Elegant Return

After what felt like an eternity of barely dodging Claire's suspicious glares, fending off Luke's spy theories, and enduring Haley's teasing, Marcus finally checked the time.

"Alright, I should probably head home," he said, stretching.

Alex, who had been jotting down notes for their project, barely looked up. "Good. Maybe now my mom will calm down."

"You say that like she won't keep interrogating you after I leave," Marcus said, smirking.

Alex groaned. "Don't remind me."

Before Marcus could even stand up, Haley materialized by the door. "Leaving already?" she asked, smirking. "You and Alex looked so cozy."

Marcus glanced at Alex, who looked seconds away from throwing a book at her sister. He grinned. "Oh yeah, real romantic—nothing gets me going like atomic structures."

Haley snickered. "Nerd flirting. Adorable."

"Haley, leave!" Alex snapped.

"Fine, fine," Haley said, waving them off as she walked away, still laughing to herself.

Marcus, completely unbothered, grabbed his bag. "Alright, I'll see you at school."

"Yeah, yeah," Alex mumbled, still fuming from her sister's teasing.

Just as Marcus reached the door, he found himself face-to-face with Claire one last time.

She gave him that look—the classic overprotective mom look, as if she were trying to see into his soul.

"Marcus," she said slowly.

"Mrs. Dunphy," he replied, matching her tone.

"You will be walking straight home, right?"

Marcus blinked. "I mean, yeah. It's literally down the street."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Mmhmm."

Marcus, in a rare moment of amusement, pulled out another lollipop and offered it to her. "For the stress?"

Claire stared at it. Then at him. Then at the lollipop again.

"…I don't like you," she muttered, grabbing the candy before closing the door behind him.

Marcus smirked. "See you later, Mrs. Dunphy."

And with that, he finally walked home.

---

A Different Kind of Chaos

The Dunphy house had been an experience, but as Marcus stepped into his own home, he was immediately met with a different kind of energy.

"Marcus, darling, you're late!"

His mother, Vanessa Carter, stood in the foyer, hands on her hips, dressed in an effortlessly stylish designer outfit. She was the definition of poised chaos—always busy, always dramatic, and always dressed to perfection.

Marcus barely had time to react before she swooped in, inspecting him. "You were at a friend's house? Did you wear anything embarrassing? Did you represent the Carter name properly?"

Marcus sighed. "Mom. It was a science project, not a gala."

She gasped. "Everything is a presentation, Marcus!"

Before Marcus could respond, his father, Jonathan Carter, walked in, adjusting the cuff of his suit. Unlike Vanessa's high-energy antics, Jonathan was more relaxed—he had the aura of a man who sold luxury cars for a living but never pushed too hard for a sale.

"Welcome back, champ," Jonathan said, offering Marcus a fist bump.

Marcus returned it without hesitation. "Hey, Dad."

Jonathan smiled, then glanced at Vanessa. "Is this one of your fashion panic moments again?"

"Excuse me," Vanessa huffed. "Our son was at a girl's house. That means he represents us. What if they thought he dressed poorly?"

Jonathan smirked. "He dresses fine. Relax."

"Fine isn't excellent!" Vanessa countered, throwing her hands up.

Before Marcus could comment, his younger sister, Sophie Carter, walked into the room, holding a tub of ice cream. "Oh, Marcus is back. Cool. Can you move? You're blocking the freezer."

Marcus stepped aside as Sophie squeezed past him, completely unfazed by the drama.

Vanessa sighed. "At least one of my children should understand presentation."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Mom, I'm literally in pajamas with a spoon in my mouth."

"Exactly! You're wasting your youth!" Vanessa groaned.

Marcus, used to this, casually unwrapped another lollipop. "So, dinner?"

Jonathan chuckled. "Already ordered takeout. It'll be here soon."

"Ugh," Vanessa groaned. "Takeout? Again? This is so unrefined."

"You literally told me you were too busy to cook," Jonathan reminded her.

Vanessa sighed dramatically. "Fine. But next time, we do something elegant."

Marcus smirked. "Right. Elegant takeout."

His mother shot him a look, but he just grinned, twirling his lollipop.

Home sweet home.