We get in his car to head to his house, and as we are driving, he looks at me.

"Hey! Eyes on the road!" I scold. I'm not trying to live my nightmares.

"Sorry, you're just beautiful."

I'm like literally not. Is he trying to be cliche and corny?

"Hm, I think you might need to see someone." I say.

He looks at me, confused.

"Why?"

"Because according to my calculations, you seem to be a pathological liar."

He rolls his eyes.

"Hey, you may not be what society considers beautiful, but when I look at you and then look at a model, I still see you as the most beautiful person."

"Ouch. You just told me exactly what society thinks of me."

"Well shit, can you at least give me a little credit for trying?"

"Sure, as long as you meant it."

"I wouldn't waste my breath if I didn't mean it." He says.

Once again, if my mind had a face, it'd be smiling right now.

We pull up to his house. We enter the house, and I say hi to his mom.

(AUTHORS note: I don't remember Marcus' last name. I guess the "Worst writer of the year" award goes to me! Plz tell me if you can remember it, or find it. Thx.)

"Hola! Do you two want something to eat?" She asks.

I was about to protest, but Marcus answers.

"Yeah."

He looks at me.

"Have you been eating?" He asks quietly.

"I mean, I haven't not been eating." I respond, half smiling.

"How many meals have you eaten today?" He ask.

"Zero.." I mumble.

I wasn't purposely trying not to eat, I just don't eat much. It kind of becomes habit after you go so long without eating.

He stares at me, almost seeming kind of mad or disappointed in me.

"I'm gonna start making sure you eat. Three meals a day, every day." He says.

The ward used to make me eat five meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and desert.

They had to put me on a feeding tube, once. Once I agreed to eat, they took me off the tube. They made an agreement to let me pick what food I get to eat.

I sigh, deciding not to protest against him. I knew he was only trying to help but eating made me feel heavy. It felt like if I swallowed even just a single microscopic crumb, I would immediately gain ten pounds.

"What would you like to snack on?" She asks me with a smile.

"It... doesn't really matter.." I say.

"Everything matters here. You are a guest and you shall get what you want. So what snack would you like? We have chocolate granola bars, apples, bananas, grapes, jello, pudding, yogurt, sandwiches, chips, crackers?"

She pauses to hear my answer.

"I'll take some pudding please." I say.

"Good choice, what kind?" She asks.

"Chocolate?" I say, but it comes out more like a question.

She takes the chocolate pudding and a spoon out and hands it to me.

"Thank you." I say.

"No problem." She says.

She looks at Marcus. He gives her a seemingly innocent smile and she rolls her eyes. She goes into the cabinet and grabs a packet of ramen noodles.

"Catch." She says to Marcus, right as she throws it across the room.

Marcus ducks to avoid the ramen from decapitating him. I laugh.

He goes and retrieves it from the other side of the room. His mom hands him a wooden thing, and Marcus crushes the noodles, popping the bag open in the process. Then he pours some of the crushed noodles into his mouth.

"For some reason, he loves eating those things like chips."

"They're delicious, Rose. Try some."

I bend my head back and open my mouth. He pours some into my mouth and I eat them.

"Good, right?" He asks.

"Oddly enough, yes." I say.

"Kids used to play outside and come in and enjoy a nice home cooked meal. Now you play your phones, come in, and eat hard ramen noodles." She says, smiling and shaking her head.

"Sounds about right." Marcus says, nodding his head.

"Is it okay if she stays the night?" Marcus asks.

"If she wants to." His mom says, looking at me.

"Yeah I will, if that's okay, but I'll have to go home first to get my stuff."

Marcus looks at me.

"You can borrow some of my clothes." He says.

"As much as I would love to hear you complain because I stole your hoodie and tee shirt, I still need to get my medicine."

"If you give me the key, I can go pick it up after dinner that way you don't have to go anywhere."

"If I was rich, I'd be scared, but there is nothing in there worth taking. At least not that belongs to me, and if it doesn't belong to me, then I don't care what happens to it."

"Damn the shade is real."

"Watch your language!" His mom scolds, hitting him in the head with the book she was reading.

I try not to laugh and fail.

He rubs his head.

"Ow, mom. All I said was damn."

She hits him in the head again.

He continues to rub his head.

"Okay, okay, point taken. No cursing."

She smiles an evil smile before looking at me and laughing. I laugh with her.

"Wow such a good bestie I have." Marcus jokes, nudging me in the side softly.

"Hey, I never said I'd be a good friend. I said friend. Good was no where in there."

"Well, I guess I got more than what you promised because you're the best damn friend I've ever had."

His mom gets up and rushes over to him. He covers his head.

"No, mom! Please no. I'll stop! Mom! No, no, no, NOOO!"

His mom hits him on the head with the book multiple times and I laugh hysterically.

She stops and stares at him.

"What word are you gonna stop saying?" She asks.

"Damn?" He says quietly.

She hits him upside the head again.

"That was a test! And wrong!"

Marcus sighs.

"What word will you not say?"

"None of them, none of the bad words." He says in a panicked voice.

"Good."

She walks away slowly and Marcus laughs.

"Isn't she just the best, most non-abusive mom on Earth?" He asks sarcastically.

I laugh and this time, he laughs with me.

We sit down on the couch and watch a movie. The time hits 6pm, and his mom calls us to the table to eat dinner.

"Come sit! I made steak, baked potato, collard greens, and green beans."

"Mom I see too much green on my plate." Marcus complains.

"You're not eight, boy, you better eat those greens!"

Marcus looks at me.

Help me, he mouths to me.

I giggle.

His mom sits down and we all start eating.

"How was your day at school, Brianna?" His mom asks me.

"It was good." I say.

"That's it?" She asked.

"Yeah it was just good. Went to all my classes, um, did normal school stuff." I say.

"Do you like school?"

"I think I would like it if there were less people, nicer teachers, and just if the whole society was different. Then I'd like school."

"Girl it sounds to me like you hate school. I don't like it either. I love the idea of children learning, but coming home and having to do homework? They were just learning for seven hours, can they catch a break?" His mom says.

"I hate homework, but it gives me an excuse to not go anywhere."

Marcus and his mom both laugh. I smile.

----------------------------

After dinner, Marcus gives me a long shirt to sleep in. He also gives me a hoodie. Not because it's cold, but because he's looking forward to me stealing it.

As soon as he gives me a towel and stuff, I give him my house key and tell him where my medicine is. He leaves, and I get into the shower.

I wash my body and my hair, and then I just stay in the shower. I realize that I like his house. I like his mom. I like being here.

I eventually get out, and wrap my towel around me. His mom had a new pack of underwear that was unopened and she gave me a pair. She had a tiny body so they would probably fit me. I go out into the hallway into Marcus' room where he told me to change. He has his window and curtains open so I close them.

Then, I shut the door and get changed.

I go through his room to find some lotion. When I find some, I use it. Obviously.

Normally, I would be worried about my scars and overall pale skin showing but his mom seems nice and he has already seen them, so I wasn't as worried as I would normally be. I sit on his bed and get bored, so I get out my phone and text him.

————————————————

BRIANNA: u lost ?

MARCUS: no y? u miss me?

BRIANNA: nah just wanna make sure your not stealing anything 🤔

MARCUS: oh so u care now ?

BRIANNA: no i just want to see where you are so ik u didn't discover my bad boy marcus shrine

MARCUS: you have a shrine of me?

BRIANNA: maybe, maybe not.

MARCUS: stop distracting me with this foolery. i need to get ur medicine and get outtt

BRIANNA: whatever 😎

MARCUS: you use grandma emojis

BRIANNA: ur grandma must be kewl 😎

MARCUS: 😎

BRIANNA: ok fine 😑

MARCUS: love u

BRIANNA: noooooo im just a child

MARCUS: 😂

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I always loved texting him. Everything we said stayed light-hearted.

He is a fast responder unlike everyone else I know. I'm a fast responder when I notice my phone going off, but usually I just don't pay attention. That's why he learned to start spamming my phone.

Its kind of funny though.

Actually, I find it really funny.

And also kind of...cute?

AUTHORS NOTE: hehe a double update?? Wowww!! You guys totally deserve it! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Love u.