Chapter 8 A gift from Marcus!

On a Saturday, my classmates and I worked on a project at Ai's house. It got dark, and I got caught in the night on my way home. But even from a distance, near our corner, I could see a long table below the building Marcus was working on. Workers gathered, chatting and drinking. As I approached, I could hear their loud laughter and toasts. There was even someone playing the guitar, but no one was singing. The noise stopped when my eyes caught a guy with a broad back, neatly-cut hair, wearing a white T-shirt, and laughing with his drinking buddies.

I could only see his back, so he couldn't see me staring at him. Nervousness surged in my chest. It felt like my heart had a race. When I saw his large hand holding a glass and taking a sip, I knew it was him. That hand with a black watch,

It's him.

I quickened my pace and just looked straight ahead. I knew he'd see me, and I was confident. If he's one of the guys who notice me, he'll definitely know. That's how confident I am. But as I passed by on the other side of the road, my heart rate increased. It was challenging to focus on walking, afraid I might look at him.

Focus. Relax. Poise. Walk.

In my peripheral vision, a guy sitting in front of Marcus stood up. He saw me, and I knew he pointed me out to Marcus. But I had already passed by, and he didn't even look at me. I felt weak when I went past them. I counted each step, still believing he'd follow. Ten steps, but there was no "baby labs" echoing in my ears.

"Oh, darn!" I almost tripped over a hole in the pavement I didn't see. I looked around to see if anyone saw me, thankfully there was no one at the store. I just hastened my steps home.

When I entered my room, I threw my bag on my bed, "Is that the guy who's supposed to tell me he likes me?! I passed by him, and he didn't even notice me?! Ha!" I was annoyed. I was so annoyed that even my clear book suffered from my frustration. "He thinks he's someone. If he tries to talk to me, I'll pull his hair!" I opened my cabinet and looked for something to wear. But even the clothes felt my irritation. "He didn't contact me for a few days, and he just made me wait in front of him! Well, he won't be able to enter this house! Let him try to talk to me, I'll scratch him!" I opened my closet and searched for something to wear. But even the clothes felt my annoyance. I put on my clothes and went to the kitchen to wash up. Grandma and Leroy were in the living room, so they didn't hear my rant, and I had no intention of letting them hear it. When I turned off the faucet, I grabbed the towel on my shoulder and wiped my face. But I paused when I heard a sound. Videoke? But it sounded like a guitar. Maybe it's an acoustic song. But why does it seem like there's no microphone? Ah, maybe they're just jamming with the neighbors.

"Sister!"

I went to the living room because Leroy called me. I saw him standing by our open door, and Grandma was there too. "What's up?"

Leroy approached me and pulled my arm towards the door. The awe and joy were evident on his face. I furrowed my brows, and my annoyance slightly disappeared when I saw the guy... outside our house, now with a guitar slung over his shoulder, and...

He's singing!

I froze in my place, my lips parted, and my heart skipped a beat. "M-Marcus..." I whispered his name. When he saw me, he smiled and winked at me. My cheeks warmed up. It had been a while since I last saw that happen. He started playing the guitar and began to sing! He chose to sing "True" by Ryan Cabrera.

I didn't know if I should feel embarrassed or ask him to stop, but all I could see was him and how his voice perfectly matched the guitar strings, blending with its rhythm. I was brought back to reality when my brother nudged me slightly. I didn't look at him, but I heard his teasing remarks. "Hey, sis, you're daydreaming! You're in love, huh? Oh, my!" I wanted to smack him, but I figured I could do it later.

Grandma and Leroy applauded when he finished the song. I went outside to approach him and have a conversation. He removed the guitar from his shoulder. I was outside the gate when I noticed he had company. He was carrying a tray. They both came towards me.

I noticed this guy seemed a bit shy. I bit my lip to suppress a smile. I raised an eyebrow.

"Good evening, Marcus's baby love!" His companion greeted me. He was still laughing. He had thick hair and a mustache.

I shifted my gaze to Marcus. He had the guitar in one hand, and from behind him, he produced a single red rose. With his head slightly bowed, he extended it to me.

"What's this?" I asked, a bit sternly.

He looked up, "a flower."

I grinned, "Peace offering?"

He stared at me as if examining my face. I stood up straight and grabbed the flower. I wanted to scold him all the way because he had been absent for days, but why did that plan seem to fade away gradually? And I didn't want him to see that.

"Oh, Claudia, this is also for you. A gift from Marcus. It's sticky, just like his love for you."

I heard Grandma and Leroy laughing. I wanted to laugh too, but I bit my lip hard. I cleared my throat, "Thank you... p-please come inside." Because of my pounding heart, it was difficult for me to speak in front of Marcus. I felt like I was officially accepting him as my suitor too. And I was giving him a chance.

I looked at Marcus, and I caught him looking at me. Didn't he have anything else to do but stare? But before we could take another step, a blue car parked right in front of our gate. The person inside came out with a big smile, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.

"Martin?" I said. I immediately sensed his purpose and quickly glanced at the guy beside me, where I found his intense gaze fixed on Martin.

Shit.