hurt // marcus lopez x oc

twenty-three

i then got the bright idea that i could ask lin if he knew who was behind the gas, and if it was him. i turned around towards my door and pulled the nob towards me. once i got out to the hallway, i had seen lin was almost all the way down the hallway. i guess i was just in time.

"lin!" i called to him, which caused immediate regret. a few other people were in the hallway and turned to me and gave me judgmental looks. i sort of laughed off the awkwardness, and walked down the hallway to lin.

lin had turned towards the sound of me calling his name, and his face had a confused expression on it. "can i help you, kennedy?" lin asked once i got close enough to him. "so you know i almost died the other day, right?" i asked as i scratched the back of my neck. "i had heard something about that..." lin said as he sort of lowered his head and fidgeted with the top of his cane.

"well, do you know who did it?" i asked, which caused lin to just shake his head no. "well, i had a theory you did it, i just can't figure out why." i said as i crossed my arms and cocked an eyebrow. lin chuckled. "goodbye, kennedy." he said as he turned around and started to walk off. 

"so you did do it?" i yelled a bit while walking right behind him. "why would you do that? we almost died." i asked feeling sort of betrayed. "i was pressuring willie to tell me the truth, i knew he wouldn't let his friends die." lin said casually while unlocking the door to his office.

"so you put our lives at risk for it? i already he did it." i asked confused. "yes, i did risk your lives. now, make sure you've got a dress for the dance." lin said with a fake smile as he walked in his office and shut the door in my face. 

i groaned and turned around to see willie standing behind me. i sort of jumped at the sight of him, since he towered over me, but i calmed down eventually. "jesus, willie! you scared the shit outta me!" i said as i caught my breath. "i'm sorry, i just wanted to come apologize for the gas. well, for everything." he said as he kept his hands behind his back and kicked around a few rocks on the ground.

"look, i know you had to lie to lin about killing that guy, but you didn't have to go around bragging about it to people, y'know? i mean, marcus did it, and even if he had the chancer he wouldn't go brag about it. because it doesn't feel good. the attention you get and how tough you seem doesn't make up for the guilt you have of taking someone's life, no matter how much of a dick they were." i said as i looked up to willie and kept my chest tight.

"i know, and i wish i didn't. im sorry." he said as he looked down to me. "im not the one who needs to hear that." i said before walking off. willie's eyes followed me, but he didn't. he stayed right there, standing outside of lin's office. a chill went down my spine, and i decided i needed to talk to marcus about this. i mean, lin knows, and i don't know how that's gonna make marcus feel.

once i reached marcus's dorm, i knocked on the door and patiently waited for an answer. when the door creaked open, shabnam stood dressed in a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt. his glasses rested low omn his nose and his hair sort of covered his left eye.

"hey, is marcus here?" i asked him. "yeah, c'mon in." he said as he opened the door a bit more and stepping to the side so i could come in. when i walked in, i saw marcus sitting on the floor, his back rested on the side of his bed as he looked down to a sketchbook and scribbled on it with a sharp pencil. he had his earbuds connected too his walkman and i figured he was listening to the same cassette he had at the party.

when he noticed i came into the room, he took his headphones out of his ears and stood up. he gently threw his sketchbook and pencil onto his bed and gave me a small peck on my lips. "hey shab, could you maybe, uh, get some more towels for the dorm?" marcus said with a smirk as he looked over to shabnam who always looked annoyed. "if you want me to leave you guys alone, just tell me. i'll do it with pleasure." shabnam said with a roll of his eyes before making his way to the door and shutting it to leave only marcus and i in the room. the both of us chuckled and marcus turned back to his bed.

"so what's up?" marcus asked while plopping down on his bed and picking up his sketchbook and pencil.  "well, i need to tell you something." i said as i sat down beside him. "oh, don't tell me you're breaking up with me." marcus said with wide eyes and a chuckle. "hah, never." i said as i laughed along with him. 

"but, i figured out who was responsible for the gas. it was lin. it was all a part of his plan to get willie to crack." i said as i looked to marcus whose face distorted even more to a confused look with each word i spoke. "crack?" marcus asked confused. 

"lin knows willie didn't kill that guy. he knows you did it." i said as i started to fidget with my own fingers. marcus's eyes widened, and his mouth was slightly hanging open with shock. but he didn't say anything. he didn't really move either. but then he took a deep breath stood. 

he sort of dropped his head and slowly paced around the room. "marcus, say something." i said desperately as i got up and walked over to him. "what do want me to say, kennedy? i came here for help and now i'm a murder and can't trust anyone." marcus said as he turned around and looked down to me.

"y'know, lin betrayed me too, right? i was here for years. he became like a father figure for me, and then almost kills me, just because you killed someone. its not fair, but i understand you and that's all that matters. you can trust me, marcus, i assure you that" i said shaking my head a little bit as i kept eye contact. marcus nodded and gently pulled my into a hug.

he rested his chin on my head and closed his eyes. he took a deep breath in and i tightened my grip around his chest. when he held me, i always felt safe. and i do right now, too. i loved this moment, but my mind wandered many places, as it always did. this time, i thought about the dance.

"oh shit, i don't have a dress." i said, sort of pulling away from marcus. marcus practically fell over since he was leaning on my head, but chuckled at himself. "uh, wanna go to the store?" he asked as he scratched the top of his head. i nodded and grabbed his hand and lead him out of the dorm.