Behind The Church

XXVIII

Christina

"There's still more to come, darling." I wink.

I'm nervous, of course. So far, she's liked everything. We still have to decorate the cake, binge movies and chill in the hot tub. I really don't know when the right time will be to propose. Should I do it with everyone around? Should I do it when we're alone? I'm so confused.

"The cake smells delicious." Kate says, taking in a deep breath to smell the chocolate scent wafting from the oven.

"Is the cake ready yet?" Esther asks, coming from her room.

"Maybe, but we're not eating it until after dinner." I tell my sister.

"What?! Why?" she groans.

"Because that's when we have cake!" I remind her.

"Ugh, whatever." she huffed. I can see she doesn't mean it.

"Where's Marley?"

"She's been sleeping in a lot. I don't know why." Esther shrugged, confusion and worry etched into her features.

"Let me go get her." I say. I pass Esther and let myself into the dark room. My best friend is lying in the bed, peacefully sleeping.

"Marley, wake up. It's almost noon." I say to her gently. I shake her back and forth to coax her out of sleep.

She refuses to budge, so I take the alternative and harsh route.

I throw the curtains open and and yank the duvet from her body. When she felt the cold, she scrunched into a fetal position to preserve her body heat and held the pillow over her head to block out the light.

"Get up." I demand, pulling pillows away from her too.

"No." she groaned.

"Now."

"No."

"Why?"

"I can't be arsed."

"Do you even know what day it is?"

"Uhh, Monday?"

"No, it's Thursday. The twenty-eighth of May."

"Okay, so?"

"Marley."

"What?" she grits, finally sitting up to face me.

"Think about it. What's special about today?"

I watch her think, long and hard about the date. She looks so dumb right now. I swear.

"Oh shit!" she yells.

Marley bolts out of the room and I hear her scream, "Happy birthday, bitch!"

Then I hear Kate scream as I assume Marley jumed on her or something. I follow the noise out and sure enough, Marley is on top of Kate, giving her birthday bumps.

"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen! And one for good measure!" she said as she gave Kate the light punches to the arm.

"Ow!" my girlfriend, hopefully soon to be fiancé, whines. Esther giggles from the kitchen at her girlfriend as she hugs Kate. I make eye contact with my sister and she knows that her suspicion is confirmed. We think Marley may be depressed. She's been showing the signs lately.

Physical and emotional fatigue, lacks interest in what she used to love, she struggles to get out of bed, especially for school, in fact, she's supposed to be in school now. I'm assuming Esther is on lunch break or something. Marley hasn't been showing much signs of happiness in general, and as her best friend, it's worrying me.