Sunshine and Lilly

Chapter Seven: Donuts

"Lilly Billy!" I hear the voice that has quickly become a friendly reminder of my ability to make new friends. My new friend, Marcus Lopez.

I turn around just in time to see him throw his arm around my shoulders. "Hey sweet girl," he smirks that Marcus signature smile, "where are you going, running from me?" he jokes before walking along with me to our calculus class. "I wanted to ask if you did the homework. I didn't get a chance to... and I was just wondering if you could help a good friend out, hmm?" he smiles coyly and squeezes my shoulders.

I chuckle at his request, that has become more of an expectation every Tuesday for our class. The first time Marcus asked for this particular 'friendly' help was because he "had killer practice and hit the sack after major muscle burn". The next time was due to him "oversleeping after staying up studying protons and electrons for biology," and then the next was because he "did it but then what happened is that Rogger ate it." Rogger is his dog.

It's safe to say Marcus has the potential to make it in Hollywood one day, if the whole football thing didn't pan out.

I wanted to tell him 'no' and I did the fourth time he asked but I was met with sad brown eyes and begging, "Lill Bill, please, I need to hand in the homework or I'll be in the detention and then I'll miss practice and I can't miss practice or couch will have my ass. You know how he is... please Lilly Love, help a poor guy out?" Marcus pleaded and I felt the instant guilt of possibly being the cause of him getting into trouble with his coach.

Silly, I know. It's his fault for not doing the homework, but I didn't want him to think I don't care about him or that I'm a bad friend by not helping him when he so clearly needs it.

I shouldn't be selfish. So I told him 'yes' and I have been since, but I also struck a deal to tutor him on the weekends to help him with his homework so he won't depend on my efforts every Tuesday. He agreed easily and we would have started that Saturday but he had a game, so this Saturday it is.

We make it to the classroom and each settle into our respective seats, him, with my answer-filled worksheet, to the front with the other footballers in this class and me to the middle back, awaiting the teacher.

If Emma knew of the little buddy-copying system that Marcus started, she would burst a blood vessel and then possibly knock Marcus off his "high horse", as she likes to call him out, so to avoid tampering with their already fragile and tentative relationship, I keep this exchange to myself.

It's not a big deal anyway. So I'm helping my friend with his homework, it's not a crime... maybe a bit academically dishonest but not cause for anyone to be 'up in arms' about, plus we'll start tutoring soon, so it will be in the past soon enough.

The teacher's delayed presence allows me some time to settle my thoughts but as always, my mind settles on the Pacific Ocean, on its sharp crashing waves that mirror the crystalline glimmer of the unknown beneath, on the baby blue sky and bunny ears shaped clouds. My thoughts always return to my safe space. My heart's surrender. My Alias.

I miss you so much Al.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say, but what they should also say is absence makes the heartache grow stronger.
It has been a little over a month since the phone call we shared and nothing has changed.
Same old routine.

School, classes, lunch with Em and a bulldozing Marcus, more classes.

Home, make dinner with Ma and Em, help clean and feed the backyard creatures, homework with Em, write in my paisley journal, then sleep.

Repeat.

Except for one day. Two weeks ago, on a beautifully sunny Friday was the exception to the rule of mundanity my life has adopted.