Chapter Four
Friday morning was gray and rainy, a departure from earlier in the week, which had been sunny and warm. I debated whether or not to go to the mall as I had intended, because I had some things to return from last week when I had gone shopping with my mom. The dreary weather made me want to snuggle under my covers and sleep more, instead of venturing out.
I decided to push through my laziness and made myself shower and get dressed. I wasn’t really hungry, but I knew my stomach would start growling soon if I didn’t eat something, so I had a granola bar and coffee.
I hadn’t heard from Jason yesterday, and I wondered if he would call today. It was funny how things had changed so fast. A couple of weeks ago, Jason had barely been a blip on my radar, just an acquaintance that I greeted every now and then. And now, I was on pins and needles, waiting to hear from him.
It started raining harder on the drive to the mall, and I was grateful for the indoor parking garage so I wouldn’t have to get wet or tote an umbrella around with me inside. I was able to get my returns done quickly, since it was still before noon and there weren’t many people at the mall yet.
I decided to treat myself to a cinnamon roll at the food court afterwards. The cinnamon filling inside was warm and gooey, and the bun was smothered with cream cheese frosting. I had to stop myself from moaning loudly after the first bite.
“Hi, Daphne.”
I looked up, mid-chew, and saw Marcus standing in front of me. I quickly finished my mouthful of cinnamon roll.
“Oh, hi Marcus,” I said.
He pointed to the corner of his own mouth, a grin on his face. “You have a little bit of frosting there.”
I hurriedly wiped my mouth with a napkin, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks.”
I was surprised when he sat down in the seat across from me. I didn’t know Marcus very well. He and Jason had become close some time in middle school, way after Jason and I had drifted apart. Marcus seemed nice enough, but I had never really had a conversation with him. Still, I remembered how he had helped break up the fight at Dan’s party.
“How are you?” I asked, feeling awkward after we had just been sitting in silence for a few beats.
“Pretty good,” Marcus replied, looking completely at ease. He leaned back in his chair. “How’s spring break going?”
“It’s okay. I haven’t been doing much. Just hanging out at home.”
“Same.” Marcus looked like he was trying to hide a smile. “Have you spoken to Jason recently?”
I started feeling paranoid. Had Jason said anything to him about us? Why was he trying to hide a smile?
“A couple of days ago,” I replied, trying not to sound suspicious. “Why?”
“No reason,” Marcus said, but I could still see that he was trying not to smile. “Lucky him, he gets to enjoy the sunshine while we’re stuck in the rain.”
“Do you know what you’re doing after senior year?” I asked, trying to change the subject. Luckily, Marcus cooperated and we started talking about college. He was planning on going to the local community college for a few years to save up money, and then hopefully transfer to a university. I didn’t know much about Marcus, but I knew he was from a single mother household, like me. I admired how upbeat he sounded about his plan to work full time while going to community college. He also wanted to stay home for a little longer for his younger brother.
Marcus was easy to talk to, and we seamlessly changed topics from the woes of senioritis to the awful teachers we had in common at Sherman High. I could see why Jason was such good friends with Marcus. I had never realized how friendly he was, and fun to talk to.
“Unfortunately, I’ve gotta go,” Marcus said after checking the time. “I promised my mom I would go grocery shopping for dinner.”
“It was nice talking to you,” I said sincerely, as he got up. “Enjoy the rest of spring break.”
“You too,” he said. He waved as he walked off, and I gathered up my trash to throw out. I decided to head out as well, since I had returned all my things and there was nothing I needed at the mall.
It was dark and gray outside, even though it was still afternoon. Rain was still coming down steadily, and had no looks of letting up anytime soon.
My heart sank when I tried to start my car but the engine wouldn’t turn over. My car was usually reliable, but it was also old as my mom had purchased it used. I had no idea what to do since I didn’t know why my car wasn’t starting. It couldn’t be my battery since I had just recently had it replaced. I knew it would be expensive to call a towing company. We didn’t have anything like Triple A and I didn’t want to bother my mom at work. I tried starting the car again and again, desperately praying that it would start and just get me home.
I sighed and rested my forehead on the steering wheel. I had no one to call to give me a ride home. Chloe, Tracy and Monica were all away, and we had no family in town. I was debating whether I should call an Uber home and deal with my car later, or stay with the car and try to find a reasonably priced towing company, when I heard a knock on my window.
I looked up, surprised to see Marcus. He had a look of concern on his face as I opened the car door, since I couldn’t roll down the window.
“Is your car not starting?” he asked. He pointed behind him. “My car is parked a few rows down, and I heard you having problems with your car.”
“Yeah, it’s not starting.” I sighed in frustration. “It’s going to cost an arm and a leg to get it towed.”
“Maybe it’s your battery. I don’t have jumper cables but I could probably call someone who has them.”
I shook my head. “I just had my battery replaced a month ago. That can’t be it.”
“My buddy’s dad has a towing company. I’m sure he’d charge a reasonable price if I tell him it’s for a friend. I can call him.”
“That would be amazing,” I said, feeling relieved. I waited in the car with the door open while Marcus called his friend. I heard him explain the situation and then he paused, lowering the phone so he could talk to me.
“What’s your address?”
Marcus repeated the address I gave him, and then hung up after a bit.
“How much are they going to charge?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be a lot.
“His dad said he would do it for free when he heard it was for a fellow Sherman High student. He won’t be able to tow it until a few hours from now because he’s across town, but he’ll definitely be able to do it today.”
“That’s awesome!” I exclaimed. “Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.”
Marcus shrugged. “All I did was make a call. It was David Kang’s dad, if you know him. He’s a freshman.”
The name sounded familiar, but I didn’t know most of the freshmen. I was grateful that Marcus knew him, though.
“I’ll drive you home,” Marcus said. “You don’t want to wait here for the tow truck. I told them where your car is, along with the make and model and license plate. You don’t have to wait for them. Who knows how long it’ll take.”
I felt bad accepting his offer since he had already helped me so much. I didn’t want to be an imposition.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I can just call an Uber home.”
Marcus shook his head. “I realized you don’t live far from me when you gave me your address for the tow truck. There’s no need to call an Uber.”
I still hesitated. “But you said your mom wanted you to go grocery shopping. I don’t want to delay you.”
Marcus laughed. “I think the ten minute detour will be okay. C’mon.”
It would be foolish to protest anymore, so I followed him to his car. His car looked even older than mine, but the engined turned smoothly, a far cry from mine.
It was still raining as we exited the covered garage, even more heavily than before, and Marcus had to turn on the wipers at a fast speed. I was thankful that he was driving slowly and carefully. There was no need to tell him my address since he already knew it from the tow truck call, so I settled into my seat, listening to the raindrops batter against the windshield.
We drove in companionable silence for a while. I was surprised by how comfortable I felt around him, but he had been so nice and friendly before, and now he was being so helpful.
“Jason is a great guy.”
His words were unexpected in the quiet car, and I turned to him, surprised by his sudden comment.
“Yes, he is,” I replied, not really sure what the purpose of his statement was. “We were good friends when we were young, but we drifted apart as we grew older.”
“He told me that you guys have been reconnecting lately,” Marcus said. “That’s great.”
I told myself I shouldn’t be surprised by Marcus knowing about me and Jason. After all, Marcus was Jason’s best friend. Still, it had only been a few weeks that Jason and I had been hanging out together, and I hadn’t expected him to talk about it with others.
“It’s been nice,” I agreed, cautiously, not wanting to sound too enthusiastic. Now that I knew how much Jason apparently shared with Marcus, I didn’t want Marcus going back and telling him I was swooning over him.
Marcus glanced at me quickly, and then returned his gaze back to the road. “He’s been talking non-stop about you. He’s so happy you guys are talking again.”
I felt a warm glow from Marcus’ words, but I still wasn’t sure whether I liked how much Jason had shared with him. I shook off the feeling of discomfort. There was no difference between Jason confiding in his best friend, like I did with Chloe.
“I forgot how easy it is to have fun with Jason,” I said. “He’s still the same in so many ways from when he was a kid.”
Marcus nodded. “Something I always appreciated about Jason is that he doesn’t see differences in people. He treats everyone the same.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“When I met Jason in middle school, I was having a tough time.” Marcus revealed. “I had just moved to Hyattsville, and I had a hard time fitting in. So many of the kids in our town are well off.” Marcus gave me a rueful smile as he continued. “We had come from an area where everyone was poor, so I never felt out of place. But here, kids’ parents were driving fancy cars, and everyone was in extra curricular activities. I wanted to play sports so badly, but I couldn’t afford it. All the equipment you have to buy is so expensive, never mind the fees for playing for club sports and stuff.”
I knew what he meant. A large portion of our town was very well off, while the rest of us straddled between middle class and lower middle class. I didn’t realize that Marcus was from the latter, but I knew firsthand that it wasn’t easy coming from a one parent household.
“I never told Jason any of my problems,” Marcus said. “Honestly, it was embarrassing. Finally, a kid wanted to be friends with me, but I couldn’t even afford to go to the arcade with him. And I didn’t want him feeling bad for me.” Marcus sighed. “But he knew without me saying anything. He saw my house when his mom would drop me off. He saw the holes in my clothes at school. Kids at school used to make fun of me for it, but suddenly, when Jason became friends with me, everyone wanted to be friends with me, too. I was suddenly popular by association.”
Marcus paused as he waited to make a turn. He glanced at me as he continued. “You probably already know this, but Jason has a way of making you feel like everything is going to be okay. When he started to give me his old sports equipment, he acted like I was doing him a favor by taking it off his hands.” Marcus quirked an eyebrow with a half-smile. “Never mind that all the equipment seemed new.”
I smiled. That sounded like Jason. Always generous and always trying to make people feel better. He had gotten that trait from his mom.
“My mom cleans houses for a living.” Marcus told me. “I’ve never been ashamed of that. It’s honest work. All of a sudden, she had a ton more clients referred to her by Jason’s mom, even though she had never cleaned her house personally. And they were well-paying jobs with clients that were kind.” Marcus’ mouth twisted. “Some of these rich people can be real jerks, but all her new clients treated her well. She was able to hire other cleaners and start her own little company. She started being able to afford paying for my sports fees and buying me new clothes, even if they were from Wal-mart. My little brother started being able to do things like take taekwondo classes.”
“I’m so glad Jason and his family could be there for you and your family,” I said sincerely. “Both he and his family are amazing. They’ve always been so kind to me and my mom.”
Marcus nodded. “I didn’t realize until recently how much you and I have in common. Jason doesn’t care about your background. He only likes you for you.”
I stilled at his statement. “What do you mean, my background?”
“I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” Marcus said quickly, glancing at me. “Jason and I tell each other basically everything, and I know you and your mom have struggled too. And his family was there for you financially, like they were for mine.” Marcus gave me a sympathetic look. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“What do you mean, his family was there for us financially?” I asked, puzzled. I had no idea what he was talking about.
Marcus pressed his lips together, looking regretful. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew that Jason’s family gave your mom money regularly when you were younger. I know it was hard for you guys after your dad left.”
What in the hell was Marcus talking about? To my knowledge, my mother had never taken money from Jason’s family. She had busted her ass working to make sure we had enough after my loser dad left. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she had taken money from them. I remembered her desperation when he left and she found out that he had hidden the fact that we were behind on the mortgage. She had been able to catch up on payments, but maybe that was with Jason’s family’s help.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to feel about what Marcus had revealed. Why did Marcus know these things about me and my mom that I didn’t know myself?
“Jason still doesn’t care that you guys are different. Even though you’re staying home for college, that doesn’t matter to him. I know it’ll be hard, especially if he goes to school far away, but that’s how much he cares about you. It doesn’t matter to him that you come from a family that has so much less money than him.”
Anger swiftly coursed through my veins. “Is that what he said to you?” I asked sharply. “That he’s okay with me being poor?”
“He didn’t mean it like that,” Marcus said quickly, looking at me worriedly. “He just meant that he likes you for you, and nothing else matters.”
There were a million things I wanted to scream. That I wasn’t poor, and even if I was, Jason had no right to look down on me. That my mom worked for everything we had, and I would know if she had taken money from Jason’s family. That it was messed up Jason would tell Marcus all these things, even if they were best friends. But I kept silent. There was no reason to get angry at Marcus. He was just the messenger.
“I hope I didn’t upset you,” Marcus said, looking concerned as he pulled into my driveway. “I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m not upset.” My answers were short and clipped, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get out of Marcus’ car and away from his pitying look.
“Thanks for the ride.” I said when he parked in my driveway. I quickly got out of his car, humiliation burning my cheeks, and ran inside my house without a look back.