The Wrong Side of the Track Ch. 16

Tuesday was an okay day Marcus walked me to all my classes again except 5th. Tony keeps flirting with me and I’m still struggling to tell him it’s over. Katie said hi to Marcus and was really nice to him. Everything was okay except Marcus was acting a little strange. I asked him if he was okay and he told me he was fine. When I got home Derek had ordered pizza and we watched a couple of movies. Our parents called to check in on us, they said they were great and might extend their vacation. Derek fell asleep on the couch so I went up to my room. I looked at the clock it was 11:00 pm. Suddenly there was tapping on my window I walked over to it and looked out and Marcus was throwing rocks at my window.
"Audrey can I talk to you real quick"
"I’ll be down in a minute" I wrapped my blanket around me and ran downstairs out the door.
"Marcus are you okay"
"Uh yeah I just um you wanna go for a ride with me"
"Marcus its 11 o clock"
"Please just trust me"
"Okay"

We got on to his motorcycle and he took me to the lake we went to the day I was upset we got off the bike and started to walk.
"Now are you gonna tell me what’s wrong Marcus" I asked as gently as I could
"Today is her birthday" he replied sadly
"Whose birthday"
"My moms"
"Oh Marcus I-"
"I’m alright I just wanted someone to talk to- you look cold lets go back and get your blanket"

We went back to the bike and got my blanket I quickly wrapped it around myself. Marcus sat down on the beach and pulled me into his lap.

"Tell me more about her"
"My mom"
"Yeah"
"she was a free spirit and she’d always bring me hear she told me to always go to the beach cause the ocean forces you to dream but this was the closest thing we had"
"That’s beautiful"
"She was beautiful"

Marcus kept telling me about his mom until I feel asleep in his arms. The sunlight from the rising sun woke me.

'you know you look beautiful when you sleep"
"ha-ha thank you what time is it"
"5:30"
"oh my gosh I got to get home we got to get home it’s a school day"
"Calm down lets go"
Marcus got me home in 15 minutes once I got home I got ready as fast as I could. I had gotten ready in such a rush and drove to school I still had a few minutes before the bell rang. I went to the restrooms so that I could put on a little make-up when I got in there Amber and Tess were in front of two of the mirrors.

"Hey Audrey Tess look its Audrey" amber said
"Long time no see" Tess said
"It has been" I replied to the two
"I’m sorry to hear about you and tony" amber said

I knew she wasn’t she liked him ever since me and tony started dating.

"Yeah well I’m fine"
"Yes, I hear Katie told me how you’ve bounced back" Tess smirked
"What did she tell you" I questioned
"She told me how you’ve been dating some charity case that could possibly be a drug dealer and amber get this he’s black"
"Oh my gosh no Audrey say it ain’t so" amber said
"He’s not a charity case he’s not a drug dealer and what does it matter if he’s black"
"It matters a lot he’s probably gonna make you join a gang or be your pimp" Tess said
"Eww that’s gross so your gonna be like a prostitute" amber remarked
"He’s not making me join a gang, he’s not my pimp and I’m not a prostitute" I protested
"It’s just a matter of time you know what they say once you go black you never go back" amber jokingly stated
"Have fun with your black boy"

Tess said as they went to leave the restroom. I couldn’t hold in my emotions anymore I grabbed Tess by the hair and hit her in the face. She hit me in my mouth. Amber jumped in and separated us Tess had blood coming from her nose and I had blood coming from my lip.

"Audrey your fucking crazy don’t ever talk to us again" amber said as they left

I stood there looking in the mirror at my split lip. Amber and Tess a few weeks ago were my best friends now I’m fighting them in the restroom. Maybe I should start dating tony again maybe my best friends will still be my best friends and I won’t be fighting them in the restroom. Maybe my relationship with Marcus is toxic on my life well the life I once knew. I stood in front of the mirror thinking on these things when the school bell rang and broke my concentration. I grabbed my bags and I went straight to class when I walked in to class Katie gave me a look as if to tell me she knew what happened. After class I tried walking as fast as I could to avoid seeing Marcus and get away from Katie.
"Audrey why did you hit her" Katie yelled at me
"She called him a black boy"
"You’re choosing him over your friends"
"They’re not my friend they wanted tony not me"
"That may be true but-"
"No buts she had no right to talk about him like that"
"Okay Audrey calm down I’m on your side"
"Then please act like it Katie I need my best friend not the racist you’ve become"

I told Katie everything I was feeling about me and Marcus about possibly going back to tony and changing my life back to normal. She let me get everything out and didn’t make one stupid comment. After 2nd I still walked fast to avoid Marcus I did this all day until it got to the last class and I realized I was gonna have to face him now. I really like being with Marcus but being with him is like bitter sweet. On the up side he makes me laugh and he really makes me happy and feel comforted. On the down side my friends hate him and they say dumb stuff that makes me hate them and I don’t want to lose my friends. My head hurt so bad I just laid my head on my desk my phone went off next to my head. I flipped my phone open without lifting my head and read it:

I’ve been looking for you look up

I picked my head off the desk and look to my side and Marcus was sitting there. He was wearing my favorite color purple. He had on a big baggy purple shirt with and even bigger black tee underneath it with black jeans. He had on gorgeous purple black Nike air forces and a purple hat tilted to the side. I stared in his eyes and it felt like my worries drifted away.

"I ain’t seen you all day shawty"
"Yeah, I know I um had Katie problems"
"I thought you had beef with me or something"
"Ha-ha no"

Class went by fast and I had fun to we started a project which of course I choose Marcus to be my partner. Marcus waited for me outside of class as I gathered my stuff.

"Audrey I just want to thank you for last night"
"Marcus it was no problem and I kinda need help with something"
"What is it?"
"Can you help me pick out a gift for Janelle?"
"Sure we can go to the mall right now"
"Great lets go"

We left school and went to the mall. We walked around for about an hour before I found the perfect gift. It was a diamond tennis bracelet with matching necklace and earrings. After I finished shopping we got something to eat at the food court.

"Marcus you can’t only eat ice cream"
"I like ice cream and I had a lot to eat at lunch which you would know if you wasn’t avoiding me all day"
"I told you I wasn’t avoiding you"
"Yeah sure are you gonna tell me how you got that busted lip"
"Oh you know I –"

Before I could get my sentence out three black guys walked up to us and said hi to Marcus one pulled a chair up by us while the other two stood.

"Aye Marcus"
"What up Dra"
"Nothing ain’t seen you around the block in a while"
"Cause I don’t like running the streets"
"Well it seem to me that you just don’t wanna give me the answer to the offer I gave you"
"Man I told you no"
"and I asked you to reconsider"
"My answer ain’t gonna change now please excuse yourself from our table"
The Dra guy turned and looked at me.
"What’s up breezy I’m Dra"
"Uh Audrey"
"nice to meet you Audrey" he kissed my hand I looked at Marcus who looked furious.
"ha-ha nice to meet you"
"I see you got a snow bunny Marcus"
"Man she ain’t no god damn snow bunny; and I believe I asked you to leave so bounce, kick rocks fool"
"Whatever you know where to find me when you ready to give me the right answer and I wanna hear it soon"

"Who was he" I questioned Marcus
"Nobody"
"He didn’t seem like nobody what was his offer"
"Its nothing shawty just some stupid hood stuff"
"He seemed nice"
"He called you a snow bunny"
"What’s a snow bunny?"
"It’s nothing shawty so you gonna tell me how you got that busted lip"
"Not until you tell me what a snow bunny is"
"A snow bunny is something bad"
"Okay I split my lip doing something bad"
"Audrey that doesn’t tell me anything"
"You didn’t tell me anything I still think Dra seemed nice"
"He’s a dope boy" he said defensively
"Ok, would I sound completely lame if I asked you what a dope boy is?"
"Ha-ah it’s a drug dealer shawty"
"A drug dealer how do you know him"
"He’s just another dude from the block, this is bad date talk lets change the subject"
"Who said this was a date"
"I did come on"

Me and Marcus got up and went to the movies afterwards Marcus took me home. I was tempted to ask him to come in but I refrained because I don’t know where this thing is going. We have a great time together and I don’t care how much Katie, amber and tess hate him he makes me happy and I think I’m falling for him.

When I got to school Marcus was already standing by my locker.
"Hey Marcus" he gave me a small kiss
"Uh I’m not staying I came to see if you’d do me a favor"
"Why aren’t you staying?"
"I’m helping Janelle set up for her party"
"Ok so what’s your favor"
"I was wondering if you’d be my date to the party"
"Of course"
"Cool I’ll pick you up at 6 alright"
"Okay"

I gave him a kiss bye and Marcus rushed out the school door before the bell rang. I was sad I wasn’t going to see him and have him walk me to class. My first four periods were okay Katie kept talking about her and Dawson. Don’t get me wrong I was happy for her but I missed Marcus. 5th was bad tony tried to kiss me again and grabbed my wrist really tight when I refused leaving a slight bruise. 6th was the worse because it made me really miss Marcus but I was happy it was the last class. When I got home I wrapped Janelle’s gift then started getting ready. I decided to wear some black skinny jeans with white ugg boots and a long sleeve white shirt to cover up the bruise tony left. When I finished I went downstairs to wait Derek and jasmine was in the kitchen.

"Hey Audrey" jasmine said
"Hi jasmine"
"You joining us for dinner"
"No I’m going to a party"
"Well you look nice"
"Thank you jasmine"

I stood around talking to them for a while when the door bell rang. I ran to the door and answered it.
"Hey Marcus"
"You look great"
"Thank you"
"You ready to go"
"Yeah"

I grabbed Janelle’s gift and we left, the party was at a house on a part of town I’ve never been. The inside was big there were a lot of people dancing to the loud hip hop music. I and Marcus found jasmine and I gave her the gift.

"Come on lets dance" jasmine said

I and Janelle and Marcus went to dance. Marcus didn’t really dance he just rocked back and forth. Jasmine was a good dancer she really knew how to move to the music. While we were dancing 2 girls kept staring at me I thought it was just because of my bad dancing.

"Jasmine why are those girls staring at me"
"Because you’re here with Marcus"
"What"
"They have been trying to get with Marcus for months"
"Both of them"
"No just the tall one the little one is kinda like her wing woman they’re gonna keep staring at you as long as you with Marcus and I’m sure you plan to be with him a while"
"Yeah of course"
"Well you better get use to it watch this as soon as Marcus leave they’ll try to scare you away"

Janelle told Marcus to get me and her something to drink as soon as he left the girls walked over to us.

"Happy birthday Janelle" the tall one said
"thank you" Janelle said back
"Who’s the white girl?"
"This is Audrey"
"Hi" I said
"Yeah whatever what you doing here"
"I was invited"
"No what you doing here with my man"
"Trina, Marcus is not your man" Janelle hissed at her
"Janelle you know I’m playing but I can’t let some white girl ruin my chances"
"Well Trina she did because this is Marcus girl and you better show some respect"

Marcus walked up to us and handed us our drinks. The girls walked to Marcus and grabbed him by the hand and pulled him on the dance floor the two girls sandwiched him in between them and danced on him.

"They just want Marcus they gonna try to scare you away"
"It kinda worked"
"Don’t let them discourage you because you have one thing they’ll never have"
"What’s that"
"Marcus heart"
"Thanks Janelle I going to go to the bathroom"
"Ok"

I went to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face the encounter with the girls really took a lot out of me. When I exited the bathroom Marcus was against the wall near the bathroom and the girl was talking to him. I decide to try to listen to their conversation so I hid behind the wall.

"I thought you said you wasn’t bringing a date" she said
"Nah I said I didn’t wanna bring you" he replied
"But you’ll bring the white trick"
"She ain’t no trick and don’t disrespect her again"
"Well she is white and she not the girl for you"
"You don’t know what’s for me"

As they kept talking I started to cry

"I know you’re black and she’s white they don’t mix"
"Oh really cause last time I checked I was half white"
"That’s not what I meant baby"

She caressed his cheek and leaned in for a kiss. I walked from behind the wall tears streaming down my face.

"Audrey did you hear-"
"Marcus I’m going home"
"Wait Audrey-"
"No, Marcus I’ll walk goodbye"

I ran outside as fast as I could I stood in the middle of the road crying as I realized I didn’t know where I was or how to get home.

"Audrey stop" Marcus shouted as the screen door to the house slammed
"No Marcus she’s right I don’t mix we don’t mix Marcus"
"Fuck what she says Audrey"
"Marcus face the facts you’re black I’m white and no matter what people are gonna be there to remind us of that"
"They can keep reminding us but in the end it doesn’t matter they don’t matter it’s just me and you and that’s all that matters to me"
"You wanna know how I got this split lip fighting with a girl that was my friend and as long as we’re together we’re going to spend more time fighting to defend our relationship then having one"
"Audrey I’ll fight forever if I can be with you"
"It’ll be easier if you just date the girl in there"

Marcus pulled me to his face and kissed me more passionately then he’d ever kissed me. The warmth of his hands as he wiped away my tears felt so good. Marcus was worth all the split lips in the world.

"Marcus-"
"Audrey I don’t want those girls in there I want you ….. I love you"