feeling unlovable

you better come home early tonight

XXIII

The waiter smiled as he laid the trays of food onto the table. Emma smiled as Marcus handed hers over and she jumped as Felix slammed his tray onto the table. They had stopped arguing about the couple leaving the table when Ashley started asking questions.

As everyone was eating, one of the waiters announced that the karaoke station was open and Marcus groaned and Emma squealed in her seat. She smiled towards him as he looked towards her and she wiggles her eyebrows causing him to roll his eyes. "I can't wait for you to get up there!"

Marcus sighed, "I'll go after I eat."

Emma nodded but frowned as Marcus started to eat his food slower and she groaned, "Marcus!"

He chuckled and leant over to kiss her cheek as she pouted, "You going to give me an artist?"

Emma smirked, "Taylor Swift."

Marcus groaned, he had been traumatized by Taylor Swift since Beckie and Emma had sang 'You belong with me' through out the fifth and sixth grade. He couldn't get the song out of his head and Dave and Pete had caught him multiple times singing it in the show. After that, he swore never to sing or listen to the blonde artist again.

Marcus glared towards the girl next to him playfully, "You wouldn't dare."

Emma smirked, "I was thinking about something very very Taytay."

Marcus's eyes widened as she said, "Maybe 'You belong with me'"

"Emma." He hissed towards her, causing her to giggle before he pouted. Pleading out, "I'll sing any other Taylor Swift song."

"You chose it but it has to be Taylor."

"Okay. Okay." A soft smile graced his lips as he stared at Emma. She smirked, picking up her strawberry milkshake and brought it to her lips and smiled.

Marcus watched her with raised eyebrows as she lifted her hamburger to her mouth and he leaned towards her as sauce stuck to her upper lip. Taking his thumb, he wiped it away and sucked the sauce from his thumb and smirked as Emma blushed.

Felix slammed his hand on the table, causing all three of them to jump and he smiled. "You, the stage is free, go do your little performance."

Emma was about to say that Marcus should finish his meal when Marcus stood up, "Cheer for me?" He asked Emma and she smiled. Nodding her head.

Felix turned to Ashley, "Go touch up your makeup."

"Why?"

"It's smudged." Ashley gasped, jumping up from her seat and rushing to the bathroom. Felix suddenly stood and Emma gasped as he sat on the spot Marcus was previously. He took a hold of Emma's waist and pulled her towards him that she was almost on his lap. She pushed against him but he held her close, his grip almost painful. Marcus was to busy talking to a waiter to notice what was going on. And Ashley, she had her whole make-up kit laying across the bathrooms sink.

"Let go of me, Felix." Emma hissed towards her husband as she pushed against his chest. He laid his hand  on top of her bare thigh and smirked, "If you think this is going to make me jealous, you're wrong."

Emma glared towards him and leaned into his face, "If you think I'm doing this to make you jealous, then you're a bigger asshole then I thought you were. I like Marcus and you coming here to spy on me is low, even for you."

Felix growled towards her and as he moved to say something else, Ashley came walking out of the bathroom and Felix stood but he held onto Emma's wrist and pulled her towards the end of the booth. "You better be home early, we going to see my dad tonight."

Emma gasped and nodded her head, "And you better change out of this outfit. You wear a nice dress, we going for dinner."

Emma nodded again and watched as he let her go and took a hold of Ashley's upper arm and dragged her towards the exit. Before Emma could catch her breath, it was knocked away again. Marcus stood on that stage, a mic in hand and he sat on a stool. He smiled towards the customers, "Hey, guys. I'm Marcus and I was requested to sing a little song. This is for you Emma." He turned to Emma and winked causing her to bit her lip and smile.

Felix was forgotten as the song started and Marcus started singing. Emma's eyes widened and she leaned against the booth as she looked towards Marcus. His eyes stayed on her as the customers watched him. He would smile through the song, smirk when he caught Emma looking away as she blushed and he lived for this moment.

He wasn't worried about the people looking at him or how he sounded. He enjoyed the way Emma looked at him, how her blue eyes lit up when their eyes locked. How her cheek would turn a soft pick colour when he would wink towards her or how she didn't look at anyone else when he sang.

He had never been confident in front of people, especially doing something like this. He wasn't always confident with people judging his father and mother. People defined him by his father's colour and it had him hiding so he didn't have to face the people's cruel words.

But with Emma, knowing she was with him even though people judged him. Judged her.

He heard what people said when they saw them together. The stares they sent Marcus when he would reach for Emma's hand or how they wondered why a nice rich girl like Emma was with a poor Hispanic boy from the bad part of the town.

But in that moment as he sang, he had no doubts that even if Emma heard how unworthy he was of her. She would still be there for him even if it meant people saw her differently.