Marci Wellington's POV

Ever wondered how possible it was to be a narrator of your own life when you weren't supposed to be spot on with what was supposed to be going on?

Yea, me neither.

Many people are most likely questioning my sanity, my older brother included, but it's not as if I was always like this.

I might have been a little girl, but I was far from clueless when I began seeing the cracks in my parent's marriage. It's selfish of me to say that I wish they had stuck together because of me, but I'm pretty sure that the thought of me being the only child pisses my mom off.

Guess I wasn't enough, eh?

I huffed at that thought and proceeded to go about my morning hygiene routine and begin my weekend in the penthouse.

I walked back into the kitchen to see Jack in it; he was focused on reading a document on a computer.

If you think about it, I hardly relate to Jack. This isn't a case of us not being friends or tolerating each other's presence because we live under the same roof.

It's more of us hardly alone in the same room.

"Hey, Jack?" I get his attention as I walk further into the kitchen and head toward the fridge.

He hummed in response while I began looking for my brunch.

I make a mental note to tell the maid that she should calm down with the amount of Brussels sprouts she buys.

If it's good for you, it wouldn't taste so awful, although that's how I feel when it comes to bright coloured clothes.

"Ever wonder how your life would be if you were a talented snake charmer?" I ask as I settle for a bowl of cereal.

His head shot up from the computer screen, "Would it be weird if I said yes?"

I settle the bowl across the table from him and start eating, "Depends on what you call weird."

He tilts his head to the side, "You good, Marcella?"

I stop eating and look up from the bowl with narrowed eyes. I point my spoon at Jack, "Call me that again, and you'll walk into Caleb's next concert with just your Spiderman knickers."

He throws his head back in laughter, "First off," he raises one finger, "Those knickers are for Jacob, and secondly," he raises his second finger, "I'm making sure you're okay. No need to blow your sarcasm off the roof."

"I don't blow my sarcasm off the roof," I defend myself and place my hand on my chest.

He gives me a look as if to say, 'really?'

With an eye roll, I continue to eat my cereal while he continues typing. After a while, he looks up from the computer and stares at me.

"Didn't your momma teach you not to stare at someone while they eat?" I say.

"You'd have to be under the same roof with your momma for her to teach you manners."

I know when a jab is being directed at me but with the way Jack's looking at me. I'm not sure his intention was to insult me.

I'll let you all in on a little secret. I've always been closer to my Dad while growing up. They both had demanding jobs and even more demanding goals to acquire; he put in more effort to come to my dance recitals and school programs.

My mom is also known as Dinah -I never was told what her maiden name was- the owner of Dinah's Delabsy, the woman who had a tongue so wicked, her mug shot could be in the oxford dictionary beside the definition of sassy.

She made a lot of false promises and tried her best but; if you couldn't be there for one child, what makes you think you could be there for the others?

I rest my case.

I take Caleb and Abigail to be my siblings. It is very ironic because none of us shares the same father or mother, but I grew up from my kid years with them, and they were my first safety net before I could grow a backbone.

"You know," Jack calls me out of my thoughts, "I was also from a broken home. My parents separated while I was in middle school, and I had to spend my school years with my father while my holidays were held with my mother. They both loved me enough to try and act civil when forced to stay in the same breathing space. My mother found love and tried to walk away from me, but my father called her to order."

I drop my spoon in my bowl, completely losing my appetite, "Why are you telling me this?"

He completely ignores my question but continues with his story, "She apologised and made amends to our strained relationship. Yes, my father never remarried because no one could replace my mother, but I started living by the code. It was 'you might be a piece of shit, but you can be a good one'."

I folded my hands across my chest and gave him a confused look, "How exactly is that even a code to live by?" I ask incredulously.

He grins, "You see, Marci. I know what it feels like to come from a broken home. Hell, I think almost all of us in this house doesn't have a good parental background, and we overcame it. So the stuff happening between your parents is out of your control, and you are caught in the crossfire. I suggest you find a good way to channel your emotions before someone else gets to be at the receiving end."

I stare at his figure, trying to figure him out while he closes his laptop and stands up from the dining chair. He starts going towards the exit and calls over his shoulder, "The code means that I'm not a good person, but I could be one someday."

-

After Jack and I talked in the kitchen earlier, I decided to lay face down on my bed while allowing my thoughts to run wild.

Let's see, I was nine when they first split up. It was my mom's birthday, and Dad decided we should have a family dinner since they were both going off on their individual business trips tomorrow.

"And to the woman of my dreams. The woman who gave me all and more than I could ask for," My Dad slips his hand around my mom's waist from behind as they stand in front of the dining table.

He places little kisses on her neck while climbing higher while his hands go lower; "Happy birthday."

His hands grip her ass firmly while he shoves his tongue down her throat.

I huff out strands of my hair from my face. They fly around in the air before they come back onto my forehead.

"Can I eat the cake now, or are you two not done eating each other?" I sass them as I cock my hip against the door which leads into the room.

They stop briefly, which gives my mom enough time to narrow her eyes playfully at me, "Are you trying to sass us, missy?"

I roll my eyes at her and send a cheeky wink as I make my way into the room and stop opposite them at the dining table, "Your hearing is growing old as well."

Dad nips at her neck and steps away from her to hand me a slice of cake, "Marcella, you know better than to sass your mother."

I scrunch my nose in distaste at the use of my full name. He gave my mom a slice of cake and pulled her onto his lap; she fed him and herself.

"You know I've been wondering?" I push my cake around on my plate since it tastes like cardboard.

They both turn to me, "Which one of you agreed to that name?"

Dad snorts before taking in the piece of cake in the fork waiting in front of his mouth, "People would kill to be a kid with that name of yours."

"Can I join in the fun?" I say.

"Speaking of people," The woman of the day drags our attention to her, "I was wondering whether you would want an addition to our family."

Dad barely makes the cake in his mouth go down the right tube.

Talk about eating your cake and having it.

"You don't mean a pet, do you?"

There's no mistaking the hope in his tone.

She shakes her head, "Nope. I'm talking about having another kid."

Dad has this look on his face that this could be the best moment of his life.

I might have only been a kid, but it was pretty obvious Dad wanted many children; why else would he have so many rooms in this mansion.

"Aren't you guys asking me if I want a new addition to the family?"

Bear in mind that I asked this question after sitting uncomfortably and watching the love scene playing before my eyes.

The moment my mom turned to look at me. From how she looked at me, I knew her answer was worse than the horrible cake before me.

Although Dad had a different reaction. "As much as I would love to expand this wonderful family," he swallows. "I believe Marcella is enough for us, don't you think?"

My mom's narrowed eyes focus on him, and she stands up from his lap, "Why the sudden change of mind, Sweetie." she spat, "We were on our way there if not for the presence of a condom last night."

I push the plate in front of me away before I'm forced to eat while listening to this.

Dad stood up from his seat and tried to diffuse the situation, but that mission was more futile than us getting a pet.

It has been seven years and my memory of that night is a bit rusty. But after Dad couldn't calm my mom down, I had to spend the next few days with Caleb in his newly purchased Penthouse.

Waking up in an empty house isn't my thing.

Suddenly, a weight presses on my back, and I turn to see what it is.

A head full of black braids rests on my stomach. After struggling with Gail for thirty minutes, I got her off me.

"I've been calling out your name for a while," she states her reason for almost suffocating me as she calms down from her laughing fit.

"How are you, Gail?" I ask while trying to uplift my mood.

I notice how bigger she looks, and it dawns on me that her seventh birthday is fast approaching. It's hard to believe that the little brat who liked to tag along with Giá and I was growing older. I try to remember why on earth did I never want a sibling.

"I'm okay. Caleb told me to ensure you're still alive. So my work here is done." She gets down from the bed and makes her way to the door.

She abruptly turns around when her hand is on the handle of my door, a wide grin that makes its way to her face, and it has me questioning her sanity.

"Nathan stopped by earlier to ask if you were free tonight?"

The last time I checked corsets were not in style. Did my boyfriend not remember the device called a cell phone.

"So where is he now?" I try to straighten my hair.

"Caleb and Jack took him for a drive, so they'll be back later." She tells me and is about to leave my room, but I stop her.

"Abigail, what have you been up to?" I glance at her.

"I'd tell you, but that isn't on your problem list." she retorts and tries to sashay out of my room.

She bumped her head against the door frame, and I held back the laughter in my throat. She turned back to glare at me before finally walking out of my room.

With a huff, I fall back into the sheets with only one thought in mind.

How do I get over this divorce?

-

The fairy lights were the first thing that caught my eye when I stepped out of the elevator and onto the roof of the penthouse building.

The music of 'Miss you by Cashmere Cat' played softly; it added romantic energy to the night.

The flowers that Jacob plants are spread around the place. A swing set has been installed with a table set for two.

What catches my eye is the figure that has a moonlight glow around his entire form. His rosy cheeks complimented his hair as usual, but the wide smile on his face as he saw me made me know that I may be about to have one of the best nights of my life.

Once I'm within reach, Nate wraps his hands around my waist and pulls me into a tight hug while my hands find their way around his neck.

We stay like this for a while. Enjoying the comfort and warmth of each other. It's as if the universe did bless me when they made his mom move to the states to be with his poor excuse of a stepfather.

Nate raises his head that rests on mine and looks at me.

You know that grateful look that someone has when they feel like they don't deserve what is right in front of them?

If you take a good look at my boyfriend, you will see that it is the exact look that he is giving me.

"Happy anniversary Marci," He pecks my cheek.

Despite the chaos, I did forget that today was special for both of us but seeing what was going on, I honestly didn't have anything planned. I started to feel awful because I did not remember.

And Nate and I have come through a lot; I'm not talking about just Dad trying to stop us from being together.

I'm talking about both of us being the butt of many jokes, racist and jealous. Being forced to put up with enough shit to fill a septic tank, I forget a day like this.

It's at this moment I make a promise to myself that I will make it up to Nathan.

"Nate, I-" I start to stammer. It's a rare occurrence, but Nate was way ahead of me.

He places his index finger on my lips and smiles, "You're always caring for me and sticking your neck out for me. And I know this day is for both of us, but allow me to treat you well."

Definitely lost my words right now.

I make a mental note to try and reach out to Peyton later because I can bet on my old black ballet slippers that Caleb was in on this.

Nate leads me to the table for two, where Shawn must have whipped up one of his French delicacies because I have never seen this one before. Nate helps me get into one of the seats before he gets into his.

After we say a short grace, we both dig into the meal, and I hold back a groan. I can't exactly pinpoint what the meal mainly contains because everything is balanced.

"How are you?" He asks after we've begun eating the meal.

"A walking train wreck, but I'll be fine. How are you?"

He snorts a laugh and uses his napkin to wipe his mouth, "I couldn't have said it myself. Let's not spoil the night, shall we?"

I nod in agreement, and he decides to steer the conversation in a different direction. "You look amazing tonight."

I can't stop the blush that takes over my face as I do a double take on my outfit.

A black turtleneck crop top with leather pants and a pair of studded boots.

"And you look hot," My words don't surprise any of us.

If you've met my parents, you should know where I get it from.

"So, any new ideas for our upcoming dance video?" he asks.

"Well," I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from laughing, "How comfortable are you with doing ballet?"

He looks at me as if to say, 'are you kidding me right now?'

I drop my cutlery and raise my hands in the air, "I can assure you that it's only a twirl that you and Lucas will need to do. You guys can leave the splitting and the rest to Giá and me."

"How am I sure that you're not lying?" he teases me

I gasp, "Have I ever lied to you?"

"You want us to go down memory lane?" he smirks.

I cross my hands over my torso, "Bring it bitch."

He wipes the corner of his mouth, "Let's start with your tenth birthday. Remember how confident I was that your dad wouldn't do anything to me, and you shyly agreed to dance with me."

I stifle a laugh as that day comes to play, "That was the day both of us met Lucas because he threw a negative jab at Caleb's birthday song to distract my dad while we hid behind my birthday presents."

"Or when you convinced Giá and me to go on a swimming mission during a pep rally; long before Giá decided to join the cheer squad?" He smirks.

My face flames because the straps holding my swimsuit ripped. The world was trying to put me to shame because it was at that moment that Felix walked into the pool.

I use the heavens to beg you all to believe me when I say he didn't see me without the top of my bathing suit, although what did happen was that Giá distracted him while Nate lent me a shirt.

Ironically, the shirt he gave me is still in my closet.

A chuckle escapes his mouth, "You're a real piece of work, Marci."

I mock a curtsy, "Why thank you, good sir, I do try my best."

He rolls his eyes, "Would you like to dance?"

I noticed we were done with our meal, and the soft melody of 'Best you've ever had by John Legend' had begun playing in the background.

A soft smile lands on my lips as I take his hand, and he helps me out of my seat and pulls me towards the middle of the decorated space.

In the position when we hugged, we swung lightly to the song.

"Do you think we could get married and move to Bora Bora?" I ask out of the blue.

He kisses my forehead before replying, "If it was possible, yes."

Like Nate, I could never completely lose sight of how messy my life has been for a while, but we try and make the best of it.

"So we could get married?"

This guy was turning me into a sap, and he knew it because he chose this moment to free his hold on my waist and throw me out for a spin and bring me back into his arms.

"Marci, If I hadn't known better, I would think that you were considering adding white to your wardrobe." He teases me.

"Hell no! You know what, forget it." I dismiss the thought.

Nate tenses for a moment before using one of his hands to raise my chin so he would see my face.

"I know I may not know the real definition of love, but I know what I feel for you is it. I know we're both young, and we have a lot of milestones to get through," He pauses to use his other hand to grip one of mine and starts to rub the back of my palm, "We will get through what this world has to throw at us and by each other's side."

He kisses my hand and gives me a sincere expression that has my heart beating.

The part of my brain which houses my memories uses this moment to torment me because I get a flashback of my dad doing the same thing to my mom a long time ago.

Their faces in the courtroom make a brief entry into my head, and I forget how to use my lungs.

I feel tears prickle in my eyes as I wretch my hand away from Nate's grasp.

"I'm sorry, Nate, but I can't do this to you, to us," I told him and made my way to the elevator, which was unfortunately closed.

Nate looked puzzled and hurt as he walked closer to me, "What's the problem? I thought you liked where the night was going?"

I hit my head against the closed doors, "The problem doesn't lie with you, Nate. It's all in my head, and I've been finding it hard to find a balance." I hiccup as more tears stream down my face.

"It's been close to four months, and I still can't believe I don't have a happy family to call my own. I just wish..."

Words fail me, and Nate uses this opportunity to turn me around and keep eye contact with me while I try to hide my broken expression.

"Marci, what's going on?" He asks me softly as he strokes my hand.

I sigh and decide to switch my interest to the starry night while sniffing, "I'm afraid what we have might end up like what my parents have or yours."

I didn't need to complete my statement because Nate knew that I was afraid of what our relationship held for us.

When I was younger, I had a crush on him. Dad wasn't the main thing keeping us from being together. Sure he was a factor, but I was the reluctant one.

Over the years, our personalities sort of switched. Every once in a while, I would feel that what we have might just be a figment of my imagination.

Nate used his hands to hold my head in place and made me look at him, "Marci," he began, "You might be a product of them, but you are not them. You are your own person and what we have is good. We can't let our fears stop us. It's just like I used to always say,"

Am I crazy but is the confidence in Nate slowly returning?

"I'll be there for you always."

More tears fell from my eyes, and Nate took this as a sign that my resolve had dropped because he pulled me into his arms as I sobbed quietly into his shirt.

"It's okay; everything will work out in the end." He assures me.

I pull back after a bit; I'm pretty sure I look horrible, but Nate doesn't seem to care, "I'm so sorry, Nate." I sniff.

He frowns, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

I shake my head, "I not only forgot our anniversary, and I ruined your hard work and effort."

"The whole point of tonight was to spend time with you. Be it in tears or with smiles, and I don't mind. Life isn't supposed to be cheery all the time; it would be very boring if it were. Good days are coming. I just know it."

He led me away from the open elevator box and towards the swing. It had black flowers spread around it. We sit on it, and he has one hand draped on my shoulders as we stare at the sky and try to find some constellations.

When it reaches midnight, I say, "Happy anniversary Nathan."

I lean in and kiss his lips. I fail to move back because his hand finds the back of my head and keeps me against his lips.

I know that I have a long way to go. I'm not only talking about my family's divorce, my relationship with people or the beautiful thing I have with Nathan.

People look at me and think I'm living my best life.

Only if they knew?

I don't know what other issue I have to face in the future, but as long as I have the people I can lean on around me and the backbone I've grown throughout the years doesn't get up and leave my body.

I believe I'll be alright.

Thoughts? Theories?

Please let me know what you think.