Remark

Sparks Fly

“Okay, okay. Seriously? You guys are too attached right now.”

I looked up to see Mark looking back at me with a smile on his face. Mark went back to Canada for summer to spend his time with his family. He left the moment we finished our senior year and we barely had less than three months to spend time together without hiding our feelings. Greedy or not, three months wasn’t enough for him to make up for his lies. It felt like a year of not seeing his face. It didn’t feel like two months. I missed him so much I think I’m crazy. “What’s going on in that head of yours again, princess?”

I hugged him tighter and buried my face over his chest. How I miss the way his perfume lingers. I hear him chuckle. “Is it bad that I miss you so much even if you lied to my face for basically two years?” I asked almost in whisper. The sound of his heartbeat is music to my ears. I never really paid this close attention to anyone’s heart beats before but now I somehow do.

“I know you really like me but I didn’t know you’re this crazy about me. I should just leave you for five months and come back at least once so I’d feel this special to you, don’t you think?”

I pushed him away from me with a frown. “I’m not crazy about you. I just said I missed you,”

He chuckled and pulled me back to his side, locking his hands with mine. I looked at him but he just looks at our hands together. “I thought you looked cute when you were getting angry at me before for messing with you every single day but you look cuter now that you miss me,” He said and I squinted my eyes at him.

“Enough with your display of affection. This is so not fair.” Sophee stomped her feet away from us and hides behind Jeffrey. “You’re making everyone feel bitter, you know.” she added and grabs a drink from the table making me laugh as I lean my head over Mark’s chest.

“Oh I don’t know. I think you’re the only one who’s bitter here, Sophee.” Harvey, who has been one of Mark’s friends before from another school whom I recently met, said. He’s one of Mark’s friends that I actually really get along with.

At that, Sophee glared at him with her feisty eyes. “I swear to God, you won’t be alive tomorrow.”

“I’ll gladly wait for you to murder me.”

We get along well because we’re both savages to our own friends.

We all laughed at the two’s interaction. Ever since Sophee met Mark’s other friends, Harvey was the only person who could make Sophee feel really bad at herself. If I didn’t like Justin for her, I would have wanted her with Harvey. They just looked too cute together when they’re fighting.

“You better not make my little sister cry, Markypie, or you’re going home with a broken nose. I’m telling you, I can forget about our friendship if you really do that to her.”

At that, everyone praises Johnny’s fake remarks.

“And you’re getting a broken face if you do that to him,” I fired back and everyone laughs. “I won’t hesitate.” Now that Mark was back and we’re going to college now, it felt like yesterday when I first hated him so much because of how I first heard of him. It felt like yesterday when he first asked for my help. “And can you please drop the fake caring and loving step brother of yours? It’s even faker than the Kardashians.”

“Why must you talk to your big brother like this?”

“You’re only a year older than me, Johnny.” I frowned at him.

“So you’re my lil sis,”

I squinted my eyes. This is pointless.

“Whether you like it or not.”

Johnny wasn’t bad. I hated his mother for marrying my father but Johnny’s not bad. I actually got closer to him now that I was with Mark. I got close to Mark’s friends. Some of which were from our school and some from another. Johnny, Jeffrey, Tyler, Jacob, and Justin are the ones I was familiar with at first. Then I met his other friends from a different school, Tommy, Harvey, Cedrick and Yuta, who was surprisingly a Japanese like me.

“C’mon, lil sis. You can’t be serious. I really am trying hard to play the role as your big handsome brother here.”

“We’re more like twins.”

“Ehh…” The expression he wore over his face changed. “It’s weird when you put it that way.”

“Isn’t it weirder if big brother?”

“We’re not twins. I’m your big brother. You’re my lil sis. That’s final.”

“Whatever, Johnny.”

His friends started teasing the poor guy and I laughed, watching him suffer, in victory. “Why are you doing this to me? You’re such a savage sister. Are you actually Harvey’s sister?”

I smirked at my step twin brother. “Maybe I am.” I turned to Harvey pointing my finger at him and he does the same. “I’d be more grateful to have Harvey as my twin.”

“I’d be glad to have you as my twin too, Nami.”

I laughed and everyone seemed to be enjoying this kind of treatment for Johnny.

“Seriously though, Nami.” I turned to look over at Sophee who was walking closer to where Mark and I sat together. “You better give me your last day of summer before I fly to New York and leave you here in the arms of your childhood best friend and the rest of your player boyfriend’s friends for the rest of college year.”

I nodded and smiled. “Don’t worry, Phee. I’ve already saved the date for the two of us.”

Sophee’s going to New York for college. She’s taking up Fashion Designing there to pursue her dreams in that field. I won’t let her go but I wanted her to take up something she’s passionate about and I won’t stop her if that’s what makes her happy. “You better. I can’t leave without spending one last day with you without your boyfriend.”

I wheezed. “Besides, I’ll get tired of Mark eventually if he keeps clinging onto me,”

“Said the one who can’t even let me go now,” I turn my head to Mark with a frown. Feeling the vibration of his voice over my head felt satisfying and that’s not normal. I’m beginning to feel like I’m a girl that’s become so obsessive and I didn’t want myself to come to a point where I’m possessive of him and I won’t be able to live my life without him. I might as well confine myself in a mental hospital if that happens. “I’m just saying, princess. I’m not saying I don’t like it.”

“Get a room, you two.”

We both look up and see all of them throwing their crackers at us. Mark covers me with his hands and tells everyone to stop but they didn’t. They enjoyed doing this to us even before we first told them how mutual our feelings were.

We were all in the table together eating a lot of different food everyone brought today. I finished my spaghetti and watched Mark eat his salad. “Mark, you should try Haxen’s grahams. They’re the best.” Sophee hands Mark the plate. “It has different types of fruits plus extra pineapple which is the best.”

I looked at Sophee scared of stopping her. Turning back to Mark, I see him look at it nervously but still has that soft smile on his face – the kind of smile that wasn’t used to rejecting people. His friends looked a bit awkward now too because I was sure they, too, knew about Mark’s allergies. “Mark can’t eat that, Sophee. He’s allergic to pineapples.”

“Oh, are you really? But why? Pineapples are like the best. I’ll order one without it next time then.” She chuckled and brings the plate back to her side. Thankfully, she wasn’t being a big b***h about being corrected like that.

It was almost seven when everyone decided to leave. I escort them on their way out of my apartment as they leave one by one with lovely good byes for the both us. “I’ll see you on first day, Nami-chan.” Hikaru smiled and left.

“Tell Aunt Kana I miss her,”

He nodded, and said, “I’m sure she misses you too,” before he exited the room.

Sophee stopped in front of me after Hikaru, planting a hand over my arms. “Don’t forget on Saturday okay? And you’re driving me to the airport on Sunday.” I nodded at her and smiled, assuring her that I will keep my promises. “I’ll see you then. Take care of my best friend.” She sent Mark a glare which he chuckles off but bobs his head.

“I will, don’t worry.”

Sophee gave me a hug before leaving.

After Sophee left, Mark clapped his hands together with Tyler who was standing across us now with Johnny. “I’ll kill you if you get my sister preggydandy tomorrow, Mark.” Johnny points at his fingers over Mark and he laughs harder.

“I won’t get her preggydandy, Johnny. When did your brain started thinking like that?”

“Since the day you proposed your stupid plan to us.”

The plan was probably about the whole he needs help with Sophee thing. “The plan’s over now so you can relax. Your sister’s in very good hands.” I feel Mark wrapping his arms around my shoulder making me look down with a thin smile. Good hands, alright.

“I’ll see you around campus, Mark,” Tyler said before turning to me. “Nami,”

“I’ll be back to dancing in no time, captain. We’ll be working together again, I promise.” I tell him and he shrugs looking away.

“I don’t know about that. You have quite the weight recently.”

I laughed.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs, man.” Tyler exited as he threw his keys in the air and catching it after.

When he left, Johnny turned to me. “I’ll tell dad you’re doing fine and he’s doing fine in case you’re wondering how your father’s doing.” I nod. It was weird that he’s calling my dad his dad as well. I haven’t fully forgiven my father even after all of this but our relationship is much better to be honest. “I’ll go ahead then. Remember, no preggydandy okay?”

“No preggydandy.”

Tonight, Mark insisted to stay at my apartment. He claimed that it was sweet and romantic but I was strongly against to that idea of his and I can’t really say I don’t want him to spend time with me because I do. I really do. When everyone else left my apartment, I was left with a pile of unclean plates and bowls and a messy place. “Your friends sure know how to be good visitors.” I said turning to him who was quietly sitting down next to me in the floor.

“They are visitors in the first place.” He looks at me then chuckles.

“Well, I,” I positioned myself to bring myself up. “Need to go wash the dishes before they—”

Mark suddenly pulled me back down when I was about to stand up and wrapped his arms around me. “Do that later,” He says and doesn’t let me go. “I couldn’t show you how much I missed you a while ago in front of all of them. I didn’t want to appear crazy about you than you already did.”

I looked at him and raised my brow. “You’re lucky I even miss you. I rarely miss people.”

He looked down to me with a smile then he pressed his cheeks against my forehead with a sigh. “I miss you,” He said under his breath.

“More than watermelons?”

He chuckled and it was just the most beautiful laugh. “More than watermelons.” At that, I was just speechless and my heart was a reaction itself. “I almost bought a ticket to go back here just so I can see you but I tried to control myself.”

Control his self? “You sure do say the most romantic things.”

His embrace got tighter. “Distance is good too you know,” How is that good? I look at his face still crumbled up on his hug. “You get to suffer the longing and tell yourself how much this person means to you.”

I guess he made a good point there. I did miss him a lot and it made me realize how much I like the player. It made me realize how crazy I’ve become because of him. “Mark?” I called his name and he immediately turns to me.

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever wondered,” I started to ask. “You know, how different things would be if you told me the truth in the first place?” I looked at Mark in the eyes wondering sincerely how things might have been different now if only he told me everything instead of pretending that he was into my best friend.

“I think,” He looks up and pulls me closer to him making me feel uneasy. It’s crazy how comfortable we are at each other that we’re cuddling together like this – so close. He looks back at me and gives me the sweetest smile before answering my question, “You’d be avoiding me forever. You always called me a player right? You hated me so much that it was almost impossible for me to push through the plan. I wouldn’t have continued the plan if you didn’t hate me so much.” He chuckles and I chuckled along with him remembering the memories of the past.

“Why do you like me, Mark?” I asked and he looks at me with a thin smile.

He suddenly leans closer to me so my heart was racing like a horse. When I felt his cold lips touch my cheeks, I was frozen and his stare was mesmerizing. He looks at me in a way no one else does and his eyes were speaking to me. “The heart chooses who it wants, princess.”

I gave into his embrace and wrapped my arms around his waist turning my body to face him. At that, I feel him smile as I rest my forehead against his skinny chest. It wasn’t hard, it was comfy; it wasn’t uncomfortable, it was my safe haven.

“Do you remember what I told you when you first accepted me?” I looked at him smiling. Of course, I remember. I remember every bit he told me that day because I wrote everything in my journal and I read it every day. I remember everything Mark but I shook my head. “I told you how much air resembles you.”

I just smiled and watched him bring his hand up to my face to brush his soft fingers over my flushed, warm cheeks. I look at his beautiful face. Now I can really see why girls liked him so much. He’s a masterpiece. His prominent cheeks popping out, his brown almond-shaped eyes, his crooked brows, his bumpy nose – all these things that make him beautiful aren’t really the reason why I liked him in the first place. They were just plus factors if anything.

“Because I couldn’t live without you.”

Hearing these lines in real life felt different from the ones you see in movies or what you read from novels and stories. It was way more romantic when it’s coming from the one you love. It would sound cheesy when it’s not happening to you. When you get hit by someone hard, you’d be so desperate to hear them tell you the sweetest things on Earth.

“But it’s not that I really can’t live without you because I for sure, can.”

I glared at him and pushed him a little away from me. “Again, you really say the most romantic things any girl would die for.” For a moment, I didn’t know if it was something nice for me to hear after the long separation because it was very painful to know that he’s saying that he can still live without me direct to the point and right in my face. That’s not so nice to hear.

“No, no. Hear me out.” He chuckled. “Oxygen’s atomic number is eight and you accepted me on the 8th of June. Exactly four months before I told you everything.”

I stared right into his eyes. I was lost, literally.

“It’s also the third most abundant element in the universe and you,” he paused and smiled. “You are the third most important element that composes me now right after God and my family. It’s you who makes up one fifth of my life – like air to the Earth’s atmosphere.”

I blinked and I couldn’t help but stare back into his eyes. His eyes that were telling me how much I meant to him, his eyes that were telling me how important I was to him; his eyes that were telling me how sincere he is. I just couldn’t help but smile at how annoyingly, effortless he was in making an atmosphere romantic and how he flatters me day by day – how he can make you feel special with a look from his eyes, and a words that he says. Words aren’t even enough to describe how amazing he was. From being a player, he was Shakespeare all of a sudden.

“Maybe people were right when they questioned why a prince like me would go after a commoner like you.” Rude. “But that’s always the case right? It’s always the commoner who is meant to be with the prince.”