“Why don’t you do what you REALLY want to do Trinity? Why don’t you follow your heart? Were you truly happy with Ian? Or is your heart still searching?” I felt more like one of my previous occupations… a shrink.
She looked at me with her eyes over-flowing with tears.
“I don’t r-r-really know…”
It felt like we were there for hours. And I was sure that if you squeezed my shirt and rung it out, the Indian Ocean would flow out of it. Her cries died down after while and they just settled into light sobs.
“Thanks Marcus. But I’ve got to go ok?” She wiped away some lingering tears and we both got up.
“Sure, and if you ever need a shirt to soak or a shoulder to cry on, you know I’ll be here.” I gave her a teasing smile and I squeezed out my shirt in exaggeration.
She punched my arm lightly and smiled. “Jerk.”
“The one and only.” I gave a teasing smile back.
It looked like her best friend was waiting for her in their old blue station wagon so she ran to the car. She looked back at me and smiled. And I couldn’t help smiling a bit myself. But then it hit me… I didn’t have a ride home, damn, but it gave me a reason to run all the way home, yes.
The air felt warm on my face as I flew home through the woods and I smiled with a little bit of a Trinity scent lingering on my clothes, sweet sweet Trinity, I don’t want to see you cry. What the hell was that? My huge house came into view and I slowed my run knowing that Stephen was going to be pissed off at me and I prepared myself for the worst. I took in a deep breath already able to hear Kiley trying to talk him out of it but Stephen was set on chewing me out. I opened the front door preparing for the assault.
“Oh, look whose home, the subtle, the secluded, the responsible, older brother Marcus!” He cupped his hands around his mouth in exaggeration.
“Bite me Stephen.” I glared at him. “Just bite me ok?”
“Ooooo, I’m so scared! Big brother Marcus is a little bit cranky today isn’t he?”
“Come on Stephen! Give Marcus a break, please?” Kiley tugged on Stephen’s sleeve and made a whimpering noise.
“Not yet Kiley, Marcus needs to hear this.” He pointed at me and smiled. “You guys aren’t going to tell it to him straight so I will!”
Little did I know that my fury started out as a little flame in my stomach, giving me a little bit of energy, and now was a roaring dragon ready to throw Stephen into the nearest trench and wait for him to die and laugh menacingly to myself.
“Shut up Stephen.” I was staring at my shoes trying not to imagine ripping open Stephen’s throat.
“What was that Marcus? You admit that you have no more control then the rest of us? And that you’re just a weak little pup surrounded by full grown pit bulls? Well Marcus? Speak up…”
That was it. I flung myself at Stephen and I pinned him to the wall.
