Wasted On You (BWWM)

Welcome Home Marls

She wanted to call and tell him her plane landed thirty minutes ago. Though it seemed like such an easy thing to do, she hadn't talked to him in five months. No call was received or answered on his end. She figured she had said something to push him away. Maybe talking about her professors and classmates for endless nights turned him away. It was something they did since kids. Talked about anything on their chest. Then suddenly he started acting weird. She even thought she should cancel her ticket and stay just to avoid the harsh reality that her best friend might not be her best friend anymore.

"You look so sad! Cheer up, my baby. You're home now!" The smile on her mother's smile was the only thing keeping her from breaking down and booking a ticket right back to Europe. She gave the woman a tight hug and they rocked back and forth on their toes. Her mother was barely an inch shorter than her, hair in a small afro, and a tan daisy printed dress hung loosely from her body. "We tried to update your room from your teenage years. Put some mature colors in there and your father repainted the dresser. Hopefully, you like it."

She pulled her dtriped cardigan closer to her body as they stepped out into the mid-November air. Her shoulder-length curly hair had ombre blonde tips that whirled around her face from the slight air. She tucked each strand behind her ear as her father rushed to get both women into the car and out of the elements.

"This is only temporary. I have a few jobs lined up. Some of them are out of state and some are an hour or two away. I prefer to stay near you two though." Her mom turned around in the passenger seat to rest a hand on Marlie's knee. "What?" She giggled.

"Honey. You've been living with us for eighteen years. If you want to go out and start your life then you do so. Don't keep us old bags in mind. Anythign you choose will be sufficient and should be for you."

Marlie almost let a tear slip her eye but the moment was interrupted by a loud truck revving their engine as they waited together for the light to turn green.

Her father grunted. "Oh, now those two idiots are getting ready to race. We already had one man hospitalized for trying to race on the dirt road a mile down. Couldn't stop. Ran right into a house."

Marlie stared up at the large truck from the window of her mother's new deep blue Nissan Sentra. He was blasting music and looking to the car next to him for reassurance that this race was happening. He then turned to look at Marlie who was too in awe at all the lights added to the outside of his truck. The man was one of the majority of blue-eyed and blond-haired men that engulfed this small town. It never bothered her, but they were the ones who got away with all the shenanigans that took place in this town. With one smug grin and a wink, the truck sped off. Marlie looked forward to see her father taking a slow start to ensure he didn't get aligned with any wreckage that could happen.

Marlie sat back in her seat when the car and truck eventually ended their race and went their separate ways. "I think that is Coby. He graduated at the top of our class."

Neither one of her parents said a word as disappointment spread across their faces. The rest of the car ride was silent until they pulled into Marlie's childhood home which recently got a paint touch-up on the outside.

"Coby." Her mother grunted as she got out the car and slammed the door. "I knew he looked familiar. That boy did everything to impress his parents and turned out to be nothing."

"Now Monica. You don't want the neighbors to overhear."

Marlie helped her father pull her suitcases out of the trunk and place them on the driveway to be dragged in later. Before he could even take in the surroundings of the town that hasn't changed much, she heard the popping noise of something lighter than a gunshot go off next to her ear. Slightly ducking out the way, confetti began to fall around her and so did the sound of people clapping and screaming.

"Surprise!" An excited woman screamed in Marlie's face with her arms in the air. It took a brief moment, but Marlie knew that face anywhere. Cora was the only fake brunette she knew in this town. "I missed you so much girlie!" They collided into a hug and the sound of the confetti popper hitting the ground pulled them away. "I'll clean all this up. Don't worry."

Once Cora stepped out of the way, she saw a few more of her high school friends standing on the porch ready to greet her. Everyone gave a hug, a high five, and a welcome back. Marlie didn't touch a suitcase as everyone else rushed them inside the house.

The party moved to the kitchen where Monica was taking the cake out of the fridge. "I prayed they didn't tear the paint off my walls as impatient they all were."

Marlie gave her mother another hug while looking at the sheet cake. "Welcome back, Marls. We missed you." The small crowd around her cooed. "You guys are too much. I missed you all too."

"Oh really?" All eyes snapped to the man just now entering the house with a wrapped box in his hands. Marlie almost fainted as she took in everything different about the once eighteen year old that she left behind. His long hair was cut short into a mullet. Packed on a few extra pounds of muscle and even grew out his facial hair.

"Hey Morgan," she said as if it almost pained her. "How are you?" Her breathing was heavy as she tried to control her shaky hands and elevated heart rate.

"Well, 'm fine?" He looked around at everyone who was quiet in his presence. "But 'Innit funny? Ya worried about me when it's Marlie we've been missin'."

Cora laughed which made everyone relax their shoulders. "My brother! Always making an entrance!" Marlie even let go of her tight grip on the edge of the counter to turn and take a deep breath. She didn't turn back around until it was time to cut the cake which is what everyone looked like they were waiting for.

Cora passed out slices while Marlie read cards and accepted money from people wishing her a good head start on her graduate journey. Everyone seemed to be participating but Morgan. He was off on his phone. A part of her wanted to ignore his obvious call for attention. Then she remembered it has been months.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to Cora who was busy trying to make a bow with the streamers. Marlie went to Morgan who was sitting on the couch with his left ankle resting on his right knee. "Hey, Morgan. I'm glad you came. Really am."

He looked up at her from his baseball cap and smiled. "Lookit' ya. Europe really changed you huh?" Her face went from sympathetic to confused. "Didn't know who I was lookin' at for a moment. What else they got ya doin'?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about?"

"Three years." The fake sarcastic smile on his face dropped to a thin line. "It took ya three years to start talkin' like that." He got up from his seat and patted his pockets for all his belongings. "I got you a frame for your diploma. Saw you postin' 'bout needin' one. Imma head out though. Enjoy your party."

She watched him go and tilt his hat to her parents without telling anyone else another word. She knew she couldn't let him ruin the party that Cora spent God knew how long to plan. So she pressed a smile on her face and rejoined the group.