Work Text:
(1971)
Sitting at the little marmalade dinner table, Marcia felt relaxed by the wafting of breath against her muggy palms before placing her hands around a foggy glass of milk. She felt her nerves struggling to balance something small and clenched near to her soul. She wasn’t as nervous as she’d been when she’d first enrolled in high school, but she wasn’t feeling completely comfortable either, all because of this ordeal involving Kathy Lawrence, a girl at Westdale who won head cheerleader over Marcia, and who had just left for a soda with her stepbrother Greg.
The odd thing was, now that she’d been left alone and no longer had any carefree facade to prove, she wasn’t sure what it was exactly that made her nervous about the improvement. All she knew was that Kathy had taken cheerleading, and now she was with Greg. She knew he only went out with her to bug Marcia and she had no problem proving she didn’t care if it meant she won. But truth be told, it did bother her a little. Maybe she just didn’t want Kathy thinking she had a right to everything Marcia did.
Greg couldn’t stand anything about Marcia now. He couldn’t forget how she’d dressed for that Warren, as if for a normal date with a normal guy - she was supposed to be on his side, not Warrens. Greg had never even seen her in the red, white and navy sweater dress she’d worn, he’s sure he would’ve remembered. Today, Greg had been so thrilled to bring Kathy into their home and shove her in front of Marcia, he had been so sure she’d get just as sore as he’d been about Marcia going out with Warren Mulaney, who just got him kicked off the basketball team. Yet he couldn’t stop picturing the welcoming grin she’d offered them, as if she couldn’t care less that her very own brother was standing beside her nemesis. Looking across the booth at Kathy now that his focus was off trying to get her to push Marcia’s limits, he felt about as bored just staring at fizz collect in his soda.
“Are you going out with Warren again? The way Greg talked about him, I wasn’t so sure, but he’s nice as far as I can see,” Jan inquired as they both brushed through their silky hair before bed.
“Well, the truth is that I don’t want to very much anyway. I would’ve forgotten about it before Greg tried telling me I couldn’t go with him.”
“Oh, you should probably move on. Greg is real upset!”
“That’s the only reason I haven’t wanted to.”
The next morning was a Saturday, and Marcia had slept in. The golden hours light was sweet as cider, and Jan and Cindy were passed out. She liked things peaceful like this.
In the shared bathroom, she finished freshening her mouth as the door attached the boys bedroom opened, and Greg came in. He immediately looked scornful and started brushing his teeth.
“I’m not going out with Warren again, I hope you’re happy,” she announced casually without making eye contact, and left the room.
Now it was late morning and she’d gotten through breakfast without more than a glance Greg’s way, Marcia sat outside in the backyard on the swing, lazily swaying and reading Siddhartha for her English class. She wanted to make sure she had time to write the perfect essay. None of the other Brady’s were in the backyard with her.
Until she noticed Greg approaching from the corner of her eye. She flipped her hair, pretending to continue reading as she anticipated what he would say.
As Greg placed his hand around the green metal of the swing set stand and leaned in, he found himself speaking more gently than he had in previous days, “Good morning, Marsh.”
“Dream of Kathy Lawrence, did you?”
He sighed. “Come on, I’m sure you know why I went out with her.”
“Because she’s the only girl who will have you?”
“Don’t push it. I came over to tell you I, I guess I’m sorry, maybe I’m being a jerk. I just couldn’t believe my own sister with that dopey show-off, it completely grossed me out. I got so angry. When you told me you wouldn’t go out with him again, I admit I’ve been relieved, but… you seemed sad.”
Marcia tipped her head slightly as she looked at Greg, who seemed shyer than usual. “Sad? About that Warren? Don’t think I’d break up with him just for you. He’s just… not as much my type as I thought, though I can’t blame an older boy for liking me.”
Greg straightened. “So you didn’t like him after all? Thank god. I guess you’re the only girl around who doesn’t.”
“My favorite thing about him is that you hate him.”
“Hey… I deserved to stay on my team.”
“I’m not disagreeing. What about Kathy, have you discovered she’s the match of a lifetime?”
“Well… I guess we have something in common. I’d rather stop fighting with you than have to keep going out with her. All she talked about was herself, who isn’t so wonderful.”
Marcia grinned wide. “So, do you promise to quit thinking you can control me?”
“First the Frontier Scouts, now Warren and Kathy. Apparently it only makes things worse if I dare to deny your capability. But other than classwork and girl stuff, I can’t make any promises about believing Marcia Brady can do better than me.”
“I know I can do better than you, and I can do better than Warren too. That’s why I’m planning on getting Michael to ask me out to the drive-in sometime.” Marcia got up and lightly smacked Greg’s shoulder with Siddhartha, to which he shook his head, rolled his eyes, and followed her inside, telling her how he remembered having to read that weird book.
Michael was surely better than Warren, and really, even though his enemy wasn’t involved, he oddly couldn’t help wishing she wouldn’t, but this time he held his tongue.