Marley Mason and Ava DeLoughery had been sitting across from each other in silence for about ten minutes now. At first, they didn't have the right words to attempt a conversation and the quiet settling at their table was just awkward enough to make Marley squirm in his seat. The rest of the store carried on, except for Tafari Mason who occasionally glanced back at them. By the two minute mark, Ava was using her eyes to egg on Marley into starting a conversation. A little dumbstruck, he egged her back.

When the three-minute mark hit, both their eyes had relentlessly narrowed in on each other and their back and forth prodding was quickly morphed into a steady, anxious staring competition. Ava set her lips hard and glared, but Marley didn't quite mind. To him, their little battle of eyes only got easier the longer he stared at her. It gave him time to take in her skin, her lips, her curly head of hair; there seemed to always be new things to look at on the surface of Ava DeLoughery each time he blinked. But most of all, he was trapped by her eyes. Big, dark and daring. Until they snapped closed.

Exasperated, Ava fell back in her seat. "I give up. You win."

Marley smirked cockily.

Tongue in cheek, Ava worked her jaw before continuing, "I don't know how you do it." Humming to herself she leaned forward as if to inspect the boy across the table, the space between her and Marley slimming. "I suppose you have been doing it this long. By now it must be like second nature to you." She propped her chin up with her palms. Now, her voice was less accusatory and more inquisitive when she asked, "Is your tongue cut out? Is that it?"

Marley's eyes bulged before he smiled and laughed. The causality in her tone was one thing but, he thought she might have actually been serious.

He shook his head.

"Do you talk to your dad? As in, talk-talk?"

Marley gave a half nod. Sometimes.

"Who else do you talk to?"

Marley smiled. He thought for a second, his eyes glazing the sanitized table-top before raising his left hand and redirecting her question back at her.

"Who do I talk to?" she asked. Marley nodded.

Ava laughed like she didn't know how to answer that question. "Everyone," she eventually decided on.

Marley pointed at himself, eyebrows raised.

She made a sound. "Well, that's changing right now, isn't it?" At first, Marley did not move, partly because he was waiting for her to say something again and partly because something about Ava DeLoughery made him want to stop the entire world and just watch her. Then, she outstretched her hand. "Hi, my name's Ava. Nice to meet you."

Marley took her hand almost immediately. It shocked even him at just how fast he was ready to have her touch him. They both paused and Marley eventually shook their holding hands hovering above the table-top. He wanted to believe that this might be the start of a good thing, but he knew that good things never lasted. No matter how badly you wanted it to keep going, they all eventually turned sour.

"So," Ava began, looking around the store, "have you always worked here?"

Marley shook his head. No. His eyes rested on her before pointing at her with his chin. What about you? Why are you here?

The girl crossed her arms. "That is a can of worms you do not want to open."

Leaning back in his seat, Marley pursed his lips and cocked one arm over the back of the chair. Try me.

Ava DeLoughery thought on it. Her turquoise acrylics tapping against the table, her narrow eyes analyzing Marley as if she was mentally photographing his face so she could identify him again in a police line-up. She exhaled. "Sure. I mean, it's not like you're going to tell anyone, anyway."

Marley gave a soundless, dry laugh.

"Bad joke?"

Clearing the air with both his hands, Marley steered the conversation back on track. He motioned for her to continue.

"Fine. The thing is, it's summer and, well,"

Marley smiled. Obviously.

"Shut up and listen," she bit back before continuing. "It's summer and Richie and I was supposed to spend it at his parent's beach house with a few friends. It's just a few miles from here, too. We practically spent the last three months planning the whole thing. It was gonna be great." Great? Marley thought, to be locked in a house with Richard O'Riley? You'd be better off watching a ceiling fan. Same apt for conversation. "But the week before we were supposed to go, he broke up with me."

Marley paused. Ava DeLoughery was single?

"He just sprung it on me. Said he needed time to think or something. Whatever that means. So, I guess I'm just spending my days here, you know? I got tired of staying in and watching Netflix. Even that reminds me of him."

Marley did not allow his mind to go there. Instead, he nodded and took his elbows to the table so maybe she wouldn't feel so alone. It did not occur to him until then that Ava might have been familiar with pain just like he was. He thought bad things could not happen to beautiful girls like Ava DeLoughery. When she kissed Richie in the hallway everyone looked. When a teacher called on her because they thought she wasn't listening she always knew the answer. And if the world fell apart, everything would crumble but she would remain untouched.

Suddenly, their table was sucked dead and dry of all the things it had before. The jokes and staring competition felt like ages ago compared to the anxiety swimming between them now. Marley ducked his head and caught her eyes with his own before they had a chance to fall all the way down. He smiled. It's okay.

It did not occur to Ava DeLoughery until then that Marley could understand people without having to utter a word. She supposed boys like Marley Mason were selfish and did not know empathy nor compassion. When people tried talking to him he hardly spared them a glance. When a teacher sent him to detention he was already walking out the door with his black backpack slung on one shoulder. And when the world stood still to watch him, he would step past them in ignorance.

In a few moments, Tafari was at their table. Ava sheepishly blushed for not realizing that they were still in a restaurant.

Marley pointed at something on the menu, festivals, and Tafari nodded and took off again. He looked back to Ava and smiled as brightly as he could, wiggling his eyebrows. You're gonna love this.

Ava laughed. Thoughtfully she stated, "Comfort food?" Her voice did not have the energy it had before but it was getting there. "You might be onto something Marley Mason. You just might be onto something."

*

For the rest of his shift, Marley Mason pretended to not be thinking of Ava DeLoughery. Wiping tables at customers' request and carrying steaming plates of food were the types of things he wanted to consume his mind. But nothing, Marley supposes, ever happens the way you want it to. Instead, he found himself constantly replaying Ava's laugh and bright smile. The way she often said things without thinking first. Marley always had sentences rolling around in his head, crafted, edited, exact. She was none of that.

When the analogue clock in the restaurant struck closing time, the sun was still up. Sunset should have been on the horizon but the ocean was still filling that space and the too stubborn to move, forcing the sun to remain frozen in the sky. Because of it, Tafari dismissed Christina and Jimmy while he and his son stayed back for any wandering customers. No one came, really. And Marley was grateful.

"Who was that Ava girl?" Tafari asked coming out into the restaurant from the kitchen.

"Nobody."

Tafari made a sound. "Right. Alright den, how come yuh never talk about her?"

"What's there to say?" Marley asked, sipping his orange juice. "We nuh really talk like dat."

Tafari laughed loudly. "Nuh really talk?!" he gaped. "Yuh know seh mi believe yuh tek mi fi eediat more while, Marley. Yuh own fada. I doing dis ting longer than you, eenuh."

Marley laughed. "It's not like that. Seriously."

Tafari raised his hands in submission. "Okay, boss."

They waited behind the counter for another thirty minutes before Tafari finally decided to call it a day. Sometimes, the sun played a tricky game on passers-by and Jah-Jah's would find people stumbling into its doors shyly asking if they were still open. Tafari Mason always welcomed them with open arms and an open wallet. But, that didn't happen today. So Tafari took off his apron and hushed his store closed. Tomorrow would be another day.

"Look here, Marley," he said setting everything back in order and switching off all the lights, "I never see yuh talk to anyone before. Never. Yuh never seem to have any friends but Marley yuh cannot live yuh life suh."

Marley folded his arms and waited for his father by the door.

"I just don't want to see this affect yuh foreva, okay? Yuh need to overcome this." The ceiling and the standing fans all began to slow until they could no longer be heard and the restaurant didn't have a beat. Tafari fished his keys out of his pocket. "I not saying fall in love with the girl eenuh, you know how dat love ting set already—foolishness— but just try to talk to her at least. It will be good for yuh." He ushered Marley out and locked the door behind them.

Marley thought. "Is it because of mommy?" he asked. "Is she why yuh don't believe in love again?"

Tafari smiled. "I believe in love, Marley," he told him. "I just don't believe it goes both ways. Yuh can say yuh love a person but neither of you will know how much or how little...until somebody leaves. Love real, Marley, but it is always unrequited." Tafari Mason released the knot in his turban and all of his grown-out locs fell out, long, thick and strong. Only next to Tafari Mason did Marley Mason appear much more of a boy than he was.

I'm feeling spammy this week, clearly.

This week's dedication goes to because she has shown mad love so far and spams me with the nicest comments! Thank you so much! I appreciate you and I love you! Remember, readers, if you and the next dedication could be you!

This week, I want you guys to tell me who is your favourite character so far! Tell me in the comments below!