Tick

Tick

Tick

The wall clock kept indicating me the amount of time that I was wasting in thinking about the unexpected that happened. But I couldn't get over it. How could I? After all, it was everything that had never happened and I hadn't thought it would feel so good when would happen.

Except one-third of the classmates, no one really knew if there was a girl named Loretta Ryder coming to school, who didn't even bath the alternate days. Today, everyone. Almost, everyone was staring at the girl who dared to befriend the infamous Marcus Brent.

My classmates were looking, Joan and Alyssa were gaping, the hot but an idiot Ted Lovell had noticed me and even talked to me. Even in the classes, everyone was giving me those curious looks.

I sighed dreamily.

As if Marcus came like an angel and changed the air around me. Though, I know the attention I got was not because Marcus was a nerd and a silent guy. It was more than that. It was because he had never let someone enter his life. He had always been alone and never looked desperate to change that.

But now I knew, how desperate he was to have a crime partner.

Team

He had called us a team. It felt like he had some ambitions in his mind. But frankly, I could already guess that he just had a bucket list where all his stupid dreams were written. And he wanted to tick it all out and have the fun in his last year.

But what happened today was nowhere looked like it was helping in improving his school life. Was it? They all already knew Marcus. So, I got the attention. I got the ride to home. I got someone to talk in my boring journey from school to home. I got an erotic novel in gift and a promise to have my scores raised up soon.

What was Marcus even getting by making me her girlfriend?

I stared at the ceiling, remembering how Ted had given him those raised eyebrows as if he couldn't believe Marcus had gotten a girl for himself. Same was the reaction from other classmates of him. The girls on the other hand had their attention more on me. Those judgmental eyes on me were giving Marcus the scores.

Good

Average

Poor

I rolled my eyes. Damn this high school! I was great back at my hometown. With Nana and all the cousins, I would never had to go through these massive injuries and that creepy ass boyfriend along with the upcoming perks of being with him.

Boyfriend

The word wasn't leaving my mind. I had broken a home rule that I had been following so proudly and religiously. Mom would freak out. Totally. Her reaction could be hilarious with all the chapter of Creepy Brent's, that she would begin with. But it won't last with just that.

Instead of one, I would have both of my legs bandaged.

I huffed to myself, thinking how till now I had successfully kept all the secrets from them. They never got to know I went to Joan's brother, Jacob's party that even in a very short dress that I borrowed from her. They never got to know how I was still continuing with the fast food and my erotic taste of novels.

It was easy.

But yeah, I would just have to keep my face straight all the time.

No goofy smiles, no cheeky comments, no stupid tongue-slips.

________

"Why are you behaving so strange?"

To say that I was startled, I would be lying. I was horrified. My mom was angel at some moments and sometimes, I would think that she knew some black magic.

She walked out from behind the counter at the floor of the little dining hall. Pointing the knife at me, she narrowed her eyes.

The cheeky smile that I had so wide on my face, became more wide when I remembered how close the handsome and tall Marcus Brent was to me when he was handing me that book. Damn if Joan and Alyssa would have seen. They would have been jumping fan-girling the new couple. I had giggled to myself.

Now, keeping the straight face I shook my head. "No," I gave her a confused look and pretended to hold the most innocent look of mine. "Ah! It might be because of the sudden pain in my back. It is affecting my walk. Right? Even Joan had commented today-"

Pushing a strand behind my ear, she put her hand with the knife on her waist. "You are having a pain. Then, why were you giggling as if a prince charming had muttered a naughty joke in your ear?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Wow! You have such great imagination," I taunted.

Turning her eyes way too stern, she turned around and got back to cutting the vegetables. "I am not imagining things, Lori. I am just keeping myself confirmed that the creepy neighborhood had started it's games or not. We have been living here for like five years. Never had something like this happened. I don't understand why Morgan all of sudden try to hit you-"

I rolled my eyes. "It's Marcus," I sang while still standing there, crossing my hands now but not before taking a bite of the apple in my hand.

She nodded. "Yeah, whatever the heck his name is. But he hit my girl with a bike. I shared this with Lily, my colleague. Do you remember her? She lives right on the next street. She came at the Christmas two years ago."

My energy was draining from her intense worried looks that she was giving me. "Yeah, her ten-years-old son broke my favorite photo frame of ours."

"Yes. She told me that Brent's never approach anyone without a reason. . ." She trailed off while I was gawking at her in shock.

"Mom! They aren't approaching us. That happens when someone comes from the front, greets you and all of that shi.t." I lowered my eyes when she looked up from her vegetables to focus at me. "But that Morg. . . Marcus came from behind me and threw me in the air. Do you get that? It's not approaching. It's just happened by chance."

Looking up, the very subject was thrown miles away when mom shrieked, "Threw you in the air!" She clutched the knife tightly. The red lipstick on her full lips made her look more petty while she banged her fist on the counter. "I am going to approach his mother again. What do you mean by throwing you in the air? Oh yes! I saw the footage. You were in the middle of the road and then at the side-"

"Mom-"

"Obviously, you wouldn't have flied like a damn crow. You were thrown by her ghostly son."

"Mom!" I frowned at her choice of words. I didn't know why her calling Marcus a ghost didn't seem right when he was capable of being so lively. He could laugh for all I knew and could race with his death bike and feel the thrill.

Ghosts wouldn't do that. But ghosts can scare you.

And Marcus was scary. . .

"Are you even listening to me? I will complain to his mother. Is there anything he said or did to you?"

"Dad!" I whined loudly, turning around to look at my father who was so lost in his favorite TV show. Thankfully, he had listened and signed with his hand.

I stomped my healthy foot and walked towards him, giving Mom a very angry look. "Weren't we ahead of the whole complaining thing? Mom had already talked to Mrs. Katherine which I know wasn't a talk but more like arguing and threatening. Now, she will do it again."

Dad chuckled beside me. "She won't. She herself doesn't want to come in their eyes. It's her anger dripping out. . ."

"Are you sure?"

Dad nodded while I sighed in relief. Only I knew what could happen ahead if she would go to the Brent's again.

Another blackmail.

______

I gripped the phone hard, glaring at the window of my room. Walking from left to right in the little space beside my bed, I kept ignoring his calls.

The phone kept ringing again and for a moment I thought, I would pick up but now I felt too shy to do it. It's not like we were in love but he called me his girlfriend and who knew what shade of his would come out at this night.

The phone silenced and in another second, it beeped. My eyes raised as I realized he had sent me a message. Gulping, I slowly opened it and regretted immediately when I read.

Open your window and pick up the damn call, Loretta.

I could swear, I heard his voice in my head. Feeling my raised heartbeats, I started to chew on my lip. What would he talk about on the phone? And what would he freaking do at seeing me through the window?

The phone vibrated in my hand, making me jump. I breathed heavily and finally picked up.

"What's up your ass?" I growled in a whisper.

He didn't seem to like my way of talking as a five seconds silence followed.

"The roll of your test papers. But no. They are better out and in the hands of your mother. Right?" Came the soft-velvety voice in a calm tone. Might I add, he sounded sleepy.

There was a storm there in my chest going on with the way my heart fluttered at listening his voice and beat faster when I realized what he just said.

"You wouldn't," I whispered in horror.

"Only if you come to the window and open it."

My eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "It's way too cold out there. The heater is on in my room-"

"I won't repeat again, Loretta. Come to the window and open it."

I gulped, feeling not so normal about this. I wouldn't open my window every night. This was strange because he himself hadn't really opened his window. Feeling angry, I started stomping towards the window.

A curse escaped my mouth when extreme pain jolted in my leg. Clenching my jaws, I swiped the curtain to the side. Opening the bolt, I pushed it open, glaring at his window which was covered with checkered curtains like always.

My teeth gritted while I muttered, "Watched my face? Now happy jerking-it-off. I am sleeping." I was about to cut the call.

No, I wasn't. I was pretending to when his cold voice came, "I don't masturbate."

The anger drained so smoothly and now that all was left, amusement. "Ever?" I asked.

Silence until he replied, "Twice. A year before but not now."

"You are lying. 70% boys of your age masturbate."

He hummed for a second. "You sound confident. I shouldn't be surprised since you have grown up watching porn. . ."

"Since last year, Marcus. And I have read it somewhere." I had started to feel embarrassed all of a sudden.

"Facts like these pull your attention more," he teased, in his same calm tone.

I rolled my eyes, smiling shamefully. "Stop, now. Why did you call me and got the window opened?"

Silence followed again. This time for ten seconds, I kept waiting.

"A boyfriend can call his girlfriend at night."

Something moved inside my chest, I inhaled strongly. "To talk sweet things. Not discussing the masturbating facts or blackmailing her," I grumbled.

"I just wanted to know if you did the homework," he said.

I breathed slowly, wondering why did he care. "I did. Half of it, I would do tomorrow in the break."

"Wow," he muttered sarcastically, sounding way too disappointed. "Way too paying back your parent's hard work."

The words hit me hard, I blinked rapidly. "I couldn't do it. Maths, okay? I will just copy Joan's answers."

He sighed heavily. " You could have asked me, Loretta."

"Can I, not fearing that you would ask for something in return?" I muttered nervously.

He clicked his tongue. "Didn't I tell you, I would help with everything in return for you being my girlfriend?"

I smiled. "So, you are saying it because it was your side of the deal. Not because I am your girlfriend and a boyfriend helps girlfriend with her problems."

Silence followed but this time, he spoke a little early to my expectations. "Because you are my girlfriend."

Heat crept my neck, I giggled. "You sure, Marcus? Ten problems are left. You might be sleepy."

"I sleep late at night, after studying. It's my break going on and I can help you," he explained innocently while I couldn't help but swoon over his nerdy talks.

"So?"

"Get back to your study table, switch on the lamp and tell me the problems." He guided me while I did accordingly but not before closing the window.

I was expecting his objection and felt weird when he didn't. As if he knew what I was thinking when he spoke, "By the way, you look dull in those shorts. The light yellow doesn't suits you."

My eyebrows raised as I looked down over my legs. "Do I care what you think?" I lied, burning in embarrassment inside.

"You do, or wouldn't be checking your ass in the mirror."

I gasped, looking back at the window and glared at it when I heard him chuckling. That's when I remembered, my study lamp worked well for him to observe my silhouette roaming in the room. I shook my head, thinking how easy it was for him to watch me all these times. My curtains were plain too, to his advantage.

"Even if you are my damn boyfriend, don't think I would start wearing your colors. I am not wearing clothes for you," I said, taking a last look in the mirror.

"Right. Because soon, you won't even wear them for me."

My legs shivered as I felt his voice turning more softer. "So, Marcus Brent is flirting with me?"

"No. We are just having a night talk. I have the right to." I was only getting to my study table and sit when he suddenly said, "I am sorry if you felt like I was harassing you. I am sorry. It slipped. . ."

My eyebrows raised as I could clearly imagine those awkward expressions on his face. I smiled cheekily. "It's okay. But what are your colors by the way?"

"Will you wear them?" Gosh, he sounded so hopeful, I almost blushed. I clicked my tongue.

"Just curious, so I would never wear them when you're watching."

He breathed slowly. "Dark. Brown, Violet. Red and Black."

"Suits you, stalker."

He chuckled. "They'll suit you too, Loretta."

A wave of soothing delight passed through my shoulder, I was swaying. Smiling to myself, I bit my lip when the scenario had turned way too intense for us strangers to behave truly like a couple. As if he himself had felt that, he cleared his throat.

"Shall we start?" I asked, picking my pen and opening my notebook.

"Yeah. Tell me the first problem."

I heard him shuffling something as if he was finding a notebook for himself. His voice came muffled and I could picture him picking the pen in his mouth while he talked. He must be doing that whenever he was dissolved into solving questions.

Slowly by slowly, we reached the seventh question with him groaning over how I was interrupting him in between and how dumb I was to not understand the simplest of theorems. I only chuckled at his concern, enjoying the help so much.

Until. . .

I started to feel sleepy and didn't bother to tell him the same.

_______

"How is it going with the new couple?"

_

Thank you for giving the book a chance and I know, it would seem different with the way I am focusing on the basic things in a teen's life and not the trendy ones that actually happen now-a-days. Actually, both their characters are loner and way too innocent from the lack of hanging out and trendy discussions that happen within the company of friends.

The story will slowly go forward and soon, it all will be understood where it is going. Till then, I hope you enjoy it. I am trying my best to bring out best of their shades.

"Loretta has finally got someone to help her with the homework and its a big big thing for her. But what is Marcus getting in return? After all, Brent's don't approach someone without a reason. But wait! It's not like, Marcus even approached her. He just hit her from behind." 😉

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