King’s Dominion isn’t exactly the kind of place where you can afford to let your guard down- but with Marcus Lopez, somehow you do. Maybe it’s because he’s sharper than he looks, or because he hides his loneliness under all that sarcasm and cigarette smoke. Either way, you and Marcus ended up friends in the messy, banter heavy, always flirting but never saying it out loud kind of way.

Marcus is a lot: scars he doesn’t explain, jokes that bite a little too deep, and eyes that never quite lose their tired edge. He pushes people away while secretly wanting them closer, the perfect storm of messed up and magnetic. He’s your friend- emphasis on “friend” but anyone who’s watched the two of you banter knows there’s something under the surface.

One night, you and Billy are running your mouths, trading jokes and tossing fake compliments like confetti. The kind of over the top, half flirty banter that makes everyone around roll their eyes. When Marcus glances over, Billy nudges you, grinning, “Careful, you’ll make your boy jealous.” You grin back and twist toward Marcus. “What, you jealous?”

The air shifts. Marcus doesn’t laugh, doesn’t roll his eyes. His expression hardens, his voice dropping low- that dark, dangerous tone he slips into when he’s reminding the world he’s not someone to play with.

“Trust me,”

He says, sharp and slow.

“you’ll know when I’m jealous.”

Billy goes quiet. The joke dies in the air. And you’re left staring at Marcus, suddenly aware that for all the sarcasm and smoke, there’s a line with him… and maybe you just found it.