Free Love Song by Jaz Johnson Page B

squealed in terror, scattering around her. Marceline caught the one that was holding Song’s head by her hair, and forced her onto her knees. The girl cried out, her hands reaching up towards her hair as the other two ran past the professor, who was still dumbfounded to have walked in on such violence.
    “You think you’re tough, huh?!” Marceline growled as she shook the girl’s head by the grip on the roots of her hair. “Picking on someone like her? Why don’t you try that shit with me?!”
    Snapped from his trance by the student’s yelping, the professor stepped forward, as did Song. Song wrapping her arms around Marceline’s torso while the professor tried to pry her hand from the student’s head. Taking a few seconds succeed, Song pulled Marceline back as far as she could while the professor got the student to her feet and let her run out of the bathroom.
    “You’re just going to let them go?! And ignore what they –“
    “If you kept going, they could press charges,” the professor explained.
    “And Song can’t?!”
    “They’re not going to go unpunished . this won’t happen again.”
    “Yeah, well, you’ll excuse me if I don’t believe that. It’s already been going on for too fucking long.”
    “They’re going to be suspended. And based on Song’s testimony, most likely expelled.”
    That put a hold on Marceline’s nerves. At least it wasn’t a tap on the wrist. Marceline was still ready to rant, but noticing the tremble in Song’s body pressed against her made her hesitate. She was suddenly embarrassed.
    That was the first time Song had seen her be that violent – and that wasn’t even violent . There was a chance that it reminded her of what had just happened. Marceline’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she grimaced. At least she had gotten there in time to stop it.
    “And as much as I’m glad you were here to … break this up, I still can’t allow you to stay on campus.”
     
     
                  “Song, I’m so sorry I was late. My friends were holding me up,” Marceline pleaded with Song as they walked down the streets to get to her house.
    The majority of the walk had been silent, Marceline having to cool down from what she had seen, and Song having to recover.
    Seeing that Song had not tried to respond, Marceline slowed to a stop, making Song do the same, though her eyes remained averted.
    “Song …”
    Song subtly nodded, but couldn’t look up at her. Marceline frowned, stepping in front of her in desperation.
    “Please … Don’t hate me, Song. I wasn’t gonna hurt that girl. I just … I wanted to scare her. I just don’t want them to bother –“
    Marceline was cut off by Song’s sudden embrace. Her arms squeezed around her torso, her face burying into her chest. Marceline froze, caught off by the sudden contact. But her arms wrapped around her nonetheless. She felt Song shaking her head, and was confused for but a moment.
    “You’re … not angry?”
    Again, Song shook her head. Marceline sighed, looking up and resting her chin on top of her head.
    “I’m sorry … I’ll never be late again. They held me up, I just –“
    Song’s head shook again. Marceline paused, her stomach dropping as she interpreted.
    “What?”
    Song didn’t respond. She knew how this was about to look, but she didn’t have the time to explain it, or to argue.
    Marceline moved her hands to grip her shoulders and push her back in order to look at her face, laced with sorrow.
    “What do you mean, no?”
    Song winced, shaking her head again. And though she was slightly confused, Marceline was acutely aware of what was happening. And it was making her body tense by the second, with an overwhelming sense of doom.
    Song made no move to explain herself as she looked into Marceline’s eyes. But before Marceline could get out another word, Song reached up onto the tips of her toes, planted a gentle kiss against Marceline’s lips, and moved to walk around her.
    Marceline