Marianne flinched.
He materialized like a bat out of the shadows to her left, moving toward her in his typical graceless slouch. “Raven, where did you go?”
“Over here, obviously,” she said, just barely keeping her objection to the nickname “Raven” in check. He’d thought it would be cute to christen her with her very own Goth name. “I was just checking in with my dad.”
“They keep you on a tight leash, huh?”
Hmm, truth or expediency? “Yeah, they do. I have to get home soon.” Alvin smiled and took her hand in his. And there was that stomach ache again. “Or, well... maybe I don’t.”
“What?”
Marianne looked down at his hand and patted it awkwardly. “Alvin, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sup?” said Alvin, adjusting his trench coat collar again.
Sucking in a deep breath, Marianne squeezed his hand again. “Alvin, I don’t think I can see you anymore.”
Alvin tossed his head, moving a few limp strands of hair off his face. He blinked. “What?”
“Um...” Marianne stepped back, biting her lip. “I know this is sudden, but I think we need to,” she cleared her throat, “break up.”
He shook his head a little. “What?” He blinked again and gave her the face she’d been dreading. The creased eyebrows, the tremble of his lips as he struggled to regain his bravado. The disappointment.
Sally had been right; that look almost broke her. Marianne had half a mind to just plug her nose and kiss him. She cleared her throat and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Seemingly lost for words, Alvin kept blinking. “Why?” he finally managed.
Marianne swallowed. Because he’d said “I love you” two days after they met, right before telling her that his AOL instant messenger screen name was crunkgoth189. Because he liked to quote poetry about death and anguish at wildly inappropriate moments. Because his Myspace page contained some very disturbing school-shooter sympathies. And the sexting, of course. She racked her brain for some reason, any reason, that didn’t have to do with him personally. Before she even said it, she winced, “I need some time to find myself. Existential crisis and all that...”
She expected him to look angry, or shocked, or disbelieving. She didn’t expect him to smile. Slightly creeped out, Marianne drew back.
The Dark Lord leaned in. “I knew it,” he whispered. “You have been cheating on me.”
“Excuse me?”
“All those times you had to stay home and wash your hair...” He shook his head. “You were with someone else.”
Marianne bit her lip. Perhaps that excuse wasn’t as believable as Mom had promised it would be. “There’s no one else,” she said. “I promise.” She looked down because it was hard to look at him, all skin and bones and unattractiveness under that big jacket. He might be an jerk, but he was a wee one. Vulnerable. Would he ever get another half-sane girl to go out with him? Would it really be so bad to hold on a little longer? He could be sweet sometimes, and it wasn’t as if there was a line of guys waiting to date her. Or even talk to her, for that matter. Friday nights watching game shows with Dad were getting a bit unbearable. She’d just made up her mind to relent when Alvin broke into her thoughts.
“Is this about that thing with Georgia?” He sounded annoyed.
Looking up, Marianne raised her eyebrows.
Alvin laughed off to the side. “Who told you? Georgia? Todd?”
She froze in place. This could not be happening. “Are you... Did you... You cheated on me?”
Alvin looked as if he pitied her. “Come on, don’t be upset. It didn’t mean anything. It never does with Georgia, everyone knows that.”
Marianne wondered if Georgia was one of those who knew that. “I can’t believe this.” Marianne laughed once and started to walk away.
“Wait.” He grabbed her arm.
“Stop it,” she said, pulling away. For some reason she couldn’t understand, she was about to cry. “Don’t touch me.”
“There you go again,” said Alvin. “Self-righteous to the very end.”
“Self-righteous? You’re the one who cheated!” Instantly, Marianne wanted to smack herself. Don’t engage him. She tried to remember that she’d wanted to break up, but geez, this was so humiliating. All her concern, all the time she’d spent working up the courage for this conversation. Tearing up on the drive here. Weeks of thinking she’d been making someone happy. What does it mean when a total toenail of a human being finds you worthless enough to cheat on? With Georgia Freaking Pike! Oh oh oh, she hated him, she wanted to stab herself in the gut, she wanted to run, she wanted to tell him to go to hell, and she wanted to apologize for something but she didn’t know what. But she just turned her head and stared off into the distance of the dark amusement park, willing her face to show nothing.
“I’m sorry.” Alvin shrugged, not looking sorry at all. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing.” Marianne shook her head. “I don’t want you to say anything. Please don’t call me anymore.”
Just then, Sally ran up and grabbed Marianne’s arm. “Marianne, I need a ride home right now. Can you take me?”
Marianne nodded. You could see Sally’s house from the Disneyland parking structure; she didn’t need a ride anywhere. Bless her! Marianne took a step back. “Um...” She had no idea what to say. “Bye, I guess.”
“Whatever,” he said. He turned and sauntered away toward the Haunted Mansion where the rest of the vampire gang had just gotten in line.
Marianne and Sally almost ran in the other direction. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” breathed Marianne, as they wove their way in between the crowds.
Sally squeezed her arm. “I could see that it was going south. But did you get it done?”
“Did you know that bastard was cheating on me?” she said, trying to cover the remaining emotion in her voice with anger.
“No. But really, the entire thing was a lie anyway, so you have no right to be upset.”
“Oh, shut up.”
They
