M A R N I E

"So what is it?" I ask as the red-headed girl sits right across from me digging into her food.

"Last night, I was at medusa street." She replies swallowing her food, she looked so pretty in her sundress.

"Okay?" I urged her to continue, she looked particularly on edge.

"I saw this girl like hugging Arthur and kissing her cheek and all that." She said and it felt as if someone had put out their cigarette in my flesh.

That burn. That unfamiliar burn I could only point out as jealousy.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but that's not what I called you for. There was more." She says and I just about die.

"What?" I breathe out, I've lost my appetite. Coming to this lunch was a mistake.

"Oh, not about Arthur." She waved her hand and I sigh easing in my seat. I raise an eyebrow and it looks like she is collecting herself.

Willow takes a deep breath before putting her hands together and sighing.

"I'm going to go to school next year." She says and I gasp grinning.

"Oh my God." I squeal in excitement.

"I know right I'm so excited I am going to be two years behind you though, you know because I missed out on pre-med education. But I am seriously so excited." She says and I tilt my head grinning at her.

"I am so excited for you, congratulations!" I put my hand on hers and she smiles.

"But I don't have funds for books-" Before she can even finish the sentence I squeeze her hand.

"You can have mine. I have the first-year books in the garage, I'll get those out." I say and tears line her eyes.

"You don't even know me that well, thank you for doing so much." She says sniffling and I give her a look that screams 'you're a dumb bitch'.

"Oh come on, that's what friends are for." I wave my hand and suddenly an idea pops into my head.

"You know what? This calls for a celebration." I say my eyes a bit wide and she raises her eyebrows.

"Like what?" She asks taking a bite of her food.

"Well, I've had fun all weekend so maybe on Thursday, we can go to cameo and party," I suggest with a smirk on my face.

"What does having fun all weekend got to do with any of this?" She asks innocently and I sigh.

The fun of having non-asian parents. Or strict parents to be honest.

"Well according to my parents I can't have fun two days in a row." I trail off enjoying my food.

"That's bullshit logic." She exasperates and I shrug.

"Tell that to my dad," I mutter and she scoffs.

"I would rather kill myself." She chuckles and so do I.

Today had gone by so quick, Arthur hadn't shown up to school. I guess she might be tired from travelling.

•

Its Thursday and I am getting ready to go to Arthur's show. I haven't seen her since she dropped me off home on Monday after being in Sicily for more than a week.

I had called her and texted her. Even skated my way to her home only to find the door to be locked. I was worried about where she was but all I can hope is that my timing was wrong and that she had gone to get groceries or something. Or maybe her phone broke. Yeah, that sounds alright.

"Val!" I yelled as I shimmied into the white ruffle skirt.

"What?" She groans closing the book.

"You're cracking the spine!" I exclaim and I button the white shirt.

"Okay and? It adds character." She rolls her eyes and I roll mine soon after before grabbing the leather corset bustier whatever you would like to call it.

"Come on tie this for me," I order her smiling through the mirror and she groans before helping me with it.

"Thank you, do I tie my hair up or let it down?" I ask and she steps back looking at me.

"Get your boots on first. I'll think after." She mutter and I sigh before putting on my black boots with silver chain accents.

"Is this too emo?" I ask and she raises an eyebrow scrunching her face.

"No, but what's wrong with emo?" She asks fixing my skirt.

"It just isn't my style," I mutter before grabbing a little clear hair tie and taking two small pieces from the front and tying it back. I pull out a couple of baby hairs and small pieces before Val hands me my eyeshadow palette.

"But you look gorgeous." She points out feeding me the apple she had cut up and added caramel to.

"Thanks," I say through a mouthful and do my normal winged eyeliner with a sharp inner corner and then smudging it out just a tad bit.

"Did you speak to Arthur yet?" She asks, I had voiced out my concern to her yesterday after I remembered what Willow had told me.

"What if she had a girlfriend? Like all this time." I sigh bopping my leg and she smacks my shoulder.

"Don't think that way. Besides if she does I can finally voice out my hate towards her." She shrugs and I roll my eyes at her.

"Typical," I mutter and she shrugs.

"So is that pretty girl coming to pick you up?" She asks and I nod.

"What's her name by the way?" She asks and I look at her with a raised eyebrow. She has never shown any interest in my friends.

"Willow. Why do you ask?" I point out getting up and grabbing my phone and some cash.

"Avehi." Val shrugs again, her hair is tied up in a lazy bun and she is dressed in my clothes.

Translation: just because.

But that was the deal, she will sneak out a white button-up from dads closet and I can let her borrow my Kashmiri silk PJs.

"Don't drop anything on those or I will seriously fine you." I point out with a sharp voice.

"No, the fuck you wouldn't I'm your sister." She makes an exasperated confused face.

"Oh trust me I would, I like my silk more than you. When I die I want to be buried in silk." I shrug laughing and she scoffs.

"God, why do you love silk so much." She asks and I shrug.

"Maybe because grandpa introduced me to the fine world of silk," I say texting Willow and asking her where she is.

"No, you like silk only because grandpa does and you would do anything to maintain your spot as his favourite." She points out and I scoff grinning.

"Bullshit, that's something you would do," I say and she shrugs.

"Probably, I remember when dad said he loves Harley Davidson and I had done a full-blown research on that shit just so he would speak to me or think of me in a good way." She says and that's the thing about me and Val. We never vent except when it comes to the topic of our dad.

Bonding about estranged relationships was our forte.

"Guilty." I whistle and she laughs.

I receive a text from Will saying she's right by the corner.

"Okay, I'm going to head out now," I say making my way out.

"I'll lead you to the door." She bows and I roll my eyes smiling before walking down the stairs and to the main door.

Right ad I open the door my phone dings in my hand I look at the notification and my heart stops.

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