ɴᴏᴡ ᴏʀ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ⇢ ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʟᴀʀᴋᴇ

eight

MARISSA WAS DIFFERENT WHEN she came back from her date; she had a skip to her step and quite possibly the largest smile plastered on her face.

It was almost as if her eyes were instead hearts.

As if, she was happy?

It was 8 o'clock, and Marissa walked (more like floated) into the kitchen where she was met with the shocked faces of Patrica, Joy, and even Jerome.

"What happened?" Patricia asks slowly, as if she was still contemplating whether she wanted an answer or not.

"Nothing," Marissa sighed, her smile just as wide as it was when she walked in. "I just had fun, is all," she said as she took as seat at the table.

The three across from her exchanged confused looks. "What happened to him being an awful scumbag?" Patricia demanded, flabbergasted that her friend's opinion seemingly changed.

"First of all, that's what you guys called him," Marissa started, her smile being replaced with a light frown. "Second of all, I had fun with Brandon. I think you guys are wrong, he's a good guy." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So are you two dating then?" Joy asks lightly, glancing to her left to look at Jerome.

Marissa shook her head quickly, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "Of course not, it was only one date."

"Are you guys going on another one?"

Marissa looked up, shocked that it was Jerome who spoke.

The girl didn't want to answer, however that seemed good enough for the boy. Jerome stood up abruptly and walked out, leaving a confused Marissa, and a knowing Patricia and Joy.

Marissa shook her head in frustration at the boy's antics. Overwhelmed by confusion about Brandon and Jerome, Marissa got up herself and made her way to her room, albeit in a less-dramatic manner than the boy that previously sat on the chair in front of her.

"Kids," Joy sighed, shaking her head solemnly. Patricia snickered and got up herself.

"Let's go help two kids in love, shall we?"

-

It's been two days since the date, and even Marissa can't deny how strange Jerome has been acting. Alfie has tried everything in the book to get his friend to open up, but just when he thinks progress is being made, Jerome sulks back into his room mere moments later and it's back to square one.

Still not loving the boy, Marissa paid no mind to Jerome (or lack of), and continued doing something she's never even thought of doing before.

She started to flirt.

Monday morning, instead of groaning and complaining about school, Marissa was the first to jump out of bed. She ran so quickly to the laundry to collect her uniform, she tripped over her own two feet, waking up the rest of the house as a result.

Of course she didn't care; Marissa had a crush, and she intended to act on it. The girl did things thought impossible by her housemates. She curled her hair. Willingly. She even went as far as accessorizing her uniform.

Amber was quaking.

"What the holy heck is going on?" Patricia demanded when she stormed in on her friend in the midst of the unspeakable. Patricia is fairly certain she heard Marissa reply with 'getting dressed' or something along those lines, but the girl was too livid to care. "Marissa, this isn't you, why don't you understand that?" Patricia all but begged, realizing she's being a tad over dramatic, but at this point, she doesn't care.

"What are you talking about, 'Tricia?" Marissa asks, a small laugh escaping her lipgloss-coated lips. "I'm just trying to look nice for the day."

"No," Patricia says, "you're trying to look nice for Brandon." The girl spits out his name as if it were the plague.

"Same difference," Marissa mumbles, putting down the curling wand and stretching her sore hand.

Patricia was close to losing it, she was sort of glad she was in a semi-public environment. "Brandon is not a good guy, okay?" She started to beg, "please listen to me, I don't want you to get hurt."

Marissa started to laugh; a genuine, stomach-cramping, tear-forming laugh. The girl in front of her was taken-aback by... whatever this was. "You have nothing to worry about, 'Tricia," Marissa somehow managed out. "I'm not in danger."

Patricia walked out in a huff, leaving her friend in a state of giggles. If Marissa wasn't going to listen her, then there's nothing else to do, other than watch.

This will turn out well.

-

School started off interestingly enough. Patricia was ignoring Marissa completely, but the latter was way too 'Brandon crazy' to truly care.

Speaking of Brandon, he was loving the attention of one of the most popular girls in school. By having Marissa Bradley deeming you worthy, makes every other girl in school thinking the same.

For Marissa, it was torture.

For Brandon, it was heaven.

This 'heaven' however, was clearly short lived, when Jerome Clarke - whom hasn't made his presence know all day - decided to come 'back'.

They were walking back from Maths (Brandon and Marissa, that is), when the boy realized he forgot his French textbook in his locker. Marissa, having been practically glued to his side all day, came with him.

They were too invested in their own world that they didn't notice the tall blonde boy hiding behind a corner with his partner in crime, a smirk plastered on his face.

They didn't notice the shaving cream practically spilling out of Brandon's locker, and they definitely didn't notice when large spurts of a white foamy substance splattered all over their faces... at first.

"Jerome Clarke!"

A fuming, foam dripping Marissa Bradley turns on her heel (almost slipping in the shaving cream), meeting the blue eyes of the obvious culprit.

"You are so dead."

No one knows who spoke those words aloud; everyone was thinking it

(note!)

:)

until next time (Monday probs)

VOTE:)