Chapter Text
Marcia never thought that at her grown age of 20 that she’d find herself at a Tulsa New Year’s party full of drunk socs and belligerent greasers, yet here she was. She got begged by Cherry and Chet, and only agreed because it was either that or spend New Year’s alone.
So there she was, in her favorite black cocktail dress, beelining straight for the kitchen to get a drink because she knows she’ll need at least one if she’s going to survive the next four hours at this party. She finds the drinks, some weird bowl of blue liquid that smells like it has vodka in it, and fills a cup.
She goes back into the living room to find her friends and that’s when she sees it. Chet is talking to Soda, thinking he’s being slick but the love in his eyes can be clocked from a mile away. And next to Soda is Two-Bit, Marcia’s ex boyfriend. They broke up right before Marcia left because he clearly wasn’t keen on long distance, even if Marcia had believed they could’ve made it work.
Marcia decides to bite the bullet and sit down next to Chet. Maybe Two-Bit just wouldn’t see her! However, as Marcia gets closer, Cherry sits in the seat next to Chet, leaving only the seat next to Two-Bit. With a sigh, Marcia walks straight in front of Two-Bit and motions to the empty seat.
“Can I sit here?”
Two-Bit just stares at her in confusion for a second, Marcia assumes disbelieving that she would even speak to him, before replying
“Sure. Ye- yes. Sure you can.”
Marcia tries not to think too hard about how flustered Two-Bit got from four words. She’s over him. She really is. Or at least that’s what she has to keep telling herself so one day she’ll believe it. She sits down next to Two-Bit, trying as hard as she can not to make contact with any part of his body. The silence between them is incredibly awkward. When they were together, all they did was talk. One was always cracking a joke or telling the other a lively story. Now? Nothing.
That is until Two-Bit speaks.
“So, How’s college?”
Simple question. She should tell him that she loves it, and that’s true, she does sometimes. But something in her feels like she should tell him how lonely she’s been, how every date she tries to go on fails, and how no guy is him. Marcia ignores that something. She gives potentially the worst cop out she possibly could.
“Oh, you know. College-y”
Two-Bit huffs out the tiniest dry laugh.
“No, really, Mar. Do you like it there? I mean anything’s gotta be better than Tulsa but like…”
Marcia once again chooses not to dwell on the “Mar” that comes out of his mouth. Marcia wonders what he was going to say before he trailed off.
“It’s good, really! My roommate this year is pretty nice and I really like my classes.”
Marcia giggles a bit, suddenly remembering something.
“There was this one time, one of my professors-“
And that’s how Marcia and Two-Bit end up talking from 8:15 until 11:55. Marcia really didn’t mean to. She meant to keep her distance, but this boy was like a magnet that had been pulling her in since that night at the drive in 3 years ago. Plus with every story she tells she gets to see Two-Bit’s gorgeous smile and with every one of his stories she gets to hear the voice she’s missed more than anything.
They talk about everything except the fact that they’re broken up and this is most certainly not what people who are broken up do. They’re only snapped out of their conversation by someone yelling “5 MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT!” With that, everyone starts crowding the makeshift dance floor in this random soc house’s foyer.
Two-Bit stands up to go over and Marcia assumes find his friends besides Soda, who has already disappeared to god knows where with Chet. Marcia follows almost immediately. She’s trying really hard not to be weird, but she really just wants to be near Two-Bit.
And she gets exactly what she wished for, with her side pressed into Two-Bit’s on the crowded dance floor. Before she knows it, people start counting down to midnight. Marcia is chanting and she sees Two-Bit is too until the countdown gets to about 4 which is when he turns to face her and places his hands on her face.
What is this? He breaks up with her, refusing to do long distance, and suddenly he’s trying to kiss her at a New Year’s party? And yet, Marcia wants it. She wants it more than anything. And so after a second of Two-Bit staring at her expectantly, Marcia gives the tiniest nod.
And when midnight hits, Two-Bit kisses her, strong and sure. The kiss lingers a little longer than it probably should, but Marcia can’t find it in herself to care. Two-Bit’s hands are still on Marcia’s face when he says
“Come home with me.”
On one hand, she knows she shouldn’t. She’s gone this long without him, she can keep going. She’ll find the right guy that isn’t him eventually, right? On the other hand, the man she’s spent the last 3 years desperately in love with is asking her to go home with him. So she says yes.
The drive back to Two-Bit’s is quiet except for the radio, but not awkward. Marcia tries her hardest not to stare at Two-Bit too much.
Finally they get back to the east side and back to Two-Bit’s house. He leads her to his bedroom as if she could ever forget. And for the first time in the last year, she momentarily puts away the shame she’s felt for continuing to love him through it all.