We both laugh, before my gaze falls on his.
“Thank you for telling me this, by the way,” I say, genuinity dripping from my voice. “I thought I’d be the last person you’d ever tell,”
“You are, but also you’re the first person I thought who’d understand.”
“Strange, the girl you’ve tormented all your life is the one who’s going to help with your love life.”
“And the boy you’ve despised since we were born is the answer to all your problems. Fate works in silly ways, Garcia”
Childhood enemies joining forces to help each other with our failed love lives. Who could’ve imagined?
We decide to shave off more time by watching some episodes of Sailor Moon, with Marlon generously offering his Crunchyroll. We’re two episodes in when I get a text.
Damn, amidst Marlon and I’s little conversation and my hunger I’d forgotten to take faux pictures for her. The discarded burrito wrappers do not scream romantic first date at all. I glance outside my window, at the night sky. Unlike what Marlon said before, there’s actually a nice scatter of stars. I hatch an idea.
Stepping outside, I gesture for Marlon to follow. There’s a nice patch of grass toward the edge of the overlook and I lower myself, cross legged. Marlon watches me.
“Come on,” I prod, pulling on his arm. He settles beside me.
The stars above create a perfectly romantic mood. I take his phone and put on one of my favourite romance songs:All About YoubyATEEZ.
“This is quite a romantic song, Garcia,” Marlon wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I glare.
“It’s my favourite romance song and everyone knows it, especially my parents” I grumble, “So it only makes sense that I’d use it with you - you know what, nevermind. Just, come closer.”
A snicker escapes his lips as I tug on his arm, coaxing him to come closer to me. The sound of ATEEZ’s voices wafts through the air, as the song ramps up toward the chorus. I quietly chastise myself for choosing this song for this moment. When I finally introduce it to my true love, it’ll be tainted with this memory.
“We need to hold hands,” I say, “For the photo.”
A grin creeps onto Marlon’s face. The insufferable kind.
“If you wanted to do this all along, you could’ve just asked,” he says, at the same time I hold up a hand and say, ‘Nope, nope.’
We take a few moments to lace our hands together properly - his fingers are much longer than mine so it makes my hand look miniscule. We struggle with positioning, tangling ourselves as we decide where my elbow should rest. In the scuffle he accidentally hits my rib.
All About Youcontinues to play in the background, and it’s almost laughable how such a touching melody is the backtrack for two people who cannot seem to hold hands normally.
Finally, we manage a less awkward position for the photo and I snap a photo of our intertwined fingers, with the song illuminated in the background. After a couple shots, I pry my fingers from his immediately, both of us jumping back to put distance between us.
I load the photo into my family group chat. Immediately Mum reads it, reacting to it with heart emojis and a blushing gif. Ria reacts to it with a laughing emoji while Dad just throws a thumbs up.
“Hey, show me the photo,” Marlon whines, and I turn the phone to show him. He breaks into a laugh.
“Not bad, you could fool anyone with that.”
Exactly. I send the photo to Marlon, too, so he can show his own parents, before we get up.
“So, wait, since you’ve never had a boyfriend, no offence,” Marlon begins, holding up his hands in surrender. I didn’t realise I was already glaring.
“If that’s the case, then are my hands the first you’ve ever held?”
My refusal to respond is all the answer that’s needed. Marlon chuckles, and I walk past him, toward the car, heat spilling across my face already. I slide myself in, with Marlon following after, that intolerable grin still lingering.
“And you’ve never had your first kiss?” Marlon asks.
Why are we talking about this? I glare at him, hoping it’s enough to end the conversation right there and then.
“No.”
