skinny || h.s. au [Rewrite Now Up!]

nine

EARLY UPDATE BECAUSE LAST PART WAS SO SHORT. AND PLS COMMENT. ILYSM xx

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Lasagna. They want her to eat Lasagna.

And what kind of fancy fucking family doesn't serve salad?

"What do I do?" Marley whispers in fear.

You make an excuse and leave.

"No, I can't do that." Marley says. Looks into the mirror.

She had excused herself from the crowd of people and escaped to a well-decorated and fancy-looking powder room.

And Merley is all cold fingers and half-crazed minds. And she's tired of being a broken mess of cheap glass and fake flowers on the floor of her kitchen.

So she straightens her dress and walks back out to the fancy fucking living room.

The adults all stand around in the kitchen, chatting about nonsense and waiting for the food to finish cooking.

The smell is alluring but Marley tries to convince herself it's not. It's not, it's not, it's not.

Harry watches as Marley emerges from the bathroom. There's a frown between her eyebrows and a falter in her smile when she sees him looking. And he knows something is wrong.

But he also knows that she's not going to tell him what it is.

When they first walked into the Burton's house, they assumed she was his girlfriend.

Harry had smiled at the comment. But Marley had quickly spoken up. "We're just friends." And that made him deflate a little.

But as soon as  the words had left her mouth, that frown was there between her eyebrows. And it hasn't disappeared since.

"Hey." Marley says. Leans against the half-wall next to the boy with a troubled kind of green eyes that remind her of summer grass and warm breezes.

"Hey." Harry replies simply. Because he's too caught up in trying not to stare into her crystal blue eyes for too long. And he really wants to kiss her right there in front of everyone. But that would most likely end badly so he doesn't.

Harry takes a sip from his glass. And almost spits the water back out in surprise when Marley takes his free hand in her cold fingers. And laces them with his.

Marley doesn't really know why she did it. Maybe because she's nervous. And something about the warmth of his palm makes her feel a bit more calm.

Maria doesn't seem to really notice. She's busy thinking of ways to get out of eating that damn Lasagna.

Because lasagna.  They want her to eat Lasagna. And what kind of fancy fucking family doesn't serve salad?

A few minutes later, everyone gathers into the dining room to eat. They pass around the plates. Marley tries not to vomit from her nerves. And takes small portions of each food.

Put everything toward the center instead of the outside. It will look like more.

Marley does as she's told. And no one really notices.

Except one.

Harry keeps his mouth shut as he eyes the suspiciously small helping of lasagna. There can't be more than enough to fill more than six bites.

He looks away. His appetite is gone. He feels sick, but not in the vomit sort of way. But rather the painful heartbroken way. Where all he wants to do is find every shard of cheap broken glass on the floor of her kitchen. And every fake flower. And paste them back together until it's whole again.

Until she's whole again.

But he watches her from the corner of his eye as she takes a bite of her lasagna. And swallows.

In her head, Marley's companion screams for her to chew slowly.

Make sure you chew it as much as possible! And set down your fork between each bite. And take sips of water between, too!

If only the rest of the room could hear the chaos that is Marley Parker.

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"Thank you." Harry says as he walks Marley to the door of her small home.

The grey siding looks all the more unappealing to Marley. As if being around wealthy people all evening has somehow made her home even more of a dump.

"For what?" She says. Doesn't understand what he could possibly be thanking her for.

"For coming tonight." Harry shrugs. Steps closer to the girl with crystal blue eyes that remind him of icicles and frost-bitten noses.

She stands one step up from Harry on the wooden stairs to her front porch. And still he has about two inches on her hight.

And all he wants to do is kiss her. But he doesn't because for a moment he thinks the girl with the crystal blue eyes might be worth being patient for.

"No problem." She smiles. But inside she thinks about the number of calories she consumed.

Maria says it was under three hundred. But Marley still thinks about it.

The pair are quiet for a moment. The silence for once isn't loud for Marley. And she almost leans in.

Almost.

Time to go, Marley, dear. Say goodbye.

"I like spending time with you." Harry admits as he nearly sees the inner battle going on in her mind through her beautiful eyes.

Oh, brother...

"Umm... yeah. Me, too." She doesn't know if it's the truth or not. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Harry nods. Wants to kiss her. Oh, boy does he want to kiss her. But he doesn't.  Because for a moment he thinks the girl with the crystal blue eyes might be worth being patient for.

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

Marley smiles before turning and ascending the short wooden stairs to her porch.

"Wait." Harry says and Marley waits. Because she's a girl who does what she's told. Even if it's a narcissistic voice in her head.

Harry takes the rickety porch steps two at a time. And then he's in front of the quiet girl with crystal blue eyes that remind him of icicles and frost-bitten noses. And all he can think is that she is so beautiful despite sleeveless black dresses that hang a little too loose.

Even if he doesn't completely understand why.

"I don't want you to take those drugs back to school. I'll give you the money you need for them. But please, I don't want you to get caught." He says instead of everything else he's thinking.

"That's sweet of you, Harry. But I can't take your money..." Marley protests.

"You're not taking it. I'm buying the drugs." Harry insists.

But he knows that he will just flush them down the toilet as soon as he gets home. He is just giving her the money. But she doesn't need to know that.

"Alright, fine." Marley agrees.

Harry just nods. "Goodnight, Marley."

"Goodnight, Harry." She smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry slowly walks backward as she enters her front door. "Can't wait." He says lowly, but she's already inside.

And then he curses to himself because he nearly trips down the wooden steps behind him.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MARLERRY? ILY BABES! PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT

-Lena xx