Take My Breath | Catnipz

nineteen

Mara struts down the squeaky white floors of the math department with her backpack slung across one shoulder and her thick binder tucked under her arm. Despite the extra weight of all her things and the worn out energy, she still looked great.

I feel the air leave my lungs when she draws closer to me. She has her hair down in loose waves, and a pair of black rimless Bayonetta glasses that make her look even more stunning than she already is. It should be illegal to look like this—and at school for that matter.

It's absolutely criminal.

"How was your test paper?"

She runs a hand down my arm and does the unthinkable: Mara Jace Kim pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. In the middle of the busy school halls.

For everyone to see.

"I heard you felt sick during last period. Are you feeling ok?," She moves her hand down my
lower back sending a chill down my
spine. "I can take you to the hospital if you need to be looked at." Mara uttered. "I don't have anything important going on tonight so I'm all yours. However long you need me for." She adds.

I shake my head. "No, no. There's no need for that." I cleared my throat. "Besides, it's been a long day and all I really wanna do is lay in bed."

Mara repositions her binder so it sits against her chest. "Just tell me if you change your mind, ok? I don't mind it at all. Your health is important, Mace. I don't want you to feel unwell when—"

I press my index finger against her tinted lips.

"I know that Mara Jace." I breathed. "But like I said. It's been a long day and I just want to fall asleep in the comfort of my bed..." I mumbled. "You're welcome to join me if you wish..." I add.

She runs her tongue across her bottom lip and smiles warmly. "You want me to come over?" She asked excitedly. "I was kinda hoping I could."

I shake my head. "You act like you've never been over at my house." I chuckled. "And in case you've forgotten, my home is your home too. It always has been. That will never ever change, MJ."

"I know." She nods. "I think I'll always feel that way though—excitement. I always have something to look forward to when I'm with you." She answered. "After all...it's just like what you said. It's home. And it'll be home forevermore."

"Whatever Jace." I chuckled. "You're cheesy."

"But you like cheese!"

"That's different...baby." I swallow what's left of my pride as she extends a hand in front of me.

I quickly take my backpack off my shoulders. It's been an unspoken tradition that Mara Jace carries my backpack after school on our way home.

It never mattered if she had her hands full. Mara found a way; whether it ended up in a catastrophic mess or the most simplest of things. She would carry my bag along with her own. I have never left the school grounds with my own bag on my back. And it's always been that way.

"Are you feeling hungry?"

I wipe the sweat forming on my palms against the fabric of my skirt. I haven't told Mara about my Leprosy; a chronic, curable infectious disease that affects the skin, eyes, nose and peripheral nerves.

{Mason's disease is canon in each universe}

I'm not sure why I haven't told her about this yet. I like to think that the concept of this disease being curable (to some degree) is a valid reason to keep it hidden away from her vast knowledge.

"Um. Not really. I'm just awfully tired." I yawn.

Mara took a deep breathe. "Again?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

Mara bit the inside of her cheek. "I might be reaching a little bit but I've just noticed something different about you." She holds a sharp gaze that pierces right through me.

I feel a sharp sting in my chest. It can't be. I've tried to keep everything hidden away. There's no way that Mara had figured this out. I can only hope. Part of me feels guilty enough for keeping it a secret. Keeping this to myself is a lot harder than I thought it would be. It's exhausting.

"Different? I'm just the same Mason that you've known your whole life. Quiet. Never keen to be outside. I like to make silly little cat drawings..."

Mara opened the double doors and let me walk through first. The smell of fresh air and cool breeze in my hair was something I desperately needed. The masses of people had decreased as we walked the path towards the parking lot.

"No, it's not that." Mara insisted. "It's something different. And that's the issue." She sighed. "I know everything about you and yet I can't figure you out. But there's something different. I'm sure of it. There's no way that I'm wrong about this."

And she's right.

She is so terribly right. And that kills me.

I fiddle with the rings on my fingers as we approach her car. "Well I'm the same nonetheless." I lied. "It's been a long week, Jace. Don't let things get to your head. I'm still Mason."

"Of course you're still Mason." She chuckled lightly. "And you always will be. But I know that there's something about my Mason that's not right. I'll figure it out." She unlocks her car and opens the passenger side for me before walking to the back seat to place all our belongings down.

The likelihood of her figuring me out makes me feel terribly dizzy. "You seem quite persistent."

"When it comes to matters of the heart..." She began. "Then it'll end up with me being this way. And for good reason." She smiled. "I need to know if there's anything going on with you, Mace. I don't like the thought of us keeping secrets from each other...we're not like that."

Mara climbs into the driver's seat and leans towards me to buckle my seat belt. "Silly."

I scratch the nape of my neck. "I was gonna do that..." I trailed off. "But thank you anyway."

Mara buckled her seat belt and nodded. "Of course. You don't need to thank me, baby. It's a small thing." She smiled. "Promise you're not keeping anything from me? If you're absolutely sure that nothing's wrong then I'll settle this."

"You're gonna settle?"

She starts the car and nods. "You seem sure, and you don't seem to have any reason to be lying." She replied. "So I'll settle this. I'm probably just losing my mind." She chuckled. "Some sleep will certainly do the trick." Mara rests her hand over mine and beamed. "Lucky for us. That's what we'll be doing. A well deserved rest."