“Is he courting you?” Dad adds.
“What are you, finally boyfriend and girlfriend?” Ria jumps in, and from her face I can see she’s having all the fun with acting oblivious to the ruse.
I realise Marlon and I haven’t gone so far to discuss what we would tell our families as to what our stories would be. So I just feign what I hope is a sweetly shy smile.
“We’ll see.”
Twelve
Iwake up to Ria shaking my shoulders violently
“What the hell?”
“Finally you’re awake! Your boyfriend is downstairs. He’s been waiting for you for the past half an hour,” Ria looms over me and for a second I’m certain I don’t hear her correctly.
“My boyfriend?”
Ria groans, rolling her eyes.
“Marlon!”
Marlon? His name is like a static shock, and I jolt upwards, blinking the grunk from my eyes. Why would Marlon be here?
That’s when the events of last night come rushing back at me like a tidal wave. Meeting up with Marlon at the city, writing up rules. Our ruse. I glance at the time on my phone. 7.30am. I usually leave the house at 8.
“Shit.”
Pushing Ria out of the way, I scramble toward my bathroom and gurgle the morning rust out of my mouth. Not bothering to fix my hair, I stumble downstairs. I spot Marlon at the breakfast nook by the window. There’s a half-drunk mug of coffee in front of him. Mum sits beside him, with a smile so wide her face looks like it’s about to burst. Dad is in the kitchen, and the smell of eggs wafts through the room.
Once I reach the last couple of steps, Marlon glances up. Surprise flickers through his features, before settling into quiet amusement.
“HiJas,” he says in a tone that’s an attempt at mock affection, “Aren’t you a gorgeous sight in the morning.”
I push away the strands of my hair stuck to my lips, as I glare at him. Mum greets me too, her face more one of light disappointment.
It’s way too early in the morning for me to put on an act.
Mum directs me to the breakfast - eggs, pork tocino and rice.Yum,fuel.
She gathers her work bag from atop the kitchen counter and bids us all goodbye, before heading to the front door. I quickly grab my breakfast serving and sit myself beside Marlon. After I pop a spoonful into my mouth, I point the utensil at him.
“Why are you here?” I hiss.
“Mum forced me,” he hisses back, eyes flicking to the hallway where my parents went.
“What?”
“When I got home yesterday, I told Mum that I’m…courting you.”
His lips curl around the world, like he’d eaten something sour. I just roll my eyes.
“So she told me that whenever I have uni, and you have uni, I should take you to the station. Of course, she found out that you and I have uni on a Tuesday too…”
“How did she find out?”
“She asked your mum, obviously.”
I sigh. Already, our small, petite act from yesterday has created a big wave. Dad comes down the hallway and his eyes flicker between Marlon and I.
