Odd One Out

Chapter Thirty Four - His Kiss

Something was up with Marcus. I couldn't place my finger on it, but he was just different. He was being way too nice to me. Maybe he was sick.

Actually, I read somewhere that extended exposure to smoke could mess with your brain.

I looked at Marcus who was elegantly slicing his roast beef with a knife while chatting with mom and shook my head. He was way too poised for brain damage.

And what the hell was with him in the foyer? It was almost like a moment. Like a TV moment. What the hell was that? Did I want to kiss him?

He was just being weird, I concluded. Maybe he was trying to dig up dirt on me so he'd have more ammo to tease me with.

"Mabel's younger years were the absolute cutest!" My mom gushed. I don't think she had even began to eat her roast beef, which sucked because the faster she ate the faster this dinner would be done with and the faster Marcus could leave. I didn't like having him here. It was like two worlds colliding and I didn't want him to think I was more of a freak than he already did. "Oh, her missing front teeth phase were my favourite, Marcus."

Marcus laughed as he sliced a piece of his asparagus and placed it into his mouth. Could he have possibly sliced a smaller piece?! I think not.

I watched my dad as he basically just glared at Marcus from across the table. Though I don't think it had the affect that he thought it did when he had a heating pad/ice pack combo taped to his back as he hunched forward. He looked like a miserable excuse for a Disney villain.

"I would love to see that!" Marcus enthused.

She still hadn't taken a bite. I tried to will it with my mind but sadly I already knew that didn't work. "Mom, you want to take a bite over there? I heard that if you leave medium rare cooked meat out for too long you can risk getting salmonella." Hit her where it hurts. With the science. Let's see her wiggle her way out of this.

She laughed. Laughed at salmonella. Who the hell was this woman? "Oh, Mabel. It's been twenty minutes, dear."

"Jean," My dad interrupted, "Don't forget to remind me to lock up my knife set tonight."

"What knife set?" My mom chuckled as my dad glared at her.

"The knife set, Jean." He pushed.

Eat. Your. Food. I tried blinking the words out in morose code but sadly I didn't know morose code. Not that anyone was looking at me. They were laser focused on Marcus currently.

My mom gasped and jumped up, "Oh, I can't wait for after dinner. I'm going to get the pictures now."

"Pictures?" I asked, "What pictures, mom? Mom?" I asked desperately.

My dad grumbled wobbling out of his chair. "I'll lock that gun set up myself."

"Knife set," Marcus reminded him.

"That's what I said!" He yelled back as he shuffled out of the room.

I turned towards Marcus abruptly who was peacefully eating his mashed potatoes. "What's wrong with you?!" I whispered harshly.

He turned towards me in surprise, his elbow brushing my arm and I couldn't help the goosebumps that rose in response. "What do you mean?" He whispered back.

"I'm trying to get you out of this dinner, Garcia!"

He grinned at me. "I'm not trying to get out of this dinner, Platt."

"Are you enjoying my parents' company?" I asked in disbelief. Did he want to hang out with them on weekends or something?

His hazel eyes took me in for a moment and I took that time to appreciate his perfectly wavy, brown hair that always appeared unkept in a really nice way. It reached his ears with the perfect strategic wave to it. He wanted to tell me something. I always knew when he wanted to tell me something. It was in the way that his eyebrows furrowed in a serious manner. "I'm enjoying your company, Maybie."