Mixed Up

Mixed Up | 4 ☯

MALAKAI'S P.O.V

I left Nataleigh's house pretty late, arrived at mine even later. We got to her house after walking around one in the morning, then we just sat on her porch and talked forever. Well, maybe not forever, but until like three A.M.

"So your parents are divorced?" Nat asked me, the question coming out of nowhere. This was when we had just gotten to her porch, sitting on the ground staring out into the dark street. 

The question caught me a bit off guard. "Yeah, they are. I live with my mom but my dad doesn't live too far." I shifted, leaning closer to her. "They split when I was young, before high school."

I could tell she was thinking, her expression looked focused, like she was concentrating. "What made them split?"

Had to admire her curiosity.

"They came from two completely different worlds. My moms side hated my dads side, vice versa. Different traditions, different cultures."

She was thinking again, but this time she stared at me. "Does it make you sad?"

Nataleigh sounded like a child, her higher-pitched voice taking on an innocently concerned tone.

"It used to make me sad," I chuckled a bit, staring at her with an amused expression. She was so cute. "But I'm not sad anymore."

Sure, that last bit was a lie, but she didn't need to know. I was sad for different reasons. 

"Well if that doesn't make you sad, then what does?"

I shook my head, looking away from her with a slight grin still on my lips. "Nothing."

She turned to face me so quick I thought for sure she'd get whiplash. "Malakai stop lying to me. Everyone has something that makes them upset."

"I'm not one for deep conversations."

Her face turned angry. Wrinkles formed on her cute button nose, her piercing blue eyes narrowed at me. 

"That's fine, just shut me out." Nataleigh turned away from me, shifting her entire body so her back was facing me. 

I wrapped my arms around her small waist from behind and rested my head on her back. "I'll tell you about it another time, can't we just think about happy things right now?"

"I'm holding you to that, Kai. Don't think I'll just forget about it. But yes, happy things will do for now."

I realized then, that I had to tell her someday. She would bug me forever until I told her all of my feelings. She was someone who wouldn't let me shut her out, and that made me happy. I needed someone in my life that would fight back when I tried to cut myself off from them, I needed someone to need me.

I got in my house around three-thirty in the morning. As soon as I stepped in the door I immediately smelled food. I followed it to the kitchen and found my mom making breakfast, drunk again.

"Where were you at?"

"Mom, why the hell are you making breakfast? It's three in the morning."

"You didn't answer my question." She turned to face me, pausing from flipping her pancakes, spatula in hand.

I chuckled, until the frustration hit me. My mom was constantly drinking away her sorrows, finding herself in the bottom of a bottle almost every single night. 

"I was with Nat. Why don't you go up to bed, I'll turn the stove off and clean up." I explained, walking over to lean on the counter top.

"Who's Nat?"