Chapter 104: What's Happening?

Marco Junior took out his cigarette and then threw it in the trash. He hadn't planned on spending Christmas alone, but over the past two years, he's gotten used to being alone every holiday. This year will be no different. That's what he said to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around the park. As he watched a woman nearby play with a boy on a nearby slide, he remembered his own mother - Danielle Gustilo. He imagined his mother holding his knee and checking it, to make sure he hadn't suffered any injuries from the slide he carelessly slipped on at the age of one. He remembered falling on the monkey bars at seven o'clock, not only skinning both knees, but also his elbows. He was shaking and crying.
Her mother grabbed a wet tissue from her purse and placed it on his knees. He did the same with his elbows.

His eyes went from the mother who had been watching her son go down the slide, to the swing set located on the east side of the park from where he was sitting next to the slide. A boy pushes a girl of about eight on one of the swings.

Marco Junior smiled and somehow remembered Hershey. A chunky Hershey laughing and playing like this little girl, having fun. Because of this thought, he was forced to open the locket that he got earlier, when he had just graduated from high school. Before Jeromy was born.

He got the locket when Hershey was seven months pregnant. Sighing, he stared at the photo that captured a beautiful smiling young woman. This picture became his favorite. Hershey took it one last time and smiled. Ironically, she was full and bloated then. This causing another smile to form. Her eyes were bright and warm. Her hair is in a ponytail that is away from her face.In the other picture opposite her is a picture of the boy she also gave birth to. A little boy who looked as pale as a white bed sheet, with a soft sprinkling of freckles on his cheeks and nose. His brown eyes were the same as her mother's. A beautiful coffee color. His eyelashes are long and fan his cheeks. He has a heart-shaped face like his father, with his full lips matching.

Tears welled up in Marco's eyes again. He wonders if he will ever have a family. Her mother said before passing that she dreamed he and Hershey would have children and be happy, but she doesn't see that anytime now. He couldn't help but wonder why something terrible always happened between them.

They did well in their first year. After that, things seemed to take a turn for the worse. He was even upset with himself because he didn't let her go. He was always out of her reach, but close enough for her to wish for more.

Standing up, he realized they weren't perfect, not by a long shot. After all, the only thing he was sure of was her love for him and his love for her, which was really meaningless, but it was there.

Hershey knocked and knocked on his door, but no one answered. Sighing, she took a pen and a piece of paper from her purse. He wrote: I need to talk to you, please: Hershey. Sticking the note between the jambs of the door, she turned to walk away.

"Why is it that every time I think of you, you appear?" A voice asked as she descended the stairs that separated the upper floor from the lower. Looking up, Hershey faced John Philip.

"Why do you always seem to show up when I want you to disappear?" She asked in an angry tone.

John Philip stopped in front of the stairs. "Because we both know that's not what you want." His eyes had more mischief than usual.

"You want it! Now, can you get out of my way?"

Hershey asked as he tried to get to his side. He held her arm as he tried, "Can't you at least be nice?"

"Can't you at least skip the formalities? I think we both know that dislike is an honest chord between us."

"I like you." He said. "Many."

"I do not like you."

"Are you still bitchy about the party? That happened four months ago, let it rest."

"My dislike for you has nothing to do with that party."

"Don't you think that's a bit biased considering I haven't even been on a date yet?"

"No."

"I'm not that bad once you've met me."

"I bet."

"Let's say you and I hook up sometime?" he asked.

Hershey separated from him, "I don't do hook ups."

"I bet you didn't say that to surprise your boyfriend when he mothered you today."

Hershey's eyes widened, "What ever." She held her purse close to her body.

His eyes narrowing "I bet you just hate the fact that he's white and I'm brown, don't you?" John Philip laughed, "I could care less about color, sweet heart. I don't like the idea that you think you're better than me. You're too good. You've been like that since the party."

"So, I hurt your ego, is that what you're worried about?" Hershey's tone was crisp.

John Philip bowed to her face, his breath smelled sweet, "I can have any girl I want."

Hershey raised an eyebrow. "Except me."

John Philip held his chin in his hand, "That's why I like you. You're tough."

Hershey tried to break away from him. He touched her chin, "Like a wild animal that makes money. Like all animals, you need to be tamed."

Hershey's eyes widened, she felt her body heat up with anger. "I'm not an animal."

John Philip's eyes went up to his mouth. "Cute. Really cute." He let her go. He took a step back, "I'll see you next time Hershey."

"Whatever." she was very annoyed because she knew she couldn't handle it. Not by herself anyway."Next time be ready."

"Ready for what?"

He looked up at her, his eyes emotionless. "Of course you date me."

Just as Marco Junior was pulling his car into a parking space next to his building, he saw Danny Robert exiting the building. Rushing out, Marco Junior calls out to him. Danny turned, glared at him, and then walked away. Marco wonders what his problem is.

After John Philip left, Hershey rushed into the bathroom, her blood flowing with anger, her anger bright in her dark brown eyes. He had no right to assume that he would be with her. she found nothing attractive about him. Even his looks can't make up for a vicious personality. he is a cold person. This, he could say. Wiping her eyelids, she turned and walked out of the bathroom. Marco Junior grabbed the knob and was turning it, when he bumped into a figure, or more likely, it bumped into him. When he came down he saw that it was Hershey. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I Don't Want That Talk." She stated, her tone tough.

"Hmmm, okay." Marco obliged. He stood in the doorway not speaking, not moving. Marco sighed. "Did you come to see me?"

"Of course, Marco junior. Who else should I go to?"

Marco raised an eyebrow.

"If you go out the door, I might come in." Hershey stepped back and put her hands in her jeans pockets.

Marco arrived without saying a word and then went up the stairs to his dorm room."If I don't love you, I don't care," Hershey stated.

Marco smiled, and his eyes met. A spark of life in them. "What a way to start a conversation."

He grabbed cups from the cupboard and poured them both glasses of hot water, which he had started in a coffee pot. Grabbing packages of hot chocolate from the cabinets, he pushed one onto the table where he sat. They were sitting at a round table in the kitchen. He took one of the cups and filled his pack. "I know."

"So what is this love confession about?" He will tease.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I behaved over those pictures. But the guy in them looks so much like you."

"I don't know."

"But..." Hershey said, taking another sip of the hot brew. "I know he's not. He's not even dressed like you."

"I agree. He's too uppity for my taste. Not to mention that his hair is very neat. I play basketball, remember? Third, I'm a bit more solid than him. Last but not least, his eyes are different colors, mine are not. In some of the pictures they look blue."

Hershey narrowed her eyes, "So, who is this guy?"

"I don't know, Hershey."

"Any ideas how we can find him?" asked Hershey.

Marco shrugged, "No."

"Don't you know anything about Emily? Where did she grow up? How old is she? Such things?"

"I didn't ask."

Hershey raised an eyebrow. "What's her last name?"

"Reyes"

"At least you got it," she commented. "I'm not interested in her whole life, okay."

"So, you just used her for sex."

"It's a mutual agreement."Hershey licked her lips, "Don't expect me to laugh, I'm not in the mood." Her tone is worldly. Seriously, he's not funny.

Marco Junior came closer and ran his fingers over her hand. "I love you, Chocolate. Only you."

Hershey frowned, "Pretty bad timing, Marco, pretty damn bad timing."

XXX