She finally came out of her bedroom looking fresh out of shower. Her mom felt a heavy burden just lifted off her shoulder. Hazel was feeling better. There was still deep sadness on her face but she forced a smile and said ‘Hi’ and gave her a long hug. The day was getting dark and Claire’s relieve was short lived because Hazel was on her way outside to meet the boy in a designer hoodie by his white Lamborghini who looked like he hadn’t had a good sleep in days.
“He’s been waiting for an hour,” Claire said.
She had turned on the light on their porch so the two of them can have a good talk on their new balcony swing. Claire poured a generous amount of red wine on her mug and peeked outside their window and saw the two kids embraced each other warmly.
“Hey baby … how are you doing?” he said and kissed the top of her head.
She shook her head and started to cry in his chest.
“Oh … I’m so sorry …”
“No … I’m sorry …” she said and held her tears back. “I’m sorry I missed your birthday … and your therapy … I really wanted to go back … I just …”
“Hey … that’s okay …” he lied, “Why don’t we sit and catch up?” he said and they walked over to her porch to sit.
He looked at her sad face and felt a sense of peace. He had thought wrong, they were fine, their friendship was pretty much in tact.
“What did he do to you?” he asked.
She chuckled sarcastically. She hugged herself and sighed, “He lied … about not having a girlfriend.”
He grimaced, “Oh … bastard …”
They laughed lightly.
She shrugged, “I guess it was too good to be true … it felt like a fairy tale for a moment … and then it turned into a nightmare.”
“Where is he now?”
“He went back to Gastonbury … I guess it wouldn’t have worked out in the first place … you know? Long distance and all? But the lie … just made it clear … what I had to do.”
He held her hand, “You did the right thing.”
“What about you?” she looked at him. “Did you tell your parents about the emancipation?”
He nodded.
“You’re really going through it?”
He nodded again.
She paused for a moment and thought it was a brave thing to do. “So what are you going to do? Are you leaving school?”
He turned to her and saw that look on her face. The anticipation for a news she didn’t want to hear. He had made up his mind on the day of his birthday. He was going to quit Pinehurst Valley to go back to Goldstone and resurrect his YouTuber life.
He smiled, “Of course not … I wouldn’t pass the offer to stay here with you,” he said.
He saw her face lit up.
“Really? You’re being serious?”
“Yeah … we’ll finish high school … I’ll take up your mom’s offer to come stay here with you guys and have her as my guardian … I’ll try to behave …” he laughed and crossed his fingers, “I promise … and we’ll see what happens …”
She jumped over him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “Oh my God … I’m so happy to hear that … I was worried you were going to tell me something else,” she laughed.
“What about your channel? Your studio?”
He shrugged, “I can still do it on weekends … or on holidays … you’ll help me won’t you? We can drive there on Friday and back on Sunday … we’ll just do what we can and I can concentrate more after we graduate … and maybe you’ll change your mind about UOG by then,” he chuckled, “Who knows?”
“Oh man, that sounds like a good plan …” she was smiling from ear to ear.
It does sound like a good plan. If only Hazel knew Marlon had just came up with it when he saw that look on her face.
“Now … what do you say we go out for dinner? I got some good weed in the car,” he stood up and stretched his arms up. His shirt risen and his pierced belly button showed.
“Is that new?” she pointed to his belly.
“Oh … yeah … I got it on my birthday,” he laughed, “God what a night that was … I’m glad you weren’t there … it was wild.”
She rested her chin on her hand, “Yeah? Tell me all about it then …”
“Well … I can’t remember the most part … but I’ll tell you the rest …”
They laughed.