Milly and Marcus

Words 1500


         Marcus North hangs up the phone. He feels the same emotion every time he speaks to his parole officer, a sense of shame. However did I get to this point in my life? Sorry, mum.
He thinks about his parents, and what they’d sacrificed to give him a good education. He knew he’s let them down, although they would never say as much.
Anyway, they’d accepted now that it was all water under the bridge and he was doing all he could to make them proud of him again.
Released from prison for good behaviour after six months, thankfully the university allowed him to continue with his medical studies. He knew that was probably down to his father’s influence.
He’d had plenty of time to regret going to that party, he didn’t even much like parties, but a friend had persuaded him and that’s when his life had changed.

         Marcus shook his head and told himself to stop thinking about it and instead think of his date with Milly. He smiled, feeling better already. He’d met her on campus a month or so ago at one his lectures. She was studying to be a pharmacist, so some of their units coincided, which was lucky for him. There had been an immediate connection between them. The conversation had flowed easily right from the start and hadn’t stopped. They’d had a few casual dates, the odd kiss and cuddle goodnight but they’d always gone out with friends as a group. He was looking forward to tonight; he was taking her out to dinner. Not anywhere expensive, after all he was a struggling medical student, but at least they’ll be able to get to know one another better.
I hope that won’t be a problem; he thought. Shall I come clean or just hope she never finds out? Checking his watch, he realised he only had an hour before picking Milly up. He hoped he had some clean jeans and shirt, eyeing the overflowing laundry hamper in the corner. Better not invite her back here, she’ll think I’m a slob. His studio apartment at the college was a typical student pad. Books and clothes covered the double bed. There were no real cooking facilities, just a kettle, a toaster and a gas ring. He headed to the shower, stripping off his college jumper, throwing it on top of the pile on the unmade bed as he passed.

         Standing naked at the bathroom sink, he rubbed the steam from the mirror. His image stared back at him. Should have got a haircut. His dark hair badly needed a trim, His olive complexion caused people to ask if he’d just come back from a holiday in the sun. He could thank his mother’s Italian heritage for that. He cleaned his expensively straightened teeth, then dressed for his date with Milly.



         “Hi guys, can you keep the noise down, I’m trying to finish this assignment.” Milly called from her room in the house she shared with three other students.
“Thought you were going on a red hot date with that spunky Italian?” Millie’s bedroom door suddenly opened and her red-headed friend Sasha poked her head in.
“Plenty of time, he’s not picking me up till seven. Besides, he’s just a friend.”
“I think you’ll find he’s got different ideas. Anyway, it’s six o’clock and unless you’re going out like that...” She said, pointing at Millie’s track suit pants and stained tee shirt.
“Oh, shit, is it really?” Milly ran into the living room to check the clock on the wall.
Sasha laughed, “It’s okay, you needn’t do a thing to yourself and he’ll still think you’re the best sight he’s ever seen.”
Sasha envied her friend’s long blonde hair, flawless complexion and her complete unawareness of her beauty and the impact she had on others.
“I never had to dress up on the farm, I lived in jeans and riding boots.” Milly sighed, “Oh, how I miss my horses and dogs.”
“Go on farm girl, get your city slick on and wow Marco.”
“It’s Marcus, not Marco, and anyway we’re only going to Pancho’s Mexican, we’re not rich yet.” Milly went to get ready to meet her friend.



         I walked up to the student parking area, it’s still a little before seven o’clock. It’s a great night for a first date, maybe we can go for a walk afterwards by the river. Christ, the old car’s filthy, I should have at least cleaned the thing. You’ll never impress her if you don’t lift your game. I’m beginning to really care what Milly thinks. She’s too good for me. I start the car.

         “Your date’s here, Milly!” A redhead opens the door. “Come in Marcus, she won’t be long,” she says, holding the door for me.
“It’s okay, I’m ready.” Milly appears.
I feel my heart give a leap. She looks amazing, it’s the first time I’ve seen her wearing a dress. Great legs.
I tell her she looks wonderful. She says something nice about my clothes too. Lucky I found the iron!

         We’ve arrived at the restaurant, I wish I’d taken her somewhere more upmarket; I don’t want her to think I’m a skinflint. But she seems okay with Panchos; I reckon she’s not a girl for fine dining, anyway.
I’m enjoying watching her eat. I thought when she ordered the chilli andthe enchiladas there would be no way she’d eat it all, but she’s proving me wrong.
“You’re so petite Milly, where on earth do you put all that food,” I ask her.
She laughs, “I come from farming stock. We kids were always working. Hard work gives you a good appetite, you know.” She says, as she mops up the rest of the sauce with bread.
“I want to hear everything about you, we’ve hardly had a chance before, always someone around. Tell me about your family?” She looks up at me, I wipe a smudge of sauce from her lip, my thumb remains on her mouth a Nanno second too long. She holds my gaze with a question in her beautiful blue eyes.
“Okay, and then I want to hear all about you too.” Milly takes a sip from her Margarita. “Well, I’m from the country. My family live in Margaret River in the South West. Dad’s a dairy farmer and Mum’s a teacher at the local school. I have two younger brothers, Danny and Darryl, and I won a scholarship to study here in the city. That’s it in a nutshell. Your turn.”
I swallow, this is my chance. Shall I come clean? I’ll just start and see where it goes. “Right,” I lean forward “my parents are both doctors.”
Milly laughs, “No chance for you then, your future was preordained.”
“Yes, pretty much so,” I smile. “A normal enough family, same as you I’ve got two brothers but they’re both older than me. I was a boarder at Guildford Grammar for the last five years of my schooling, then I came here to University and am doing third year medicine.”
“Wow, charmed life then, wealthy parents, overseas holidays I expect and a career in medicine on the cards.” Milly smiles, “Sounds as if everything has been plain sailing.”
This is it, my chance. What if she finds it disgusting and never speaks to me again? “Well not really,” I’m still hesitant. “Last year was pretty confronting.”
“Why?”
“I went to jail.” The look on her face is hard to read. “I’d better explain.” She’s nodding, her face is showing no emotion.


         Well, I wasn’t expecting that. We were having a great time, getting to know more about each other, when he tells me he’s been in prison. I say “Yes, if you feel comfortable telling me, you don’t need to, it’s none of my business.”
“Well, it’s not like I’ve done anything too bad, not hurt anyone or anything like that,” he says hurriedly.
He looks really worried.
“I wasn’t sure whether to tell you. I just didn’t want you to find out from someone else. I think I’m falling for you, Milly.”
I’d guessed he’d been leading up to this the last few times we’d seen each other on campus. I’m unsure if I want to get into a serious relationship while I’m doing my degree. He is kind of cute, though. Poor thing, he looks so uncomfortable, he’s squirming. He begins.
“So my friend invited me to a party. I didn’t want to go, I had a huge assignment due. Anyway, I’ll cut to the chase. The party got raided, someone had dumped their drug stash in my jacket pocket which was hanging up and they arrested me for distributing drugs.”
I reach across the table and take his hand, “I’m so sorry Marcus.”
“You still want to go out with me?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, I like you. Very much.”
The pained expression leaves his beautiful face, and he’s leaning over to kiss me.










Marcus North hangs up the phone. He feels the same every time he speaks to his parole officer, a sense of shame. However did I get to this point in my life? Sorry, mum.
He thinks about his parents, and what they’d sacrificed to give him a good education. He knew he’s let them down, although they never say as much.
Anyway, they’d accepted now that it was all water under the bridge and he was doing all he could to make them proud of him again.
Released from prison for good behaviour after six months, thankfully the university allowed him to continue with his medical studies. He knew that was probably down to his father’s influence.
He’d had plenty of time to regret going to that party, he didn’t even much like parties, but a friend had persuaded him and that’s when his life had changed.

Marcus shook his head and told himself to stop thinking about it and instead think of his date with Milly. He smiled, feeling better already. He’d met her on campus a month or so ago at one his lectures. She was studying to be a pharmacist, so some of their units coincided, which was lucky for him. There had been an immediate connection between them. The conversation had flowed easily right from the start and hadn’t stopped. They’d had a few casual dates, but always with friends in tow. He was looking forward to tonight; he was taking her out to dinner. Not anywhere expensive, after all he was a struggling medical student, but at least they’ll be able to get to know one another better.
I hope that won’t be a problem; he thought. Shall I come clean or just hope she never finds out? Checking his watch, he realised he only had an hour before picking Milly up. He hoped he had some clean jeans and shirt, eyeing the overflowing laundry hamper in the corner. Better not invite her back here, she’ll think I’m a slob. His studio apartment at the college was a typical student pad. Books and clothes covered the double bed. There were no real cooking facilities, just a kettle, a toaster and a gas ring. He headed to the shower, stripping off his college jumper, throwing it on top of the pile on the unmade bed as he passed.

Standing naked at the bathroom sink, he rubbed the steam from the mirror. His image stared back at him. Should have got a haircut. His dark hair badly needed a trim. His olive complexion caused people to ask if he’d just come back from a holiday in the sun. He could thank his mother’s Italian heritage for that. He cleaned his expensively straightened teeth, then dressed for his date with Milly.



“Hi guys, can you keep the noise down, I’m trying to finish this assignment.” Milly called from her room in the house she shared with three other students.
“Thought you were going on a red hot date with that spunky Italian?” Millie’s bedroom door suddenly opened and her red-headed friend Sasha poked her head in.
“Plenty of time, he’s not picking me up till seven. Besides, he’s just a friend.”
“I think you’ll find he’s got different ideas. Anyway, it’s six o’clock and unless you’re going out like that...” She said, pointing at Millie’s track suit pants and stained tee shirt.
“Oh, shit, is it really?” Milly ran into the living room to check the clock on the wall.
Sasha laughed, “It’s okay, you needn’t do a thing to yourself and he’ll still think you’re the best sight he’s ever seen.”
Sasha envied her friend’s long blonde hair, flawless complexion and her complete unawareness of her beauty and the impact she had on others.
“I never had to dress up on the farm, I lived in jeans and riding boots.” Milly sighed, “Oh, how I miss my horses and dogs.”
“Go on farm girl, get your city slick on and wow Marco.”
“It’s Marcus, not Marco, and anyway we’re only going to Pancho’s Mexican, we’re not rich yet.” Milly went to get ready to meet her friend.



I walked up to the student parking area, it’s still a little before seven o’clock. It’s a great night for a first date, maybe we can go for a walk afterwards by the river. Christ, the old car’s filthy, I should have at least cleaned the thing. You’ll never impress her if you don’t lift your game. I’m beginning to really care what Milly thinks. She’s too good for me. I start the car.

“Your date’s here, Milly!” A redhead opens the door. “Come in Marcus, she won’t be long,” she says, holding the door for me.
“It’s okay, I’m ready.” Milly appears.
I feel my heart give a leap. She looks amazing, it’s the first time I’ve seen her wearing a dress. Great legs.
I tell her she looks wonderful. She says something nice about my clothes too. Lucky I found the iron!

We’ve arrived at the restaurant, I wish I’d taken her somewhere more upmarket; I don’t want her to think I’m a skinflint. But seems okay with Panchos; I reckon she’s not a girl for fine dining, anyway.
I’m enjoying watching her eat. I thought when she ordered the chilli and the enchiladas there would be no way she’d eat it all, but she’s proving me wrong.
“You’re so tiny Milly, where on earth do you put all that food,” I ask her.
She laughs, “I come from farming stock. We kids were always working. Hard work gives you a good appetite, you know.” She says, as she mops up the rest of the sauce with bread.
“I want to hear everything about you, we’ve hardly had a chance before, always someone around. Tell me about your family?” She looks up at me, I wipe a smudge of sauce from her lip, my thumb remains on her mouth a Nanno second too long. She holds my gaze with a question in her beautiful blue eyes.
“Okay, and then I want to hear all about you too.” Milly takes a sip from her Margarita. “Well, I’m from the country. My family live in Margaret River in the South West. Dad’s a dairy farmer and Mum’s a teacher at the local school. I have two younger brothers, Danny and Darryl, and I won a scholarship to study here in the city. That’s it in a nutshell. Your turn.”
I swallow, this is my chance. Shall I come clean? I’ll just start and see where it goes. “Right,” I lean forward “my parents are both doctors.”
Milly laughs, “No chance for you then, your future was preordained.”
“Yes, pretty much so,” I smile. “A normal enough family, same as you I’ve got two brothers but they’re both older than me. I was a boarder at Guildford Grammar for the last five years of my schooling, then I came here to University and am doing third year medicine.”
“Wow, charmed life then, wealthy parents, overseas holidays I expect and a career in medicine on the cards.” Milly smiles, “Sounds as if everything has been plain sailing.”
This is it, my chance. What if she finds it disgusting and never speaks to me again? “Well not really,” I’m still hesitant. “Last year was pretty confronting.”
“Why?”
“I went to jail.” The look on her face is hard to read. “I’d better explain.” She’s nodding, her face is looking very serious.


Well, I wasn’t expecting that. We were having a great time, getting to know more about each other, when he tells me he’s been in prison. “Yes, if you feel comfortable telling me, you don’t need to, it’s none of my business.” I say, sitting back to listen.
“Well, it’s not like I’ve done anything too bad, not hurt anyone or anything like that,” he says hurriedly.
He looks really worried.
“I wasn’t sure whether to tell you. I just didn’t want you to find out from someone else. I think I’m falling for you, Milly.”
I’d guessed he’d been leading up to this the last few times we’d seen each other on campus. I’m unsure if I want to get into a serious relationship while I’m doing my degree. He is kind of cute, though. Poor thing, he looks so uncomfortable, he’s squirming. He begins.
“So my friend invited me to a party. I didn’t want to go, I had a huge assignment due. Anyway, I’ll cut to the chase. The party got raided, someone had dumped their drug stash in my jacket pocket which was hanging up and they arrested me for distributing drugs.”
I reach across the table and take his hand, “I’m so sorry Marcus.”
“You still want to go out with me?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, I like you.”
The pained expression leaves his beautiful face, and he’s leaning over to kiss me.{/line space}