‘Derrick & Macy’ by: Shago Marlin

“It’s not that I don’t want to be with you,” says Macy.

“It's not?” asks Derrick.

“Not exactly.”

“It’s that you’d rather be with him.”

“It’s not that easy.”

And it never will be.

The between is what freaks even the slightest of romantics.

Like Derrick, who usually couldn’t care less.

But Macy makes him frantic.

So in this rare case he does.

He cares and oh so much.

Sprung like tulips in the sun.

“But you haven’t even seen him in months.”

“I know.”

“It’s dust.”

"It’s enough.”

She hasn’t and she won’t. The days float on like ghosts.

She believes she stands for something.

He’s convinced her shaky stance is destined to be all for nothing.

He sees the potential progression.

She sees it through a lens of regression.

In hopes of revelation, he saddles up and he plays the part.

But how many times will the curtain be peeled to reveal the very same old half baked love under lock and seal?

They’ve been on this ride before, like hamsters on a wheel.

Their thoughts weigh heavy in the pouring rain.

It all seems so real in the midst of the mist of an overused cliche—a perfect metaphor all the same.

Derrick gets bold, “You don’t know what you want.”

“I know.”

“So are you stringing me along or what, you cunt?”

He asks with a smirk and pretends to run.

She gasps then laughs.

But neither of them budge from the serious stuff.

“So apparently you know what you want...”

“Yes, you.”

“That’s what you want?”

“Yes, that’s what I want.”

“I hope you’re not crushed.”

The hot rush to his head feels like the aftermath of a shovel. The rumble through his brain, it starts as a mumble.

It enters the stomach like a clash of thunder.

He closes his windows to weather the storm.

So wide open.

Now so hastily closed.

She knows it’s a maze

Perhaps in sadness, she likes it that way.

A riddle hidden in an hourglass, disguised as a lava lamp and hidden by haze.

But she also knows that this is his distorted way of asking for her hand,

And wouldn’t you know…

She’s willing to dance.

Macy two steps her way through Derrick’s little, phony, masculine act.

She dips and spins away from every fork in the road that she can.

It’s not that she’s scared, she’d just rather not watch him confront his demons again.

And he’d rather not see her when she’s immune to amends.

Her head is down.

As is his, embezzled in a frown.

Rather selfish if you ask a lightbeam.

“It’s really that easy for you?”

“Your timing is awful."

“Will you look at me? Maybe elaborate a little more?”

She takes a breath and settles with a sideways message…

“Fine, but what the hell are we still standing in the rain for?”

“This isn't rain. This is a downpour.”

“I can barely see you."

“I can barely hear you."

“What do you want?”

“I just want to be warm.”

“Yeah, lets go inside.”