East Chapel Academy

Chapter 40: Marcus

"Finally," I sighed, looking down at my phone. Nia finally wants to talk.

I'd given her the space that she'd asked for, but God has it been hard. I've been doing everything to keep my mind off of it.

Willingly doing puzzles with my mom, taking over E.J's nightly routine, which is much harder than I expected and consists of him refusing to take a bath for at least thirty minutes, I even helped Nick with fixing up the old car he had. None of it worked, because I was still thinking about her but I'm glad she's ready to speak to me now.

"Are you free before school tomorrow?" she had texted me.

"Yes!" Wait maybe I shouldn't send that it might sound too desperate.

"Yes, I'm free. What's up?" Okay, that sounds better. I sat on the edge of my bed anxiously waiting for her response. I ran my sweaty palms down my pajama pants.

A light knock sounded on my bedroom door.

"Who is it?"

"Bubby, it's me!" E.J. yelled through the door. "I knocked can I come in now?"

I rolled my eyes, going to open the door. That's another thing, he's finally started knocking. Opening the door, I looked down at E.J who stood in the hallway in nothing but his underwear, he held his towel in his fist. "Thank you for knocking."

"I'm ready for my bath now," he declared.

"You are?" I asked. Looks like he wasn't going to make me chase him around with a loofah tonight.

He nodded his head making his curly hair go all over the place. It desperately needed to be washed, it was starting to get greasy at the roots, and Nia's hair tie was doing nothing to hide it.

"Mommy, says I'm smelly," he frowned.

I laughed, he was a little smelly. "Then we should get you in the bath then."

"Can you use the rainbow bath bomb? That one's my favorite, it makes the water so pretty!" I scooped him into my arms, not minding his smell. How can such a small person create such odor?

I tickled his stomach making him squirm, "We'll use whichever one you want, but we have to wash your hair."

He whined loudly, "But I don't want too."

"Bubby?"

"Yes, E.J." I washed his long curly hair as he splashed in the rainbow colored bath water. The whole bathroom smelled like marshmallows and vanilla shampoo.

"Are you and Nia going to be okay," he asked closing his eyes as I rinsed the shampoo from his hair.

"I think so, E.J." I sighed. "I think so."

****

The hallway by Nia's locker was dead silent as I waited for her to show up. She'd asked me to meet her here before school. She didn't choose the library for obvious reasons, yet another thing Whitney has ruined.

I tapped my fingers against the cool metal of the lockers. Nerves dancing around in my stomach, I prayed that this went well. I miss her.

I was lost in my own head, when she arrived. Of course, I've seen her over the last few days, we have chemistry together, but she hasn't been sitting with us at lunch. I'm not sure where her and Lavender have been going off to.

"Hi," she said to me.

"Hi," I replied, breathless.

Her hair was pulled into a ponytail that rested over her shoulder. Nervously she twisted a piece around her finger." I'm sorry I made you wait so long."