She Can't Read Minds

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?” Markus sang as we sat on his bed a handful of afternoons after the game. Our team lost, but it’s okay…he only cried a little bit. I rolled my eyes at him, elbowing his side as he repeatedly sang the one line until I answered him.

“Or not.” I smirked.

“Are we gonna do this or what?” He sang, leaning his head onto my shoulder. The television showed us some middle aged lady standing in the midst of a blizzard all to tell us-at home- not to do just that. I was only slightly shocked and fazed to find Markus’s singing not half bad.

“Or what.” I told him, reaching for some popcorn.

“I think you know I like you a lot.” He continued, ignoring my answers.

“As a matter a fact,” I said in my best possible southern accent(which was still a total failure), “I do.” Markus paused for a second to gave me a smile before shaking his head and continuing with his singing.

“But you’re bout to miss your shot.” He now closed his eyes, just listening to himself and partly my commenting.

“I doubt it.” I laughed, watching him fight back a smile. “I’ll always get more shots, believe me dude.”

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?” Markus sang, watching me watch him. He smiled at me, waiting for me to just cave in. I pursed my lips and shook my head so he repeated the line.

“Nah,” I sighed, examining the popcorn kernel in front of my face, “you probably have some disease I’d rather not catch.” He stuck his tongue out at me.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing,” I smiled, “I’m innocent.”

“As innocent as herpes, my dear.” He joked, placing the popcorn bowl into his lap and staring down at it like it was gold. The television was muted by now, but the lady-who had been replaced with the people in the news building place- was now back to tell us more news she’d already told us five seconds ago. “I like that song by the way.”

“I could tell,” I grabbed a handful of popcorn, “you did know all the words.”

He smirked proudly, “Impressed?”

“Not really.”

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?” He began to sing again until I opened my mouth to start up my smart comments and he stopped me. I laughed, causing him to laugh and pull away from my face. “You already did, too late! Sucker, no more smartass comments from the cute girl.”

I rolled my eyes, “Don’t doubt me and my comment ability.”

Markus laughed, kissing my forehead, “I never do.”

“You are right now loser,” I joked, shoving his shoulder a little bit, “oh, and just because you kissed me, doesn’t mean I kissed you. So ha!” He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” I nodded proudly. “Nope, you kissed me. I think I’d know.” I gasped at him, a hand over my mouth playfully.

“You knowing something? Now that would impress me.” I laughed. He glared at me, turning back to the television where the lady no longer stood to tell us not to do what she was doing. Clever news people.

“Yeah baby I love you a lot. I really think we've got a shot.” Markus sang in a sort of mumbled way. He still sounded amazing and it still made me smile. I leaned my head onto his shoulder as we watched the news some more. No longer singing or making comments; just sitting and watching the newscasters say words. Neither of us made a move to un-mute it. “Miranda?”

“Markus?”

“What about Nellie? She thinks I‘m her boyfriend still.” He told me, peering down at me with one eye open. I bit my lip, closing my eyes. “What are we gonna do?”

“Fuck.”

He hugged me with one arm. “It’s gonna be okay. I’ll call Leslie, see what she has up her sleeve for ideas, ‘kay?” I nodded, shifting so he could grab his phone without my body getting in the way and so he could stand up to take the call in the hallway.

Dear somebody, everything’s going great. Don’t let me mess it up. Love, me; I wrote in my mind watching some guy discuss the scene of a car accident.