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Jack: Friday, 15 December 
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I took a deep breath, in less than twenty four hours I would be leaving with Wesley to go see his sick mother for the holidays and I was worried Mark wasn't taking having to go home without me well.

Placed in a lounge-area, I was surprised to hear the click of heels and look up to see Maria. Her hair was the same waves without a hair out of place, today she was wearing a purple dress with a black belt, and black pointed heels to match.

"Hello?" I replied.

"Come with me." Maria said.

"Why should I?" I asked.

She smiled very irritated. "Because I said so."

I stood up and followed Maria. She looked around before pushing me through a door and into a small janitors closet. She shut the door and glared at me. "I hope you know Jack, I am not one to be tussled with."

"You've already made it clear." I said as she stood face to face with me.

"Good," Maria said. "You've evaded me thus far, but I always get my man. I know about you and Zara."

"I figured as much." I said.

"What is your plan now?" Maria asked. "Act like it never happened?"

"Yeah..?"

"Well I don't know if that'll be possible. You might want to discuss some things with Zara at some point." Maria said. "Besides all that, my silence comes with a price."

"How much?" I asked as I began to pull out my wallet. Maria put her hand on mine to stop me. She had a smile on her face and I would say it wasn't uncommon for her if that smile wasn't filled with poisons.

"What do you want?"

"I'm not sure yet." Maria admitted as she leaned back against the doorframe. "I don't know exactly what I can get out of you."

"I don't know either."

"Yeah that in itself is half the problem." Maria sighed. "I know you're with Mark - or at least he claims it."

"It's true."

"Mhm." Maria tapped her chin with a finger with a sleek black fake nail on it.

"Do you want me to do your homework?"

"No, I am a women of integrity and I will do my own work."

"Do you want.. a sexual favor?"

"Oh disgusting." Maria cringed.

"What? I'm not bad looking." I huffed.

"I don't sleep around, it isn't in my agenda and I have absolutely zero interest in a disgusting boy such as yourself." Maria turned her nose up at me without even a second thought, I had never had that happen before.

"Well you don't want homework, you don't want sex, you don't want money."

"Have you and Mark had sex?" Maria asked me.

"No."

"Yet you've had it.. with Zara?"

"Yes.."

"Hm." Maria muttered. "It was just curiosity, nothing more."

I stood quietly and watched Maria eye me. I was honestly afraid of what she was going to tell me, and even more shocked when she finally said it. "I want to cut off your.. y'know."

"Oh my god." I gasped and held my hands over that area.

"I said I want to, not that I'm going to. That would most likely kill you because of the blood loss." Maria rolled her eyes. "I don't know I want to beat you up."

"Then pick that!"

"I have something better in mind." Maria smiled. "You know how when you rub a genie's lamp you're supposed to ask for more wishes?"

"Yeah..?"

"Well I'm going to ask you to follow every single request I have. From now until I decide I don't want anything anymore."

"You're insane."

"No, I just want you to learn a lesson." Maria smiled but it quickly faded and she held her hand out to me. "Do we have a deal?"

"What am I agreeing to?"

"As long as you follow my commands - and don't worry they won't be stupid or outlandish, I am a women of integrity - "

"So you've said."

"Anyways." Maria sighed. "You follow my commands and I don't tell Mark what you've done."

"Fine." I said. Maria thrusted her hand to me again and this time I gripped onto it and she tightly held my hand before shaking it and then releasing.

"Goodbye Jack." Maria said. She opened the door and her heels click-clicked down the hallway. I stood there for a moment and then took a deep breath before crouching on the floor.

I got up eventually and walked back to my room where Mark was sitting, eating Chinese food. "Hey," he said with a mouthful. "I bought you some."

"Thanks." I said as I took the container and sat at my desk. I poked at it a little with my fork before speaking. "So those girls you came in - "

"They're just friends."

"I know," I stopped him. "I just wanted to know more about them."

"Well Belle's very sweet. She's very nice. Uh.. she likes art? And sometimes she wears her hair in pigtails and it actually looks nice." Mark said.

"And the other one?"

"Maria?" Mark asked and I nodded my head. "Well Maria's great if you ask me. She's kinda.. blunt and harsh? But that's only if she dislikes you. If she likes you, you know it. She's funny and intelligent. She's studying business you know, and I've never seen her out of formal attire. She's quite pretty don't you think?"

"How do I know if she doesn't like me?"

"Well," Mark said, swallowing the food he was chewing on. "If she doesn't like you, she'll make it pretty clear. She'll probably act very hostile or insult you. Why? You think she doesn't like you? It's probably because she doesn't know you."

"Hah. Yep." I said. Mark gave me an odd look but didn't press any farther. Instead I watched him click around on his laptop. "Mark?"

"Yeah?" He responded without turning to me.

I opened my mouth, I wanted to tell him the secret I'd been hiding, but it just didn't come out. Like when you have to sneeze and all of a sudden it disappears. "I'm sorry I'm not going home with you."

"It's alright. I understand."

"I'll be there for New Years though."

"I'm aware."

"Are you okay?"

Mark looked up at me when I asked this, "Yes." Was all he said before turning back to his computer. I watched him slide it off his lap and head for the door, saying he'd be right back.

I got up when the door clicked shut, I knew I shouldn't be doing this, but I picked up his computer and did some snooping.

In his history I found a peculiar set of Google searches.

How to know if you're a bad boyfriend?

How to know if your significant other is going to dump you?

How to make your partner happy?

The list goes on, a bunch of searches like this and it broke my heart. I was causing so much anguish for Mark that he didn't even know.

But I didn't know how to fix it just yet.

AN:

Hey thanks guys for being so nice to me all the time. You all talk about how I deserve more recognition and it makes me happy. I love hearing from you all :)

Rinny