Always on Your Side (NaNoWriMo 2019)

28.

I'm starting to get caught up with school. One of Marina's friends mentions off-handedly that you're not allowed to attend Senior Ball if your GPA is too low, which kind of brings me back into reality. After all Marina has done for me, I don't want to ruin Senior Ball for her.

Things between me, Marina, and her friends are more or less normal. They seem to have dropped the attityde that I am "normie" and are polite, even friendly. We've got the limousine thing figured out. My dad chipped in and paid a little extra so even if some people back out, we'll have enough. Marina seemed to feel bad about accepting money from me after her friends were so rude, but I promised her it was fine. Dad makes enough money to not miss it. I don't usually take advantage of that, but figured it would be okay to ask for a big milestone thing like prom.

As far as Brendon's phone goes, I ignore it. I can't handle it. In spite of the terror I feel that I'm just going to discover more things he blamed me for, I have no idea what to look for. "The highest you can get to the sky" was the clue he left me with, and I don't know where I'd find that. My mind goes to Mt. Diablo, the largest mountain in our area, but Brendon was never the outdoorsy type and I don't know what that would have to do with his phone, anyway. I don't have the emotional strength to think about it much harder than that. Not yet.

Before long, Valentine's Day approaches. I've made sure I'm ready for Discovery Kingdom. I've researched the buses that will take us to BART and the BART line that will take us to Vallejo. Marina meets me at the bus stop. She looks totally giddy and absolutely adorable in a Valentine's Day-themed outfit - heart clips in her hair and a red top and skirt with black tights. Compared to her, I look completely plain in an ordinary hoodie and jeans.

As we wait for the bus, she pulls something out of her bag. It's a big goodie bag, decorated with hearts and ribbon, and filled with fudge. Like, several types of fudge.

My face turns pale. "Oh, no! I didn't get you anything! I just figured, since we're secret - "

But of course that's no excuse. I am the worst girlfriend ever. Actually, I do have something romantic planned, but I was supposed to do it at the park, not here. I have a cardboard sign under my hoodie that says "Prom?" and I'm going to pull it out on the Medusa ride, right when it flashes our picture. I spent so long planning that, that I didn't even think about an ordinary Valentine's Day present.

My excuses fall flat. And I can tell Marina's disappointed. That makes me want to kick myself and kowtow to her in apologies and hug her all at once. But she brushes the disappointment off her face and says, "That's okay! You'll just have to win me a plushie at Marine World!"

"I can try," I say. "But I swear those games are rigged."

It's a cliché, but Marina laughs anyway.

"I'll get you something. I promise." I should have gotten her something. I feel so guilty and stupid. And I know that no matter what I get her now, it won't be the same, because I didn't think to do it on my own. Even more reason why I must do my plan right. I need her to know that I was thinking about her.

As we wait for the bus, Marina makes me try the fudge. I offer her some, but she refuses, saying "I already ate my share of diabeetus last night. This here is all for you."

It's good fudge. Creamy and rich and so delicious that, even though I quickly get a sugar rush, it's hard to convince myself not to eat the whole bag at once. I assure Marina she is "waifu material" - her words, not mine - and we wait for the bus in contented silence, with Marina leaning against my shoulder as though she could fall asleep that way.

We take the bus, then the BART, then an Uber. That last part is slightly risky since I have to use my debit card and my bank account is linked to my dad's, but I don't think he'd pay enough attention to question an Uber ride at noon on a school day. The trip takes forever, and by the time we get to Marine World it's past noon.