or do something. She wasn’t about to cry in front of them; that’s just what they all wanted. John couldn’t move. He tried but he never budged out of his tracks. She jerked her keys out of her purse and drove away heading straight for the little gas station less than a mile from the school; to get her car cleaned up as fast as possible before the paint began to wear off.
“John, why aren’t you thrilled?”, Kristen turned to him while the rest watched Marlena drive off in amusement.
“I’m…….I’m completely thrilled”, he forced a smirk.
“You should be”, Laura added.
“Yeah, our worst enemy getting hers and we get to be the one’s to give it to her”, Peter chimed in as well.
“The little Hawark princess getting thrown off her throne, and I, Bo Brady, egged her car with the fabulous help of Laura Horton. Go on take a bow”, he gestured to Laura. While John simply walked off, got in his Cobra, and headed after Marlena.
To which Kristen spoke up, “What’s up with him? You’d think he likes her or something?”
*********
Marlena had went through the car wash and was headed to her house, thankful that her Cougar’s paint was unharmed. She pulled into her driveway and walked up to the front door.
“Oh no! Oh Marlena you didn’t! Ah! I left my house key in my room”, she closed her purse as she gave up her search. While John pulled up in his Cobra adding to her distress.
“Oh great, just what I need, Black”, she turned back to the door.
“Marlena, I didn’t know they were going to do anything to your car, and I swear I didn’t have anything to do with it either”, he was apologizing like crazy, which irritated her more.
“Shut-up Black! Do you have a key or not?”
He sighed defeated, pulled out his keys from his pocket, and opened the door. “Your highness”, he gestured toward the open door.
“Do you enjoy ticking me off?”, she stood in her tracks glaring at him.
“No, no, I don’t. I enjoy annoying you”, he smirked.
“Ha! Like your friends do, destroying my property, and trying to destroy me”, she rolled her eyes and started to walk in the house.
“Wait just a minute”, he grabbed her arm, “I don’t enjoy doing things like *that* to you, no matter what you think”, he searched her eyes conveying the truth.
“That’s nice”, she jerked her arm away and went on inside, believing him whether she’d admit it or not.
“So have you heard? Janet Kofa is going out with Danny Faris this weekend”, Laura began to gossip to Kristen in the hallway.
John could hear their trivial conversation but chose not to join in as Bo and Peter did. All four of them practically encircling John while he stood against the cold white wall. It was suffocating and he didn’t know why this bothered him because it never had before, but then again he’d never had Marlena Evans to stare at. She’d refused to ride with him, again. Derek was still unseen at school. It had been a week and things had went rather normal since that first day. Marlena avoided John like the plague and truth be told he avoided her too. After all, what would it look like having John Black with Marlena Evans at Benton? Nevertheless, he found himself constantly looking at her and every morning in Anatomy he swore the entire class watched every move they made. So naturally there was never a civil moment while they sat there together.
“Earth to John!!”, Peter yelled while the others stared.
“What?”, he hadn’t heard a word they’d said and they knew it.
“What’s been going on with you? It’s like you don’t even hear us anymore”, Bo questioned.
He ran his hand through his hair and wiped his eyes, “I’m just really tired, that’s all.”
“I guess it’s hard to sleep in *that* house with *her* there. You’re probably afraid she’ll come and butcher you in the middle of the night”, Kristen spoke up.
“Yeah, it is hard to sleep with her there”, he glanced off, knowing he was about to say to much. Luckily he was saved by the bell.
*************
How does it feel to treat me like you do?
When you’ve your hands upon me
And told me who you are
I thought I was mistaken
I thought I heard your words
Tell me, how do I feel
Tell me now, How do I feel
Those who came before me
Lived through their vocations
From the past until completion
They’ll turn away no more
And I still find it so hard
To say what I need to say
But I’m quite sure that you’ll tell me
Just how I should feel today
*************
She was still a loner. Rafey J. was still stuck in a book, no real progress had been made there. Marlena had pretty much decided Benton was nothing but a test for her. Everyday she had to listen to the same smart-aleck comments and look at the same sullen stares. . Not a single guy would dare date her because of her previous residence. She could thank John’s crew for that. They were also why no one seemed to want to actually talk to her.
She opened her locker, sighing at the mess. “At least some things never change.” She quickly shut it hoping she wouldn’t kill anyone below with a sudden avalanche. Turning the corner, she saw him out of the corner of her eye and turned in his posses direction. Of course, by that time some brat had tripped her and sent her to the floor.
John saw the whole thing but he couldn’t do anything. At least, he couldn’t while *they* were all watching. His eyes had followed her to the floor and she collected herself as fast as possible.
She gave him a cold stare and he quickly diverted his attention to the people in front of him. “Typical Black”, she thought to herself.
************
I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn’t for your misfortune
I’d be a heavenly person today
And I thought I was mistaken
And I thought I heard you speak
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now, how should I feel
*************
Lunch was well underway, but like everyday the whole school got to break in front of her and there really was nothing she could do about it. She was headed for a table when Kristen just happened to sling potatoes out into the isle, hitting Marlena right in the neck. This started a food fight which by the time it was broken up had John covered in chili and Marlena’s hands around Kristen’s neck, both of which covered in potatoes and everything else that was on the menu.
“Who started this?”, Principal Culpepper demanded.
“It was her”, Kristen pointed to Marlena while everyone else around her agreed.
“No, I didn’t start anything”, Marlena protested.
“Yes, she did”, Kristen reciprocated.
“Yeah, she did it”, the entire room resounded.
The principal hoping the one stand out he trusted more than all others turned in John’s direction, “John, you saw it, what happened?”
Marlena’s eyes pleaded with his but no matter how badly he wanted to tell the truth he knew he had his reputation to worry about, “Marlena started it.”
Now I stand here waiting…
I thought I told you to leave me
While I walked down to the beach
Tell me how does it feel
When your heart grows cold
“Jack, my parents still don’t know I’ve been skipping school, as a matter of fact, I have yet to set foot on Benton soil”, Derek boasted to the Hawark’s.
“Well, you better hope Black doesn’t rat you out”, Abe chimed in.
“He won’t because if he does he’ll wish he’d never been born”, his eyes grew a bit darker. Derek blamed John more than anyone for this and he’d always felt like his parents didn’t pay him as much attention as Marlena. So, he figured this would be a good lesson for everyone. Of course, Derek wasn’t really thinking about his future and if he missed too many days his 11th grade 4.0 GPA would be a thing of the past.
What the guys didn’t know was Marissa had stowed away in Derek’s truck. There in the seemingly empty parking lot on a cold winter night, Derek’s been secret wasn’t such a secret anymore.
************
John felt so guilty for what he’d done that he avoided Marlena all afternoon. His night was being spent in his room listening to a Trapt cd. The only thing he could think about was what a jerk he’d been. He’d never forget the look in her eyes, pleading….needing…..him and he let her down. All she needed was her prince charming to save her and he denied her that unspoken promise of always being there. He stared at the bathroom door. It seemed as if the barrier between him and Marlena had grown to such an extent that it could never be breeched. He knew now he’d lost all chance of ever getting his best friend back, but then again he never truly could get her back if he wanted to. The world wouldn’t let him.
************
She’d cried for at least half an hour. The rage in her easing away with each tear shed. She really believed John was still the same boy she used to tell all her secrets to; the same boy who saved her every time she needed him. She’d come to the realization that John Black had changed, and he was all the things she’d been forced to say about him and Benton. Everything she’d ever falsely despised about him, she saw him truly as. She wasn’t about to take it anymore.
“If that’s the way he wants it, then that’s the way he’s gonna get it”, she wiped away every tear and the wheels began to turn as she thought up the manner of her revenge.
************
Less than an hour had passed and Marissa and Derek returned home. Marissa knew Derek’s secret and he had no clue of her knowledge. She thought about telling John because she knew he’d know what to do, but she couldn’t tell him this after what Derek threatened. So, she decided to keep what she knew to herself…….for now anyway.
*************
Her punishment for the lunchroom catastrophe was to clean it before school. Something in John made him not only want, but need to go help her. If anything it was guilt. He shut off his stereo and decided he’d sleep on his decision……to help or not to help.
She left before 7:00 a.m., knowing that mopping and sweeping the pale blue floor would take a while. At least the food had been cleaned up somewhat, however, that didn’t diminish the magnitude of her task. She’d threw on some sandblast jeans and a pink Gap tee in a rush. The last thing she wanted to do was see John, so she’d left as soon as possible. After all they’d been through she still had a tough time accepting his betrayal. She’d pleaded with him and she knew he’d saw it in her eyes and yet, he chose to forsake her. Nevertheless, she had to find a broom and begin her mission.
“They could of at least told me where to find a freakin’ broom”, she rolled her eyes, “Typical Benton”, a broom stick appeared in front of her stopping her tirade.
“Yes it is, isn’t it”, he stood behind her, his arm which held the broom around her waist somewhat. She jerked around and for a moment he held her close to him.
“John!”, she was shocked, “What do you think you are doing?”, she moved out of his embrace.
“I came to help you”, he held up the broom, a subtle smile on his face.
“Uh huh”, she was skeptical.
“I feel terrible about what happened. I was a complete jerk”, he was completely sincere.
“Are you talking about what happened in the lunchroom or are you talking about the last 10 years?”, she folded her arms.
“I’m….I…”, he knew she’d caught him and he didn’t know what to say.
“Oh never mind”, she grabbed the broom from his hand and started sweeping. The last thing she wanted was to forgive him, and at the moment he was adorable and sincere. She knew if she wanted to get her revenge she’d have to keep herself angry, and John was happy that she changed the subject.
************
They didn’t speak until they were completely finished. Both were far to busy contemplating just what exactly was happening between them.
“I guess we’re finished”, he said nervously.
“Yeah, but I don’t get why you helped me. I mean you obviously hate me, sorry about it or not”, she was trying to hear something, either something that’d make her motivated to destroy him or the words to end this entire stupid feud all together.
What was she trying to do, didn’t she understand that they couldn’t be together, much less be friends. He couldn’t figure her out, one minute she hated him and the next she wanted to be civil.
“Marlena, I……” The insistent ringing of the 7:45 bell stopped him in his tracks; he couldn’t’ let anyone see him with her, “I have to go.” He took off going straight to his locker where he was met shortly by Bo, Peter, Laura, and Kristen.
“Hmm…he’d of died if they had of seen us together. I can get back at him easier than I thought. Even if it means having to sacrifice a little.” What she had planned would make all of his Benton peers question his loyalty.
Christmas vacation was on the way. One simple week was all that separated Marlena from freedom. Freedom from Benton, but not freedom from John. Revenge is sweet best served cold, what better time to get it. The annual school’s Christmas play was going to be Friday night and she’d decided that would be the moment of her revenge, in front of all of Benton. John was in the play, he was playing Jason, a teenage version of Scrooge. Marlena thought the irony was hysterical. She was trying out for the part of the gorgeous Ghost of Christmas Future, for the sole purpose of revenge. However, she had one problem Kristen was going after the part, and wouldn’t dare let Marlena have it.
“Okay, places people”, Mrs. Etirps yelled on to the stage, “I want to see the girls for the Ghost of Christmas Future read with John.”
He glanced over from the end of the left stage, seeing Marlena for what seemed like the first time since he’d left her in the lunchroom. She was obviously getting better at avoiding him at home and he had gotten better at it at school.
“John, dear, we’re waiting on you”, Mrs. Etirps called out.
“Oh….sorry”, he moved down to where she stood.
“Ok, read with Kristen first, Act 3 line 55.”
Marlena sat in the front row and couldn’t stand it. Kristen’s mere voice would drive anyone insane. She grimaced at the sound of it. “The Brothers Grimm never heard about anything like this.” She rolled her eyes at the stupidity of it all, and had to remember why she was there. “Stay focused.”
************
“Marlena, your turn”, Mrs. Etirps smiled over at her.
Marlena smiled back, and walked over to wear John stood. He had on a simple long sleeve blue Abercrombie shirt and a pair of jeans, and yet he looked amazing. She was not to be out done. She had on a button up 70’s style cotton collar shirt with dark Viggos jeans.
John cautiously wondered what that look in her eyes was. If only he knew it was the same exact look he was giving her. The same thing coming across on stage, even in the dullest of moments.
“John….John…”, Marlena said trying to figure out what on earth was wrong with him.
“Oh, sorry, where was I…”, he ran his right hand through his hair.
Instantly she knew what that sign meant, frustration. “Line 58”, she would have called him stupid or slapped the crap out of him, but she knew she had to play nice in front of Mrs. Etirps.
Kristen seethed as she watched Marlena on stage, “There is no way a Hawark is going to be in the Benton play!”
************
After they’d finished reading their lines, Mrs. Etirps told them to stay put she was going to go decide in private. Kristen took the opportunity.
“Marlena, you do realize that this is a Benton play, and you’ll never get a part. I’m sure that’s what Mrs. Etirps is doing right now, finding out where you’re previous school was. Sorry honey, but life’s just not fair”, she bit her lip a bit acting sympathetic. It only made Marlena see red.
John who was sitting on the stage in front of the girls remained virtually silent, quietly praying that Marlena wouldn’t kill Kristen right then and there.
“Kristen, you are right about life not being fair, but what you don’t understand is Mrs. Etirps *is* fair. And she doesn’t need to find out where I previously went, because she already knows”, she smiled triumphantly.
John was clearly intrigued, and clearly infatuated.
“What are you getting at?”, Kristen asked caught off guard by everything Marlena had said.
“Mrs. Etirps is a friend of my mom’s.”
Kristen’s jaw liked to have hit the floor. At that moment Mrs. Etirps reappeared.
“Okay, as good as you both were, I’m afraid I can only pick one of you. Marlena the part’s yours.”
John thought to himself, “Something’s not right about this, Marlena wouldn’t dare take any part in anything Benton, so why on Earth is she in this play?”
“John, are you and Marlena going to be in the entire play?”, Sheena asked as she walked from the kitchen into the dining room.
“Well, we are in a few acts together”, he took a drink and glanced at his watch, “speaking of the play we are supposed to be there an hour early to go over lines.”
“We’ll be there at seven, John and could you please call Marlena and tell her not to be late”, Brett said before John walked out the door.
************
“Marlena, how is it living with John?”, Hope asked sitting in a blue feather butterfly chair in her bedroom.
“It’s like living with pure evil, but tonight is the night. I’m finally going to get revenge”, her smile said it all.
“He’s such a sucker”, Hope said pulling her hair up in a messy ponytail.
Marlena’s cell rang at that very moment, “Hello.”
John’s breathing quickened a bit at the sound of her voice, “Mar, this is John.”
Hope mouthed, “Who is it?”, and got her reply when Marlena made a big L with her left hand.
“What a wonderful surprise”, she rolled her eyes. The only way she would get ‘proper’ compensation for his lunchroom lie was to stay mad enough at him to go through with her plan.
Her sarcasm didn‘t go unnoticed, “Your parents said to call and tell you to not be late.”
“Oh, believe me, I won’t.”
*************
The gym was packed with everyone from Benton, young and old. Sheena and Brett were no where to be seen, however. Neither Marlena nor John had noticed; they were both to concerned with the play and in Marlena’s case revenge. It was Marlena and John’s final scene together, and the audience was expecting nothing short of the dull teen version remake they’d seen so far. Marlena, the ghost of Christmas future, was showing John, Jason a.k.a. Scrooge, his future.
“Jason if you don’t start treating people with respect this is what’s going to happen to you”, Marlena pointed to the jail cell. She had on a bodice type pastel multicolored princess gown. John was wearing a simple black suit and tie.
“I don’t want that to happen to me”, he turned his attention from the jail back to her.
“It’s now or never.” Marlena moved closer to him, “Well then, you are going to have to change your ways.”
“And how can I do that?”, she was coming even closer to him and he tried not to become distracted. They were standing face to face now and he had no idea what she was doing.
She whispered, “That’s easy. The next time someone asks you, ‘Who did it?’, tell the truth”, she grabbed his jacket pulling his body right against hers, their lips crashing together, searing, right in front of all of Benton. Their lips, tugging, pulling, clashing, in front of everyone. Their passion consuming every thought as their tongues collided. John forgot about everything else, there were so many times he’d dreamed of this. Likewise, Marlena’s drive for revenge was consumed with burning desire.
Laura, Kristen, Peter, and Bo were in complete shock and anger. No one knew what to think. They all just sat there wondering why, what, how!
Mrs. Etirps yelled to the stage hands, “Close the curtain, close the curtain!”, before she collapsed into a chair. The people around her quickly took their programs, fanning her, hoping to settle her down, never taking their eyes off of the show in front of them.
John and Marlena just kept on making out in front of basically their whole world. A kiss had never been so sweet.
Mrs. Etirps yelled to the stagehands, “Close the curtain, close the curtain!”, before she collapsed into a chair. The people around her quickly took their programs, fanning her, hoping to settle her down, never taking their eyes off the show in front of them.
John and Marlena just kept on making out in front of basically their whole world, it wasn’t until the curtains actually closed and the audience broke out into thundering applause that they were brought back down to Earth.
His arms were still around her waist and her hands were still clutched around his jacket, “Revenge never felt so good”, she whispered, her lips grazing his. She let go of him, and turned to walk away.
His head was spinning almost out of control as he watched her walk off stage. The magnitude of what she’d done kept her heart racing. John was in utter shock, she had gotten him, she had him, and his senses were all fixated on her. He didn’t know what to do other than just……stand there.
Mrs. Etirps, regained her composure and leapt on stage to exclaim, “The End!!”, with such gusto that if they hadn’t known Marlena was John’s sworn enemy, some might have thought that it was the planned ending.
********
Marlena had went to change into a pair of jeans and a camisole top with a denim jacket; though her hands were shaking so bad, she didn’t think she would ever get them on. As soon as she was finished she went out into the auditorium, Marlena looked out into the audience but her parent’s were nowhere to be seen. Immediately, she knew something was wrong; a thousand “what if’s” raged in her head.
********
“Well, I sure would like to know what the crap that was all about”, Peter said to Bo, who was still stunned.
“I think John is keeping secrets, and you know how the old saying goes….”, Laura began.
Kristen finished, “Secrets don’t make friends, they make enemies.”
********
John knew if he left the locker room he’d be swamped with questions. Questions, he didn’t know how to answer. He just couldn’t not touch her, not kiss her. He’s taken off his suit when the door flew open.
“John! It’s my parents! Woah!”, she finally registered what she was seeing, John Black in his boxers, a yummy sight to say the least.
“Could you please turn around!”, he fumbled with his jeans, “Now what’s going on?”
“It’s mom and dad, they didn’t show up.”
He threw on his Underarmour hoody, “Don’t worry we’ll find out what’s going on.”
His hand rested on her back as they headed out the back door, “By the way, nice boxers Black.”
*********
They reached his car at the same time Bo, Peter, Laura, and Kristen caught up to them, “John, what on earth is going on?”
“Look, I don’t have time to explain and part of it, I couldn’t even if I tried”, he looked down at Marlena, a stern look on his face.
“You’re leaving with her?”, they were all astonished.
“Yes, I am. Her parents might be in trouble”, he cut it short, hoping the inquisition would move along.
“After what she did to you, you’re going to help her?”, Bo at this point felt John was seeing more than Hawark when he looked at Marlena.
John really hadn’t had time to think about what she’d done. He’d been to busy enjoying it to think about what Benton would say. “I don’t care right now, I’ll see you all later”, they got in the car. Marlena had been completely silent, she couldn’t believe it, whether John realized it or not, he’d done what he couldn’t do in the lunchroom. He’d come to her rescue, like he’d done every time before Benton and Hawark.
Silence isn’t always silent, and as redundant and contradictory as it sounds this was true for the first five minutes of their drive.
Marlena’s mind was flooded with a thousand different thoughts, each one screaming, trying to out do the others. Where were her parents? Were they okay? What was John thinking after their kiss? What’s going to happen now? She kept thinking about Reese and Lindsey, and the pain John must go through everyday. In that moment, she felt terrible about her revenge even if it tasted so good.
John was going crazy inside. So much had happened so fast that his mind wasn’t’ able to register it. He was worried about her parents, who now were like his foster parents. John wouldn’t dare deny the fact that Sheena and Brett treated him just like one of their own. That kiss, he was still completely frozen about it. He figured he was ruined now, but at the moment, he really didn’t care.
Marlena finally broke the screaming silence, “John”, she sounded so innocent, so worried, and so helpless.
It broke his heart, “Yeah.”
“Do you think they’re okay?” she looked over at him, tears glistening in her eyes.
He slowed the car down and turned towards her a little, “Mar, it’s going to be fine. They’re going to be fine”, he couldn’t have said it with anymore love.
She nodded and wiped her tears, believing him with all her heart.
“Have they left you a text message or something? Your cell phone should have service now”, he said glancing at the blue county road sign.
She grabbed her purse, digging for her cell phone. John had to stifle a laugh at the countless papers that overflowed out of it.
“Yeah, I know Black, don’t even say it”, she pulled out her phone. An immense amount of relief rushed over her, when she saw that she had one missed message.
”Marlena, mom and I are okay, we just got a flat tire. We‘ll be home ASAP.”
“What does it say?”, he didn’t know what to think about her silence.
“They’re fine! They just got a flat tire, that’s all”, she sighed, relieved.
“Thank God”, his smile lit up, “Well, now where do you want to go?”
“Um…”, she tried to think of somewhere, when the sign on the side of the road caught her eye, “Let’s go to the park.”
***********
“So, what do you want to do now?”, she asked, getting out of the car, and coming around to his side.
“I was hoping you could tell me”, he raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Okay….okay…I know”, she moved closer to him. His arms slipped around her waist, instinctively. “Close, your eyes”, she wrapped her arms around his neck, as she whispered sending his every sense soaring into the unreachable.
He did as she said, and he couldn’t help but smile in anticipation. No matter how much his mind screamed at him to stop, and to be angry with her, it didn’t matter. He just wanted to be…just be with her.
She was just about to reach his lips when car lights flashed into her eyes. She recognized the vehicle immediately. “Run!”, she grabbed his hand, tracing off into the darkness beneath the trees.
His eyes snapped open and he didn’t have a clue what she was doing, “Mar, what’s wrong with you? Who is that?”
She stopped convinced they were hidden enough, “It doesn’t matter. They didn’t see us”, she smiled relieved.
He looked back at the vehicle that was driving toward the exit, “Part of the Hawark crew.” He averted his attention back to her. Marlena was back against the tree and he could tell she was freezing. “You cold?”
“Cold? Yeah, I’m a little cold”, she smiled, her eyes getting lost in the blueness of his gaze. He pulled off his hoodie and pulled it down over her head. “John, you just have on a tee-shirt, are you crazy?”, she protested.
“Well, I guess you’ll just have to keep me warm then”, he grinned, putting his arms around her as she wrapped hers around him.
Together they walked through the darkness to his car, both knowing everything and yet knowing nothing all at the same time.
Brett Evans walked into his son’s room and for the first time in weeks he actually found it occupied, “Oh my gosh! Son, you’re alive!” his jaw dropped as he over acted hysterical. He ran over to Derek who had just woke-up, getting him in a headlock.
“Dad, I just woke-up”, his words were long and dragged out and you could tell by looking at him he was still half a sleep.
“Well, I didn’t come to annoy you”, he released his son; “I came to ask you about how things were going at Benton.”
“Oh”, he was completely caught off guard, “um…..they’re good.” “Great job Derek, he‘ll never believe that”, he thought to himself.
“Good? Are you being serious or sarcastic?”, his father was surprised, as much as his children hated Benton, an okay would have sufficed but good?
“Well, yeah….school is going great, but I’m not fond of the people there”, he hoped he’d covered well.
“I understand that…”, he was interrupted by Sheena.
“Brett, I can’t get this stupid dish washer to work”, she called from the kitchen downstairs.
“Oh no, not again”, he cringed, “We’ll continue this later, okay?”
“Sure thing dad.” He sighed as his dad left the room, but he wasn’t alone.
“Derek! You’re awake!”, Marissa jumped up into his arms, “Can I ask you a question”, and she looked at him with those wonderful piercing blue eyes.
“Yeah, of course you can Rissa”, he smiled. She was adorable and he was glad she was there because she seemed to always have a simple solution.
“Can I quit school?”, she was completely serious.
“No, why do you want to do that?”
“You don’t go to school, why should I have to?”, she demanded an answer.
“Derek goes to school”, Marlena entered the room, “he just doesn’t go to school with John and me. He goes to Ferry High with our friends from Hawark”, she sat down beside them smiling at Marissa. Marlena knew Derek couldn’t just stop going to school, so she had a talk with him about it. Derek and she had been forging signatures like crazy, but so far Derek was having fun at Ferry and his future was fine.
“But, it’s a big secret”, he said staring into her eyes, “so you can’t tell anyone.”
Marissa nodded, then zipped her mouth, locked it, and threw away the key.
*********
John was taking a shower. Reflecting on everything that had happened, he still didn’t realize he was fantasizing about that kiss again. “Just what am I doing”, he broke his train of thought, “I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Holy CRAP!!”, Marlena’s door to the bathroom flew open.
“Get out!”, he screamed, but she didn’t move.
She came closer, “You don’t want me to leave”, she started to undress, “Do you?”
“No”, he peaked out from behind the shower curtain, and pulled her inside. Their lips crashed together, their hands roaming, and nothing else mattered. He could feel her fingers digging into his back a bit, as they kissed, struggling to win. She was beautiful.
“John! John! You’re using all of the hot water! Could you please get out sometime today?”, Marlena yelled from behind her door.
He came to his senses, “Sorry, I’m getting out. Give me sex.”
“WHAT?”, did he just say what she thought he said.
“Black, you idiot”, he thought before responding. He really thought he was going to die, “I said give me *six*, as in….minutes.”
She couldn’t help but fantasize a bit about what he looked like behind that door. She could have sworn her eyes were burning a whole through it, “Yeah, that’s what you said.” She instantly noticed the smile that had come to her lips, and desperately wished it hadn’t, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve got to stop thinking about him.”“We’re going to your dad’s work Christmas party; we’ll be back in a few hours”, Sheena smiled at her children and started laughing at how ridiculous they all looked, lined up across the foyer listening to her, “Loosen up people, this isn’t drill camp.” They all laughed even Marissa, who didn’t really get the joke but wasn’t going to look left out.
“Okay, Derek here’s thirty take Marissa to Chuckie Cheese’s and have her in bed by nine”, Brett said getting Sheena’s coat out of the closet.
Marissa’s smile lit up as she looked up at Derek, who gave her a thumbs up, and a cute wink.
“And you two”, Sheena turned her attention to John and Marlena; “work on your college apps.”
Marlena nodded, dreading the whole task, and John flashed an insincere smile.
“Okay, we need to go or we’re going to be late honey”, Brett took Sheena’s hand.
“Have fun.”
**********
Derek and Marissa pulled out of the driveway and Marlena’s breath caught for a moment when she realized they would be home alone. She decided she’d just stay in her room and do as her mother said, that’s when she heard a knock at her door.
“Marlena, can I come in.” He was a little nervous but he had to ask an important question, otherwise, he would have stayed in his own room.
“Come on in Black”, she sighed exasperated.
“Have you filled out your Auburn application yet?” he said completely distracted. She had on a light blue, cotton small-strapped top and snowflake cotton pajama pants with her hair thrown messily in a ponytail.
“No, why?” she turned around away from her computer. He was so hot, his taut torso visible under his white tee. He had on red and black plaid pajama pants; which, she thought were adorable.
“I don’t’ know what to say here”, he brought it over to her, pointing at the empty space.
“Oh, the guidance counselor said to put not yet known on that part”, she handed it back to him, their fingers touching for a moment and their eyes locking.
“Are you hungry?”
His change of subject caught her off-guard, “Oh….um…yeah.”
“Well, why don’t you come help me fix dinner”, he smiled, taking her hand in his leading her downstairs to the kitchen. The entire time he knew he was doing things he shouldn’t, yet, why shouldn’t he.
She couldn’t help but forget the years they’d spent hating, and just be there with him. “You mean you’re going to take my help this time?” she asked surprised.
“Yeah, those Easy Bake cookies didn’t turn out so good. I guess you were right when you said I didn’t know how to use it”, he laughed at the memory.
“Derek liked them, then again he’d eat anything.”
They reached the kitchen, which was in perfect condition, completely spotless.
“For your mom to be such a clean freak, I don’t get how you tuned out to be such a slob”, he let go of her hand walking over to a cabinet.
“My room is clean”, she protested folding her arms.
“Don’t tell your locker that it might get jealous”, he continued to dig through the cabinet.
“John, how do you know that my locker is a mess?”, she smiled knowing she’d caught him.
“I…..I…”, he stopped his search, eyes wide, “I heard about it.” He lied the truth was he stared at her all day and she knew it.
“Sure you did”, she snickered.
He looked over at her, the little bit of cleavage showing due to her crossed arms sending him into a lust filled state. “I did”, he said as a matter of fact before turning his attention back to the cabinets. “Found it”, he pulled out a box of macaroni noodle.
“Okay, I’ll eat that”, she said trying to annoy him, and of course it worked.
“At least, I *can* cook in a real oven”, he grabbed the right size pot, “that Easy Bake oven was the highlight of your cooking career.”
She couldn’t reply, he so had her. She knew she couldn’t cook now to save her life.
“That’s what I thought”, he smiled arrogantly, making her blood boil.
**********
“Wow, this actually looks good”, she leaned over his shoulder to look at the pot of cooled macaroni and cheese.
“So, it’s good enough for the princess?”, he acted shocked.
“Shut up!”, Marlena slapped his arm.
“Oh, you want to play rough”, John followed her as she shook her head backing up.
“No”, she put her hands up in front of her.
“Oh come on”, he kept chasing her.
“Oh no, you don’t!”, she took off running into the living room but he jumped over the coffee table and backed her into the couch. The arm of the couch took her legs out from under her. John followed falling on top of her, tickling her like crazy, “Stop!”, she gasped for breath between giggles. “John…I can’t breathe!”, she screamed, scaring him to death. He stopped his assault and moved off of her completely terrified. “Gotcha!”, she rolled out from under him, and ran into the kitchen laughing the entire way.
He turned the corner to her surprise and she grabbed the pot of macaroni and cheese, smiling seductively the entire time. “John, do you want some?”, she pouted.
His eyes grew wide, “You wouldn’t.“ He backed away.
“Oh yes, I would”, she smiled before covering him completely in mac-n-cheese.
He stood completely still, completely shocked while she continued to laugh, “You look like that dinosaur on those Kraft commercials!”
“Is it really that funny?” he said serious as a heart attack.
“Yes!” she kept laughing.
“Come here”, he spoke ever so softly.
Marlena stopped laughing, completely perplexed, “What?”
“I’m I’m a dinosaur, you’re a dinosaur to”, he smiled pulling her into him, rubbing macaroni and cheese all over her until she was completely covered like him.
“Well, I hope you’re happy”, she slapped his chest, “Now, what are we going to eat?”
“I don’t care”, he whispered, his eyes searching hers, while his arms locked around her.
“John, I…..” he put his index finger up to her lips stopping her.
Their eyes locked and their lips moved slowly together, in a sweet tender kiss sending chills across them. Macaroni and cheese was smashed between them, while their kiss deepened and their hands began to roam.
The phone’s insistent ringing brought them back to Earth. They parted ever so slowly; Marlena picked up the phone, “Hey mom…” her breathing was somewhat labored and she hoped her mom wouldn’t notice, “Yeah great!”
John’s eyes never left her, his mind racing all over again. “What am I doing? Why am I doing this? And why does it have to feel so good?
“Love you”, she hung up eyes wide.
“What is it?”
“That was mom and dad, their on their way home!”, she was panicked.
“Holy crap!”, he looked around at the kitchen, which was covered in noodles and completely dishelmed.
“John look at us!”, she pointed to him.
“Come on”, he grabbed her hand leading her outside. He picked up the water hose, “Okay, this is going to be cold.”
She started to protest but she couldn’t think of a better idea. The water was freezing in the cold night air, and she screamed in the mist of giggles when it hit her.
“Is it all gone?”, Marlena asked completely soaked.
“Yeah”, he handed the water hose to her.
“Okay your turn Black”, she soaked him instantly.
“Geez, Mar, watch the water pressure!”
“Sorry”, she stifled a laugh, “Ok, you’re finished”, she threw down the water hose, about to run inside and escape the cold but he grabbed her arm.
“Wait, will track through the entire house.”
“Ok…..um…take off your clothes.”
“I always knew you were a freak-a-leek but here in your yard”, he raised an eyebrow.
She wished she could deny the thought hadn‘t crossed her mind, “You wish!”
“You do wish”, he mumbled smiling while she turned her back to him.
“What was that?”
“Nothing”, he went on inside.
**********
“My gosh, how long does it take”, she crossed her arms freezing, “I really hate him.”
“I hope you’re not talking about me”, he came out with a towel on, and a towel in hand.
She was distracted by the mere sight of him, “John, why didn’t you bring clothes?”
“Oh, that one’s easy”, he answered turning around so she could get out of her wet clothes.
When she’d secured her towel, she put her hand on his shoulder and turned him around. His took a deep breath when he saw her. “I …..uh……wanted to give you a chance to see my hot bod again”, he smiled opening the door for her.
“You’re really stupid sometimes”, she laughed.
“You think I’m stupid?”, he was a little hurt.
“No, I just think sometimes you do stupid things”, they continued to make their way to their rooms.
“Oh, like when I lied and said you started that fight in the lunchroom?”
“Exactly”, she turned to face him, her hands running over his chiseled torso, “Don’t ever do that again.”
He put his hands against the doorframe, pinning her against her door, “I won’t. I promise”, his lips moved closer and she opened the door prompting him to open his eyes, frustrated as he saw the door close, “Don’t spend all night in there. We’ve still got a huge mess to clean up.”
“Boy do we ever”, she thought to herself. “John”, she called out from behind the door.
“Yeah”, he replied.
She took a deep breath, “We need to talk later.”
“Your room or mine?”
Derek, Marissa, Sheena, and Brett all returned home to a clean house. John and Marlena had cleaned the kitchen in record time. Everyone was now asleep….well almost everyone. John and Marlena were about to have their midnight rendezvous.
She had on some orange Hawark shorts and a white tank. Marlena thought about sitting in her computer chair, standing against the wall, or sitting on the floor, but she settled on sitting on her bed. Nervous didn’t begin to describe her. She tousled her hair a bit, glancing at the lamp that gave the room a romantic glow, she impatiently waited for him.
He had on black boxers and he smiled slyly when he imagined her reaction. He glanced at his chest and got down on the floor to do a few sit-ups. He was terribly nervous. After he’d gathered the courage to cross the imaginary line, he opened her door.
“It’s about freaking time Black”, her eyes froze as she melted at the sight of him.
“Shh…you don’t want to wake everyone up do you?” he whispered coming over to where she sat. He could barely control himself after looking at her.
She simply glared at him before continuing softly, “Okay, so what are we going to talk about?”
“I don’t know you’re the one who told me to meet you here”, he was amused. She was nervous and forgetful something she hardly ever was.
“Oh, yeah, um….college apps”, she stood up, walking over to her computer desk. Not knowing how to begin the conversation they so desperately needed.
“Marlena, you told me to meet you here, after midnight, to discuss college apps? I don’t think so”, he came up behind her.
“Well, they are just so confusing”, she laughed a little, “Like this one, ‘Class Rank’, how can you fill that out? I mean we won’t know our class rank until next semester.”
He turned her around to face him, “Mar, I’m not buying it. What do you want?” his eyes searched hers as hazel and blue stood locked.
“What do *you* want?” she needed to know how he felt.
He put a hand on her face, his thumb caressing her cheek, “I want you.”
“But what about Benton, your friends they’ll never stand for it?”
“I don’t care what they think anymore Marlena. All I care about is you. Besides after our curtain closer I doubt they’ll give me the spotlight”, he laughed sending a smile to her face.
“I’m so sorry about that. I just hated you so much for lying”, she looked down at her hands.
“Don’t be sorry”, he lifted her chin, “I’m the one who’s sorry for everything”, he leaned in their lips meeting softly then their kiss grew more passionate. They parted only because of the fear of being caught.
“Derek and my parents, they can’t find out”, she pleaded with him a little, justifying her statement.
“I understand. I seriously doubt they’d let us have the twin bedrooms if they knew we were…..what are we doing?”
“We’re friends”, she smiled outstretching her hand.
“Best friends”, he shook her hand, never letting their gaze unlock.
“Just like old times”, she smiled pulling him in for another searing kiss.
Their foreheads rested together, “That’s nothing like old times”, he laughed.
“Yeah, I guess everything can’t be the same”, she put her arms around his neck.
“Here’s something different, Mar will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?” his words grew serious and a hint of nervousness was in his tone.
“A secret date, hmmm…..sounds enticing”, she gave him a sly smile.
“So is that a yes?” he said as if he’d won a billion dollars.
She couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm, “Yes, I’d love to.”
“Mrs. Evans, if you don’t mind…..I’d like to go see my friends Bo and Peter tonight”, John ran his hand through his hair; he felt terrible about lying to Sheena. However, he knew that for both his and Marlena’s sakes it was best if no one else in the house knew.
“Sure, have a great time”, she smiled up at the handsome young man who she’d come to view as one of her own.
John walked out of the house, got into his Cobra and smiled in anticipation. Marlena had already gotten out of the house under the guise of going to see her friends, and was going to meet him at the park. He glanced at himself in the rear-view mirror. He had a brown leather jacket on with a long sleeve light blue dress shirt. His jeans were sandblasted subtly. “Don’t mess this up Black.”
***********
Her Cougar was parked exactly where they’d been a few nights before and John couldn’t shake the memory as he pulled up beside her. She smiled at the sight of him, and loved how he was coming to open her car door for her.
“Are you ready?” he held out his hand.
“I’ve never been this ready”, Marlena stepped out of the car. His gaze completely became engrossed with desire. She had on the lowest jeans he’d ever seen, and a simple white long sleeve white Tommy Hilfiger tee. Marlena didn’t normally dress so….showingly….but she couldn’t help but want to “WOW” John, and obviously it she did. “John, are you going to put your eyes back in your head and take me out to eat or are you just going to stand there and drool”, her head cocked to the side and she loved his reaction.
“Yes, ma‘m”, he took her hand, leading her over to his car, “So, where do you want to eat?”
“How about The Square?”
*************
Marlena had never been out with such a gentleman. She marveled at the fact that he opened all her doors for her, and even moved her chair out. He’d put his hand on the small of her back when they’d entered the restaurant. That simple protective gesture had completely melted her heart.
“Okay, how about the time we had to sing at the Christmas Program and the girls wore grass skirts and the guys wore trunks?”, John took a sip of his Coke.
“Oh my gosh, that was kindergarten. What did grass skirts have to do with Christmas?”, Marlena rolled her eyes.
“The theme was Hawaiian Christmas, and I still haven’t found out whose idea it was.”
“It wasn’t Stonewall’s was it?”, his smile disappeared and his demeanor became fearful. Marlena couldn’t stop laughing after that, “She always hated you, probably because you started calling her Stonewall.”
“Well, it’s not my fault she *never* smiled or laughed or showed any sign of emotion. She didn’t have a real reason to hate me”, he spoke justified.
“Oh yes, she did! Remember when you threw that wad of paper and it hit her right between the eyes!”, she erupted into infectious laughter.
“It made you feel better didn’t it?”, his eyes softened.
“Yes, I never gave my headache a second thought. Mostly, because I thought she was going to kill you and you’re all I could think about”, she said somewhat sheepishly, but she smiled when she saw that he was smiling even brighter now.
“Marlena, are you ready to go?”
Standing up, “Yeah, where are we going now?”, she was so excited.
“It’s a surprise”, he walked over to her, his hand finding her back as they made their way to the door.
“But I hate surprises”, she stopped and gave him her best pout.
He leaned down closer to her face, to look her right in the eyes, “Sure you do”, he whispered tapping her nose.
“I do!” she protested as they resumed their walk to the car.
“Whatever you say Mar”, he smiled extremely cheesy at her, driving her crazy.
“Keep them closed”, he whispered into her ear from behind. He pulled her into him, his arms around her waist.
“I am”, she couldn’t describe her anticipation.
He nervously awaited her reaction, “Open them.”
Her eyes opened to a place where they’d spent hundreds of hours together. “Our old school’s playground! How awesome is this?” She turned in his arms to face him a grateful smile on her face.
John couldn’t have been happier, “From that smile on you face I’d guess it’s pretty freaking awesome.”
“You definitely deserve something for this”, she whispered her breath hot on his neck as she pulled him in for a searing kiss before pulling away.
“That rocked!!”
She laughed at his enthusiasm, “Let’s go swing, remember I’ve still got you beat”, she took off toward the large blue swings.
John followed, “Not anymore Mar, your reign as highest swinger is going to end tonight.”
“I don’t think so Black”, she started moving.
“Well then you better pick it up because I’m going to toast you”, he smiled wickedly.
“John, you aren’t supposed to start the same time as me”, she pouted, “your legs are longer. I’m supposed to get a head start.”
“I’m not listening to you, and I’m not looking at you either. So, put that puppy dog face away”, he stayed focused knowing if her looked at her he’d give in, he always did.
She searched her mind for anything to keep her record intact and came up with the perfect solution, even if it was cruelly juvenile, “Monkey see, monkey do….”
“No way Marlena, don’t do it”, he begged knowing if she completed her mantra, he’d have to give up his chance to defeat her record.
She grinned slyly at him before continuing, “I can still jump higher than you!” On that count, they both bailed out of their swings, Marlena landed on her feet but John landed on his stomach. “John! Are you okay?” she ran over to his side. He smiled mischievously as he turned over and pulled her down on top of him sending her into a fit of giggles. “You scared me, I thought you were hurt.”
“I was until you said my name because Mar”, he stood up picking her up with him, never letting her out of his embrace; “you’re the wind beneath my wings.”
She rolled her eyes playfully, “And you never cease to amaze me.”
“It’s true”, he cleared his throat making her laugh, before singing horribly, “Did you ever knooooow that you’re my herooooooo, you’re everything I wish I could beee, I can fly higher than an eagle because you are the wind my wingssssss!”
She didn’t know how but she kept a straight face and did her best Simon Cowell impression, “That was absolutely horrid.”
“I can do better………did *you* ever know that you’re my heroooooooo!!!” he was completely off pitch, tone, and anything else you can think of.
She winced, “Stop, that was no better.” He gave her the ultimate sad defeated face making her feel sorry for him, “Okay baby, it wasn’t *that* bad, but you”, she wrapped her arms around him, “you’re my hero.”
Their eyes locked and his words were serious, “Always sweetheart”, he leaned in for a sweet satisfying kiss.
***********
After they’d slid down the slides and climbed the monkey bars, they’d both collapsed on the grass to watch the stars.
Their hands were laced and neither of them had ever felt this good. “There’s the big dipper”, she pointed above them.
“There’s Leo”, he kissed her hand.
“Leo? That’s a constellation?”
“It sounds like one to me”, he replied. She slapped his arm, “Mar, you are so abusive, if I didn’t lo…” he trailed off knowing it was too late, “Marlena, I don’t want to scare you, I know this is our first real date, and I just don’t want to ruin this. It’s just that I’ve never felt this way with anyone. When we kiss, it’s as if pure electricity runs through my veins, and when we touch, I feel like I’m on fire. When I’m with you, I’m not afraid to be myself, I mean I’m nervous as heck but you always put me at ease”, he sat up pulling her up with him. Her eyes gave him all the right signals to continue, “I love you.”
He wiped her tears away while she replied, “I love you too.”
The insistent ringing would not cease and eventually Marlena rolled over and smacked her alarm clock causing the noise to stop. She groggily glanced around her room, the events from the night before beginning to set in. A smile came to her face when she replayed the absolute best date she’d ever had.
**********
John had spent most of his morning with Marissa. As soon as she’d woke up she’d ran to his room to wake him. They’d already played Candyland three times, and John hadn’t won yet. Surprisingly, by the second go around, he was trying to win, but all he could think about was the night before. He was anxiously waiting to see Marlena.
Marissa, however, was getting frustrated, “John! Pay attention! It’s your turn”, she crossed her arms angrily.
“Sorry, Rissa”, he rolled the dice before standing up to look at himself in the mirror; “Do I look okay?” He’d put on some dark jeans and a plain grey shirt.
“John! You lose! You can’t think!” she began putting the pieces of the game up.
“Rissa, I’m really sorry”, he genuinely apologized and being the smart girl she was, she used it to her advantage.
“No, you’re not”, she huffed pulling out a box of Barbies from underneath her bed.
“Yes, I am. Hey if you’ll forgive me, I’ll play Barbies with you”, he winced at the word Barbie, knowing if anyone saw him he’d never live it down.
*************
Marlena had changed into some jeans and a light green shirt. After checking herself in her mirror, she followed John and Marissa’s voices into Marissa’s room.
“Oh my gosh…” she burst into laughter.
John threw Ken down as if he’d burnt him, “Shut-up, Mar.”
“John, come on it’s okay….” her laughter ceased, “let me guess she guilted you into it”, she smiled at Marissa who put on an innocent face.
“Not unlike someone else I know”, he glanced up at her their minds locking on the same set of childhood memories.
She gave him a sly smile, “You know it wasn’t that bad….playing with me.”
His eyes went from Marlena to Marissa and then back to Marlena, “Um…..Marissa, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
Marissa gave him a puzzled look, “It’s not raining”, her reply made them both laugh.
Marlena spoke up, “He means he’s going to come back later and finish, if that’s okay with you.”
“Oh, well that’s okay. Derek promised me he’d play Chutes and Ladders today. Do you know where he is?” the dark haired girl looked up at Marlena with curious eyes.
“He’s downstairs.”
“Derek!!!!” Marissa took off out of the room and continued down the stairs.
“You’re beautiful, did you know that?” he stood up putting his arms around her waist so that he could look into her eyes.
She blushed a little, “I do now. Last night was amazing Black.”
“Mar, you’re amazing”, he said leaning in for a kiss.
Christmas had come and gone, New Years was done, and John and Marlena’s love was growing. They hadn’t gotten a chance to go out on another date but they’d stolen as many moments together as they possibly could. John had avoided his so-called friends, knowing they would bad mouth him and Marlena the first chance they got. Marlena, however, had still kept in touch with Hope, Jack, Jennifer, Lexie, and Abe over the phone during the holiday break. Yet, their conversations never really mentioned John. No one in the Evans’ household had found out their secret either. However, school was going to start back in two days and both John and Marlena were nervous about the consequences that would follow their curtain closer. Yet, John had promised her not to worry, that he wasn’t going anywhere. Luckily, for both of them they had come up with a reasonable excuse to get out of the house tonight¾going to hang out with their friends.
***********
“John!” Marlena yelled running from her car and crashing into his arms. He swung her around making her erupt into giggles.
“I missed you”, he stopped them before they got dizzy.
“John, we’ve only been apart for”, she glanced at her watch, “an hour and a half.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, pulling her closer, “Seemed like forever.” He smiled somewhat shyly as they became somewhat lost in the moment and one another’s eyes.
“EXCUSE ME! *Hello*, this ain’t Laguna Beach! Could you get out of the way?” a red haired woman yelled out form the window of her car.
“Sorry”, John said taking Marlena’s hand, walking out form behind the woman’s parked car.
She couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that they’d completely forgotten where they were¾Wal-Mart.
“So, where do you want to go?” he asked leading her to his car.
“Let’s go bowling!”
***********
“Alright baby, be prepared to lose”, John grinned. Marlena rolled her eyes and John let the ball go.
She let her gaze drift around the room and checked her nails, before looking up. She expected John to be good because he was good at everything………“Gutter! You got a *gutter ball*!”, Marlena thought she was going to fall out of her chair laughing.
John ran his fingers through his hair and turned back towards her to wait for his ball to come back from the lane. Marlena never stopped laughing. John knelt down to her level and put his hands on both sides of the plain white chair she occupied, “Ha, ha! That’s pretty funny. Enjoy it because it won’t happen again, darlin’.” He smiled and tapped his finger on her nose.
Marlena stopped laughing and arched an eyebrow, “Your ball is back.”
John approached the lane while Marlena scooted to the edge of her seat. He swung his arm back and released the ball with enough force to wreck a house. “Oh no!” John groaned as he watched his ball go from one lane to another. The ball had completely jumped the gutter and landed about three rows down.
Marlena died laughing, “You…….SUCK!!!”
John walked back over to her and plopped down beside her, “Okay Mar, the truth is I was going to go easy on you but after your insults I just can’t do it anymore, so be prepared.”
Marlena put her hand on John’s leg and pushed on it as she got up, “Whatever Black. Let me show you how it’s done.” Marlena swung her arm back and let the ball roll using her wrist, in 2 seconds she erupted into infectious laughter.
“Strike! You got a strike!” John stood up in disbelief.
She waltzed up to him, putting her arms around his neck, “It’s going to be a loooong night, John. Savor it.”
After nine frames, John was losing miserably with zero and Marlena was flying high with multiple strikes and spares.
“John, I could help you if you’d let me”, Marlena watched him chunk the ball into the left gutter.
“Alright, fine”, he went back to wait for his ball and Marlena walked up to him.
“You’re trying to hard”, she took his right forearm in her hand and gently pointed to certain spots.
“You need to use your wrist, just a little”, she slowly traced the palm side of it.
John was almost entranced watching her. She was always gorgeous in his eyes and tonight was no exception. He let his gaze roam from her perfect fitting jeans back up to her small strapped lingerie inspired hot pink top. It wasn’t until she hit him in the chest that he stopped.
“You are not even listening to me, Black! I guess you want to suck at this! I guess you think, ‘Oh I’m John Black, Benton Hotshot, I don’t need any help from the Hawark girl’, but you’re wrong! So just keep…..”
He stopped her, placing one hand behind her head, and another at the small of her back. He crushed her lips into his own. It was passion from the beginning. They finally parted their lips. “Mar, I need you’re help. I wasn’t listening because I completely got lost in you.”
“Oh. Okay, I guess I can let that one slide”, she smiled and pulled him in for a quick kiss because his ball was back.
“Wish me luck”, he said getting his ball.
Marlena slapped his butt, “Good luck baby.”
He pulled back, took a whole lot off of his release, and used his wrist ever so slightly. Eight pins fell and John couldn’t believe it, he turned back to Marlena who had ‘I told you so’ written all over her face. “I really should have listened to you sooner”, he laughed. She gave him a wink and got her ball. Right when she started to let go, “HEY!” John yelled running up behind her, causing her to freak out and let it roll into the gutter.
“You are so dead”, she turned around to face him and walked right be him to wait for her ball. John was standing right above the foul line and Marlena was back at the beginning of the lane.
“Oh! I am shaking in my bowling shoes”, he rolled his eyes. The next thing he knew Marlena was running toward him; John was ready to catch her and he did, but with those bowling shoes on he slipped.
“AH!” they both yelled as John lost his balance and went sliding on his back down the lane.
Marlena laughed until it hurt. “I love you!” she screamed in between laughs and more or less lunged her lips at his. John’s hands instinctively went to her waist and head as their kiss deepened.
“We’ve got two kids doing……*stuff*….in lane thirteen, someone kick them out!” came across the loud speaker, interrupting the moment.
They both stopped kissing and looked with wild eyes, “John, get me out of here.”
**************
“Well if that wasn’t embarrassing, I don’t know what is”, Marlena licked around her chocolate ice cream cone.
“Yeah, that ranks right up there with the time…………nope that was the most embarrassing”, he let out a laugh before taking a lick of his chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream cone.
“John, have you ever been there?” she pointed to a small train station, now a museum.
“No, I haven’t, have you?”
“No, it creeps me out”, she kicked a pebble down the cement sidewalk.
He really laughed after that, “It’s true; I think it’s that old lady that owns it. The one with the painted face and I do mean painted.”
“She is creepy”, he glanced at the pothole in the street.
It was hard to hear over the loud chiming of the Lilling County Courthouse clock, “Want to sit down?” she yelled.
“Sure”, he replied as they both sat on a bench in the square, the small lamps above them acting almost as if they were a spotlight. The chiming finally ceased, “Want to try this?” he yelled.
“Want to stop yelling?” she yelled back sending them both into a fit of laughter.
“Sorry. Do you want to try this chocolate lover?” he motioned to his ice cream.
“Sure”, she reached for it but John pulled it back.
“Let me”, he almost whispered and slowly put it to her lips. Then, gently he left it here and there on them, then sticking it in.
“Mmm”, she started to lick her lips but he stopped her.
“I got it”, he licked and kissed all of what was left, their kiss deepening by the minute. They stopped resting their heads together.
“Want to try mine?”
“Please”, he smiled.
“Wait for it”, she whispered. She slowly covered his lips, “Mmm, you need more baby”, she crushed the ice cream to his mouth and tossed the cone away. He licked his lips. “Good…..I can make it better”, she leaned in licking and kissing with him, the chocolate sweetness driving them. Their kiss had never been so demanding and their hands were roaming all over in the humid air.
“Mmm….so good”, he let out stopped their assault after an eternity. “I love you Marlena Evans”, he smiled, knowing she was the best thing that’d ever happened to him.
Tomorrow it would begin again, that wonderful world of clicks and outcasts, teachers and scandals, lunchroom food and old wooden floors, and of course the most memorable and important….books and learning. Yes, it seemed that entity of shrewdness would return in a day. John dreaded it, for the obvious reasons, and because now after his and Marlena’s little showstopper life at Benton would never be the same. Marlena dreaded it, not only for what John would endure but also for what she’d endure yet again. Luckily for both of them they’d managed to get enough time to themselves to spend most of the afternoon on another date, at the movies………..
“What movie?” the tall blonde nerdy fellow at the ticket counter questioned them.
“It doesn’t really matter, it’s not like we’re going to watch it”, John grinned.
“John!” Marlena slapped his arm, “You’re so bad.” Marlena leaned in to tell him, his arm wrapped protectively around her as they reached the concession area.
“Oh come on, you *know* it’s true”, he stopped walking, turning to face her.
She gave him a shy smile, “Maybe so, but you can’t just go parading it. I do have a reputation to uphold.”
To that remark he died out laughing, “Mar, you know how all of Benton feels about you; I don’t think anything could hurt your rep. there.”
“Oh and yours is so wonderful at the great *Benton*, Black”, she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m in the doghouse with you baby”, he took her hands in his and kissed them both, “Forever.”
She smiled, the love she had for him showing clear as day. “Come here Romeo”, she pulled him to her, their lips meeting ever so softly.
****************
After the movie that neither of them ever really saw, John stopped to get Marlena the Snickers she wanted. Marlena was busy looking at the new movie posters and promotion ads everywhere in the lobby.
“Marlena!” Hope yelled coming over to her friend.
“Oh no”, Marlena thought. “Hoooooope, great to see you”, she smiled fake as ever, “Who else is here?”
“Well, hello to you to”, she laughed, “Lexie, Abe, Jack, and Jen.”
“Goodness, it must be great to still have one more week left before you have to go back to school”, she frowned.
“Yeah, that’s why we didn’t ask you to come, because we figured your parents wouldn’t let you. You know, with school starting back tomorrow.”
“They wouldn’t let me go to the movies but they sure let me go to your house for a while Hope”, Marlena thought trying hard not to smirk, “Yeah.”
“Are you okay? I guess that’s a silly question. I wouldn’t be okay either if I had to go to Benton”, Hope said so fast that Marlena never got he chance to answer. She simply nodded.
“Marlena!” Lexie, Abe, Jack, and Jen all said in unison the moment they saw her.
“I think I’m going to die. Where’s John?”, she frantically thought. “Hey”, she forced a smile.
“I already explained why we didn’t invite her, so no one start feeling guilty……Jennifer”, Hope said almost immediately.
“Yeah, I totally understand”, Marlena added. “Oh gosh, where is John?” That’s when she saw him. He was getting her Snickers, finally from the woman at the counter.
***************
He became a bundle of nerves when he turned around and was faced with most of Hawark just a couple of yards away. He took a deep breath, “It’s alright, be courteous, remember Marlena loves you, and her friends are still talking to her, unlike mine. So, they’ve got to be cool with it.”
“Are you okay?”, the dark haired woman at the counter inquired.
“What?”, he replied startled before regaining his composure, “Yeah, I’m fine.” He decided to move on before the girl called the local sanitarium.
***************
“Hi….Hope, Jack, Jen, Lexie, Abe”, he busted into the midst of them facing Marlena.
The crew, excluding Marlena, turned their heads towards him shocked. Marlena stared at the floor.
“Hi?”, Abe questioned. “What do you want pretty boy?”, Jack barked. The hostile looks he received from the women in the group prompted him to look to Marlena for some sort of support, but she couldn’t even make eye contact with him.
“Marlena, tell him to scram”, Jennifer piped up.
“Yeah, maybe he’ll listen to you”, Lexie added.
“Yeah”, the rest agreed.
John just stood there shocked, in utter disbelief. “Marlena hasn’t told them.”
She felt like the guilt of the entire world’s wrongs were on her shoulders, but she lifted her head, with fire hazel eyes, “Get lost prep.”
He cried that night, and he swore he’d never get hurt again. The next morning couldn’t have come at a poorer time, the last thing he needed was to be shunned by his peers. Especially since Marlena chose her friends over him. He felt like a fool. For the first time since Marlena had started going to Benton, he didn’t offer her a ride.
She felt terrible. She couldn’t take it back, now. It was too late; the damage had already been done. She’d never forget the hurt in his eyes when he’d looked at her and shook his head in disappointment. He’d thrown the snicker’s bar at her and walked off. Her friends thought it was hilarious and grand, but she had a miserable night. Moreover, she knew that she was going to have a miserable day.
**************
“Here we go again”, she took a deep breathe before stepping into her first period class, anatomy. Of course, the gang (Bo, Peter, Kristen, and Laura) immediately started a conversation about her.
“Oh man”, John groaned before entering and yes, it was just as bad as he thought it would be. His “friends” instantly turned to face him. He walked past there tables, knowing that even if it was bad with them it was going to be much worse having to sit with Marlena.
“There he is now boys, the Hawark lover”, Laura gestured to Bo and Peter while she glared at John.
“Pathetic”, Kristen murmured her disapproval.
“Just shake it off Black”, he told himself as he made his way to his seat.
Marlena had watched the entire episode and it only made her feel worse about betraying him the night before. When he sat next to her at the lab table, she turned to face him, “John, I…”
“Just save it okay Mar”, he said soberly, his eyes glazed.
Marlena had to fight the tears that threatened to surface. She’d really hurt him this time.
“Okay, class it’s time to set up our senior canoe trip”, Ms. Lan began, “and that means assigning everyone partners and all that”, she stopped and put her index finger to her lips….thinking. “I think instead of you all picking partners we’ll just do it by tables. Most of you sit with your friends anyway”, she finished cheerfully.
“Oh gawl”, John banged his head against the table.
“Hey!”, Marlena said getting more and more impatient, “I know I hurt you but….”
“No!”, he stopped and glared at her, “Don’t even try.”
“John…”, Marlena began to plead before being interrupted by Ms. Lan’s lecture on the heart.
****************
Their next class was government and John knew that he was most likely going to have to sit with Marlena and the rest of the outcasts for the rest of the day. He made it in the door before Marlena. He’d practically run out of anatomy in an attempt to distance himself. He didn’t want to hear her apology, and he wanted to be mad at her. He wanted to hate her again, forget her kiss, forget *her* all together. Yet, he knew he wouldn’t ever succeed.
Therefore, instead of dwelling on it, he turned his attention to his surroundings. Rafey J. was sitting diagonally to the back right of him with her nose in a book, of course. He watched his so-called friends enter the room like a pack of jackals picking over the world’s faults but never acknowledging their own. “I can’t believe I called them friends”, he mumbled.
Ham, the boy next to him thought that comment was funny and he chuckled a bit.
“I wish I could laugh about it”, he replied before his eyes found her entering the room. “Why does she always have to look so good?
“I’ve got to talk to him”, Marlena took her seat behind John.
He turned away towards the front immediately.
Marlena sighed, “John! Stop acting like your two and hear me out.”
He turned to face her, “There’s nothing for me to hear. You chose your friends over me Marlena. I defied this whole place”, his voice had risen into an almost yell, “for *you* and what did you do in return? You took their side. That stupid Hawark crew!”, the pain was evident in his voice.
“John, I know I made a terrible….”, she started to say before being interrupted.
“John, Marlena….if you two will finish we’ll start class”, Mr. Howell stopped their reverie.
****************
Marlena threw her books into her locker. She was so upset with herself and she was getting impatient with John. He wouldn’t even let her apologize. It was beginning to get to her.
“Hey, Hawark chick! That was one hot kiss with John at the play”, Waldo called out to her.
Marlena rolled her eyes at the tall skinny dork and turned to face him.
“Well, I’m glad someone enjoyed it”, John interrupted walking past them his eyes never leaving her…..his gaze ice.
“You don’t mean that Black!”, Marlena had had it, “Cut the act! I hurt you and I’m sorry, okay? It doesn’t change what we had….what we have”, she pushed past Waldo and grabbed his arm forcing him to face her.
“Mar, I’ve….I’ve got to go”, he turned back rushing away, leaving her frustrated and on the brink of tears.
They’d both made it through the next three days. John had avoided her at all costs and Marlena was losing patience with him. She was beginning to believe that he hated her again and that hurt her. Hurt her enough to start to believe things would just be easier if she hated him again too. However, the ever-cheerful Ms. Lan was taking the senior class on their canoe trip and that meant a lot of alone time.
***********
“Okay, everyone get into your canoe’s”, Ms. Lan ordered exuberantly.
John fastened the orange life jacket that matched his shorts over his white tee. Marlena approached their canoe but was preoccupied with her own life jacket.
“Why did I have to wear black shorts in this heat?” she mumbled under her breath.
“Maybe, you should get out more princess”, John replied brusquely, looking up from the jacket. He could see the halter of her blue bikini underneath the white tank she wore and he really like the way her hair was in a low ponytail. “Don’t think about that now.”
“Black, I didn’t think I was talking to *you*, but I do believe that’s the first thing you’ve said to *me* in almost a week”, she crossed her arms.
“Hey, it was a free shot at you. I couldn’t resist”, he pushed the canoe to the water’s edge.
“You certainly can’t resist anything that concerns me”, she smirked.
“Woooohoooo!” Bo yelled jumping into his and Peter’s canoe sending it into the water before Peter had time to sit.
The canoe rocked back and forth. “Bo, you idiot!” Peter said before falling into the water.
John and Marlena both had to stifle a laugh.
“Let’s get going before we get left behind.”
***************
“Man, it is hot!” John pulled his paddle into the canoe.
“Oh, maybe you should get out more preppy”, she gave him a fake smile, put her paddle in the canoe, and turned around to face him.
“Oh, well if I remember right. That cheap shot means you can’t resist anything that pertains to me”, he smirked.
“No..no…no. It doesn’t mean that because I’ve been trying to talk to you. I’ve been trying to apologize.”
“I don’t want to hear it. You chose your friends over me. End of story”, he looked down at the lake.
“You sound like a broken record Black! Look, you want to hate me. Fine! But before *we* go back to hating each other, I’m going to relieve my conscience. I’m sorry, I was wrong”, she pushed back her tears, “But that doesn’t matter now. You’ve already decided to hate me again.”
John couldn’t face her, he knew if he looked in her eyes and saw the glistening of tears that he would forgive and forget. He concentrated on the water but each word brought the urge to cry, “Mar, I just think it would be easier to go back to the way it was between us before we decided we were more than friends or even friends.”
“Well, I guess that’s how it’s going to be then isn’t it?”, her eyes wondered to the lake. She couldn’t let him see the hurt in her eyes.
“Ah!”, Laura was squealing a couple of yards away as her and Kristen were heading straight for the bank.
“Turn, turn!”, Kristen kept repeating never realizing that she was supposed to steer.
“Idiots”, they both spoke in unison. John rubbed the back of his neck and Marlena smiled uneasily.
“This is going to be a long trip.”
“Come on John! We’re behind everyone else!” Marlena yelled before driving her paddle into the water.
“We wouldn’t be behind if you hadn’t insisted on being in the front!”
“Just shut up, Black”, she huffed.
“Seriously, Mar let me up front. It’s a lot easier back here”, he pulled his paddle into the canoe.
Marlena turned around, “Well…..okay, but you better not suck at this.”
They crawled to the middle both being careful not to turn the canoe over. Neither had their head up, but rather they were both looking at the bottom of the canoe.
“Ouch!” they called in unison.
“Now what Sherlock?”
“That’s real cute Mar”, he held on a little tighter.
“It was your bright idea Black”, she gave him a cheesy grin.
“You go right and I’ll go left.”
As they moved, the canoe rocked slightly and their legs rubbed against one another’s.
“AH!” Marlena screamed as if she’d just seen her death, “Snake!”
“What?” He turned to face her rocking the canoe even more. “What’s wronnnn…..snake!”, he yelled upon seeing what was on her side of the canoe gliding across the water, coming straight for them.
“Ah!”, Marlena sat up leaning back horrified by the creature.
“No…Mar…don’t”, he protested feeling the canoe lean to his side. He put his arms around her waist in an attempt to try to calm her down, while stabilizing the canoe. However, it just made it worse.
“John!”, she yelled as the canoe flipped and both of them fell into the lake backwards.
They both bobbed up from the water, their life jackets keeping them afloat.
“Marlena! Calm down”, he put his arms around her.
“There it is”, she had wild eyes and he knew she was terrified as the snake headed toward them.
“Oh no!”, he didn’t know what to do, they had nowhere to go.
“No! Get away from me….get away!”, she took her fist and hit the snake right on the head. It quickly glided away. Marlena let out a sigh of relief.
“Woah! You just beat a snake. Marlena Evans, just touched a snake.” John couldn’t believe it. He expected her to go into cardiac arrest.
“Yeah, well sometimes you get so freaked out you just want to kill the problem”, she laughed, a little surprised at herself.
He joined her and laughed until it became awkward. His hands were on her face. They couldn’t help themselves, they both drifted together as her arms pulled him to her. Their lips crashed together; it was anything but soft and tender. When they parted, they both quickly came to their senses.
“Why did you do that!?”, they both said in unison.
“You kissed me!”
“No, you kissed me Black.”
“What? No, Mar you grabbed my face and…”
“Uh that’s not what happened, your hands were on my face first.”
“Whatever, you kissed me and you liked it”, he smirked.
“I did not It was the other way around”, she splashed in front of him.
Water hit him right in the eye, “No it wasn’t.” He splashed back at her.
“Yes!”
“No!”
Water flew between.
****************
“Looks like there’s trouble in paradise”, Laura yelled to Bo and Peter who were a couple of yards away from her and Kristen.
“I think you are right”, Peter yelled back.
“It would be the perfect time to have some fun with them”, Kristen added.
Bo grinned mischievously, “So, who’s going to Wal-Mart?”
“It’s just so weird”, Marlena said to Hope who was sitting in Marlena’s computer chair.
“Yeah, I completely agree. Who’d have thought she would get pregnant? That show gives me the creeps, but I can’t help but watch it”, Hope filed her nails.
“I think the hatch is so strange. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s all in Hugo’s head”, Marlnea pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
“Oh Hugo! That was sooo sad when Libby died. I mean even if she was a crazy person”, Hope stopped abruptly and received the look she expected to get from Marlena. “I mean an unstable person.”
“That’s better”, she smiled and continued. “I still can’t get over Ana Lucia’s death. That was a shocker”, she sat back on her bed.
“Yep. You know Marlena, we’ve sat here and talked about everything *but* your life.”
“Oh? Well, there’s nothing much to tell”, she nervously got back up.
“Nothing? You haven’t talked about yourself since you moved to Benton. Come on Marlena you’ve got to have something to share.”
“I don’t enjoy Benton and I don’t want to relive it either. It’s hard enough I have to go there everyday.”
“Yeah, I guess I understand. I just wondered how it felt”, she pointed to the bathroom that divided John and Marlena’s rooms, “to live with him.”
***************
“John, do you want some cookies? I just baked them”, Sheena called from the kitchen.
John got off the couch, “Sure.” His reply came out a bit sadder than he’d hoped.
“John, is there something wrong? Are my cookies *that* bad?” She laughed.
“Oh, no they’re great”, he gave her a genuine smile.
“I’m just…..a little bummed out. I had a big fallout with my best friend. I found out she..uh..he…didn’t value our friendship the same way I did”, he took a chocolate chip cookie from the plate.
“This friend…did they explain their actions?”, she asked while taking a seat on the couch.
John sat on the arm of the recliner adjacent to it. “They tried, but I just…..I really didn’t want to hear it.”
“So, you want to be mad at them?” She took a cookie.
“Yeah, I do. I just need to. It’s the only way I won’t get hurt again”, he winced realizing he’d given way too much information.
“This friend sounds like a little more than a friend, John. You know everyone eventually gets hurt. Getting hurt strengthens you and it can strengthen a love. The key is not to shut down and become cold and guarded. Maybe, you should hear your friend out. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“I guess you’re right. Thanks for the advice, and the cookies”, he gave her a hug and headed for the stairs.
“Oh and John, if you ever want to talk about this girl, you know where to find me”, she smiled.
“I’m so transparent. At least she doesn’t know it’s her daughter.” He nodded giving her a knowing smile and went on upstairs.
**************
“What do you mean to *be* with him?”, Marlena was getting too nervous to control it.
“Oh gosh, Marlena I don’t mean it like that. I just wondered what living with your enemy is like. That’s got to be strange and Benton. I’d never want to trade places with you.”
“It’s strange and it’s not all fun and games. We pretty much keep to ourselves now. I mean we do, always, keep to ourselves”, she added rather hastily.
“How did the canoe trip go today?”
“So many questions Hope. Geez you should be a reporter. Uh….let me see. A snake chased John and me. In the process, we got soaked, and the guide had to come and help us get back into our canoe. It was pretty humiliating.” “I left out the kiss, and what a kiss. It was amazing, perfect, as always. He was so hot all wet……oh gosh Marlena stop torturing yourself.”
“..then Jennifer said no. I was laughing so hard, oh it was hilarious”, Hope finished and noticed that Marlena didn’t seem to have registered any of her story.
“Marlena! Hello?”, she waved her hand in her face.
“Sorry, Hope. I guess I zoned out.”
“Yeah, I think you did”, Hope laughed lightly. “Something is definitely going on with her.”
“I guess I’m just tired from all of the rowing.”
“Yeah, I should probably go.”
**************
“See ya Hope”, Marlena waved her off on the doorstep. When Hope’s headlights came on Marlena couldn’t believe it, “Oh no they didn’t!”
John heard that come out of her mouth and stopped in his tracks, “What?”, he turned on the porch light and walked outside, “They are so gonna pay fro this!”
“Does tomorrow night sound good to you?”, she turned to face him fury in her eyes.
“Sounds perfect”, he clenched his jaw.
They walked back inside, leaving the yard covered in white toilet paper.
“They are so going to pay for this”, Derek tied his black boots in the backseat of John’s Cobra.
“It’s going to take them a lot longer than the day it took us to clean up”, John clinched his jaw.
“Calm down boys, use that energy on the yards”, Marlena laughed lightly and pulled her hair up in a high ponytail.
“You know John, I’ve been wondering something.”
“What’s that Derek?”
“How come you and your Benton peers are at odds?”, Derek had been oblivious to all that had went on at Benton, seeing as how he went to Ferry High with the rest of Hawark.
Marlena immediately stopped what she was doing, wondering just what John’s explanation would be.
“Let’s just say Benton has disowned me and it’s all because of the black panther over there”, he gestured toward Marlena in the passenger seat.
“Woah! Way to go sis!”, Derek held up a high five.
Marlena laughed and slapped him one, but their celebration stopped when they saw John’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. Marlena turned back around and shrugged.
“Sorry John……”, he erupted into laughter, “I tried to say it with a straight face.”
Marlena watched John tighten his grip on the steering wheel. “Derek that’s enough. The last thing I want is to listen to you two argue all night. We’ve got to work together.”
“Yes, ma’m”, John winked playfully.
Marlena smiled at him, not ever realizing that a very nice moment had just been created.
“This is getting really strange”, Derek thought, “Just what’d she do to make him an outcast.”
***************
“This is it finally the last one”, Marlena got out of the car.
“Okay, Derek you take the back yard, it’s smaller than the front. We’ll take the front and we’ll meet on the sides”, John finished.
“I just hope a Spike doesn’t get us”, Derek grabbed all of the t.p. he could carry.
“Spike?”, John questioned, “Peter and Kristen don’t have dogs.”
“Black, he’s talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, she laughed.
“Oh, sorry I missed that episode of pop-culture”, he grabbed a bunch of t.p.
“Ok, I’m going ahead”, Derek headed to the back yard.
“You take this side and I’ll take that one”, Marlena pointed from left to right.
“Gotcha.”
****************
“This is too easy”, Derek threw a roll over a big oak. From where he was, he could see inside the living room. The aquarium light was on, but that was all. “I really should stop talking to myself”, he rolled his eyes. A twig snapped behind him, and his eyes grew wide.
*****************
Marlena threw a roll over a pine. Then started coming around the back. That’s when she saw Derek still as night. She stopped in her tracks. “Derek”, she called hushed.
“Shhhh…”, he cocked his head, gesturing behind him. “Please don’t come after me. Please don’t come after me.”
Marlena looked closer in the darkness and saw four pair of eyes. All of which apart enough to be two big creatures on all fours. “Way to go Black”, she thought…..only she said it too and that was the trigger. The rockwhilers tore out barking after her. Marlena was frozen, she couldn’t’ move.
“Mar!”, John ran full speed grabbing her hands. They ran straight toward the tool shed between the front and the back yards. Derek followed them. “Get in”, John opened the door and pushed Marlena inside.
“No”, she tired to protest.
John called to Derek, “Go to the car, I’m going to distract them.”
John ran into the woods. It was pitch black and he could hardly see where he was going. He was being scratched by briars and branches almost every step of the way, but the dogs hadn’t slowed. He looked back at the house, and just as he suspected, every light was on.
Reaching a thicket of brush, he hoped that what he thought was on the other side would be. He hit it full speed. When he came out he was at the edge of the property fence. He quickly vaulted over it and landed in the road. The dogs sat staring at him from inside, whimpering.
“Ha, Ha!” John smirked, wincing when he felt sharp pain. His clothes were torn and he had cuts and gashes all over him. Headlights came toward him while he inspected his wounds. “Oh thank gosh.”
“Black, get in!” Marlena opened the passenger door from the driver’s side.
“I thought they didn’t have any dogs”, Derek piped up.
“No comments from the peanut gallery”, John muttered.
**************
“I’m going to bed”, Derek huffed angry that he didn’t get the chance to really snow Peter and Kristen.
Marlena shut off the engine and looked over at John in the light of the carport. “John, baby”, she winced not even realizing that she’d used a turn of endearment.
“How bad is it?”, he put his hand up to his face.
“It’s pretty bad. I mean it’s gorgeously handsome but those cuts are awful”, she smiled knowing that he’d saved her again.
“Thanks”, he started to smile but took a quick breath feeling the pain.
**************
Marlena switched on their bathroom light. “Let’s get you cleaned up”, she talked hushed knowing that everyone else was asleep.
“I look like I just got mauled by a tiger”, he examined his cuts in the mirror.
“Well, you almost got mauled by a dog. So, that’s close”, she opened a bottle of alcohol and poured some on a washcloth.
“Two dogs, Mar.”
She rolled her eyes. “Black, just try and relax okay”, she brought the washcloth to his face. “Don’t scream.”
She touched it to his skin and he instantly sucked in a sharp breath, “Stop!” “I mean….stop”, he whispered, grabbing her hand.
“Oh come on John. Don’t be such a baby”, she ignored him and continued to clean his cuts. He kept fidgeting, so she blew on the spots. “Does that feel better”, she looked up at him with innocent eyes.
“Yes”, he said barely audible.
“Take off your shirt.”
He did as told and she touched the cloth to the large cut he had across his chest. Before he knew it, his hands were on her hips. “She‘s so beautiful.”
“Thanks for saving me again”, she looked into his eyes.
“Anytime”, he whispered back completely lost in all that was her. He placed his right hand on her cheek. “My face still hurts.”
“I can help”, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed the cut on his left eye, the one on his cheek, and the one on his nose ever so gently.
“Is that better?”, her breathing had increased. They were so close. The tension was so strong.
“You missed a spot”, he pointed to his lips, making her smile that dazzling smile he loved.
“I’m sorry, let me get that for you”, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tenderly their lips met.
It was gentle and erotic all at once.
“How do you feel now?” She asked dreamy eyed.
“I think I’m cured Doc”, his eyes matched hers.
She smiled up at him, “Goodnight Black”, kissing his cheek.
“Goodnight Mar”, he sighed as he watched her walk into her room. “See you in my dreams.”
Valentine’s day. That simply says it all. Either you love it or you hate it, and then again, some are just indifferent to the whole thing. No matter your preference, it leaves a vivid stamp in your mind of what it is like at school on that day. Everyone anxiously waits delivery time, whether they actually have a relationship or not.
“I can’t believe they trashed our houses like that”, Laura huffed.
Bo put his books in his locker, “Why can’t you believe it? We trashed theirs?”
“Yes, but its *us*. They should respect us”, Kristen put more lip-gloss on.
“Exactly”, Peter added bending down to tie his shoe, “I just wish Boris and Natasha had of taken a bite out of one of them.”
That earned a laugh. “Well, who’s getting Valentine’s Day presents?”, Laura changed the subject. They all looked at each other with blank stares.
Bo piped up, “That many huh?”
*************
John walked by the library. The room was filled with flowers and balloons. He had completely forgotten that it was V-day. “I should have gotten Marlena something”, he frowned.
“No, you shouldn’t have because we are enemies”, she came up behind him.
“Right”, he turned to face her with a smile.
“I know we had a…..incident last night, but we can’t be anything more than…”
He interrupted her, “what we were before things got complicated.”
Their eyes locked for a mere second and yet again, they denied themselves the one thing they both needed, wanted, yearned for…each other.
“Exactly.”
**************
“I think we need to strike”, Peter sat down at the russet lunch table.
“I agree. We need to do something to them”, Laura sat across from him.
“Sounds fun”, Bo sat down beside Peter.
Kristen joined them, “What do you have in mind?”
*************
John sat down across from Rafey J. and Marlena took the only empty seat, which was beside John. He glanced over to her, she was so gorgeous. She noticed he was checking her out and she decided to call him on it.
“Take a picture it’ll last longer.”
He was shaken, “What?”
“You were checking me out.”
“No, I was just looking to see who was sitting beside me”, he was far too stubborn to admit what he was really doing.
“Don’t lie”, she looked at him sternly.
“Oh, like you didn’t lie in front of your friends”, she was really pushing his buttons and he was bound and determined to win this fight.
She sighed frustrated, “So, we’re back to that John? We talked that through. Well, I attempted to and all you had to say was, ‘You didn’t hurt me’, and went into this gigantic man-of-steel routine!”
“Shut-up okay, I know what I said!”
They were getting louder by the minute. Rafey re-read the previous sentence; she couldn’t concentrate.
“John you might have known but you didn’t mean it. Who are you kidding? If you weren’t hurt then you wouldn’t still be holding it over my head.”
“Okay genius, you’re right. It hurt that you chose them over me! But you can’t change it. It’s too late!”
“I was wrong. John, I liked being your friend”, she touched his hand.
“Friend? See you can’t even admit it to my face”, he pushed her away, “We were more than that!”, his eyes pierced her soul.
She fought back tears, “Yeah! So what?!!? It’s over! You won’t forgive me even though I’ve apologized. You just don’t care!”, she threw her arms up in the air.
“I care! If I didn’t care then I wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place. And I’m not going to get hurt by you again”, his glance fell from her to the table.
“Oh, so you are afraid? You don’t have to be. I’m not going to do it again”, she wiped the tears that had begun to fall.
“Why should we even try?”, his words were exasperated.
“Why should we John? I don’t know”, she looked down at her hands.
“BECAUSE YOU LOVE EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!” Rafey J. slammed her book down on the table, shook her head and walked out.
She brought them out of their one on one to notice the entire lunchroom staring at them.
“Bookworm can speak!”, Bo blurted out, while the rest of the crew and the rest of the lunchroom sat with open jaws and wide eyes.
The bell rang immediately after his remark, and everyone stumbled out of the lunchroom. None of them had really recovered from the shock.
“She’s right”, John turned her face toward him with is right hand, “I love you.”
Their eyes locked and tears glistened in her eyes, “Black, I love you too.”
Marlena and John walked into the house. They hadn’t gotten the chance to talk while at school, really…really…talk.
“John, Marlena? Is that you?” Sheena called from upstairs.
They glanced at one another both feeling helplessly frustrated.
“Yes, mother what is it?” She put down her purse and keys on the end table closest to the staircase.
John followed a smirk on his face as he took in the view from behind.
“Will you please take Marissa to the park?”
***********
“She really is adorable,” Marlena crossed her legs, watching Marissa slide down Big Red, the largest tunnel slide in Lilling County.
John picked at the flaky green paint on the bench, “Yeah she is. “ Turning his attention towards Marissa, “She’s so much like mom. She says I remind her of dad”, he laughed lightly; “I think she’s right.”
Marlena’s eyes found his, “I’m so sorry John”, and she reached for his hand.
He smiled touched by just how much he loved her. “It’s okay. I’m getting used to it. It just takes time, ya know?”
She nodded admiring him, everything about him.
“Anyway, let’s talk about something else,” he put his arm around her.
“Like? How we owned the lunchroom today?” They laughed.
“I’m sorry, I know I’ve been a jerk,” he played with her fingers.
“No, I was the jerk and the idiot,” she kissed his hand.
“Yeah.”
“What’d you mean ‘yeah’? You were stupid too,” she sat up, less relaxed in his arms.
“I must really love you,” he shook his head.
“Deal with it Black,” she smiled slyly. “You’re stuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Mar.” He leaned in. Their eyes closing, their lips grazing.
“John!” Marissa yelled stomping her foot with her arms crossed.
“Rissa, what is it?” He turned to face her.
“You promised me that you would push me in the swings.”
*************
“So, Marissa do you know any cute guys? I mean, is there a boy you really like?” Marlena turned around in her seat.
Marissa looked out at John pumping gas by her window and answered, “You mean the way you like John?” She cocked her head to the side.
Marlena smiled sheepishly, “I like him.” She looked out the back window as she watched him go in to pay.
Marissa giggled, “You almost kissed him.”
She looked from side to side, unsure of what to say. “No. He almost kissed me.”
“Um……what’d….I…miss?” John sat down in the driver’s seat, his words drawn out after hearing what Marlena was discussing with his little sister.
“Nothing,” Marissa giggled.
Marlena just turned around and shrugged.
He studied them both, “Yeah, riiiiight. Try telling the truth this time princesses.”
“John, Marissa is on to us,” she turned where she could see both of them.
“The kiss?”
“Almost kiss,” Marissa corrected.
“Yep.”
“I see, well Rissa this means you’re going to have to keep a very important secret for us.” His eyes fixed on her.
“You can’t tell my parents, okay?” Marlena smiled reassuringly.
“What about Derek?”
“No, you *cannot* tell *him*.”
“So, you are ashamed of each other?” She questioned rather presumptuously.
John and Marlena were completely thrown by her question.
“I…”
“Uh…”
“No,” they stressed in unison.
Marissa looked back at them confused.
“My parents and Derek can’t find out, *yet*.”
“We’re going to tell them…”
“Just not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well, we can’t because it’d change things in the house,” her sentence ran out rapid and
John couldn’t help but contemplate what she was insinuating, his mind wondered effortlessly.
“Oh.”
“Alright Black, your princesses would like to go home now”, she turned to face him completely.
John was lost in dreams and visions of her, them, those rooms….right together….
“Earth to John!” She waved her hand in front of his face.
“Oh man, sorry about that.” He smiled a bit awkwardly.
She wondered what that was all about, but decided not to pursue it. “It’s okay.”
”What am I thinking? Come on Black, she‘s not just some girl, she‘s the perfect girl and that‘s what she deserves. Class and Dignity. Not some one night or every night sta…..ohhhhhhh man.”
“Oh man,” Marlena yawned, stretching her arms overhead, “I am sooooo tired.” She got up off the couch and walked over to her parents on the loveseat.
John watched her; everything she did was sexy. He couldn’t help it if his eyes gravitated to her.
After hugging both her parents, she turned back around. “Catch this look Black.”
John’s eyes locked with hers. “What? Mhmm.” “Yeah, I think I’ll go call it *the* night…call it *A* night,” he quickly corrected.
“Okay, John. You seem like you need some rest,” Brett joked.
“Brett, don’t tease him; he’s tired,” Sheena countered, “Goodnight John.”
“Goodnight,” he headed up the stairs.
“What is wrong with them? It’s only 10 o’clock. I think lame ol’ Benton is starting to rub off on her,” Derek chimed in, “I mean if I didn’t know better…..nah….there’s no way.”
“No way what?” Brett questioned.
“Oh, it’s nothing dad. *Really* it’s…..it’d be impossible.”
**********
John walked ever so slowly until he reached the corner; his steps quickened to a fast walk, a jog, and then transformed into a full sprint. “Wow,” he closed his door. Throwing off his navy Aeropostale polo. He took a quick glance at himself in the mirror, and decided that he looked just right. No shirt, just jeans….that way if he was wrong it’d be okay, and if he was right…it’d be fine too. He opened her door after lightly tapping.
“Mar?” Where are you baby?” He peered through the darkness of her room. Her blue lava lamp and the small green neon glow of her computer’s start button were all that lit the room.
“I’m…”, she placed her hands around his back, meeting his chest, “right here,” she whispered into his ear.
John spun around fast, his hands finding her face. “You look,” he took in the sight of her wearing one of his tee shirts, “Beautiful.” He smiled, their expressions matching.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she ran her hands up his muscular bare chest. She had *that* look in her eyes. “Black, kiss me.” She put her arms around his neck pulling his face down to hers.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he nearly mumbled as his lips grazed hers.
Soft, subtle sped into passionate-erotic. His hands traced down her back…….while she used her legs to pull him even closer; her back against the wall.
“I love you,” she whispered, her breath quickening as their make-out moved dangerously forward.
Nipping her neck, “I love you.” He breathed huskily.
*KNOCK*
“Marlena, I forgot to tell you. Hope called,” Sheena reached for the doorknob. “Why is your door locked?”
Both of their eyes shot open, and John quickly went back into the bathroom. Marlena grabbed a pair of shorts out of the closet in .5 seconds flat and had her door open.
“Sorry, about that mom. I must have forgotten to unlock it after I changed.”
Sheena couldn’t believe it. Marlena was wearing a guys’ shirt and she knew she’d seen this blue Gap before. “Derek’s?” However, it was getting late and she didn’t feel like bringing it up, so she pretended to ignore it. “Oh…..Anyway, Hope called and I told her that you’d call her back, but then I completely forgot about it. So, don’t forget to call her in the morning.”
“Sure thing mom,” she smiled uneasily. Hoping, it was dark enough in her room to hide the flushed look on her face.
************
“Oh man. What was I thinking? We can’t keep this a secret. It makes it look worse than it already does.” John ran his hand through his hair.
“John,” she opened the door, finding him staring in the mirror.
“Mar, I’m so sorry. I mean what if…oh man…I’m so sorry,” he faced her, his words stumbling out.
“It’s okay, baby,” she laughed and walked up to him.
“Sweetheart, I don’t think this is the right moment,” he put his arms around her waist.
Looking up at him, their eyes locking, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“You know I love you more than anything in this whole wide world, right?” He put his right hand on her cheek.
“Yep, because I feel the same way about you,” she pulled him in for a tender goodnight kiss.
“Hey…Hope…why don’t we all get together tonight?” Marlena plopped down in her butterfly chair near the window. “Great! I can’t wait! See ya at Olive Garden.” She clicked the phone dead. Silence invaded the room, leaving her vulnerable. Looking out the window, she tried to find some courage from something. The sky….the trees—anything and everything that lived gracefully ignorant to the complication of life. “What are they going to say…when I tell them that I’m in love with John Black…..” She buried her face in her hands; a smile dancing across her lips. She couldn’t help it; he excited her. Knowing, she was in love— thrilling. Yet, there was a part of her that feared losing her friends. She’d seen what John had gone through, but she’d also seen him give everything up for her. Furthermore, she’d seen his eyes when she denied him. She’d never do that again, as long as she lived.
“You okay?” Marlena was so engulfed in her thoughts she hadn’t heard her mom open the door.
“Oh….yeah. I’m fine.” She turned giving a reassuring smile.
Sheena had spent a large part of the morning contemplating, and she’d come to one conclusion. “You seem….bothered by something. Well, a better word would be preoccupied.”
Her eyes flicked from…right…to…left, a means of deliberation. “Preoccupied? It’s my senior year, Mom, of course I’m preoccupied.” She tried to laugh it off.
“Are you sure this isn’t about something….else?” Sheena took a seat in the black pc chair, across from her daughter.
“What do you mean? Why all the questions Mom?” Marlena got up, walking over to her dresser.
“It’s a boy, right?” She turned to face her.
Looking at her mom through the mirror, “I guess I’m busted.”
“Who’s the guy?” She smiled, happy that Marlena had finally admitted something was going on.
“Yeah. Who’s the guy?” John leaned against the open hall door, grinning from ear to ear, arms crossed.
Marlena glared over at him, trying desperately to hide the beginnings of a smile from his view. “Mom, he was a total jerk at first, completely intolerable. But then he changed, or maybe he didn’t change at all. I just realized he’d never changed from who he was originally. Does that make sense?”
“No.” John stood truly confused
Marlena rolled her eyes, “I was asking Mom.”
“Jerk?” She looked at John.
Intimidated and little shocked John straightened up.
“Yeah at first.” Marlena nodded unsure of where her mom was going with this.
“I just don’t believe that.” She said as a matter of factly. “John could never be a,” she did air quotations in finishing, “jerk.”
*************
“I can’t believe your mom was so, ‘okay cool’, about us.” John laced his fingers in with Marlena’s as they walked from the parking lot into the restaurant.
“I know! I couldn’t believe it. I guess it’s because she knows how,” she stopped him, wrapping her arms around his neck, “much,” she kissed his lips ever so softly, while his hands found her waist, “we love each other.”
Beaming with adoration, “Baby, I really like what you are wearing.” He twirled her around. She had on a lingerie styled bright red/orange/yellow top and a pair of dark jeans.
“Yeah,” she smiled, “well I like what you are wearing too, Black.” He had on a white collared polo style shirt and dark jeans, as well.
“Thanks Mar. I’m glad you like what you picked out.” He laughed.
Slapping him playfully, “Hey, baby you’d look great in anything.”
“You’d look great in nothing.” He rapidly finished his thought, taking her hand and leading them inside, hoping in the cover of numbers he’d be safe from receiving any type of reprisal.
“John!”
“Shhh..” He pretended to be perfectly serious. “You’ll alarm your friends, and they’ll see us before you are ready.”
“It’s going to happen sooner or later. I love you, and if they can’t accept that then they aren’t real friends anyway,” their eyes locked.
“How many?” The waitress asked, bringing them out of their own world and back to the real one.
“Oh we’re…..” Marlena started before being interrupted.
“Here with the Hawark party?” She questioned.
Marlena nodded, and the waitress led the way.
“More like to crash the party.” John whispered into Marlena’s ear.
They were holding hands, fingers laced; as they followed the waitress’s slow melodious steps to the Hawark “party.” Each glancing back and forth at the other, Marlena with fear in her eyes—squeezed his hand tighter—while, John gave her reassuring looks. Around a plum carpeted corner, they caught their first glimpse of the group.
“Thank you.” John poked the lady in the back.
“We want to surprise them.” Marlena added, gesturing for the lady to nod or something, so that they knew she understood.
Looking a bit dazed, the woman stopped, as if they weren’t standing there in front of her. “Um…..” Then it happened, the light came on. “Ok.” She scurried back to the front of the restaurant.
Shrugging, Marlena watched her disappear into the ashen walls.
John rested his arms on her neck, gazing into her eyes. “You sure about this?”
A smile floated across her lips, “John. I love you. That’s *all* I need to be sure about.”
“Mar, take a look over there.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, as he turned her toward the faces of Hawark within the faux-foliage that hid them from view; rested his head on her shoulder, kissing the bare skin around her spaghetti strapped top.
“If they are my *true* friends, they’ll understand. Just like you said.” She pulled his arms in, making them completely encircle her. “Come on,” turning in his arms she kissed his lips, quick. “Let’s do this, Black.”
“I love you.” His voice was full of conviction. Never had he said those words to her, without such soulful honesty….he always meant it.
Smiling serenely, she kissed his lips again….this kiss lasting a little longer than either expected. “Yum….save that for later.”
“Later.” He put his arm protectively around her.
Every step, she eyed her “friends.” Hope was laughing almost uncontrollably at something Jack had said, most likely he was teasing Jennifer—she was rolling her eyes in an over dramatic motion. Taking it all in were Abe and Lexie, both with content smiles on their faces. The corner had been turned….they were only a couple of feet away, yet none of them had even looked. Another step…she squeezed his hand…he squeezed back…Abe was turning his head…Lexie was following….they were almost there….eye contact.
“Marlena?” It came out, like it wasn’t supposed to be heard. Abe was visibly shaken, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.
Lexie did a double take, “What the…”
Simultaneously, Hope’s head turned toward them, her laughter stopping in its tracks. Jennifer’s jaw dropped to the floor; Jack, who had just taken a drink, spewed tea everywhere, erupting into chokes.
“How’s everyone doing?” John smirked, his arm resting around Marlena’s waist.
Marlena didn’t know what to say, so she just moved to her chair beside Abe and Hope. John pulled her chair out for her, and stole one from another table, placing it between Marlena and Abe.
Abe, Lexie, Hope, Jack, and Jennifer were floored. Finally, Abe got a word out. “John Black?”
“Yep. That’d be me.” Grinning, he held out his hand for Abe.
Abe, simply, glared at his hand.
John cleared his throat and brought his hand back.
“What is going on?” Jennifer, of all people, spoke up.
All of their eyes were fixed upon hers….John’s…her friends. However, Marlena didn’t back down; she wouldn’t break John’s heart again. “I have some explaining to do.”
“Ya think?” Hope inserted.
“John and I are dating. He’s my boyfriend. I love him, and if yall don’t like it—then I guess you never were my friends to begin with.”
He was so proud of her; taking her hand in his, he kissed it.
“You’re joking.” Jack piped up.
“No. I’m dead serious.” Marlena was not going to budge.
“We are your friends, Marlena.” Hope started up.
Lexie interjected, “I can’t believe this. I thought you hated him.”
“So did I.” John added, laughing…..no one else got the joke.
“Is everyone ready?” The lanky auburn haired waitress had returned.
All of them turned their heads toward her.
Jack nearly laughed, “You’re kidding me right?”
“I….I…can’t deal with this.” Jennifer got up, taking Jack with her.
“Marlena, we’ll call you later.” Hope said, following suit.
Abe and Lexie just eyed them like they were from some foreign land and went along with the rest of them.
The lanky waitress burst into tears. “It’s my first day. What did I do wrong?”
“Aww. Miss, you didn’t do anything.” Marlena spoke up.
“Yeah, they hate me. Not you.” John reassured her.
The girl sniffled, “So…do….you….want a smaller….table?”
“Sounds good to us!”
***********
Noticing she was picking around in her chicken fettuccini, John stopped mid-bite. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Startled, she stammered. “Um…what…oh….yeah. I’m fine.” She smiled.
“No. You’re not.” Putting down his fork, he reached across the small two person table for her hand.
Laughing, she brushed a couple of stray strands of blonde out of her eyes. “I wasn’t thinking about *them*. I was thinking about…mom….our rooms. Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get back to the house and you’ve been moved to the other side of the building.”
“No way! You’re mom loves me! She completely trusts me!”
“Yeah, true. But I don’t think she’ll trust me.”
“Oh. Well that makes sense.” He replied matter-o-fact, before taking a bite of his chicken parmesan.
She nearly choked on her Coke, “What? Oh no you didn’t, Black!
“Oh no you didn’t?” He burst into laughter.
“You are so mean!” Throwing her napkin at him, she pouted, crossing her arms across her chest.
“Baby….come on. It was a joke.” He pleaded, putting his fork down, reaching across the table—his fingers climbing across her folded arms, in an attempt to coax her hands out.
Turning her head, Marlena tried her best not to laugh…his fingers were beginning to tickle her arms.
“Fine.” He stopped, going back to the nearly empty plate in front of him.
Whipping her head around, she couldn’t believe it. He just stopped….he never stopped. “John?”
“I’m not talking to you anymore tonight.” Carefully, he let the words slip through his lips, without smirking. He had the perfect plan.
“You are such a….”
“Would you like you’re check?” Lanky had returned.
Marlena rotated back around toward the girl, “Yes!”
Lanky nearly started to tear up again, before leaving the check, and walking away.
Desperately, he fought the eruption of laughter that threatened to come out.
“Look at what you made me do! You are just trying to get under my skin aren’t you? Yeah, that’s it…..Black, I hate you. You are such a freakin’…..I don’t know what you are!” She grabbed her purse, and started to walk away.
“Marlena.”
“What do you want? No. I don’t care. It’s my turn not to talk to you.” Justified, she carried on out the restaurant.
**********
Dangling his keys, “Someone forgot who had these?” John walked into the parking lot, seeing Marlena standing, arms crossed, in front of his Cobra.
She rolled her eyes, determined not to speak to him.
Suddenly, he grew serious. “Marlena. I was just playing around. I was joking. Please don’t blow up over this.”
Still cold and distant, she replied. “Sure you were.”
“Mar. Come on. I love you. You know that.” He took her hands in his, kissing each one.
She still wouldn’t look at him.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. What can I do to make up for everything?” His eyes searched for hers.
“Hmm….” She thought long and hard. “Surprise me. Sweetly. Every day next week.”
“You got it!” He grabbed her face, his lips pulling for more of hers.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Marlena started laughing, nearly doubling over, as their lips parted.
“Gee. Thanks.” He didn’t know what was going on with her, but that kiss was good. What was so freaking funny?
“I got you! I so got you! And you thought you had me!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his face over and over again.
“Mar!” He couldn’t help but laugh. She had completely floored him. “I love you!” He picked her up, swinging her around into the humid southern night air, both perfectly content.
“I…..love….you!” She managed to get out in between giggles.
*************
“That is so adorable.” Lanky spoke to a chubby young male waitress next to her.
“Where were they from?” He inquired.
“Hawark….well….they hated that guy…..so Benton. Nah. She wouldn’t have been sitting with the Hawarks if she were from Benton.”
“Sounds to me like she’s from Hawark and he’s from Benton. Strangest thing I’ve ever heard of! A Hawark and a Benton, that’s insane.”
“Insane? Maybe. But I think it’s beautiful.”
“Want to go get a drink after our shift?”
“I’d love to.”
Sheena had decided to tell Brett the moment he came home, that their daughter was in love. More over, she was in love with John. “How’d it go today?” Sheena embraced her husband, relishing in the feel of his strong arms.
“Great. Could have been better if you had of been with me.” He kissed her cheek.
“Speaking of love.” She winked. “Your daughter is in it.”
“What?” He sat down on the couch, pulling her into his lap.
“It’s exactly what Lindsey and I used to talk about.” She laughed, becoming somber at the thought of a dear friend. “She and John…are in love.” She couldn’t have been happier.
Trying to hide the grin on his face, he turned his face towards her. “I’ll kill him.”
Laughing, she caught the movement at the corners of his mouth, slapping him playfully. “It’s not like that. At least…” Her mind flashed back to the night she came in to see Marlena wearing a guy’s shirt.
“Uh huh.” He nodded. “Maybe we should have a moving night.”
“Movie night!” Marissa came tracing down the staircase. “I love movies.”
Sheena buried her face in Brett’s chest, hiding her laughter.
“Oh boy.” He muttered, smiling at Marissa.
************
“Mar.” John turned off the TV, and got off her bed.
“What?” She crossed her legs behind her, as she propped her head up with her hands.
“I…” He knelt down at the foot of the bed, his face inches from hers. “Love…you.” His lips gravitated towards hers as she smiled.
“Holy…” Derek stood in the doorway of Marlena’s room—her mom had instigated a new rule; they had to keep the door open when they were alone together.
Marlena’s eyes shot open, as John hopped to his feet. “Derek…I can explain.” Getting off the bed, she crossed the room, coming to stand in between John and her brother.
“Please do!” Derek kept his eyes on John, while John stood his ground.
“John, oh man, this is not going to be easy.” She glanced at the floor, somehow finding strength from the cream carpet; she raised her eyes. “John is my boyfriend.”
“You are joking.” Derek started laughing, hoping. “You got me…and John…geez you actually played along.”
“Derek…” John started to speak.
“It’s not a joke.” Her eyes explained it all.
Anger came first. “I’m going to kill you!” He took two steps towards John, but Marlena blocked his path.
“No. Don’t do this.” She pleaded.
His eyes fell back to her, “Marlena, what are you thinking? He’s a Benton!”
“A disowned Benton.” John spoke up—remembering the night of the Christmas Play, smiling at the memory.
“I…I can’t deal with this.” Derek walked out, needing a break from the pressure.
***********
John and Marlena walked to Anatomy; their fingers laced.
“Prom! Oh my gosh! I almost forgot.” Marlena stopped in front of a hot pink flyer with all of the information from the photographer that would be taking pictures at prom.
“We still have a month.” John laughed.
“I don’t even have my dress yet.” She turned to him. “Stop laughing at me.” She tried to hide her smile.
“You’re funny. I can’t help it.” He kissed her nose.
They started walking towards class again. “Well, I don’t want to look like Raggedy Ann.”
The mention really made him laugh, until he saw the larger than life poster that loomed above them. Kristen for Prom Queen! Peter for Prom King!
“You won last year didn’t you?” Marlena turned to him with sad eyes.
“Yeah.” He smiled sheepishly. “And you won at Hawark right?”
“Of course.” She winked. “Oh well, Black you’re my prom king.”
“And baby, you’re my prom queen.” He cupped her chin, bringing her lips to him in a slow sweet kiss.
The outcasts—Rafey J., Simone, Ham, and Waldo—witnessed the exchange as they came down the stairs.
Waldo turned to Ham, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
************
Ms. Lan drew the animal cell on the dry erase board, as half the class slept.
John wrote in his notebook—You’re beautiful when you’re bored—and put it on top of Marlena’s.
She smiled over at him, taking her pen out and drawing a heart, I love you.
He took it back from her, I love you more. Wanna make out?
Marlena had to stifle her laughter, Right here?
He looked back at her with a full grin, before replying. Why not?
She shook her head, Because we are in the middle of class and we aren’t discussing the many uses of the mouth today.
He looked back up at Ms. Lan, making sure she still had her back turned. But you use it so well.
Marlena took the notebook from him. So do you, which is why we can’t. You know we are loud sometimes.
He stifled a laugh. You and your sexy moans.
Marlena took the paper, drawing a half smiling face with blushing cheeks.
“Marlena and John are passing notes!” Laura yelled out, waking up the entire room with such force that Bo knocked all of his books off his desk.
Ms. Lan turned around to see John and Marlena’s shocked faces. “Is that true?” She walked to the back of the room.
John slipped the notebook below the table and into his lap. He started scribbling everything out as fast as he could because Ms. Lan always read notes out loud.
“Laura needs to mind her own business.” Marlena glared at her.
“John, hand me the notebook.” Ms. Lan ignored Marlena’s comment.
He looked up at her with his best puppy dog face as he slowly handed it to her.
With a sigh, she began to read. “But you use it so well. So do you, which is why we can’t. You know we are loud sometimes. You and your sexy moans.” Appalled, Ms. Lan sat the notebook down, her eyes wide. “John? Marlena?” She looked at them as they blushed, and Marlena sank down in her chair, while the room exploded into laughter.
“We’re really sorry Ms. Lan.” John piped up. “It won’t happen again.”
“Well…” She struggled with her options. Usually, she would split them up or take them to the office, but they had never caused trouble before, and they were cute. “It better not.” She walked back to the front of the room. “Now, who can tell me what the mitochondria of the cell does?”
Marlena let out a sigh of relief, looking at John who glared at his former friends. Nobody messed with his girl.
“It’s okay, I’ll handle it.” Marlena whispered in his ear, smiling reassuringly as she took his hand in hers underneath the table.
Nodding, he brought their hands up, kissing hers simply because he loved her.
Derek watched the clouds drift by above him as the day began to turn to night. He had always loved the colors of dusk, a constant calming influence on his life. It was crazy, Marlena, his sister, and John Black. He half expected Armageddon to come before the sun went down.
“Derek! I’ve been lookin’ everywhere.” Marissa ran off of the patio and onto the concrete of the pool’s edge.
“Marissa, hold it!” He jumped up and grabbed her up in his arms. “You know you aren’t supposed to be running by the pool.”
“I know.” Avoiding his gaze, she looked down at his navy Auburn t-shirt. “But I couldn’t find you. And then I did.”
He laughed and sat her back down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were looking for me.”
“Well, I was. Why were you out here hiding?” Those eyes watched him, John’s eyes.
“I was upset about something.” He took her hand and walked to one of the fold out sun chairs.
She sat down next to him. “About what? Did someone call you names at school today?”
“No.” He laughed and grew serious. “Did someone call you names?”
“No. But my friend Alicia gets called names because of her really long nose. She gets this look on her face. You kinda looked like her.” She swung her legs off the chair, back and forth above the ground.
“I’m just upset about…your brother.”
“John? What’d he do? Do I need to hit him?”
Laughing, he seriously thought about telling her to do just that. “No. I just found out that he and Marlena…like each other.”
Marissa nodded, as if he’d just told her that a Twix was chocolate.
“You knew about this?” He turned to face her.
She nodded. “Are you mad at me?”
“No. I’m not mad at you.” He took her hand. “Come on, let’s go play the PS3.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him. “Did you really used to be my brother and Marlena’s butler?”
“Yeah. I did.”
***************
“Oh my gosh!” Marlena sat up, making ruffles in John’s navy blue silk comforter. “I love them!”
John laughed at her enthusiasm and turned his stereo up. “I guess you are gonna want to borrow this one too, huh?”
“Yes.” She stated innocently, and held her legs close to her chest.
Kissing the top of her head, he sat down on the bed beside her. “There’s something about a girl who loves CCR.”
She looked up at him. “Does it turn you on, Black?”
“I think everything about you turns me on.” His words were a hushed whisper as he moved in to claim her lips.
The insistent ringing of the phone stopped them. With a groan, Marlena grabbed the cordless that lay at the foot of the bed. “Hello.”
“Marlena, it’s Hope. I wanted to talk to you. And I wanted to apologize. I just…well it’s hard to believe that’s all.”
Marlena stretched out on her stomach, while John patiently traced circles on the back of her bare calves and allowed himself to have a racy daydream about the two of them.
“Slow down Hope. It’s okay. I’m not going to hang up on you.” She reassured her.
“That’s good to hear.” Hope paused unsure exactly about what to say or even how to say it. “I don’t want to lose our friendship. You’re my best friend. What would I do without you or all of our inside jokes?”
Marlena let out a sigh of relief. “Hope, I’m sorry that I didn’t confide in you and tell you sooner. Telling you all at dinner was probably not the most mature way to do it.”
“It’s okay. I really should have picked up on it sooner. You were acting pretty strange. I just thought there was no possible earthly way that you would end up liking much less dating John.” She said his name as if she’d invented a new word.
“Neither did I.” Her words wistful, she looked behind her at John, who was looking at her with a look so deep it made her heart skip a beat.
“I’m not saying that I’m happy for you. I mean I spent half my life talking about what a pompous jerk he was, but then again you wouldn’t like someone who was. It’s just confusing for me, and it’s going to take some time.”
“Hope, thank you. I know that if you just get to know him you’ll see what I see, well not exactly the same or I’d have to kill you, but you know what I mean.” Marlena finished a smile in her voice and on her lips.
“So, is it okay if I come over tomorrow?”
“Any day or time that you want.”
Hope laughed. “You got it. Bye Marlena.”
“Bye Hope.” Marlena sat the cordless back down on the bed. With a sigh, she smiled up at the heavens. It was a step in the right direction.
“So, what’d she say?” John tore his eyes away from her legs in those short cotton green shorts.
“She wants to keep our friendship.” She smiled. Inside, butterflies were performing a circus act. “He wants me and he wants me bad.”
“That’s great Mar!” John smiled, and got up off of the bed to turn off his stereo.
“John?” Marlena followed him.
“What is it baby?” He turned around, only to find her standing in front of him.
“We need to talk.” Taking his hand, she sat him down on the bed.
“Okay.” He smiled. “What’d you want to talk about?”
“You and me.”
Panic set in, fearing that he’d ruined everything he started rambling. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Marlena. I just…well you…I’m really sorry.”
She tried not to laugh at his boyish panic. “John, it’s okay. We need to talk about this, the house is empty with the exception of our siblings and they’re in Derek’s room. We aren’t going to find a better time.”
John nodded, still not feeling any better about it. “I want you Marlena, in every way. I can’t lie about it, and it’s getting to where I can’t hide it either.”
“I want you too. I can’t sleep. I just keep thinking about you…and how we’d be together. And then you are a room away from me.” Speaking her innermost thoughts only made the urge to succumb to them stronger. Slowly, she straddled him, placing one hand on his face. “I want you now John.” She breathed.
All of his mind screamed no, but everything else said yes. Carefully, he eased them down on the bed, holding her head in one hand, and his weight with the other. She needed to feel his lips and lunged up for them. Eagerly, his own lips came down for hers. When he felt her tongue in his mouth, he started to lose all resolve.
She wrapped her left leg around him, while he traced it with his hand. When they broke kiss for air, he breathed out huskily. “I love you.” It was all it took, and suddenly his heart and mind began to agree.
“I love you.” She reached for his belt buckle, and started undoing it. There was something sexy about taking his belt off; it made her all the more excited.
“Wait…” John pushed her back, softly as if she were made of porcelain. “We can’t do this.” He sat up on the bed and started silently naming off his favorite NFL quarterbacks.
“What?!” She lay there stunned, before sitting up. “John, I want you.” She pushed him back down, and crawled over him until they were face to face. With a playful smile, she took his lips.
He kissed her again, using his tongue to taste her, and rolled them over so that he was on top. Looking over her, seeing those dark hazel eyes, pink lips, and barely there freckles on her nose—he could do nothing but love her unconditionally. Sitting back up, he took her hand in his. “I don’t think this is what’s best for us.”
“Are you scared?” She looked into those blue eyes for any sign of fear.
“Yes. I’m scared, but not of that.” He laughed as he finished. “I’m scared because I don’t think either of us is ready for this. Do I want it? Yes. But I think we should wait. Do you agree?”
With a sigh, she looked down at their hands. “Yes.” Looking back up at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re right. We aren’t ready for this.”
“And Mar, I’m afraid that once we start doing that…we won’t be able to stop.” He winked, letting his forehead rest against hers.
With a laugh, she winked back at him. “I’m afraid you’re right.”
“Is it just me or does this Lady Macbeth chick seem a little…disturbed?” John stopped at Marlena’s locker with her, his attention focused on the Macbeth cliff notes paperback he was cramming.
“Yeah.” She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer; with a jerk, she opened her locker.
“I don’t get the whole three witches thing. What was Shakespeare on anyway, opium?” John never looked up.
Before a textbook or notebook could fly out, she grabbed her Calculus book. “Yes!” That was all the time it took, just a moment of sheer triumph and…BAM! The avalanche started.
“Really? I thought that was Poe.” John stopped reading.
Marlena let her Calculus book fall to the floor and used both her hands to push the pile of books and papers back into the small metal locker. Once she got the pile pushed back into place, though still eagerly falling, she slammed her door. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Her government book was hanging in and out hindering the locker from closing.
John forgot all about Shakespeare. “She’s so cute when she fights her locker.” He put the paperback in his back jean pocket and rushed over to help her. “Let me try.”
“You have to jerk and push.” She held the door with one hand.
John nodded and did as told. He pushed the government book into the pile; he and Marlena slammed it shut. “Have you thought about cleaning that?”
“Shutup!” She slapped his arm.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Coach Adams smiled. He knew all about Marlena, and all about what happened between her and John—the teachers’ version left out a few details, but was close enough to see the beauty of it. Despite the students’ hatred for the two of them, the teachers had warmed up to Marlena, and thought her John were adorable.
“Thanks Coach. I think you saved my throwing arm.” John looked from the tall light haired man back to Marlena.
Marlena crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, hiding the smile that lurked underneath. “Can you believe him?”
Coach Adams chuckled. “Actually I do. My wife hits harder than most of the linebackers I faced back in college.”
“Thanks Coach.” John beamed, looking down at Marlena.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s that Coach?”
Ineffectively, the older man tried to mask his excitement. “College. Coach Tuberville called, he wants you to come down to Auburn and take a look around.”
***
“Derek, come and sit down. I need to talk to you.” Sheena caught her son as he stepped into the front door.
Running a hand over his blonde surfer boy hair, his nervous system hit overdrive. “Okay, what about?”
Sheena sat in the recliner, while Derek sat on the couch. With a stern gaze, she spoke. “I got a letter today. From Ferry High School. Now would you like to explain why and even how you’ve been going to Ferry behind our backs?”
Derek squirmed in his seat. “I wasn’t going to Benton. You and dad wouldn’t listen to me! I tried to tell you that it was a terrible idea. I mean did you know that they egged Marlena’s car?!”
“I know your father and I might have underestimated the state of relations between Hawark students and Benton students, but Derek that does not excuse forging documents and keeping something that huge from your parents.” Crossing her arms, she sat up prepared to extinguish the typical Derek smart comment.
“Would you have rather me not gone to school at all?!” He jumped up from the couch. “I know I should have told you, but come on…you would have gone ballistic and started in on the whole, ‘Black needs a babysitter, best friend…’”
“Derek Michael!!” Sheena jumped up from the recliner. “He lost his parents!”
Derek stopped his tirade, feeling like a complete jerk. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of it. It’s just that…I couldn’t go to Benton. That’s it. Bottom line. The end. So, yes, I went behind your’s and dad’s backs, and that was wrong. I’m sorry. What happens now? Are you going to make me transfer?” He searched his mother’s brown eyes.
“No, we aren’t going to make you transfer. You’re going to finish the year at Ferry with your friends. But your father and I are going to have to decide on your punishment because you lied to us about it.”
The front door opened, making both of them stop and turn to find Marlena and John. “I think it’s amazing!” Marlena beamed, holding John’s hand in hers.
“It’s not that big of a deal.” John held a straight face.
“Oh come on!” Marlena stopped in the foyer.
With a full smile, John laughed. “Okay, it’s a huge deal!”
“What’s going on?” Smiling, Sheena changed her tone.
“Mom! It’s the most amazing thing!” Marlena rushed over to the living room.
John blushed and followed close behind her. His happiness was momentarily lost when he saw Derek’s cold stare. “What is it Marlena?”
“Tommy Tuberville, called about John. He wants him to come to Auburn and see the campus and…I mean we all know what that means.” She finished smiling with immense pride.
“Oh my gosh! That’s wonderful! John!” Sheena pulled him into her embrace.
Derek shook his head. Disappointed in the universe, guilty for feeling contempt, even saddened, he headed up the stairs to his room.
***
“Hi Hope!” Brett opened the door, and gestured for Hope to come inside.
“Hey Mr. Evans. How are you?” She asked as they walked down the open foyer.
“I’m doing fine.”
“Hey Hope!” Sheena said from her seat on the couch, turning away from the television.
“How are you?”
“Good. Marlena’s upstairs in her room.” Sheena smiled as Brett sat down next to her on the couch.
“Thanks.” Hope started up the stairs, nervous despite the fact she had no cause to be—John was the one with the cause. Knocking on the door frame, Hope stopped at Marlena’s open door.
Swiveling around in her computer chair, Marlena greeted her with a smile. “Hey! I’m glad you came.”
“I’m glad I came to.” Curiously, she glanced around the room, but found Marlena occupied it alone.
“He’s in his room.” With a grin, Marlena read her mind.
“Oh.” She sat on Marlena’s bed and pushed a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear.
“I thought it would be best if you didn’t walk in and see us together. It tends to shock people.” Marlena thought back to Derek’s dazed and somewhat pained expression.
With a light laugh, Hope nodded, and then grew serious. “Why does this feel so awkward?”
Shrugging, Marlena looked down at the floor. “I don’t know. But it does.”
“Maybe it’s because we aren’t gossiping about boys or television.”
Smiling, Marlena spoke up. “That can be fixed. Did you see Grey’s last night?”
Hope sat Indian-style, getting comfortable. “Oh my gah! I can’t believe that Izzy would do that with George!”
“I know! And what is up with Meredith wanting to drown in the bath tub?”
“I thought it was…”
The girls stopped gabbing when they head a knock on the door frame. Marlena smiled seeing John standing there. Hope took a deep breath. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Come on in John.” Marlena moved to sit on the bed with Hope.
“Thanks Mar.” He sat in the computer chair and looked over at Hope. “I’m glad you came over. Marlena says you’re the best girl she knows.”
Hope nodded. “I thought long and hard about this and about what I was going to say to you when I got here.” She turned her brown eyes on her best friend. “So, if you don’t mind Marlena, could I have a few minutes alone with him?”
“No…no…no. Please baby, don’t say yes.” John telepathically attempted to plead with Marlena.
“Sure.” Uncertainty floated in her voice.
“Thanks.”
John watched her leave the room taking all of his security with her. He turned his frown into a smile when he saw Hope turn towards him. “What’d you need to talk to me about?”
“You and Marlena.”
“What’d you need to talk to me about?” John faked a smile.
“You and Marlena. She deserves the absolute best. And I just want to know if that’s you.” Hope raised a questioning brow. “How do you feel about her?”
“I love her.” He stated simply.
“Uh huh. Well, why do you love her John?”
Big red lights flashed in his mind, and he knew he had to be careful how he answered. “I…she’s…um.”
Impatient, she cut him off. “Just tell the truth.”
“I don’t know how to do anything else. I’ve always loved her, my whole life. I’ve denied it; I’ve fought it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I love her because she’s her. I love the way she’s honest. Don’t get me wrong she knows how to be subtle, but when she’s threatened she can take anyone on and win.” At that point, he was unconsciously smiling. “I love the way she cares about people. She wants to make a difference. I love that about her. Oh and the way she doesn’t eat the brown M&M’s because she thinks they’re boring…” He laughed. “I love it. And she’s gorgeous…”
“Okay okay! I get it!” She laughed at his enthusiasm. “Geez, what a girly answer.”
“What?!” He couldn’t believe she’d said that, made fun of his honesty.
Rolling her eyes, she smiled relieved when she saw Marlena come back into the room. “It’s a joke John.”
“It sounded like a low blow.” He watched Marlena sit by Hope.
Glancing back and forth between them, Marlena final spoke, “What happened?”
“You were right about his sense of humor. I mean when it comes to himself. I asked him why he loved you and he gave me this gigantic list of reasons…like so cheesy.”
“Hope!” John stood up. “I want to die.” He felt embarrassed, as most guys do when someone makes fun of their innermost feelings.
“Like what did he say?” Marlena blushed, leaving her eyes on John.
Seeing the almost excited way she looked at him, as if she couldn’t wait to hear his reasons for loving her, he sat back down.
“Something about how he loves the way you’re a fighter and compassionate, and then he said something about the way you eat M&M’s…” Hope hid the smile that lurked in her words.
Marlena’s eyes locked with John’s. “Gosh, I love him.”
“I made a comment about it and it apparently offended him. Of course, he didn’t let me finish.”
“Go ahead.” Tearing his eyes away from Marlena, he looked to Hope.
“I was going to say I believed you. And I sorta approve.” She looked away from the two of them, unable to meet their faces with that admission. “But if you hurt her…” Hope glared at him. “I’ll kill you.”
“Thanks Hope!” Marlena pulled her friend into a hug.
“You know you’re alright when you aren’t being such a…”
“Black!” Marlena turned to face him.
“What?” He shrugged. “I was going to say ‘snob’.”
***
“Okay, what about this one?” Marlena came out of the dressing room wearing a slinky black strapless full length dress, with a slit up her left thigh.
John, who had been slumped in his chair, bolted up straight. “Wow!”
“I don’t know.” She looked down at the sequins that lined her waist. “I don’t really like the waist. It doesn’t go with the dress, it’s just, kinda there.”
“Wow.” John couldn’t take his eyes off of that slit that showed plenty of her leg and even part of her upper thigh.
“John!” She put her hands on her hips.
“Whaa…” He tore his eyes away for a moment, seeing the anger on her face he smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” He pointed to her left leg. “It’s hot.”
She rolled her eyes and went back into the dressing room. John shook his head and tried not to laugh. She was trying so hard to look perfect, and he didn’t understand it because in his mind she was already perfect. She could wear a potato sack and still look better than all of the other girls in the place.
“Okay. How about this one?” Marlena came back out with the perfect dress.
“Mar…” He stood up from his chair, completely shocked.
“This is it, right?” She was all smiles.
With a smile, he took her hand and twirled her around so he could get a look at every side. “That’s a fact.”
She peeked his lips and went back to change into her clothes. “So, where do you want to go now?”
“I dunno. Where ever you want.” He tried not to think about her changing clothes, but it was a lost cause.
“Come on Black. I’ve drug you all around the mall; it’s your turn to pick a place to go.” She called to him from in the dressing room.
“Bo Jackson, best running back, um…oh man…she’s probably out of that dress right now. Probably wearing some cute bright colored underwear…um…Carnell Williams, close 2nd…”John put his face in his hands. “Ronnie Brown, great player…”
“Black, seriously, don’t you ever get tired of football?” She laughed standing in front of him, clothed in a pair of skinny jeans and a cream GAP tee.
Standing, he gave her a crooked smile. “All the time.”
“Okay.” Puzzled, she just let it go and took his hand so they could go to the register and check out.
Marlena handed the red-head her dress and pulled out the credit card her mother gave her to use to buy her prom dress with.
John started to zone out as he worried about his waning self-control where Marlena was concerned. When she took his hand back in hers and started out of the store, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of her voice.
“Okay, where do you want to go? You never did answer me.” She said as they passed Kirklands.
“I’m kinda hungry. You want to split a Cinnabun?” He looked down at her. Her hair was up sort of messy, with a red headband pulling the front back. “She’s so beautiful.”
Smiling, she looked into those blue eyes that she adored. “Of course.” Taking his arm in hers, she held onto him as they walked. “I love you.” She whispered, her words muffled by the sounds of the mall.
“I love you.” He put his arm around her and kissed her head as she leaned into him.
“I have to tell you something.” She decided now was as good of a time as any. He was gorgeous in his jeans and an American Eagle red tee. She loved how he willingly wanted to match her everywhere they went, so that everyone knew they were a couple. Any other guy and that would have made her furious, but not with John. She wanted everyone around to know that she was with John just as much as John wanted them to know that she was with him.
“What is it sweetheart?”
“I got a letter today, from Colorado State. They’re offering me a full academic scholarship.” She dropped the bomb, watched his smile fade and then reappear less genuine than it originally had been.
“That’s great!” He tried to sound supportive. He was supportive; it just hurt to think about being away from her. “They have a great psychiatry department don’t they?”
“One of the best. And they have a 96% acceptance rate into medical school.” The last thing she wanted to do was to ruin their day, but she had to let him know. “But John, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I mean I’m still waiting on Auburn’s offer.”
He stopped them in front of Abercrombie & Fitch. Looking into her hazels, he spoke from the heart. “I want you to do what’s best for you and your future. I’m not going anywhere Mar. I don’t care how long I have to wait or how far away you are…I’m always going to love you…you and only you. So, when you decide, I don’t want you to think that you have to choose between me and your future as the best psychiatrist the world has ever seen.” He finished with a smile, and pulled her into his embrace.
Marlena couldn’t believe it. He was the most amazing person. And still she feared he was wrong. As she moved out of his embrace, he put his arm around her shoulders and she put hers around the back of his waist. “You think I’m going to be the best psychiatrist the world has ever seen?”
“I know you are.”
“Heads up!” Marissa yelled slinging the football through the air to John, her dark ponytail swinging in the cool spring wind.
John dove into one of the holly bushes in the yard to catch the ball. “I’m okay!” He yelled back triumphantly, ball in hand making Marissa erupt into giggles.
“Next time throw it on the other side of that pine tree.” Derek told her.
“Okay, I’m ready.” John trotted back into the open yard.
With a Chestier-Cat grin, she tossed the ball where Derek had directed her to.
John ran for it, but pulled up before he made it to the tree. “Rissa! What are you trying to do, kill me?” He went around and picked up the resting ball.
“Derek told me to.” She pointed to him, despite Derek’s arms waving in protest.
“Oh yeah?” John placed his fingers near the laces.
“Yeah!” Marissa yelled back, nodding this time.
“Mari…” Derek started to try and talk her out of her tattling, but he was interrupted when the ball flew directly in front of him, a mere millimeter from his face.
“Take that as a warning, Derek.” John pointed to him arrogantly.
Derek clenched a fist. “Your warnings don’t scare me Black.”
“Guuuys stop.” Marissa interceded, throwing her head back in exasperation. “Why do boys always do this? Why can’t they just play and have fun?” She asked the skies, making both Derek and John crack a smile.
“Truce?” Derek asked.
“Truce.” John ran back up to where the other two stood.
Marissa enthusiastically added, “Now that’s better!”
***
“I really hate seeing that face every single morning.” John shook his head as he and Marlena entered the building.
“Oh whatever Black. You know you…” She went in front of him and walked backwards, “want her.”
“That’s not even funny.” He said with nothing less than disgust and contempt, making her laugh.
“In all seriousness, Kristen has gone overboard, plastering her face all over the school. And don’t even get me started on Peter.” She faced forward and moved back next to him.
“Marlena…” John stopped in his tracks, eyes wide staring at the wall at the top of the stairs.
“What? What’s wrong with you?” She laughed at the way his mouth was hung open in a giant O.
“Look.” He gained some semblance of composure and pointed toward the top of the stairs at the end of the short hall.
“Look at wha…” She began but her words trailed off as she saw the giant poster that ran along the back wall. “You didn’t?”
“No. You didn’t either?”
“No.”
“Well, who did?”
“I have no idea.”
They stood in shock staring at the giant black poster with neon yellow writing that said, “John Black and Marlena Evans for Prom King and Queen”.
“This isn’t good is it?” Marlena looked over at John.
“No. This is really bad.” He looked back at her. “Those two…” He pointed back toward the front of the hall where Kristen and Peter’s posters hung.
She finished for him, “…are going to kill us.”
***
“You skanky whore!” Kristen stormed towards Marlena as she entered the lunchroom.
“If you have nothing nice to say, keep that…”, she pointed to her mouth, “…shut.”
“You’re going to lose. You are going to be so sorry you ever thought about campaigning for Queen.” She spat her words out, venom seething from each syllable.
“Don’t you have a coffin to get in or something? The sun is awfully bright out today for your kind.” Walking past her, Marlena sat down beside John.
“What’d she say?” He asked concerned.
“Just the usual mix of unintelligible words, and looks of pure and utter hatred.” She smiled back at him, grabbing the water he handed her.
“Same thing we’ve gotten all day, huh?”
“Yep.” She took the bowl of fries he’d gotten her from him. “Thanks for grabbing my lunch.”
“Anything for you.” He smiled, sitting down his Gatorade and leaning in to kiss her cheek. “So, how was your meeting with Ms. Monroe?”
Her smile faded at his question, and she turned her attention to opening up ketchup packets for her fries. “Good. It went really good.”
Taking a deep breath, John sat down his hamburger and watched her. “She didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear did she?”
Not knowing what to do, she started eating her fries to appear disinterested. “I just went to ask her a question about one of the local scholarships I applied for. That’s all.” It was a pathetic attempt to lie.
“Mar. Come on.” He waited for her to tell him the truth. Once heard, he would figure out whether or not he could handle it.
Stopping all activity, she pleaded with him. “Just let it go, John.”
Leaning in closer, his eyes searched hers for any sign of her thoughts. “She told you to go to Colorado didn’t she?”
Finally losing her resolve, she threw down a fry and turned to face him. “Yes! She told me to go. But it doesn’t matter what she thinks, or anyone else!”
“Exactly.”
“It’s my decision and I have to make it based on me and what I need!”
“I know.”
“I realize what a great opportunity it is! I get that! But I…” She stopped her rant, realizing he’d been agreeing with her the entire time. Taking his face in her hands, she locked onto his azure eyes. “I love you Black.”
“I love you.” He touched her chin, searched her face for any more clues. She hadn’t answered his questions or addressed his fears. He wasn’t even sure that she could.
She went back to her lunch, and placed a fry in her mouth. “You know these aren’t half bad.”
“So, who do you think made those posters?” He took a bite of hamburger.
“I can’t think of anyone that still likes you.” She said nonchalantly, waiting on a response.
“What?!” He grabbed his chest as if his ego had been rammed by a sledge hammer.
“Well, besides me.” She grinned.
“That’s better.” John took one of her fries.
“I just don’t know who would do something like that.” She took a drink of water.
“Me neither. But I’m determined to find out.”
“So no more talk about college?” She looked up at him, hopeful that he would stop bringing it up. Every time he did she could see the pain and the uncertainty take hold of him, and it tore her heart apart to think that she was doing that to.
He only asked because he was scared, and he knew wasn’t sure that she would make the decision with her best interest in mind. It broke his heart to think that she would stay in Alabama with him and someday come to resent this place and everyone in it—including him. “Okay, okay…no more talk about college.” His lips curved into a well-meaning smile.
“And we’ll find out who’s doing this together?” She stuck her hand out.
He took it in his, shaking it, before a mischievous smirk captured his lips. “Together.” He pulled her to him, not caring that they were in the middle of the lunchroom.
Her laughter filled his ears as she took his top lip between hers, not caring about their audience anymore than he did.
“PDA!” Kristen and Laura yelled in unison.
“Get a room!” Peter added to Kristen’s inappropriate screeching scream.
Bo said nothing. He found himself laughing at the spectacle his “friends” were making.
“Bo!” They called him on it.
“What?”
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Kristen stared at him with cold grayish eyes.
“No. I’m not.” He grabbed his tray and headed for the garbage can. Suddenly, he got that feeling in his stomach again—that feeling that he was alone.
~~~~~
The Jarlena Journal 