How Could U Luv Me

PheroMoans

Chapter 4 How could you Luv me?

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz. Mark's phone wakes him; he shoots his face up from the kitchen table, his homework stuck to his face as he reaches for the phone.

"MARK! Are you awake?" Rosa screams on the other side of the phone.

"I am now, Rosa," Mark says, peeling the paper off his face.

"Good. Gold star for you."

"Uh-huh."

"You said you would help me look for a job,"

"I did, and I remember."

"Well, chop chop," Rosa says; Mark can hear her hands clapping over the phone. "Meet me in the lounge in 10 minutes."

"Chop chop? Are you fuc?" Mark stops himself and takes a breath. "Sure thing, Rosa, on my way." He says, hanging the phone up and looking back at his homework. The nagging thought in his head. Did I finish this assignment last night?

Mark shakes it off, gets up, and heads to the bathroom before heading over. He thinks about yesterday while showering. {I know it wasn't my first time having sex yesterday, but damn it felt different. I don't feel guilty, like with Emma or...what a minute.} "What's her name? That's right, I can't remember her name." Mark says to himself, getting out of the shower and applying more PheroMoans as if it were second nature. He turns and leans on his counter, pondering for a minute before moving on, wondering if something was different about that girl from the party.

Mark arrives at the apartment dorm lounge, which is neutral territory for Rosa and him. Over in the corner of the lounge, Rosa is standing wearing a hoody and some shorts that barely can contain her ample hips. Mark nods, thinking she can give Autumn a run for her money in that department. Rosa notices his gaze and shakes her head.

"Are you done checking me out? You, perv." Rosa says loud enough for the other people in the lounge to hear her mortifying Mark, who immediately regrets stepping foot in the lounge.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Mark whispers to her as he gets closer.

"Don't back down now; be a Man about it," Rosa says, as her eyes roll and she situates herself in the chair.

"That is very toxic of you."

"Semantics, finally, you made it. Did you have to relieve some tension before you got her?"

"What?"

"Maybe you didn't, or maybe you did. Men could never resist me even if they have post-nut clarity."

"There are kids here, dude. Can you chill?" Mark says as he sits next to her but not too close.

"You started it," Rosa says smugly, sipping from her Starbucks tumbler.

"By what, existing?"

"Precisely."

"You are in rare form today."

"I am always in rare form; I'm a unicorn."

"Without a job, so you have no horn. You know, what that makes you?"

"I don't care."

"...a horse, you would be a horse."

"Again, I could care less, and I'm still a beautiful horse."

"I can see that."

"Calling me a horse after your face was practically in my ass," Rosa says

"Hmm, I don't like where this is going."

"Me either, it's weird."

"Can we just? Where are you at with the job search? Did you check the mall like I said?" Mark says as he moves closer to Rosa, who raises an eyebrow and opens her laptop.

"Yes and No," She replies.

"Okay? So, what stores are you thinking about applying to?

"Easy! Prada, Louis Vuitton, Cartier."

"N...Rosa, are you naming the brands of your favorite outfits?"

"Yes, and these are stores in the Lennox Mall."

"Oh...Lennox. You're going to apply for jobs at Lennox? Well, fuck, you going to throw Bloomingdales on there as well?"

"Hush, I need you to pull up these places and apply for me."

"Double the horsepower."

"Enough, we get it. You like horses."

"I don't like horses," Mark says to her, pulling out his laptop; Rosa looks over at him, lost in thought for a second. "Don't look at me like that. If you're going to apply to these places, you have to know your stuff. I mean, being a fashion student should help you in a way. So, you probably visit these stores a lot; I'm just assuming you know the customers and their fan base. Basically, someone like you, a rich spoiled brat." Mark says as he lets a snort; Rosa punches him in the arm as her retort.

"Don't get too comfortable," Rosa says, her eyes cut at him.

"Pardon me, mademoiselle, what I meant to say is Luxurious Men and Women."

"Better."

"Heh, so do you know anyone from these stores?"

"Not that I can recall, but you never know who would know my father."

"The Mendez name, your dad is a good dude."

"You know my father?"

"A little bit."

"Interesting."

"Intriguing."

"Don't mock me. Why do you ask anyway?"

"Simple, economics, it's all about what and who you know." Mark looks at her thoroughly. "When you show up for the job interview, if they call you. You got to be on point with your appearance."

"Obviously."

"I mean, I know your fashion in all."

"Are you second-guessing my fashioning abilities?"

"Is that your mutant power?"

"Nerd"

"Okay, now that I think about it, is that a word? Fashioning?

"Is that word." Rosa mocks.

"I just want to make sure you're good for this interview. I don't want to hear no, you didn't say this, and you didn't say that from you." Rosa lets out a deep sigh and looks at Mark once more.

"Thank you," Rosa says as she types hard on her computer

"Yeah, you're welcome," Mark says, pointing to his laptop. Rosa follows his hand down, her eyebrows furrowed. If all else fails, The Subway next to Everyday is hiring. I think you would look fly as fuck in Yellow and Green."

"Get to work, Mark, and quit the nonsense." She says, with a shove to his shoulder.

The two sat in the lounge; they moved from application to application. Rosa couldn't help but whiff his cologne as they got closer. The smell sent jolts throughout her body. She couldn't quite place why, but the mixture of his cologne and helpful nature. How he's been patient with her these past few days makes her heart beat fast.

Just over an hour passed as Mark and she finished the last application. Rosa rises and looks at Mark, keen to the words she wants to say to him but struggling to spit them out.

"You, okay?" Mark says as he surveys her with half concern and half amusement.

"Shut up," Rosa yells out, her eyes fixed on the ground before she gathers herself. Trying to remind herself who the hell she exactly is, Rosa Fucking Mendez. "I appreciate you, Mark."

"Anytime, Rosa," Mark says; as her words process in his mind, he looks past her head to the clock on the wall. "Shit! We better hurry up and get ready. The bus should be here in about 30 minutes." Mark says, opening the door for her. She leaves the lounge, and they split up and go their separate ways momentarily.

Rosa walks away and puts her hands on her chest, feeling it beat fast. "What the hell is going on? She says, her breath ragged. "He's a nerd who always seems to be there for me despite everything," Rosa says as she steps into her apartment and starts to get dressed for school. Mark is on her mind; dark thoughts begin to form in her head. "What if this is some elaborate plan for revenge, or maybe he is after my money." Rosa looks at herself in the mirror as she checks her outfit out. "I am not a victim, never again. I will find out what you want, Mark Morgan. You can't trick me." She says with a smile.

"Bitch, are you talking to yourself again?" Her roommate, half asleep on the bed on the other side of the room, screams. Rosa looks back at the girl and stares at her with embarrassment.

"Rosa?" Rosa snaps out of her trance and looks at Mark." You have been quiet this whole train ride. No, complaining about the piss smells or how that crackhead keeps staring at your breast.

"I'm just trying to understand."

"What?"

"You."

"Me? What about me? I didn't know I had personal space inside your head."

"Ughh, you don't. I want to figure out why you are always assisting me."

"I thought we were friends. Didn't any of those goons you hang out with do those same things for you?"

"Not really. I'm pretty sure my ex-boyfriend and ex-friends were just there for the money."

"Well, all things considered, I'm in a higher tax bracket than you right now."

"For now."

"This is what friends do. So stop being so damn weird."

"I'm not being weird; did you do this same stuff for Emmalyn?"

"I mean, yeah, and she did for me."

"Do you miss her?"

"I, yeah, of course, but I get it."

"Get what?"

"I can be a lot. I guess maybe she just needed her space, and maybe I overstepped. I don't know, honestly; I want to forget about it...not her, of course, I don't know the situation."

"I get that, and I am trying to forget about the almost half-decade-long relationship I had as well, which was entirely fake. Not saying yours was, but."

"I get you. I just really cared about Ems, and I thought, No. I knew she did for me, too." Rosa nods at him, trying to avoid his eyes. "And I guess I care about you too."

"What?" Rosa responds, surprised at his response.

"Don't be weird. I'm just saying I want nothing bad to happen to you, that's all."

"That's. Very kind of you."

"It's nothing," Mark says as the train stops, he gets up. "Come on before we get swamped in by the incoming passengers."

They climb the stairs and enter the school, walking down the hallway to get to the student lounge before class. As they walk, they hear a familiar voice screaming at someone behind the closed door of their class. The door swings open, and the Assistant Dean marches out of the classroom; Miss Zenith slams the door behind him.

"Well, that was eventful. I wonder what pissed the ole redhead off." Rosa snarks.

"Yeah," Mark says.

"Oh, who am I kidding? I don't care." Rosa says, continuing to walk towards the student lounge.

"Rosa! I'm gonna go talk to her." Mark says as he gently knocks on the classroom door. Miss Zenith opens the door with fury in her eyes, which washes away to confusion when she sees Mark.

"Mr. Morgan, what are you doing here? So early, the class doesn't start for another 47 minutes, and we didn't schedule a lesson today." She says.

"No, I just heard the whole interaction with Assistant Dean Keeps and was concerned," Mark says as she moves aside to let him in the classroom and closes the door behind him. Miss Zenith walks back to her desk and fiddles with some papers.

"You heard that? Well, I feel embarrassed. I don't know why I got so worked up?" Miss Zenith says, her back still turned to him.

"Like I said, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you are good. I know it's none of my business."

"That's nice of you, Thank you, Mark." Mark's heart skipped a beat after she used his first name. "As you know, being a teacher is a thankless job. Mr. Keeps wanted to talk to me about the number of dropouts in my class. In his words, I need to "Chill Out"." She says her hands making bunny ears, and her face shows disgust. "I told Mr. Keeps that it would be hard because, unlike other teachers here, I love my job. I love my profession, and," Miss Zenith sighs, dropping those papers back on her desks. "He then threatened my job, and I lost my composure. Now, I will be unemployed by this semester's end." She lightly taps her hands on her desk.

"Oh no, is there anything I can do?"

"Oh, Mark, don't concern yourself with a failing artist turn-teacher. I used to laugh when people say those who can't teach."

"Wait, I don't think you're a failing artist, and your work is inspirational and profound, or it's dope."

"Dope. Mark, you don't have to stroke my ego." Miss Zenith says, turning to face him with a half-hearted smile.

"I'm not," Mark replies.

"I am out of touch with this new generation of artists. I do not get them, and they do not get me. History is not everyone's favorite subject, and they want to know how to get better now. Instant gratification, But true knowledge comes from research and dedication. To hell if they repeat the mistakes of their forefather."

"Look, Zelda, I want to learn too." Mark pauses for a second after he says her name, and she nods at him to continue. "I want to learn everything I can, and others should. You. You may need to change some things to keep your job."

"Excuse me. Do you want me to compromise myself to appease fools? Mark, I thought you were better than that."

" I want to make sure you keep your job. The school needs a teacher like you, and I have so much to learn from you."

"If that's the case, why haven't you been in any of my previous iterations of Art History? Emmalyn took all three of my Art History classes."

"Because you are somewhat." Mark pauses to find better words to phrase what he is about to say. "Intimidating, you can be a little intimidating at first."

"Intimidating? Do I scare you, Mr. Morgan?" Miss Zenith says, her arm folded and her gaze upon Mark.

"Only because you're so beautiful," Mark smiles, then immediately stammers. "I meant to say your work is stunningly beautiful and profound." Ms. Zenith smiles at him and turns back to her desk.

"Mark, I need to be alone to prepare for class."

"Of course, If you need anything, I'm here for ya, teach," Mark says before he exits the class. At the student lounge, he sees Rosa, who looks up from her phone and smirks at Mark.

"Well, did you ease her loins?" Rosa says, placing her phone down on the table.

"What?" Mark says,

"Did you make her boo-boo go away?" Rosa says, with her red lipstick-covered lips puckered out.

"Rosa, you don't have to be jealous."

"Jealous of the Wendy logo, don't make me laugh."

"Uh-huh"

"What are we doing today in class anyway?"

"We got the presentations. We will be assigned into groups of two, pick an artwork, and then describe it in our own words in front of the class."

"Man, is that what you two were discussing in there?" Rosa says, her face placed in her palm.

"No, she literally said this last class."

"I may have zoned out?" Rosa says, examining her nails as Mark rubs his head.

A little over an hour goes by as class is in full swing. Sure enough. Miss Zenith has detailed the assignment for today. Much to his dismay, Rosa bossed her way into being Mark's partner.

"The parting of Lot and Abraham?" Rosa says, tracing her finger on the page in her textbook.

"It's one of my favorites," Mark says.

"I hate public speaking, and even more, I have public speaking on things I don't..mesh with."

"There are robes in this picture. Maybe you can?"

"Don't just don't." Rosa shakes her head.

"I think they are wearing white after easter...Did this come before easter or after easter? Hmmm, interesting."

"No...no, it's not Mark," Rosa says.

"Come on, check it; this artwork is about choices between family, more importantly, an uncle and nephew. One side picked a nice countryside, and the other picked biblical Las Vegas."

"So, one side picked indulgence, and the other side not some much."

"Hah, see, you get it. I knew you would."

"Sure, you did."

"Anyway, Biblical Las Vegas, otherwise known as Sodom and Gomorrah."

"Burned to the ground, my abuela is very religious."

"Oh, I just got like a mad urge to be racist, but I stopped myself."

"As you should, let me guess, Dora the Explorer."

"No!" Mark says, going back to his book. "Maybe."

"For a second, I thought better of you, but you just had to let those intrusive thoughts in."

"They can be oppressive, you know."

"Sure," Rosa says, raising her head to look at Miss Zenith, who appears deep in thought. "Good god, what is going on with carrot top."

"Carrot top?" Mark says, looking up at his Miss Zenith. {Now, why did my eyes immediately go to Miss Zenith?} "Ugh, yeah, she looks," Before he can finish, Miss Zenith's eyes look toward Mark and Rosa's direction. Mark doesn't look away as they lock eyes.

"Mr. Morgan, are you daydreaming in my class?" Miss Zenith says, with her bright red eyebrows furrowed.

"You're one to talk?" Rosa says under her breath.

"If you two are finished, you can be the first to present."

"You bitch." Rosa whispers.

"Chill," Mark says

"Come now, Mr. Morgan and Miss Mendez."

"Of course," Rosa says smugly, much to Mark dismay. She then turns to Mark, her confidence drained. "We are not even close to being down. Get over there in honey dick her."

"Honey..." Mark says, getting closer to Rosa. "Honeydick her?" He whispers to her. "The fuck is that?"

"You know," Rosa says,

"I am not dipping my dick in hunny like some perverted Winnie the Pooh," Mark says.

"It's a figure of speech," Rosa exclaims, her hand on her face.

"Oh, like Honeypot, geesh, duh," Mark says as he and Rosa walk to the front of the class.

"Where do we even start?" Rosa says with their backs to the class.

"Do you trust me?" Mark says, his teeth pressed together

"No!" Rosa whispers too loud actually to be a whisper.

"Well," Mark grins at her and turns to the class; Rosa follows suit. "The parting of Lot and Abraham is part of a series of tesseract mosaics decorating the church of Saint Maria Maggiore in Rome." Mark then turns to look at Rosa and nods at her.

"Right, uh it, uh." Rosa clams up and looks back at Mark, who mouths the words "the Lot." "It depicts Lot and Abraham and some other losers." Mark's eyes bulge out, but then he shrugs his shoulders and nods to continue. "An Uncle and his nephew, and it's about decisions?" Rosa says unsurely.

"That's right, Rosa. This mosaic challenges the viewer to reflect on the consequences of a decision.

"Do you go live in biblical Las Vegas in sin, or do you live in the plain countryside in un-sin?" Rosa says she and Mark stare at each other to build each other's confidence.

"Their choices could be tied to their ages, with the older uncle Abraham being wise in choosing Canan and the younger nephew being reckless in crashing out with his homies in Sodam and Gomorrah." Rosa looks back with a smirk, then nods in agreement,

"So, you are saying this could be an allegory of someone setting out to make it alone. To the bright lights of the city to chase a dream."

"Yeah, in their search for their new normal, they find hardships...or, in this case, the place burns down with them in it."

"Bad choice indeed." A few classmates try to hide their laughter from Rosa's comment. Miss Zenith observed that the students were gaining interest.

"So, when thinking about the Parting of Lot and Abraham. Sometimes, the sexy option isn't the best. Maybe you should focus on the modest option."

"Yes, the plain Jane, maybe the one with the red hair and freckles," Rosa says, glancing over to Miss Zenith. "The one that may have granny panties and an unmatching JC Pennies bra that was on sale for just this weekend, but let's be real, it's JC Pennies. It's always on sale. Who are we kidding." Rosa says as she smiles at Mark, who returns her look with an agasped mouth.

"Right, but remember that plain Jane will stand ten toes down and hold you down like no one else because she is divinely protected. That's all for our class." Mark concludes the presentation, and the class claps for them. They both make their way to their seats, with Rosa taking a deep sigh.

The rest of the class presents their presentation, and Miss Zenith begins to wrap up the rest of the class.

"Class is Dismissed! Mr. Morgan, may I have a word with you?" Miss Zenith says, pressed against her desk as the students file out of the class.

"Cum, see me after class." Rosa mocks as she packs her bag. "Don't keep me waiting, Mark." She says, with a tap on his shoulder, moving past him to the exit; he walks towards Miss Zenith's desk. She waits for the last student to exit before talking.

"Your presentation had some humor in it?" Miss Zenith says with a skeptical face.

"Sorry, it's just how I make things easier for me to learn, and it helped Rosa get over her presentation anxiety, too."