“You guys are so cute, it’s sickening.”
We both turn toward her. Aera and Tiana had been watching us the entire time.
“Well, obviously,” Marlon ruffles the top of my hair, and I kick at his knee lightly. Someone from the court calls his name and he flashes me a smile before running back on.
My cheeks darken, and I glance down, refusing to acknowledge how my heart pounded the entire time Marlon was here.
When the game ends, Marlon’s team decides to celebrate their win at the local kebab takeaway shop, just a few minutes walk from the court. The place is quite small, with just one long plastic table and two benches. We all crowd onto the seats, squashing up against each other.
I end up right at the edge, half my body tipping over, and hold myself up with my leg, until I feel Marlon’s arm snake around my waist, holding me in place. I glance at him as he does so, a little surprised, but he doesn’t seem to realise.
Charlie goes to order us all three kebab snack packs to share, but it’s mainly for the boys to refuel.
When the snack packs are all ready, the boys practically devour it, and I manage to sneak in a couple of bites myself here and there. Marlon’s teammate - Jason - begins praising each of the team for their plays, with Nathan putting emphasis on Marlon’s two three-point-shots that kept them in the lead for a majority of the game.
“You must be proud of him, Jaslene,” Nathan adds. They all glance at me.
The grin that follows isn’t hard. I nod, turning to Marlon, whose eyes are also on me.
“I guess I am.”
“How’d you guys meet?” Ben, the boy with blonde highlights on the other side of the table, asks.
“Remember I told you guys, we’ve known each other since we were kids?” Marlon says.
“That’s right, that’s right. The girl who you used to love pissing off as a kid, but now you can’t stay away from, right?” Charlie teases.
My neck heats. Is that what Marlon’s been saying about me? I look at Marlon, and a small quirk of his lips is all that needs to be said.
“Exactly that.”
I turn to Marlon, surprised, and he meets my stare, his smile growing wider, dimples deepening. Even as the others dive into other topics of conversation, about the anime that they’re currently watching, the boy that Ben is eyeing, and how university has been, all I can think is how good of an actor Marlon is.
Once the sun trickles away from the sky, Marlon’s teammates begin to take it as their sign of leave. One by one they bid goodbye, and I enthusiastically exchange socials with both Aera and Tiana before they depart with their respective partners. Soon, it’s just Marlon and I left at the table, before we decide to go.
A chill breezes through the air, and I clutch at my arms as we head toward Marlon’s car.
“Here.”
Fabric falls over my shoulder, followed by a fresh scent that reminds me of summer. Warmth encases me immediately as Marlon pats his jacket down, securing it atop my body.
“What about you?” I ask, and my voice comes out all breathy, like I’d been running. I clear my throat.
“Oh, I have a spare jumper in the car, don’t worry,” he assures.
Once we step inside the car, he pulls on a jumper lying from the backseat. My eyes follow his every movement, the conversations from earlier floating in a disjoined orbit. He catches my stare before I can look away.
“What’s up?”
“All that stuff you said earlier, you’re really playing into this well,” I say, and I try to make my voice light and teasing, to show I’m unaffected.
A smirk plays on his lips and he leans forward, “How well, exactly, am I playing this?”
Heat brushes my neck and I glare, reaching forward to pinch him. He successfully dodges me, and turns away, chuckling, before fishing out his phone and sticking it against the window phone-holder. That’s when I glimpse the wallpaper. It’s one of us, the one from our karaoke duet.
My breath hitches, my stomach curdling violently.
“Why do you have us as your wallpaper?” I question. Marlon’s eyes flicker between me and the phone, and I swear I glimpse a hint of red against his cheeks.
