Marcus
People have always said that opposites attract, and Marcus had never believed it up until the point that he met Addison. They seemed to be from different worlds, but somehow found pleasure in exploring the worlds inside each other.
Marcus was a quieter type of guy. He was a computer programmer for a startup company trying to produce the next hit indie game. He’d had a couple of girlfriends in his lifetime but they were short lived and never quite stuck. He tended to prefer spending most of his time at home working on his computer, watching movies and reading books, but he did go out to socialize every Friday night with a close group of friends who shared his interests. Usually they would just hang out and play some old video games or socialize over Dungeons and Dragons. Marcus was a rogue every single time, there was just something about outsmarting your enemy with cunning skills and quick wits that appealed to him.
However, life wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine for him. He was pretty lonely in his current routine and his life was feeling stagnant. He was missing something and no matter how many books he read, programs he wrote or video games he played, there was always a void leftover. Perhaps that something was a someone, but he had given up on that idea.
Then one day his friends had decided to throw him a birthday bash at a local pub. There was a singer there named Addison and by God, he believed she was the most beautiful creature that he had ever laid his eyes upon. Perhaps it was the environment, the mood or the cider running through his veins, but he was smitten. He never expected that they would talk after the show, or that he’d come off so endearingly charming in his meekness with his geeky sense of humor.
Addison was an artist through and through, with a well of deep emotions and a charismatic charm. Marcus was not her usual type, but he was caring and sweet, and that was the type of different that she could get behind. Addison was also not Marcus’ usual type, but he’d yet to really discover what that type was.
It didn’t take long before these two were inseparable. Addison was a sweet girl and she enjoyed his friends, they were good people. She wasn’t the type to judge or think of herself as above anyone. She played her first game of Dungeons and Dragons with the group. In turn, Marcus visited Addison while she played her gigs as many times as he could throughout the week. They were becoming great friends and even more.
As the months went on Addison continued to follow her dreams of becoming a professional musician and Marcus continued working hard at his job. A few months after Marcus had met Addison, his company released it’s first big hit game and his career was beginning to take off. He enjoyed the company of his friends and seeing Addison any time they could, but he was impassioned by his work as well.
They were quite fond of each other, and any time they spent together they’d be cuddled up, teasing, talking, learning what the other side is like. One day after Addison had killed it at a gig, while Marcus watched from the crowd, he saw a professional looking man approach her with a business card and an invitation for further discussions. This confused and intrigued them both. Addison felt a strange hope and excitement inside of her, while Marcus felt a knot growing in his stomach.
One month later and Addison was preparing to cross the country on her first small tour. Marcus was taking on more responsibility at work and they were being torn apart. Marcus wanted more than anything to go with her, but he knew he couldn’t handle the lifestyle of a travelling artist. He also wouldn’t know what to do with himself as a computer geek on the move. Addison knew this as well, despite that in many ways she loved Marcus for who he was as a person. She embraced him and allowed him to slip through her fingers. Marcus held on to the hope that maybe one day she’d be ready to settle down and return.
Marcus always wondered if he just wasn’t enough for her, if he should have done something differently to keep them together, but after a few years, they’d developed a strong friendship even if it was at a distance. They still saw each other from time to time and spoke still quite frequently. Marcus realized at one point that he was never the problem and neither was she. Their two worlds could never have been kept together, because the worlds that were inside of each other, needed not another world, but a moon, and each would one day find their moon.
Special Thanks
Chrisadella from Between the Lens helped me to come up with the character of Addison. She’s been inactive to the blogging world for 2 months so I’ve decided to finish this story once and for all. We hadn’t talked in a few months, and this project has been going to waste so I finished the story on my own. Originally we meant to do two perspectives, Marcus’s (Me) and Addison’s (Hers). However we can settle on just Marcus’ 😉
If anyone else wants to take a shot at writing Addison’s side of the story, please do!
Kristian has risen to the challenge and written Addison’s side with absolute grace.
Check it out HERE.
Thoughts? Comments? Leave them down below.
Blog of the Wolf Boy 
Great flowing story – you convey that great undercurrent of unease with the new character midway through, yet it finishes on an uplifting ending for both of them. 🙂 Long-distance friendships are harder to maintain, but great to cherish!
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Yeah this was 2 months in the making hahah… Sat in my drafts for so long. but I really liked the underlying plot so I had to finish it. Thank you Tom.
I seem to do well with Short Stories but I get lost in the big picture of a novel by “winging it”. Luckily, I got some great advice from a novelist last night about creating the plot and internal/external factors of my characters. Trying to build that now and restart my novel from scratch.
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Definitely know what that’s like! I’ve tried splurge-writing a novel from scratch & it’s never works – the story always runs away from me, so well done for planning yours out!
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Well… I dont deserve a well done yet! I’m also taking an introduction to creative writing course at my University and so far it seems like I’m going to get a lot of great advice there. Had my first class tonight. I’ll be sure to do a few posts about what I discover. Take care Tom
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Best of luck with it all! Hope it’s a fun course. 🙂
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So far it really seems to be. Thanks Tom
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It was a very lovely story 🙂
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Thank you, thank you 🙂
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But why cant the two find a way to explore their true feelings for each other.Why cant distance make their hearts grow fonder?
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I think Addison never wanted to get too attached. I think she was always prepared to leave one day. She was hesitant to be boyfriend/girlfriend. I dunno… My characters take on a life of their own ;P
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Great..thanks
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Beautiful and realistic!
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Thank you! 😀 I always try for realism
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What a beautiful and poignant story, Mat!
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Thank you! Trying to clear out my drafts because I think my blog may take a slightly different direction now that I’m in school. Less long short stories and more lessons on psychology and writing. Plus my interviews of course.
Appreciated 😀
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What are you studying?
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English and Psychology
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Awesome! Good luck … and most of all, enjoy it … education should be fun! 🐺
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So far I am! Thank you 😁
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Love it!!
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Going to write the other side? lol 😉
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I was thinking about it. 😊
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😉
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Oh gosh…
why aren’t you a full time author … my library would be full of your words ..❤️
I love this🎶
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Hopefully one day!!! 🥰
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I cheer on you🎶
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Ohhh my heart …… ❤️
I just love the sweet undercurrent, no denying that ……
I love the fact that they both went “separate ways” to honor and build further their own worlds …… with greater respect, passion, and conviction.
I love how they stand on their own and find their own moon …. to live in their authenticity and freedom.
I would love it even more …. if one day, they can both share their moon…… while maintaining their stance in their individual worlds…… never losing themselves…. only inspiring each other to be the better version of themselves every day.
Hmmm, how will they do that?
Only one way…. only one force …….only one power….
LOVE!!! ❤️💚💛💙💜
Woah! Heart-tugging …. brilliant as always, Mat! 🌟✨💫🌟✨💫
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Sometimes the blessings in our lives are only meant to be temporary. Their life span has not impact on their importance, or what they leave behind. “Better to have loved and lost…”
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Incredible!
I learned so much from my creative writing classes in college. Also, I’m so glad I kept the work I did for those classes, both fiction and non-fiction. It’s a good reminder to show you where you started! For me, it’s been roughly 10-11 years since I took them.
Can’t wait to read more from you, good sir.
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Thank you dearly, m’lady 🙂
I’ve just started my first year at Unviersity and I have a creative writing class there which is absolutely great. However, I’ve been mostly self-taught just playing with words and stories. My blog has given me a platform to just write a bunch and that’s helped more than anything. Fiction’s always appealed to me more. Do you still write fiction?
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