It really felt like Nem had cried his share of tears for the next year. With a sigh, the boy resolved to finally get up from the bathroom floor and start his trek back home. He looked awful, he knew. Eyes swollen and puffy on top of the bruising from his mother's abuse earlier. Who even cries on the bathroom floor in the boy's room? That's disgusting. His slacks were probably covered in all sort of bodily fluids he'd rather not think about. How lame.

He'd need a convincing story to tell his mother. What would be good? Hanging with Erica was always a decent one, but he was pretty sure she left already. He could take a gamble on if mother saw her go or not. But that's risky. And if there's anything that truly represented him, it was that he didn't do risky.

He would also need to...Apologize. He said some terrible things. Poor Marcus. It's not like he deserved it. Maybe a little bit. Like the tiniest of bits. For pressuring him and putting him on the spot, but it's not like that justified how he had been acting. Even before the winter formal, Nem had been an outright dick. It's not that he wanted to be mean, not really. It was just hard to think of something to say and then the panic would set in and he'd think what if someone saw or heard or...

It was hard to think what he should do with Marcus', and his own, feelings. Everything in him wanted to scream "TAKE ME NOW" straight to his face, which to be honest would probably result in a hilarious reaction from Marcus' part, but all the rational parts of his brain held him back. Maybe rational is not the best word. Erica would most definitely use "Coward" instead. He was terrified, there was no denying it.

Another sigh, another step. Nem blinked in surprise at the familiar door. He had meant to go straight home, but his legs had brought him to Marcus' instead. Maybe not really that surprising when you think about it, considering how much of his brain the punk hogged nowadays. Nem wasn't really that worried about how this turned out, since he was pretty sure Marcus would accept any shitty excuse of an apology he managed to string together instantly. That's just the kind of person he was. 

But he wanted to do this right. Be brave for once in his life, and talk things through. Nem pressed his shaking fingers on the doorbell.