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“Don’t say it, then,” Henry says, setting my strawberry shake down in front of me and a chocolate one in front of Marco. “She’s out of your league. Why make her mad and send her running already?”
“Henry.” Marco gives him a hard look. Henry’s unfazed because he smirks before he strolls off again.
“I’m not out of your league,” I rebuff. That was mean of Henry to say.
“Yeah you are.” He reaches across the table and two of his fingers grip one of my long blond locks. “You’re in a league of your own, babydoll.” He wraps my hair around his fingers before letting it go.
“Then don’t say something that’s going to make me mad.” I have no clue how he could say anything to upset me at the moment. He’s saved me twice today, and now he’s buying me lunch. I pull my shake toward me and take a sip. I let out a small moan at how wonderful it is. Marco closes his eyes.
“Is it that bad? Whatever it is you need to say?” The look he has on his face is starting to get me worried. He looks pained. He runs his hand down his face before taking a drink of his shake and muttering that he needs something stronger.
“I don’t want you getting mad is all.”
“Say it.” I wiggle in my seat as I start to feel anxious.
“I don’t use my laptop. The tablet shit the school gives us. You can have mine for the year.” He says it gently, as if it’s a bomb about to explode.
“That’s really sweet of you.” I stare at him waiting for the rest of whatever it is he has to say that’s going to make me mad.
“So you aren’t mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” I’m grateful, not angry. Did he think I was going to rebuff his offer? Why would I turn it down? He shakes his head while another smile forms on his lips.
“Full of surprises, babydoll.” A woman stops by our table and drops off our food--two giant cheeseburgers with fries and all three slices of pie. I don’t know how she carried it all, but she made it look easy.
“Thanks.” I give her a smile. Her eyes bounce between the two of us.
“Where is Sophia?” she asks Marco.
“Home?” he answers.
Who the heck is Sophia? My mood immediately changes with her question.
“She know about this?” The woman’s eyes swing back to me. She looks a little younger than Henry. I wonder if they’re married. Wait. I still need to find out who this Sophia is.
“No. Let's keep it that way. I don’t need my phone blowing up.”
The woman laughs as she walks off to tend to her other tables.
I stare down at my food, suddenly not feeling as hungry. Why do I care about this Sophia? This isn't a date. I don’t know why that thought even enters my mind. Is this a date? No, it’s only two classmates hanging out. But he did kiss my hand, so maybe it is sort of a date. I bite my lip again so I don’t blurt out anything about this Sophia or about my confusion over whether this is a date or not.
“So you’re new. Why’d you move here?”
“My grandma and I moved around a few times since my mom left.” I press my lips together. I generally don’t like talking about that, but I’m opening up to Marco for some reason.
“Where do you live?” he asks as he picks up his burger.
“The Bradford manor.” It slips from my mouth because I’m still thinking about Sophia. His hand freezes midway to his mouth. He holds the burger there.
“You live with Trent?”
“No. I live with my grandma.”
“You said the Bradford Manor.”
“Yeah.” I don’t add in the tiny apartment over the garage.
He puts his burger down as his phone starts to ring. He pulls it out of his pocket and clears the call before dropping the phone onto the table. It starts to ring again. The screen reads Sophia. Again, he clears the call.
“Bradford as in Trent Bradford.” I haven't met any of the Bradfords. I think I may have seen Mrs. Bradford a few times in passing. The place is giant and I stay out of the way except for when Grams lets me help her with something.
Marco’s phone buzzes again. He mutters a curse. “I’ve got to take this. Eat. I don’t want you to be late back to class.” He stands from the booth and takes his call outside. I stare at my food, my appetite completely gone now. I eat anyway, because it’s pie and also because I don’t want to be rude.
I don’t know which sucks more. The Trent situation or the Sophia one.
