Girlfriend On Mars

16. "Vampire teeth"

Sixteen.

"Vampire teeth."

Jen: Let's go get some food.

Marley blinked at her phone screen a few times, reading over Jen's first text ever sent to her. She'd been sat in her room studying all throughout that day and the text had come as a surprise. Then another came through.

Jen: Burgers? Pizza? We can go to Ivory's

At the mention of the town's most popular restaurant, Marley replied immediately. The thought of the two of them being spotted together by someone from school gave Marley wriggling anxiety.

Marley: Maybe not there, too crowded

Jen: We don't even have to get food. Should I come to yours?

Panic prickled through the blonde's body, quills sprouting along her back. She definitely couldn't. Her room was boring and bare, dingy almost. The rest of the house was lovely as her family had workers that took pride in cleaning it to perfection—but Marley couldn't allow Jen to meet her mother who was downstairs at that very moment. Her father was out working, but her mother had stayed home to take care of home business.

Marley: Not my house

Jen: I get it...

Marley: What??

Jen: You wanna come to my house.. don't you?

Marley sighed and fell back onto her bed. Crisis averted, she thought to her herself.

Marley: If you want me to

Jen: Hmm

Jen: Yeah, I do ;)

Marley: Where is it ?

Jen: I'll come get you don't worry

Marley rushed about after that, hurrying to the bathroom and washing before changing into something suitable. She stood in front of the mirror twenty minutes later, smoothing down her skirt and picking at loose threads on her stockings.

The closest she'd come to hanging out with Jen outside school was her driving the blonde home after practices. She rarely ever hung out with anyone outside of school hours, the recent parties had been entirely new to her also. She couldn't ignore the nervousness brewing in the pit of her stomach.

Her phone chiming on her bedside caught her attention, pulling her away from criticising her appearance at the mirror.

Jen: I'm outside

Jen: You ready?

Jen's car was out front, engine still humming, she was leant back in the driver's seat with her eyes closed. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her jaw was tilted forward, ebony hair framing her pale face.

Marley opened the door to the passenger side, sliding in quietly. She didn't want to speak yet; her eyes were fixed on Jen relaxed position—the older girl still had her eyelids lowered. She would've assumed she was asleep if she hadn't noticed the small smile tugging up at her full lips slowly.

Without opening her eyes, she spoke, "afternoon, Mars."

"Afternoon, why are your eyes closed?" Marley asked, buckling her seatbelt and turning back to the dark-haired girl. Jen stretched out her arms, groaning as she did, arched her back slightly then took a sharp inhale of air.

"Just resting my eyes," she said, "I'm fucking exhausted."

Marley frowned, wondering if she was being bothersome by spending time with Jen. "Sorry, I was studying, so you can go home and nap—"