Trigger warning: hint of homophobia
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Throughout the multiple trips Mark made from Sadie’s house to the new house with Tía’s pickup truck, he didn’t say a single word to Christy. Of course he wouldn’t after all the bullshit she pulled in the last few days. Even Sadie didn’t speak to her, with Tía still thinking Sadie drank with her friends though Mark tried persuading Tía otherwise.
Sighing, he pulled up in the new garage with the second to last group of moving boxes, while Christy just left to get the last group. After he closed the car door and entered the kitchen, Mamá wasn’t there to help unload the truck. He wandered around the living room and the hallway, then found her sitting on the stairs and wiping tears from her eyes. He sat next to her.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured in Spanish with a watery smile. “I just can’t get used to looking at this house. It’s truly ours!”
“Yeah,” he replied in Spanish as he looked around. The light walls were blank and the expanse of space felt lacking of a home, but the three of them were going to fill up this brand new place with their personalities and histories. “I’m glad I don’t have to share a bathroom with so many people anymore. Sadie loses so much hair.”
She laughed. “Girls can be messy too.” Sighing, she wound an arm around his back and rubbed his arm. “I think the move was the best thing to ever happen to us. Seeing Abuela and Tía Mariana again helped me so much.”
He and Christy had already established with each other that Mamá was far from the dark place she was in after Dad’s death. The move, plus keeping things she’d use to hang herself away from her and providing her antidepressants, were what helped Mamá find two stable part-time jobs and love life more than she ever had.
It was still odd to him that it took Dad’s death to bring about this major change in her.
Mark bit his inner cheek. “Do you think Dad would be proud now?”
She turned to look at him. “Yes. Especially you.” Her fingers combed through his dark curls. “You’re very responsible now. You helped move most of the things and you carried the heaviest boxes.”
“But that doesn’t count.”
“You have two jobs. You stay up until two A.M. just studying. Should I continue?”
He sighed and said in English, “I just feel like I’m never doing enough to make Dad proud.”
She took his hand in both of hers and smiled. “I promise you, he would be proud,” she replied in English.
He still wasn’t convinced, but he let it slide. Then he thought about what Dad would think of Christy. With her life revolving around revenge, Dad would be far more disappointed than he already was before he died. “I feel like I don’t know Christy anymore. I liked her before she went to juvie.”
“What has gotten into that girl, lying to Tía like that?” she said in Spanish, shaking her head.
Mark looked at her. “You think Sadie is telling the truth?”
She nodded. “She’s a good girl, although her language can be as inappropriate as Christy’s.” They both laughed, then she laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your sister has been through a lot. Make sure she doesn’t get into any more trouble, okay?”
He swallowed hard. He was too late in doing that, but he managed to say, “I’ll try.”
[A/N: This song is also just mentioned. :3]
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When Mark arrived to Mila’s house on foot, he planned to lose himself on this Saturday night after spending all morning and afternoon moving and lifting things weighing tons. As he walked down the sidewalk, he stretched some muscles in his arms and shoulders.
It was a plus that Christy wasn’t coming with him, instead staying at home to unpack and set up her room. He’d insisted to Mamá that he could stay at home all day to help unpack everything, but she told him to go ahead to Mila’s party. She reasoned that he needed the break, which was not further from the truth.
He needed a gigantic break from all the chaos going on lately.
As he approached the fancy double doors, the rap music inside shook the ground beneath his flip flops. He rang the long doorbell, even though he doubted anyone would hear it through the music blaring.
One of the doors swung open to show a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. As the smells of alcohol and a hint of weed wafted around him, the girl planted a fist on her hip. “Have we met?”
He shook his head.
“Isabella, but I go by Izzy,” she said as she shook his hand. “You’re Mark, right? Christy’s brother?”
He nodded.
A girl with long black curls and freckles appeared and yanked Izzy’s hand. “You’re next for karaoke!”
“Okay, okay! Give me a sec, Emma.” She turned back to Mark and smiled nervously. “Sorry, my girlfriend’s hella rude. Wanna do karaoke with us?”
He instantly shook his head. He was certainly no performer in any art form, period.
“If you change your mind, you’re always welcome to join.”
Then Emma commenced to drag Izzy toward the living room. Smiling, he closed the front door and finally took in his surroundings. There weren’t as many people as there were at the pool party, and this time most people were seniors while a few familiar faces were juniors like him. He could’ve sworn he spotted a few people in their twenties.
The song in the speakers switched to a Jason Derulo song, at the same time he heard Paige yell, “Mark!”
Grinning from ear to ear, he turned to his right to see her running and pulling him into a hug.
“Whoa,” he said as he hugged her back.
She giggled. “Sorry. I’m buzzed right now, so I’m probably gonna hug you a lot.” She let go of him, and her makeup, this time more pronounced, left him breathless once again. She had on a simple dress with abstract flowers on it and her red hair was loose.
“I actually finished moving today so I’m down to get buzzed.”
She made a face, which looked hella cute. “Are you sure you don’t wanna get fucking wasted?”
“No thanks. I wanna get home tonight.”
She shrugged and dragged him by the wrist. “Suit yourself, goody two-shoes.”
They reached the kitchen where the island was covered in bottles of alcohol and Red Solo cups. Paige went to a few unopened beer bottles and handed one to him. “For the goody two-shoes.”
He took it from her and studied her petite figure. “I bet two beers could get you drunk.”
Gaping, she slapped him on the shoulder playfully. “Actually, three can get me drunk.” She lifted up three fingers as she smiled. “Get your facts straight.”
He laughed as he opened the bottle. “I can get buzzed by three.”
“Lightweight,” she teased.
“How much did you drink?”
“Just one.”
“One what?”
She tapped his beer bottle with a fingernail.
“Wow, and you’re already buzzed.”
“Fuck, I gotta go pee.” She disappeared in the hallway as he laughed.
He trailed behind and lingered near the bathroom so she’d find him when she came out. As he waited, he didn’t see anyone else he knew, except Colette who was with Carter as Andrew was nowhere to be found. Mark hid behind a wall so she wouldn’t spot him. Then he noticed James, Dave, Kylie, and Becca in a conversation in the middle of the hallway, but Mark didn’t even know any of them that well, so he made himself look too preoccupied by a fruit painting. Paige came back out a minute later, and she returned to the kitchen to find another beer.
Mark practically followed her around for the next hour, downing two and a half beer bottles and experiencing a light dizziness. The next morning would be hangover-free and his memory would be fine. That was all he wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.
Most of the party made it to the living room where Izzy and Emma dominated the karaoke machine. The George Michael song “Careless Whisper” started playing, prompting Izzy to jump up and down.
“This is our song!” she squealed to Emma. Izzy grabbed the microphone and pulled Emma with her as the lyrics appeared on the screen.
Several seconds into the song, Carter walked into the room, stared at the girls in disgust, and yelled, “That song is fucking retarded!”
“Um, it’s a classic,” Emma replied, her eyes rolling.
“It’s a cheesy song by a dead dyke. Who the fuck cares?”
Izzy stopped the song and put a hand on her hip. “Clearly you do.”
“Fuck off, Carter,” Emma mumbled. “You always do this.”
“Did Mila even invite y’all? No one wants you here.”
“Um,” Mila said as she was sprawled on the couch. “I did invite them. I don’t think I invited you.”
That earned several “ooh”s from the crowd.
“Fucking dykes,” he muttered, then he finally left the room.
Izzy embraced Emma with one arm as they resumed the song, as if they weren’t fazed at all by Carter’s interruption. What kind of drama happened between them and Carter?
“Damn, that was crazy,” Kylie said as she stood next to Mark and Paige. “Why does he have a thing against gays?”
“Right?” Paige said, shaking her head. “He always talks shit about Izzy and Emma. I guess he’s still butthurt about Izzy dumping him, which was like, freshman year.”
As Kylie watched the pair sing to “Careless Whisper,” she seemed to get lost in thought. Then she downed the rest of her beer, before taking Mark’s and finishing his. A few people around her cheered her on as she chugged without stopping. Someone handed her a few shots of tequila as her eyes squeezed shut, then she breathed heavily.
“I feel fucking lit!” she yelled. Her arms wound around Paige and Mark’s necks and she tugged them toward her, their heads hitting hers. “Oops,” she said, giggling. “You guys are just great friends. You’re not shitty like Carter.”
Mark glanced at Paige as he opened his mouth to agree, but then Kylie let go of them before he realized it. His eyes followed her running up to Izzy and Emma. Kylie grabbed the microphone out of Emma’s hands and sang the chorus in the loudest volume in the universe. Some people covered their ears and left the room as the speakers shook the ground.
When the song ended, Izzy took the mic and said, “You’re on fire, Kyles!”
Kylie said something inaudible, holding out a hand for the microphone. After Izzy handed it to her, Kylie said, “I need to tell you guys something.”
People yelled, “What?” and “Go Kylie!”
Breathing hard on the mic, she said, “I’m lesbian.”
A lot of people answered with cheers, some with confused replies, and a few with excitement that they were right. Paige looked at Mark with a surprised smile, and he smiled back slowly. “Becca,” she mouthed. He nodded.
“Another lesbian joins the club!” Izzy yelled as she draped an arm around Kylie’s shoulders. “Lesbians unite!”
Kylie nodded and turned to the crowd. “And I’m in love with Rebecca Daami!”
A few people gasped as everyone looked around for Becca, but she wasn’t in the room. Then someone said, “She’s in the kitchen!”
As if her life depended on it, Kylie dropped the mic and ran out of the living room toward the kitchen. Paige grabbed Mark’s hand to follow Kylie as some other people joined. As soon as they caught up with Kylie, Becca was separating the alcohol bottles into groups.
“Becca!” Kylie said as she grabbed Becca’s wrists.
“What’s wrong?” Becca said, her brown eyes widening.
Kylie’s gray eyes softened. “I’m in love with you.”
A loud silence followed, with everyone frozen in place, including the two girls. Then Becca said with a grin, “Holy shit.” She interlocked her fingers with Kylie’s and smiled. “I’m in love with you too.”
Gasping, Kylie cupped her face and kissed her on the lips. Becca’s cheeks had turned red, yet her arms wound around Kylie’s neck as their kiss grew longer. Some people around them cheered while others whistled. Becca ended the kiss and pressed her forehead against Kylie’s.
Carter had just entered the kitchen, his scowl deepening. “It’s like a fucking disease,” he muttered.
Pulling away with a hand still holding Becca’s, Kylie turned to Carter. “I don’t give a fuck about what you think.”
He raised his pointer finger at them. “Neither of you talk to me ever again.”
“Good,” Becca said, followed by her and Kylie smiling at each other.
Huffing, Carter turned and stomped away.
As the two girls talked to each other excitedly and some people left the kitchen--probably since there was no more drama to watch--Paige took a deep breath. “So, that just happened.”
“I guess I kinda knew,” Mark said.
“Just admit it, you thought they were just friends.” She folded her arms as she smiled.
He shrugged, not feeling like confessing he thought exactly that. He just hadn’t known them that well to see it happening before everyone’s eyes.
They headed back to the living room, where the party mainly was, and an Ariana Grande song started playing. Paige tugged his arm toward the center of the room. “Let’s dance!”
His buzzed mind couldn’t keep up with the fast dancing around him, so he just attempted to copy Paige’s moves. She seemed to be able to focus better, since she started giggling at his dancing. He smiled, simply glad to hear her cute and sexy laugh. He sneaked a quick peek at her chest sprinkled with freckles, and the way her hips moved made his insides melt a little and a blush form in his cheeks. She smelled really, really good. It might’ve been a fruity scent. Her big smile almost making him weak in the knees, he felt surprised that he wasn’t a puddle at her feet by now.
The room grew ten times hotter as the bodies around him danced to the rhythm. One guy, probably a senior, went down on the floor and did some sick moves. Everyone huddled around him in a circle and cheered him on.
Before Mark could take a better look at the guy dancing, a small hand jerked his arm away from the crowd. He turned to see Colette’s tear-filled eyes.
Fuck.
“Just gimme one dance,” she pouted. A hip hop song started playing, and she seemed to get turnt by it as she turned around, her back to him, and yelled, “Fuck yes!” She lowered her frame and twerked, her ass hitting his legs.
Feeling awkward and still processing everything slower than usual, he just stood there and looked around for Paige. She was with other people in the circle and swaying her hips to the music. Mark would’ve rather joined her.
“Hey!” Andrew yelled as he pushed Mark until Mark crashed into a few girls who squealed in protest. In Andrew’s eyes was a fire Mark had never seen before. “You stay away from Colette!” he slurred.
The people around them froze as their eyes stayed on Andrew and Mark. Holding his hands up, Mark backed away. “I wasn’t trying anything, okay?”
James appeared from the crowd and placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “Dude, you’re drunk.”
Andrew shrugged off his hand. “I know what I saw. She’s mine.”
“And I know what I saw,” James said, stepping between Andrew and Mark. “Colette was giving him ass. Everyone saw.”
Several people agreed as others talked amongst each other.
Then Paige stood next to James with her arms folded, and though she didn’t say anything, it was like she saved the day. Mark just wanted to escape from this place with her.
“You never get the fucking hint, do you?” Colette yelled at Andrew.
“What hint?” he said as someone turned off the music.
“We’re over,” she said. “And this time, it’s for real.”
Andrew’s mouth closed as he just stared at her. Then he strode out of the room, with James catching up to him.
Mark turned to Paige who shook her head. “He’s such a dumbass.”
Carter had appeared just then, pulling Colette aside and looking serious as he talked to her. Paige noticed too, and she and Mark watched as Carter leaned down to whisper something in Colette’s ear. Then she smiled, before Carter took her hand and led her to the hallway and up the stairs.
Mark’s expression matched Paige’s gawking, and he cracked up. He was too dizzy to know what was normal anymore. This whole night was like a dream.
For some reason Paige turned serious as she looked from Colette to Mark. He asked, “What is it?”
She squeezed her eyebrows together, and he had the sudden urge to kiss the wrinkle away. She shocked him when she took his hand and led him toward an empty bathroom. Did she want to make out? He wanted that more than anything right now.
He unabashedly checked out her ass at the same time she turned to him with her face still serious. He gulped, her seriousness driving away the giddiness the beers gave him.
She pulled him into a hug, reminding him that she was as buzzed as he was, then she pulled away. “Sorry, I’m hugging you too much. I just feel like protecting you from Colette. She’s so clearly into you and I can tell she’s gonna hurt you, just like she hurt Andrew.” Her hand touched his short curls. “I need to protect you from him too. He looked so pissed out there.”
His hand covered hers on his shoulder, then moved his palm down her arm. “I’m not worried.”
She looked confused, and he wanted to kiss the wrinkle between her eyebrows again. “Why?” she asked.
Not understanding why she was worked up over this, he said, “I just...could care less about them.”
Her expression didn’t change. “Aren’t you gonna be with Colette now?”
He pulled his head back in surprise. “Why the hell would I wanna date her?”
“Oh.” She backed away from him, the wrinkle finally gone. “Oh,” she repeated, her lower back hitting the bathroom counter. “I feel really stupid now. Sorry.” She made what sounded like a forced laugh and stared at the marble floor. Even when she was sad, she still looked heartbreakingly beautiful.
He stepped toward her and his finger lifted her chin. When she finally looked at him, her blue-green eyes set his heart ablaze with a fierce desire he couldn’t control no matter how hard he tried. He whispered, “I wanna date you.”
Her eyes widened as her gorgeous red lips turned into an O. Before he even blinked, she pulled his head down for a deep kiss, and per her tongue’s demand, he opened his lips to entangle his tongue with hers. They kissed as if it were their only source of oxygen, though he felt like he was turning blue as he tasted her as much as he could. Her kiss made his taste buds crave more of the mix of beer and a sugar-like flavor that satisfied his sweet tooth.
He didn’t realize he’d been pushing her backwards until her hand clutched the faucet behind her and turned on the water. She squealed in surprise as he reached around to turn it off, the both of them laughing.
As she pulled him into another of her hugs, he buried his nose into her fruit-scented red hair. His eyes nearly rolled into his head at the scent before she said, “I guess you can tell I wanna date you too.”
He laughed. “I wanted to do that ever since the first night we met.”
Gaping, she said, “Me too!”
He leaned back to gaze at her ocean eyes. “We’re finally on the same Paige.”
She cracked up as his fingers intertwined with hers, but as her laughter subsided, her smile disappeared and she looked away. “I wanna be honest with you.”
“Sure.” He lifted their interlocked fingers so that he kissed her knuckles.
“What Jack said the other day was true. I got gonorrhea last year, and don’t worry, I got treated and everything. But I did stop dating after that.”
Still holding her hands, he blinked a few times as he processed her words slowly. “What about that date with Andrew?”
She chuckled. “I just wanted to try dating again, but he obviously reminded me why I was single for so long.” Pursing her lips, she studied him so intensely that he felt nervous holding her gaze. “I spent months by myself for once. I made time for just me. And it felt weird, because it shocked everyone at school. I did something no one thought I would do, and I don’t think I gave a fuck about what they thought anymore.” She glanced down at their joined hands. “And then I realized I never really cared about my exes. I didn’t try to commit.” Then she looked up at his eyes. “But I want to with you. I think you’re worth it.”
Her honest words made his heart beat faster and swell with something that was more than a crush but less than full-on love. It was too soon to tell what the exact feeling was.
All he knew was that, for years, he’d journeyed through dating exes that treated him like nothing. And though Paige’s dating history should’ve scared him away just as well, his heart still raced every time he saw her. She made him smile without even trying. He constantly daydreamed what spending at least one night with her would be like. He liked her teases and sarcasm, and when he was able to make her laugh, his day was instantly made. And every time he thought he knew who she was, she continued to surprise him.
Yet somehow, a girl like her saw something in him that deemed him worthy enough to be hers.
He studied her eyes now glistening with tears. “Remember when I said I thought you weren’t what people say you are? And that they can all go to Hell?”
Grinning, she nodded.
“Well, I still mean all of that. I think you’re worth it, too.”
She sniffled and wiped a tear away with her hand. “I can’t tell if you actually mean that or you’re just being sweet again.”
His shoulders drooped. “But I’m telling you the truth.”
She didn’t say anything after that and just stared off into space.
Maybe none of his words would convince her, but he could at least show her.
So he kissed her hard, making sure to let her know how much he desired her. Her fingers gripped his hair and angled his head in a way that deepened their kiss. Then her hands moved under his shirt, her fingernails scraping against his back and his sides. He had to break the kiss--much to his displeasure--to laugh at the ticklish feeling.
Smiling, she turned him so that his back faced the sink. He reached under her dress and grabbed her ass while she rubbed his erection through his jeans. His breathing quickening, their lips collided once more, their tongues in another lustful battle.
“Wanna go...” he whispered between kisses, “...to Cucina Mia later?”
Pausing, she gave him a puzzled look.
“You know, for the free food?”
She smiled. “I got free food right here.” She gestured to his growing shaft.
He couldn’t help but smile too. “I got free food too, if you’ll let me have it.” He winked.
She giggled. “One reason why you’re too good for me.”
He wanted to tell her it was actually the other way around, but his brain turned off when she unbuttoned his jeans and dragged them down, with his underwear following suit.
“Mmm,” she said, her eyes on his erection.
As he held his breath and tangled his fingers with her fiery red hair, he remembered when he used to think his crush on his sister’s enemy would die off no problem.
How wrong he was now.
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