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[b][i]“There you go, sweetie.”[/i][/b] The plump waitress had said as she put down the glass of iced tea on Archer’s table,  snapping the boy away from his book and back to reality. 

[color=35996B]“Thanks, I’ll just have the usual- actually, make it two. She’ll be here in a second and she’s probably going to need it,”[/color] he said with a smile as he handed her the menu with a wink. The waitress nodded and sashayed away. The young man had been sitting at Marisol’s and his reserved table at the Surf Shack for a good 20 minutes, waiting for his best friend after receiving the cryptic text from her asking him to meet. 

No sooner than the waitress had walked away, a stranger of short stature and petite frame was stealthily approaching Archer’s table. The questionable-looking individual was clutching a sparkly handbag, wearing white vans and an oversized gray hoodie that hit mid-thigh with the words [b][i]“I NY”[/i][/b] emblazoned in the front - a strange combination considering the particularly warm October afternoon in Crown Heights. Without a single word, the unknown person took a seat in the seat right in front of Archer. And when their hoodie was pulled back by small hands with a bronze-colored manicure, the tall young man found himself staring at the big green eyes of his best friend.

[color=brown]“Hey Archie,”[/color] Marisol croaked in a hoarse voice, giving the room a quick once-over as if afraid someone would recognize her before looking at her best friend again. Although she smelled and looked like she’d just stepped out of the shower with the damp brown hair and freckles on full display, the dark stains of mascara and eyeliner were still visible under her eyes. [color=brown]“What’s up? Did you have fun last night?”[/color] 

The boy closed his book and took a sip from his tea before opening his mouth. [color=35996B]“Well…”[/color] he started, his eyebrows high in his face as he surveyed his small friend. [color=35996B]“Not as fun as you had I imagine.”[/color] Archer smirked, pointedly staring at the sweatshirt. [color=35996B]“I thought you hated New York?”[/color] he asked, cocking his head to the side. 

Marisol, who had grabbed Archer’s iced tea and was sipping like her life depended on it, stopped dead in her tracks. [color=brown]“Oh, this?”[/color] she said dumbly, looking down at her choice of outfit for the day. A blush began to creep up on her cheeks, and she let her hair fall in front of her face to avoid Archer noticing. [color=brown]“It’s not mine. I actually borrowed it from a friend.”[/color]

[color=35996B]“Oh, I know”[/color] he said, leaning back in his chair. [color=35996B]“I just needed to hear you say it.”[/color] Archer whispered smugly.

[color=brown]“Hear me say what?”[/color] she asked, looking up at Archer with a playful half-smile. They both knew what the other meant- but for them, it was always fun to beat around the bush a little to build anticipation.

The boy cleared his throat before leaning forward on his elbows. [color=35996B]"I've done the math. Lover Boy and Sonny had an testosterone fueled brawl at the dance. So when I couldn't find you and you didn't answer your phone, I called your brother, and he said you weren't home. And now here you are... Wearing, uh, [i]that[/i]. So putting one and one together... "[/color] he clicked his tongue, nodding his head towards the girl. 

[color=brown]“Wait, WHAT?!”[/color] Marisol cried out louder than intended, nearly choking on Archer’s iced tea and earning their table some annoyed, disapproving stares. The girl paid them no attention, though. Her wide eyes were locked on her best friend’s face, looking for any signs of lying. When she found none, she continued. [color=brown]“You’re saying Sal and Sonny had a fight?!”[/color]

The boy smiled as the waitress came back with their plates of burgers and fries, along with a drink for Mari and a refill for Archer. He dropped his voice down to a whisper. [color=35996B]"Oh? Homeboy didn't tell you? Yeah: Salem punched Sonny the fuck out… Pretty satisfying, if I say so myself. I can imagine Torvald deserved it. But it was pretty one-sided."[/color] Archer’s face lit up. The boy was enjoying himself way too much considering the current situation. [color=35996B]“Wonder why he decided to keep that tidbit from you?”[/color] he fake-mused, fully knowing why. 

The young woman was quiet for a long while, biting the inside of her cheek. She vaguely remembered her and Salem speaking about a scuffle, but the alcohol had hazed out most of the past night’s memories. This little scene must have happened while she was waiting for Salem to meet her outside by the car. Had she known those two were going at it, there was no question she would had definitely jumped in to do her part. But, in a way, it was better than she’d been shielded from the truth. Nothing good would have happened if the Sonny cloud had rained on their parade. 

[color=brown]“We slept together,”[/color] Mari suddenly blurted out, pulling down the collar of the hoodie to show Archer one of the many love bites she had all over her body: the evidence of last night’s lust-fuelled crime. [color=brown]“He probably knew telling me would kill the mood and make things worse… Which I really appreciate. Last night was just fucking amazing.”[/color] 

Letting out a dramatic gasp of shock that was only half fake, Archer clutched his imaginary pearls. [color=35996B]“You harlot! Nice one, Mari. How does it feel being a mistress?”[/color] he cackled, throwing a fry at his friend.

[color=brown]“Oh God, don’t remind me…”[/color] the brunette groaned, grimacing as she remembered the framed picture of Salem and Gwen lying on the floor next to the bed. The furious rocking of the bed had somehow hit the bedside table long and hard enough for the picture to have slid off it and crashed to the floor, its protective glass shattering everywhere... But not loudly enough to stop Salem and Marisol from what they were doing. [color=brown]“I feel so bad about the whole thing, but at the same time… I kinda don’t? Salem was the one who started it. I just… went with it. And it was just [i]so fucking amazing[/i]... It’s really hard to feel guilty about having mind-blowing sex with someone.”[/color] 

[color=35996B]“Spoken like a true adulterer.”[/color] Archer said as he took a bite of his burger, casting a mindful look at Marisol as he chewed. The boy swallowed and continued. [color=35996B]“I mean seeing as your only other experience is with Torvald, I imagine your mind being sufficiently… blown.”[/color]

Marisol let out a cackle of laughter. [color=brown]“Fuck you, Archer!”[/color] she said cheerfully with a smile, taking the lone fry he’d thrown at her earlier and returning the favor. [color=brown]“Let’s forget about Sonny for the rest of our lives and focus on the present. And Mr. Salem Rivera... Fuck, man. You should have seen it, Archie: it was like a king-sized burrito the size of a footlong,”[/color] she told him, using her hands to emphasize her statement. [color=brown]“I don’t know how I’m able to be walking straight right now, to be honest with you.”[/color]

[color=35996B]“First of all: 100% gross! Second of all: do you not think I already know this? We’ve been to the beach together! Wet bathing suits are my specialty!”[/color] he wiggled his eyebrows at her while Marisol laughed in between bites of her food. [color=35996B]“More importantly.”[/color] Archer dropped his voice down to a whisper again, concern staining his voice. [color=35996B]“How did this morning play out when you both had sobered up? I mean… he and Gwen are like practically married. He can’t be as excited about this as you are? Right?”[/color] In these few weeks he had known Salem, Archer had begun to see him as somewhat of a friend, and this situation just reeked of a friend divorce. 

The green-eyed girl’s cheerful demeanor suddenly became clouded at the memory of her and Sal’s last conversation before she’d made her exit. [color=brown]“We were both pretty torn up about it, honestly. We agreed it was wrong and that it shouldn’t have happened and that it wouldn’t happen again,”[/color] she confessed, going silent for a few seconds before quietly adding with a smug half-smile, [color=brown]“It wasn’t bad enough to stop us from going for a round two when he walked in on me in the shower, though, so I guess he’s not feeling [i]too[/i] guilty about it.”[/color]

[color=35996B]“Classy, Mar,”[/color] he rolled his eyes before finishing of his burger. [color=35996B]“I’m guessing we need to keep all this under wraps, then?”[/color] he gestured wildly with his hands.

[color=brown]“Would be greatly appreciated,”[/color] she said, though her last mouthful of burger. [color=brown]“The last thing I want is for our favorite person to get wind of this, spread it around and make a mockery out of both of us.”[/color]

Archer made a zipping motion over his mouth flicking away the imaginary key. [color=35996B]“So what’s your plan for the rest of the day? You need me to drop you anywhere?”[/color] he asked while wiping his hands with a wet wipe. [color=35996B]“As much as I like to hear about you getting dicked down, I actually have plans...”[/color] he smirked as he handed his credit card over to the waitress. 

That last sentence caught Marisol’s complete attention. [color=brown]“Ooooooohhhhhhhhh!”[/color] she cried out in a teasing tone, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. [color=brown]“[i]Do[/i] you now?”[/color]

Holding up one finger as he signed the receipt for their meals, the brown haired boy retorted. [color=35996B]“See, what we're not going to do is jump to conclusions! I'm going over to Kavan’s because I need to cleanse myself from all of this-”[/color] he gestured dramatically towards his friend again. [color=35996B]“And I, unlike you, can keep it in my pants!”[/color] he continued as he stood up from the table. 

[color=brown]“Sure Jan,”[/color] Mari said smugly, still looking at Archer like she knew exactly what his naughty little mind was thinking even though he was trying to play it off. [color=brown]“Because I’m supposed to believe you guys are just going to sit around having tea and biscuits while reading pretentious little books, right?”[/color]

[color=35996B]“[i]No[/i]. Obviously we’re going to have a gangbang and simultaneously orgasm. We're not children, Mari…”[/color] Archer rolled his eyes as they pushed their way out of the restaurant. 

The shorter girl let out a loud whooping noise and took the chance to slap Archer’s ass. [color=brown]“That’s the spirit, Archie-boy! You go get him!”[/color] 

[color=35996B]“Do you want a ride or what?!”[/color] he said, digging for his keys in his pants pocket as they approached ‘The Blue Danger’. Frankly, he was growing tired of his friends newly found sexual prowess, and had decided to change the subject. [color=35996B]“I expect you want to change out of that.”[/color] he looked at her from the corner of his eyes stifling a chuckle. 

[color=brown]“Not really, no,”[/color] she admitted, cheeks reddening the slightest bit. [color=brown]“I actually like this hoodie, thank you very much. It’s cozy and it smells like Sal.”[/color]

Grimacing he opened the car door bending down to throw the usual wreckage of composition paper and books from the passenger seat back behind it. [color=35996B]“Whatever, dude…”[/color] Archer sighed as he gestured for her to get in. The day hadn’t properly started and it already felt like it would be a long one. [/color]