Energizer

five

Waking up has never felt better. Last night I managed to finish Maya's painting, explain my encounter with Marcus to Elana, make myself late night dinner, and get to bed by 1 AM.
For the first time in a while, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. Then, I saw some texts from Dominic. I didn't let this totally kill my vibe, because what's he worth anyway? I held the phone up slightly, reading the messages.
"Sorry."
"I miss you."
"Talk to me more often. I didn't mean to shove you, I'm sorry. You're great."

As I read, my lips curved into a small smile. I realized what was happening and as soon as my lips formed that smile, they made it disappear.
I responded, "Apology accepted. I'll try my best to talk more often."
I rolled my eyes. That's all he was getting from me.
While I showered, I blasted the radio and sang along. My mood was off the charts, rocketing through the roof like my radio was about to do if it got any louder. This was very unusual, but I kind of liked it.
After showering, I went outside for a smoke and saw Marcus unloading some furniture. About three very strong-looking men accompanied him.
I tried to ignore the production up the street, lighting my cigarette while studying the houses across from mine. The houses on the other side were slightly smaller, with white siding instead of pale yellow like our side. The roofs were a fairly new looking black color, where as ours were navy. The houses across the street had more flowers and shrubs than ours. They also lacked the annoying sidewalk running halfway between the yards. It's like an intersection for ants or something. I still couldn't decide which I liked better.

"Thanks for the help!" I heard Marcus's voice in the distance, turning my head at the sound. The men were heading back into the moving van, and Marcus made his way back up to the house. He glanced down the street towards me, and I sort of felt stupid for looking. I was sitting in my yard with sweatpants on in the middle of June while smoking a cigarette with no shirt and wet, messy hair.

"Oh, hey Ari!" Marcus smiled and waved. I half smiled back, both shocked and happy since I didn't think he would even notice me. My cigarette hung out of my mouth, almost dropping into the grass from the shock.
"Can I come down for a sec?" He stuck his hands in his pockets.
I removed my cigarette, nodding, You don't have to ask, C'mon."
He laughed softly, making his way down the sidewalk that split everyone's yards in two separate parts.
"Hey, that fruit salad was very good. I had some for breakfast," He stood over me, the same smile on his face from last night. I took a long drag, smiling back afterwards as my eyes trailed up in his direction, "I'm glad you liked it, please sit down. You're making me nervous."
I patted the spot next to me and I noticed his slight hesitation, but he eventually sat down in the grass with me.
"So, Marcus, tell my why you chose to move here?" I grinned, leaning back on my arms as I looked over at him, awaiting the answer to my marvelous question.
"Well, uh, this coming fall I'm starting college to become a teacher. I've always wanted to work with children, not just teaching them but helping them. Money has been really tight but we finally found enough to get me settled on my own here and attend the community college," He said while rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
"Interesting. I'm glad you chose to live here. It's nice to have someone to talk to. Most people here ignore me. I guess they can't handle me," I laughed, tapping my cigarette gently.
"I'm sure I'll be able to handle you," Marcus grinned, slightly turning back to look at me with a hint of rebellion to his expression. I'm not too good at reading people, but he could be a wild one.

"How old are you?" I was too curious to hold back, and it was sort of a question that needed to be answered.
"I'm 19. My birthday was in April." He ran his fingers through his hair, and I watched as they traveled to the end. I wondered if his parents were like mine - wanting him to leave their house as soon as possible.
"Oh, that's neat. I'm 21, if you were even wondering," I nodded slightly and pressed my cigarette into the cement sidewalk.
Marcus nodded too and looked at me, glancing down at my chest and stomach which was a lot less than impressive. He tried to act like I didn't notice.