feeling unlovable

don't ever doubt i'm not falling for you

XXXII

"I want you to come for dinner at my parents." Marcus blurted out the minute he found Emma. His mom had woken him up this morning with a huge smile when she heard from Junior, her husband that Emma and Marcus were officially a couple. She was a bit upset that she hadn't heard it from Marcus but pleased none the less. His mother, Maria had demanded that Emma come tonight to dinner or Marcus would get the ass whopping of his life.

Marcus raced to his closet, got dressed and raced to his car. He again raced into school to find Emma leaning against her locker with Beckie at her side. Emma seemed confused on why Marcus looked at if he was worried about tonight. Emma had meet and had dinner with Maria and Junior, millions of times. They had been friends since the second grade.

"Okay." Was all she said before she wrapped her arms around his waist and moved to kiss him. She gasped as his hands came up, cupping her face and mushing her cheeks together in an adorable way as he looked down at her.

"Not just 'okay', Emma. You're not coming to my house as a friend, you coming to my house as a girlfriend."

Emma's eyes widened a fraction before she rolled her eyes, "Relax, Marcus. Your mom and your dad loves me. Your mom even calls me her 'gatito'"

Marcus sighed and softened his hold on Emma's cheeks and lowered down to peck her lips twice. Beckie whines from behind him, "You guys are so cute! I've been waiting for Pete to make a move—"

Emma laughed, turning around in Marcus's arms that he hugged her from behind. "You only noticed Pete yesterday, give him time." Emma bit her lip and sighed, "I was thinking about what you said yesterday—"

"With the whole crying thing?"

"Yeah, you said you like Pete but you're not over Dave—"

"Are asking if I was lying?"

Emma nodded and leaned against Marcus, hoping her would hide her if Beckie exploded. "I— I don't know. Like I've had a crush on Dave since Junior year and it wasn't all that big. I might still be attracted to him—"

Emma gasped, cutting Beckie off as she saw Pete standing behind her. His hands were around his back pack straps like always and the smile he had dropped from his face. His body seemed to slump, all his energy leaving his body. His eyes said everything, he was crushed.

He thought things between him and Beckie were going great. She had been so interested in him. He couldn't help but think he was her rebound, like she was warming him up so she could get over Dave. He looked towards the floor and walked off. Beckie gaped, not sure what to do.

"Beckie!" Emma exclaimed, a sign that Beckie should go after him. Beckie looked towards her, her green eyes widened before she looked away. Mumbling that she'll see them later and she walked towards her classroom. Emma looked towards Marcus, who bit his lip and unwrapped his arms from Emma. "I'll go talk to him."

Something was off. Emma took a hold of Marcus's hand and cupped his face. He wouldn't look at her and she had to take a hold of his chin of his face to turn him to look at her. "Marcus—"

His eyes snapped towards her, "I have to go find him—"

Emma knew what was going on, she could see by how he looked at her. How he was reacting to her touch. "Marcus." She called and he looked towards, showing her, she had his attention. "I'm not sure if the way you acting is about this but... I like you. You're got my attention a hundred percent. Yes, I was in love with Felix and I'm living with him and I have no idea how you feel about me being in that house with him but I don't worry about him. I care for him, he was my best friend but that's it. He's an asshole and I don't know why I didn't notice it sooner but you don't ever have to be insecure about my feelings for you. You're my every thought, my every laugh and my every breath."

Marcus stared at her as she rose up and kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Don't ever doubt that I'm not falling for you."

<><><>

Beckie looked towards the clock. The last period of the day was coming up and she knew it was Pete's free period. He would always come to her class to find a way to sneak her out. Beckie cursed herself, she was that stupid girl that friend-zoned the perfect guys in movies. She hated those girls and she's a living example of it.

Beckie tapped her pen onto the desk as she watched the seconds on the clock move. One more time around the clock and—

Beckie jumped up as the bell rang and probably bumped a few students back into their desk but she was in a hurry. She almost made to the door and into the hallway when a hand reached out and pulled her into a hard chest. Looking up, she saw Dave glaring down at her. "What happened to you yesterday?"

Beckie ignored him and moved to push him away but his grip didn't loosen. "You said you'll help me make Emma jealous so she'll come to me."

Beckie looked towards the floor and sighed, finally understanding that his attention the day before was all an act so he could use her, and she couldn't believe she fell for it.

She looked him straight in the eye, "She's never going to be like that with you, Dave. She's with Marcus and he loves her unconditionally, she's not going to leave him for something who likes her for someone else. I'm done with whatever game you're playing and what you did is really stupid. You lost your best friends."

Dave's expression fell at the end of Beckie's confession, his hold on her arms as well and she raced towards the library where only a few students sat. Racing in, she quickly apologized to the librarian. She stopped to look around and smiled when she saw Pete sitting at one of the tables. His face buried inside a old book.

Beckie ran towards him, Pete looked up the sound of someone moving fast towards him and his eyes widened as he saw Beckie. He was about to stand up to walk towards her when she came onto him fast, her arms wrapping around his neck. And his eyes widened as her lips meet his for the first time.