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[color=darkgray]Although she’d been at the mall for the last twenty minutes, it was just now when Marisol was jogging her way down to The Gardens food court. The last thing she wanted was for Sonny to piece together where exactly she’d spent last night, so she’d decided to make a detour to the trusty Target on site. Sixty dollars and a bathroom visit later, the Castillo girl was now ready to meet her ex-best friend and see exactly what the fuck he wanted. Now dressed with distressed jean shorts, a black cotton T-shirt and a backward baseball cap, the young woman looked like just your typical teen out for a Sunday stroll instead of one doing the walk of shame after a wild night out. Her homecoming dress, Salem’s hoodie, and her bronze clutch were hidden away inside the shopping bag, and she’d made a point to let her long hair cover the side of her neck where the hickey was.

When she finally reached the food court, Marisol scanned the area in search of Sonny but failed to see him. Letting out a frustrated sigh, the girl pulled out her phone from the back pocket of her new shorts and sent out a text:

[color=A52A2A][i][indent]I’m here and I don’t see your pale ass. If this is another one of your stupid pranks I’m breaking your nose all over again.[/indent][/i][/color]

He had been at the mall for a while now. Whether it was ten minutes or twenty, Sonny lost count. The only thing he knew was he walked around and that was the only thing he did. His mind was clearly focused on one thing and that was Marisol. Everything else that may have been happening was white noise to him. Nothing about seeing some classmates that he may have liked and disliked nor seeing a teacher apparently outside like a normal person seemed to interest him. His mind, much like the person himself, was one that always remained one-tracked. And in that, Sonny couldn’t get Marisol off his mind.

After a while, Sonny made his way to the food court. He was so preoccupied with walking and thinking, it didn’t occur to the boy that he hadn’t eaten anything since abruptly waking up and leaving. He didn’t know what time it was, but when his stomach growled, Sonny made any attempt to make sure it stopped growling for as long as possible. So, when he stood in line for no particular restaurant, Sonny was free to do more thinking, or so he thought. He felt his phone buzz, and upon examining it, realized he’d just gotten a text from Marisol

Reading it, he could just hear her anger radiating from the words screen. For whatever reason, the thought of her being angry with him, though it wasn’t exactly in the line of his intentions to make things right, he smiled. There was always a co-dependency of their relationship. She would be angry with him and he’d smile because he liked seeing her throw her fits. Sonny knew it got to her when he did seem happy she was pissy at him, but he didn’t care -- or at least, he did care and that’s what made him smile even more.

So, in direct response, he replied back.

[color=ff8c00][i][indent]At the food court. I’ll get you a hotdog. You’ll see me because I’ll be the only one with two burger value meals.[/indent][/i][/color]

Somehow, Sonny knew that would get her attention one way or another. Or so he hoped it would. Either way, as soon as Sonny would see her, he waved her over so she knew where he was. Which was at a table away from just about everyone else who seemed to be inhabiting the food court. He had a cheeseburger for him and a chicken sandwich for her. Included were two orders of medium fries and medium drinks. Sonny didn’t feel hungry enough for a large, but he sure as hell was hungry enough to get something larger than a small.

It wasn’t long before Mari’s phone buzzed in her hand and Sonny’s reply appeared on her screen. She frowned at it for a second before looking back up, this time scanning the area in more detail. Finally, her eyes found the tell-tale orange hoodie of her date of the day, who waved at her while sitting a comfortable distance away from the general population. She gave him a curt nod in response, and after letting out a sigh, the short girl trudged over to his table.

[color=brown]“Alright, so you texted me to be here. What do you want?”[/color] Marisol said brusquely, plopping down in the chair in front of Sonny. She dropped the shopping bag on the chair next to her and grabbed one of the cups from the tray, then took a long sip of its contents. Her suspicious green eyes were locked on the boy’s face as she sipped her soda, looking for any signs of a prank or foul play.

Too bad for her, there wasn’t any. And even if there was something for Marisol to be suspicious of, Sonny didn’t let her see it. Instead, he brandished that same smile he always had. [color=ff8c00]”What? Is it so hard for you to believe I just wanted to have a lunch date with my oldest friend?”[/color] He asked her, sipping his raspberry tea beverage.

Marisol snorted, shooting Sonny a look. [color=brown]“Sure Jan,”[/color] she replied sarcastically, stuffing her mouth with a handful of fries. [color=brown]“Because I am your oldest friend, I know better than anyone that the almighty Sonny Drake doesn’t just [i]do[/i] things out of the goodness of his sweet little heart: there’s always some sneaky ulterior motive to the madness. So save us both the time and just spit it out already.”[/color]

He didn’t know what it was, be it the casual remark she made, the overused meme that he grew tired of hearing about, or the familiar attitude she had towards him, but Sonny cracked a genuine smile. [color=ff8c00]“There’s no ulterior motive or anything like it. I just missed you is all,”[/color] he admitted truthfully. [color=ff8c00]“I know it may be hard for you to grasp, but there’s nothing crafty lurking beyond my beautiful face or anything.” [/color] .

The second Marisol heard the words ‘I miss you’ come out of Sonny’s mouth, her jaw dropped to the floor. It was a sure sign of the apocalypse: Hell was freezing over, the world was ending, reality as they knew it was about to come to a close. Sonny Drake wasn’t a man known for expressing anything except snark, sarcasm, and anger- this was a well-known fact. To have him admit any sort of feelings was a feat of itself, but to actually hear him admit them out loud? It was a once in a lifetime kind of event.

[color=brown]“Jesus Christ, Sonny! Did you just say you [i]missed[/i] me?!”[/color] she cried out in disbelief, looking at her best friend as if he’d suddenly turned into a lizard person. [color=brown]“Holy shit. Those punches must have given you an aneurysm or something. In my eighteen years roaming this Earth I have [i][b]never[/b][/i] heard you say that. Like [i]ever[/i].”[/color]

As she spoke, Sonny had taken a bite into his burger and just kept listening until he didn’t have any beef in his mouth. [color=ff8c00]“Well now you have,”[/color] he spat back at her cheerfully, chuckling.

[color=brown]“Jesus Christ…”[/color] she muttered, shaking her head. [color=brown]“Well if it’s of any comfort, I missed you too,”[/color] the short girl grumbled under her breath, taking a big bite out of her sandwich and frowning at her fries.

[color=ff8c00]“Sorry, I’m not sure I heard that. You what?”[/color] Sonny asked, leaning forward with his hand to his ear.

Scoffing, Mari directed her frown towards the boy, knowing fully well that he’d definitely heard her but just wanted to mess with her. [color=brown]“I [i]said[/i] that I missed you, dipshit!”[/color] she repeated loudly straight at his ear, taking a fry from her tray and throwing it at Sonny’s face. [color=brown]“Did you hear me this time, or are your eardrums that far up your ass now?”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“Ow,”[/color] Sonny simply said, leaning back into his chair. He ran his right pinkie finger into his ear to make sure he still had  full working function in it. [color=ff8c00]“You didn’t have to yell,”[/color] he commented with an attitude, looking around seeing how, to his surprise, nobody seemed to hear Marisol raising her voice at him. It was probably for the better. They didn’t need any prying eyes on them, especially since Sonny was still recovering from his broken/fractured nose.

Going back down to a few of his fries, Sonny gave Marisol a quick grin before snatching a dip of her ketchup. [color=ff8c00]“So, are you gonna tell me about that hickey or do I have to pry it out of you?”[/color] He asked, not even looking up her, though the hint of his typical smirking grin could be seen.

Marisol was poised to take the last bite out of her sandwich when Sonny brought up the hickey in her neck. The girl stopped mid-bite, her blood turning into ice. She cursed herself for thinking that her hair would cover it, for not buying that turtleneck tee she saw in one of the hangers, and for not at least attempting to hide the evidence with some concealer or a few bandaids. Well, it was too late now. It was time to pull out the bullshitting card.

[color=brown]“It’s not a hickey: it’s a burn,”[/color] she said matter-of-factly as if talking to a dense five-year-old. [color=brown]“Auntie Callie accidentally burned my neck when she was doing my hair yesterday. The only reason it wasn’t visible yesterday was ‘cause she hid it with some makeup. Like I’d ever let anyone give me a fucking hickey...”[/color] she lied on the spot, taking a huge bite of her sandwich to buy herself some time to answer any further surprise question. Meanwhile, the rest of Sal’s hickeys seemed to burn underneath her clothes. 

[color=ff8c00][i]Bullshit.[/i][/color]

Sonny knew what burns looked like. There was no burn that was shaped like puckered lips. But if she wanted to keep up the lie, then that was her business. Sonny knew it was a hickey. He gave hickeys to girls constantly over his time of being a teenage boy. If she thought she was being cute by lying to his face, then who was he to stop her? Everyone did what they were good at and Sonny seeing through her bullshit was one of his best skills.

[color=ff8c00]“Okay, so it’s not a hickey,”[/color] Sonny commented casually, looking at her. [color=ff8c00]“Oh, I forgot to tell you, your parents came by my house today.”[/color] Another causal, nonchalant comment he made as he took a big sip from his tea.

[color=brown]“[i]FUCK![/i]”[/color] Mari shouted, looking truly scared for the first time in years. Her parents… [color=brown]“Shit, shit, shit, shit, [i]SHIT![/i] I totally forgot to tell them I wasn’t making it home last night! Oh fuck, I bet Dad’s ready to file a missing person’s report… What did you tell them?!”[/color] she asked her friend, eyes wide with the fear of her parents finding out she’d spent the night with a guy they hadn’t even met.

He didn’t quite understand why she was so worried. Maybe it was due to the fact he wasn’t in her shoes, but Sonny found it just a little funny. For her sake, however, he wouldn’t burst into laughter like he usually would. Instead, he would take the road he rarely traveled on. [color=ff8c00]“Relax, Manic Mari,”[/color] Sonny raised his hands up as if trying to calm her, [color=ff8c00]“They weren’t mad or anything like that. Yeah, Marco was up in arms, but I surprisingly managed to get him to come back to Planet Earth.”[/color]

The short girl breathed out a sigh of relief, taking the last sip of her soda. [color=brown]“Thanks, man. This is, like, the first time I’ve spent the night somewhere without telling him, so that’s why they’re acting like it’s the end of the fucking world or something.”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“To be fair, it was mostly your father who was losing his shit. The most your mom did was just act as calm as she could, but she did have a slight freak out about my nose.”[/color] Sonny found some humor in that as he laughed, remembering how she blatantly asked about it. [color=ff8c00]“Don't mention it. Although, there might be just one thing you should be worried about,”[/color] Sonny said rather casually, taking a bite of his burger.

[color=brown]“I bet he was. Daddy can be such a drama queen,”[/color] Mari said with an amused smirk, picturing her father having a meltdown while her mother not-so-patiently tried to talk some sense into him. However, Sonny’s next words were quick to make her focus back on the present. [color=brown]“And that is…?”[/color] she asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at him.

[color=ff8c00]“Well,”[/color] Sonny’s voice trailed on as he brought his napkin to his face, wiping off some of the ketchup and mustard from it. [color=ff8c00]“There’s a chance they could be paying Salem a visit.”[/color]

[color=brown]“WHAT?!”[/color] Marisol cried out in disbelief, shooting up from her chair as if it had electrocuted her. [color=brown]“Why the fuck would they do [i]that[/i]?! I left his house like an hour ago!”[/color] she shouted. And then soon as she realized what she’d just blurted out, the panicked girl added, [color=brown]“N-not that there’s where I was last night or anything! I had Archer take me ‘cause I left my phone in Sal’s car last night before I left to Julie’s place.”[/color]

Sonny found it amusing she was still clinging to the shit lie that she wasn’t with Salem last night. All signs were pointing to yes, but Sonny wasn’t about to push on it. He was having too much fun seeing her try and think of more excuses. [color=ff8c00]“If you weren’t with Salem last night, then you have nothing to worry about. I’m sure Rivera will tell them what we both know to be the truth: he hasn't seen you since he dropped you off last night.”[/color] Sonny wasn’t really sure how long she wanted to keep it up, but he was game to play hers. [color=ff8c00]“If you’re seriously so worried that Sally will blab on ya, I can just call them right now and you can avoid that,”[/color] Sonny offered, getting his phone out.

[color=brown]“For real?”[/color] Sol asked, now looking at Sonny as if he was the answer to all her problems. [color=brown]“You’d still cover my ass like that?”[/color]

He kept his eyes on her, landing on her mother’s contact info. [color=ff8c00]“Of course. What else are friends for?”[/color] He winked her way. [color=ff8c00]“Text or phone call?”[/color]

The green-eyed girl shot him a small, grateful smile. It was nice to know that their time apart hadn’t jeopardized the fierce loyalty they’d always had to each other. [color=brown]“Call them. Daddy will fucking love that.”[/color]

A mini moment later, Sonny was calling Soleil’s phone and put it on speaker so both of them could hear. Not even two rings and there was an answer, but to Sonny’s amusement, it wasn’t her mother.

[color=b8860b]“Sonny! Did you find her!?”[/color] Marco had said rather intensely. [color=b8860b]“[i]Por favor dime queue contrast a mi princesa![/i]”[/color] Marco’s voice went hysterical, a clear sign that he was on the verge of crying.

Marisol couldn’t help but let out a cackle of amusement, even if she knew she shouldn’t. Leave it to her father to be the one ready to report her missing for being gone less than a day. [color=brown]“Yes, Daddy, he found me!”[/color] she replied to the phone, grinning widely at Sonny. [color=brown]“I’m okay, I’m okay! I spent the night at Julie Macmillan’s house. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys before. I didn’t mean to worry you, Daddy.”[/color]

[color=b8860b]“The Macmillans!?”[/color] Marco was genuinely shocked. [color=b8860b]“But Sonny told us--”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“That’s my bad. I thought Salem might’ve known, but I guess I was mistaken,”[/color] Sonny said, smiling at Marisol. [color=ff8c00]]“But don’t worry about her. I’ll drive her home when we’re done eating an early lunch,”[/color] he told Marco, hoping that would put some worries he had about his …[i]princesa[/i]’s whereabouts and safety.

[color=b8860b]“I’m just happy that you’re safe, [i]mija[/i]. I don’t know--”[/color]

Sonny heard the sound of something on the other end. Perhaps it was the phone dropping, but all went silent on the Castillo’s end of the call.

[color=firebrick]“Well I don't give a shit where you did or didn't spend the night: as soon as you walk through this door, you're grounded for two weeks! Maybe that'll serve you as a lesson to never pull another stunt like this again, Marisol Alejandra.”[/color]

Taking Marisol’s petrified silence as his turn to speak, Sonny made a bold decision to [i]accidentally[/i] click off from the call, effectively ending what seemed like a very intense, highly volatile Soleil. Meanwhile, his nervous friend let out a small sigh of relief.

When Sonny put his phone into his pocket, he stood up from his seat and let out a sigh. [color=ff8c00]“So, seeing as how this might be your last free day out for the next two weeks, anything else you want to do? Maybe we can go pick up someone? Salem maybe?”[/color] Sonny couldn’t believe he actually just said that. 

Mari couldn't believe it either. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he and Salem had apparently been having a charming little talk with their fists at homecoming while she was outside. And now he wanted to invite the sworn enemy who broke his nose to spend the afternoon with them? It looked like Drake Jr. had definitely lost a few screws during that fight.

[color=brown]“You know what we should do? Get you to the ER and have you examined for any sudden brain swelling or an internal hemorrhage, because you're either losing your goddamn mind or have been abducted by aliens who left a poor excuse of a clone in your place,”[/color] the brunette stated, staring at Sonny as if he’d suddenly grown an extra head.

[color=ff8c00]“Is it so unbelievable that I want to keep you from getting a prison sentence? I’d rather you not end up like Kavi, but if you really want to be stuck indoors on a Sunday, then do please follow me to my truck,”[/color] Sonny was only half-joking as he stepped to the side, gesturing towards the doors leading to the outside of The Gardens Mall.

[color=brown]“What’s that supposed to mean: ‘rather not end up like Kavi’?”[/color] Mari said in a confused tone as she opened the passenger door to his truck, took a seat and closed the door behind her. When Sonny was inside, she continued. [color=brown]”What the fuck happened to Kavi?”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“You mean you haven’t--”[/color] Sonny couldn’t help but laugh, starting up his truck but he didn’t back out of the parking lot just yet. [color=ff8c00]“After Ariel had punched him, he was escorted from Homecoming in the back of a police car. It’s all over social media. I’m shocked you didn’t hear about it.”[/color]

[color=brown]“Holy shit,”[/color] she muttered, looking at Sonny clearly taken aback. She knew her cousin wasn’t a stranger to getting himself into trouble with girls- he had the punch coming for long time now if Mari was honest, and her respect for Ariel was now a tad higher than before. But to be hauled away in a cop car? That was something to be expected of fuckups like her and Son, not Kavi. Sol figured his mother would be ready to rip him a new one. [color=brown]“Shit, man, that fucking sucks. I haven’t paid attention to my phone much, so I had no fucking idea.”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“Clearly,”[/color] Sonny said as he started up his truck. Once the coast was clear, he pulled out and gave Marisol a wink. [color=ff8c00]“So where to?”[/color]

It didn’t take long for Marisol to come up with a response. [color=brown]“Let’s head out to our spot. It’s about time we finally sit down and talk.”[/color]

On that note, Sonny stopped in the middle of backing out. He had only looked at Marisol as if he was shocked by what she said as if he didn’t hear her right. When he saw the look in her eyes, there was no doubt in his mind that he heard exactly what he thought he heard. He smiled only slightly, backing out and driving out of the parking lot. [color=ff8c00]“Guess we’re heading to The Cove,”[/color] was all he said, but in his mind, he couldn’t believe Soleil’s advice had actually worked.[/color]
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