Chapter3

#Chapter3

Tension

Maggie

I awoke and sat up on the couch to see everyone up and moving around the house. Nash came downstairs and walked past me, not saying anything to me. So did everyone else, including Kat. Nixon must have told her.

I got up to use the bathroom, then came downstairs to get a cup of coffee. Have you ever entered a room filled with so much tension that you could cut it with a knife? Yep, this time you could use a chainsaw.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed upstairs. I needed to shower and dress, so I could check out the dorms. I took a shower. After five minutes, the water turned ice cold. Great. They depleted the hot water. Figures.

I got out, dressed, threw on my shoes, and grabbed my purse. I came downstairs and placed my empty coffee cup in the sink.

/"How was your shower?/" Nixon snickered, as did everyone else.

I shot them a glare.

/"Uh, please, don’t forget to wash your cup. We don’t need to clean up after your mess. It’s not like we haven’t done it before,/" Jace said.

My anger boiled. I picked up the cup, opened the door, tossed the cup into the trash can, then left. There, I cleaned up my mess.

/"Someone has a temper,/" Paul said.

They laughed. That was fine. As soon as I check out my room, I won’t be anyone’s problem anymore. Enjoy your fun.

I made my way to the dorms and walked in. I found my room, opened the door, checked out the room, then left to grab my stuff. I got back to the house, walked in, and passed everyone.

/"Aww, someone’s still mad,/" Jasper said.

I said nothing as I headed up to my room. Well, Nash’s room. I grabbed my stuff and shoved it into my bags. Once I had packed, I lugged my bags downstairs as they watched me.

/"Where are you going, Maggie?/" Marco asked.

/"I’m going to stay in my dorm, so you won’t have to worry about me./"

I opened the door as Nash caught me. /"Mags?/"

I glanced at him, trying not to cry. /"Don’t worry. I’m going to the dorms. You won’t have to worry about me running off or being a prude./"

Tears fell down my cheeks. I closed the door behind me, leaving them confused.

*****

Nixon

/"Why did Maggie leave? I don’t understand,/" Marco said. /"We were kidding, right?/" He looked at them. /"Right?/"

/"No, Marco, we were nasty to her. That’s why she left,/" Jace said.

/"But I wasn’t! Jasper, I wasn’t. Tell her to come back!/"

/"Dude, what’s wrong with him?/" I asked Jace.

/"Marco has Autism. He doesn’t understand specific things./"

/"Paul, please bring Maggie back. Please,/" Marco said.

/"It’s okay, buddy. We’ll get her back./"

Nash left the house and chased after Maggie.

*****

Nash

Nash found me close to home. It wasn’t hard since my bags were heavy.

/"Mags!/"

I stopped, set my bags down, turned around, and wiped my eyes. /"What, Nash?/"

/"I’m sorry. When you left, I was so mad. I was afraid something had happened to you. Please come back./"

/"Why? So, people can call me a prude. Or endure a cold shower? Or told I’m a slob?/"

/"No, so we can fix things./"

/"How, Nash? I have never felt so hurt or homesick./" I sniffled, then cried.

/"Mags./" He pulled me to him. /"I’m sorry. I didn’t know./"

I buried my head into his chest. /"I want to go home, well, your home./"

His chest moved.

/"This isn’t funny./"

/"It’s a little funny./"

I smacked him. /"Nash!/"

/"Okay, I’m sorry. Can you come home before Marco has a meltdown?/"

My head snapped up. /"What do you mean?/"

/"Marco got upset when you left. He begged us to bring you back./"

I creased my forehead.

*****

Nash helped me with my bags, and we walked back to the house. When he opened the door, Marco was a blubbering mess.

/"Marco, Maggie’s back,/" Jasper said.

Marco let go of Jasper, ran to me, and hugged me.

/"Marco, I can’t breathe./" I gasped as he gripped me.

/"Oh, sorry./" He loosened his grip. /"You won’t leave again, will you?/" He awaited my response.

I glanced at everyone. They shook their heads at me.

/"No, I’m not leaving again./"

/"Oh, yay!/" He threw his arms around me and hugged me again. I didn’t know what to do.

Paul walked over and peeled him off me. /"She’s not leaving. Down, boy./"

/"I’ll make some coffee. Does anyone want coffee?/" He asked.

We nodded before he ran into the kitchen.

/"Okay, what was that?/" I pointed to the kitchen.

/"That was Marco,/" Paul said.

/"Marco has Autism,/" Jasper said.

/"Isn’t he gay?/"

/"Yes, but Autism has nothing to do with his sexuality. He’s high functioning and follows our lead. He thought we were joking with you until we told him the truth./"

/"Marco has taken a shine to you,/" Jace told me.

Oh, boy.

Marco returned with a tray of mugs of coffee and set it on the coffee table. He dragged me over to the couch and sat next to me.

/"Maggie, you can never leave again. That was too hard./" He took a sip of his coffee.

/"Marco, you know I have class, right?/"

/"Yeah, sure, but you can’t move out. I like you, Maggie./" He laid his head on my shoulder.

I sipped my coffee and glimpsed at everyone. Okay, so a gay guy with Autism has taken a shine to me. It’s no big deal.

/"Is it me, or do people like this girl?/" Jasper asked Nash.

/"Nope, it’s not you. People like her. My parents and grandparents adore her. If I screw this up, they’ll have my head on a platter./"

/"Good to know./"

/"Marco?/" I asked.

/"Yes./"

/"Why me?/"

He lifted his head and looked at me with confusion.

/"Ah, hell. Here we go,/" Nixon said.

/"Why you what?/" He stared at me.

/"Why do you like me so much? You have the others./"

/"Maggie, you’re funny and nice. Why shouldn’t I like you?/"

That wasn’t the answer that I was expecting.

/"But I have a temper./"

/"Yeah, so?/"

/"It’s not the first time./"

/"What?/"

/"Well, yeah./"

/"Why?/"

/"Why what?/"

/"Why did you leave?/"

/"Because I got upset. I don’t have the nicest parents. Nash and Nixon’s parents were kind enough to take me in. Then the boys had hurt me, and I ended up leaving, but Nash stopped me./"

He turned and looked at Nixon, along with Nash. /"Why were you mean to Maggie?/"

Marco’s question caught Nixon off guard.

/"Well, she started it./" Nixon pointed at me.

Nash slapped his face with his palm.

/"Only because you started it first,/" I said

Then Nash walked over and sat on the coffee table while he faced Marco. /"Marco?/"

Marco’s face snapped in Nash’s direction. /"Yeah?/"

/"Nixon and our brothers are like siblings to Maggie. They tease each other, and sometimes, it gets out of hand. I’m the oldest and dealt with the situation./"

/"Oh, like how Paul and Jasper are with me./"

/"Well, yeah./"

/"So, do you love Maggie?/"

Nash looked at me. /"Yes, I love her a great deal./"

/"And you tease her for being a prude because you love her?/"

Whoa. None of us expected that question.

/"Yeah, but I shouldn’t have. Because you shouldn’t make fun of a person when they’re uncomfortable./"

Double whoa. I wasn’t expecting that response either.

/"No, you shouldn’t./"

Nash moved from his spot and kneeled in front of me. /"Why didn’t you tell me?/"

/"While living at your parent’s house, I never had to worry about it. You guys always wore something other than your underwear. Seeing you in your underwear made me nervous. It’s stupid since we saw each other naked./"

/"No, it’s not stupid. And you were right. It has always been dark except for the shower./"

My cheeks heated.

/"Oh, Christ. Is it necessary for me to hear this?/" Nixon asked.

/"If Maggie is a prude, then so is Nixon,/" Marco said.

We laughed as Nixon got pissed.

These next four years would be exciting.