Chapter 2: Eventually

Chapter 2: Eventually

"How's the salad Vanessa?" She asked, with a mouth full of cabbage

"It's actually really good Mrs. Boaz. The whole dinner is just… breathtaking."

And she wasn’t lying, much to Marcus’s relief, he was the one that cooked it. 

The last time the two females were in a room together, things really, really didn’t g soo well. It was nice to see they’d probably buried the hatchet. For now…

"Is that so?" She sounded a little different this time, like her attitude had switched up a little, and Vanessa would be on the receiving end of it. Marcus seated just between the two, noticed it and suddenly choked on the spaghetti he tried to quickly gobble down.

"You okay honey?"

"Marcus are you oka–" 

"Don't touch him" Mrs. Boaz replied, now in a mood that had fully taken a turn for the worst. "Tell me something Vanessa" she tried calming down, "why exactly did you come to Phoenix? Of all the city’s you could’ve moved to, why did you come to the one city where my family moved?"

"Mom, I'm actually feeling tired, I think–"

"Come on now Vanessa, don't keep mute. Don't remember you being this quiet the last time we saw eye to eye. So, tell me, what changed? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Why'd you even come here? Come back to our livess?"

"Mom… that's Enough."

"After all you put us through. Put my family through. Put my boy through. You've come back into our lives and you expect us to welcome you back with open arms? Tell me why you're here Vanessa."

"Mom–"

"Came here to finish the job?"

"Mom!"

"Answer me God damn it!" She slammed the table and the plates and glasses 'bounced' with a thud on the carefully arranged dining table. 

For a number of seconds there was palpable tension in the room. Mrs. Boaz kept staring a glare hot enough to burn a hole through Vanessa's eyes. Whatever the beef was between the two, it felt unrelenting, and sooner or later, Marcus would be caught in the cross hairs.

"You've overstayed your welcome. It's time you leave" she said, without an iota of mercy in her voice. 

"You're…you're right" Vanessa said, snapping out of the short, decent time she had, thinking everything had gone back to normal. "Thanks for having me though. It was actually really was nice salad" she said, making her way out of the dining area and headed for the door.

"Come on Vanessa" Marcus tried reaching for her, but his mom held him back by his left hand. 

"And where do you think you're going?" 

"Come on mom, it was a long time ago. Stop acting like–"

"Your brother is in Rehab because of that girl, and all you can do is take her side?"

"Ryan is in Rehab because of the choices he made, not because of Vanessa. And the second you stop siding with him and actually give a little more thought to the situation…" he ousted himself from her grip "...the better for all of us."

He dashed towards the living room, Vanessa just about to leave. 

"Marcus! Marcus!" Mrs. Boaz screamed, all to no avail. 

"Vanessa come on. Don't give my mom too much thought" he said, just at her back as she was about to leave. "Come on Vanessa." She walked out of the house like she didn't hear him and dashed dramatically, but as quickly as she could to her house, just opposite Marcus's, while he followed behind her.

"Hey wait up" he said, jogging a couple feet behind her. 

As soon as she got to her house, she clicked open her door and slammed it behind her. Slamming Marcus back too. "Come on" he knocked lightly on the door. "Vanessa, don't be like this. Come on let's just talk. Vanessa" he kept knocking. "I'm not gonna leave till you open this door. Nessa? Vanessa? Vane–"

"Go away" she said from the opposite end of the locked door. 

"We can talk about this come on, just let me in."

"Just go home Marcus. Your mother's ri–"

"I'm not gonna leave till you open up this door. Vanessa" he kept banging the door. "Vanessa. Vanessa. Vane–"

The door suddenly creaked open, and through the small opening popped out her guilty red eyes. 

"Now can we talk?"

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"Wow. You all really put in a lot of work into this whole moving-in thing. Damn" Marcus said, admiring the paintings and antiques all across the living room, as he walked towards a couch just a couple feet in front of him. Vanessa just stood there with her arms around her and her eyes burdened, but tracing Marcus's every step either way. 

"I see your dad still loves the old croquet look ayy" he said, eyeing the family picture just over the fireplace. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he does" she finally lit up a little smile, similar to the one she had on in the morning. 

"And your mom finally wore that red sweater I gave her for Christmas ayy?" He squinted at the picture, noticing the middle-aged woman looking like she was feigning a smile. "Always thought she hated that gift. Always thought she hated me."

"Come on, don't talk like that. She never hated you."

"Yeah, of course she never hated me. She just never liked the same food, or colors, or life patterns, or…you know what? I'm pretty sure she hated me. I’m pretty sure she still does" he smiled, not looking like he really even cared about it. 

"Yeah, I guess so" she replied with a more indulging smile. 

"I'm guessing they're not in town?"

"Yeah. For a couple wee– Wait, how'd you know that?"

"Well for starters, if my memory serves me right, you were never allowed out of the house after six and definitely not with those shorts. Cause you're pretty clumsy, and… you always know the best places to look for or cause trouble."

"Uhhhh, what's that supposed to mean?" she finally uncrossed her hands and took on a more relaxed pose. Though her facial expression wasn't one of relaxation.

"Come on Nessa. You're not exactly fond of anything that won't cause drama."

"That's not true" she said, getting a little closer. 

"It's so true. Everybody except you seems to know that. Pretty odd if you ask me. That's how you were when you were fourteen and four years later, I'm pretty sure that particular trait hasn't changed."

"Shut up" she smiled, trying to throw a light punch in his direction, but he caught her hand with ease and in one quick sway of balance, made her sway down to the long couch back first, her bare feet brushing lightly and eventually resting on his laps. 

After a couple moments of more laughs and more hysterical reasons to throw light jabs at each other, the atmosphere finally settled into a less light and not too tense one.

"So…" she said, still resting on the couch with her feet now crossed on top of Marcus's legs, and his hands slightly caressing them. "...how're you doing? Any luck with the–"

"No. Not even a little to be honest. It's all just fucked up right now, but we'll get through it. I'll get through it."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. I'm sure you'll get your big breakthrough soon."

"Yeah."

"And umm…how's Ry–"

"I need to go now okay" he said with a sudden overwhelming change in emotions. Seemed to already know what she was going to ask, and from the expression on his face, he didn't care the slightest about it. 

"Wait, you sure that–"

"Pretty sure my mom is gonna kill me when I get back, but at least we got to talk a little ayy? Bye now" He gradually made his way off the couch and towards the door. 

"Hey wait up though, I need to tell you something " she said, trying to stop him before he made his way out the door. A little too late though. 

"Marcus!" She said, watching him cross the road and make his way to his house. "Oh well, he'll find out eventually."