hurt // marcus lopez x oc

twenty-two

it's been a few days since the whole poison gas thing, and we were still trying to figure out what happened and who was behind it all. i had a theory that it was lin, but i had no evidence. it just seems like something he'd do, y'know what i mean?

my nose is now in a cast from being broken. the rest of my body had many injuries but that was my most painful one. every time i move my face at all i can feel the pain in my nose. it would sting and there was constant pressure. worst injury of all time.

i started walking to ap black arts when i saw marcus at his locker. "hey." i said as i leaned on one of the lockers next to his. "hey." he said with a smile as he did the same. his face was still pretty beat up and the cut on his nose that reopened just didnt seem to want to go away. "ready for class?" i asked as i stopped leaning. he nodded and closed his locker. 

when we got to ap black arts, i sat in my seat and then marcus sat in his. willie seemed upset. willie was never too talkative in class, but today was just...different. i actually always wondered how he was always here so early. or maybe i'm just late all the time. 

"you ok?" i asked willie as i looked over to him. "yeah. i'm fine. and sorry about the other day." he said which confused me. "what?" i asked.  he didn't answer me and i was extremely confused. "um, ok?" i said as i turned forward. "good morning class." lin said as he walked into the room. "good morning master lin." the whole class said in unison. what is this, kindergarten?

all throughout the whole class, lin had been giving me weird looks. i figured he was doing the same thing to marcus because he kept looking back at me. "keep your eyes at the front of the class, mister arguello." lin said and tilted his head bit and kept intense eye contact with marcus. marcus turned back around and nodded. "my apologies sir."

it made me laugh at how proper he gets whenever lin gets pissed at him. of course i held in my laughter, but i couldn't help but smile. "something funny, miss marshall?" lin then asked me as he walked down the aisle my desk was in. i thin felt everyone's eyes turn to me. "no sir." i said slyly while keeping my chest tight. marcus then looked at me with a smirk. lin rolled his eyes and continued with the class. 

it's now lunch and me and marcus were making our way down to the cafeteria. we were in line getting our food when we heard a voice start coming from the speakers."attention students! king's dominion will be holding a school dance. almost like homecoming but you all know the rules! anyone and everyone is welcome." the speaker said, their voice sounding muffled. 

"a dance?" petra asked as me and marcus got to the table. "i guess lin wants king's to seem normal." i said with a shrug as i sat down. "i mean, it could be fun right?" billy asked while looking at petra. "yeah if fun means dressing up as some prissy princess just to have feet pain for the next four days." petra said rolling her eyes. billy awkwardly swallowed a lump in his throat and looked down to his plate. everyone knows billy is completely head over heels for petra, except her. we always try to get billy to ask her out, but he's never gotten the courage to do so.

"wanna go, kennedy?" marcus asked as he looked over to me with a light smile. "sure, why not." i said as i started eating my food.  the food tasted...different. we all looked up at each other and all seemed to notice the food tasted weird. then we realized everyone in the cafeteria was staring at us. 

"how's the food?" i heard chico say as he came around the table. "fine." marcus said with a mouthful as his eyes followed chico as he walked around our table. "i wonder what it tastes like, huh rats? what does the food taste like?" chico said as he raised his eyebrows with a mischievous smile plastered on his face. 

"oh you piece of shit." i said as i spit out the food i had in my mouth. chico and the rest of the soto vatos that walked with him snickered and walked away.  i could already feel the vomit traveling up my throat. me, and the rest of the table, all ran to the bathrooms. the son of a bitch put rat meat in our food.

it felt like i was barfing forever. i was hunched over the toilet with marcus holding my hair back feeling sicker than ever. once i stopped for a minute, i tried standing. once i turned around, i realized marcus was somehow fine. "dude how are keeping all that down?!" billy said while he was hunched over one of the toilets still gagging a bit. 

"i've had worse." marcus said casually with a shrug. "worse than rat?!?!" i asked with a shocked tone in my voice. "yes kennedy, worse than rat." he said with a little laugh. "that's crazy. y'know that right?" i asked Marcus as he stood in front of me. marcus chuckled, and looked down to me. "you need to get some rest, lets go up to your dorm, alright?" marcus said as he put his arm around me. i nodded and sort of stumbled out of the bathroom, since i still felt a bit lightheaded. 

once we reached my dorm, marcus leaned in to get a kiss from me, but i pulled away. "i just barfed and your breath smells like rat. if i get a whiff of that 99% sure im just gonna projectile vomit everywhere." i said with a smile as i looked up to marcus's eyes. "alright well im not gonna go brush my teeth and patiently wait for my kiss." marcus as he smiled. "okay." i said as i mirrored his smile. "alright, i love you." marcus said as he walked off. i repeated his words and then started opening my dorm.

 once i got the door open, i saw lin sitting on my bed. "listen, i know you've got keys to every door in the school, but could you please stop coming in here? like, you could easily just tell me to come to your office." i said as i closed the door. "what did marcus do?" lin asked blankly. "what?" i asked confused. my brain was all over the place to the point where i could barely comprehend what lin was saying.

"what. did. marcus. do." he asked again as he stood up from my bed. "I JUST ATE FUCKING RAT. AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT MARCUS RIGHT NOW?!" i yelled. regret immediately filled my body and i sort of slapped my hand over my mouth. "kennedy..." he said with wide eyes. "i'm sorry. but, what are you talking about?"i still had a headaches and was confused on what he was saying. 

"do you believe that willie could push a grown man into a dumpster alone?" lin asked. "i, uhm." i started and fell my breath started to slip from me. "do you think that willie would kill someone?" he asked as he walked closer  to me. "no i just-." he kept cutting me off. "tell me what marcus did kennedy, because i already know." he said with intimidating eyes. 

"why are you here if you already know?" i asked confused. "because i want you to be honest. i know you'd lie for marcus, but i need to know you can still be truthful with me." he said. i hesitated, but i told the truth. "well, yeah. marcus killed that guy." i said as i fidgeted with my fingers. lin nodded and left my room. 

i wanted to scream. i just ratted out marcus. after eating literal rat. but i don't care about that, i just feel like piece of shit for telling lin about marcus. should i have lied to him? i mean he already knew, but still; i just don't know how to feel. but the bigger question is, what would lin have done if i didnt tell the truth? would he hurt me? marcus? willie, even?