empty → nate maloley

one

i slammed my book shut, that was enough studying for the night. i checked the time on my phone: 2:13 am. wow, i didn't realize it was that late. dad and bryan must be asleep now.

i crept downstairs to get a snack, i obviously misses dinner. i didn't even know a person could study that much. i grabbed a bag of barbecue chips and headed back to the stairs.

i froze when i heard rustling outside. i don't want to be one of those stupid girls who check out the mysterious noise, but it's almost three am and i'm a little out of it, so i'm gonna check.

i turned off the alarm, and grabbed the key, quietly opening the door. i furrow my eyebrows once seeing a teenage boy sitting on our porch.

"um, can i help you?" i asked the human.

he turned his head around and his eyes were really low. he was high. my older brother, bryan, has been high countless times and i'm familiar when someone is high.

"nah." he shook his head, turning back around

i stuck my neck out, furrowing my eyebrows more. "um, dude, i'm gonna have to ask you leave."

"just a few more minutes." he looked at me again. "please?" he begged.

why is he so consistent on staying? i sighed and closed the door behind me and walked over to the boy.

"are you murderer? thief?" i questioned.

a chuckle escaped his pink lips. "nothing like that."

"you're high." i stated, sitting next to him.

"yeah no shit." he snorted.

i scrunched my nose up. for an attractive male, he was pretty rude. "want to tell me why?"

"it's none of your business." he spat.

"it kinda is, since you're at my house, on my porch, at the three o'clock in the morning." i tested, raising my eyebrow.

the boy sighed and ruffled his long messy hair. he glanced at me for a second, then turned back to the street in front of us. "she used to live here."

i furrowed my eyebrows. she? "who is she?"

he exhaled again. "my ex... she used to live her."

i'm so lost. this dude is only giving me pieces and i need the full story. 

"what happened to her?" i asked.

his blood shot eyes met mine. his eyes were cold and hard like two pieces of brown ice that never melted. "she died."

my breath hitched. my silence made him look away again.

"i-i'm sorry." i frowned.

he shrugged, not saying a word.

the story was coming together but there were still potholes.

"um... you wanna talk about it?" i suggested. i really do not know what to say. how do you comfort a boy that's high mourning over his dead girlfriend?

"why do you want to talk about it?" he questioned. i shrugged. "trust me, you don't want to hear my shit. too much."

"empty yourself to me." i said.

he huffed. "that's the thing. without her, i'm empty."

i felt my heart break into many pieces right then and there.

i never met a boy who felt that way about a girl. most guys treat girls like toys and move on to the next one when the find something better.

there was a long pause between the guy who's name i still don't know.

"you gonna eat those?" he asked me, gesturing to my bag of chips and i had yet to open.

i already felt bad and i didn't want to deny this kid food, so i shook my head. he grabbed the bag and munched down on the chips. munchies.

"this week's the anniversary of her death." he blurted. i looked over at him. "her name was mary jane." he snorted. "funny right? i think that's why i liked her so much." i didn't interrupt him, i kept listening. he kept shoving multiple chips at a time. "she died in a car accident. she was on her way home- here, but she never made it." his head drooped. i reached out and touched his shoulder.

"i'm so sorry." i rubbed it, comfortingly.

he nodded. "it's whatever. i should get going. getting very late." he stood up.

"wait!" i called. "i never got your name."

"nate." he gave me a look that told me to tell him my name now.

"mia."

"well thanks for the hospitality mia. i'll see you around."

i muttered a goodbye and waved, watching him walk down the street. i threw his chip bag in the garbage and went back inside. bryan was walking out the kitchen with a bag of chips too.

"what were you doing outside?" he asked me.

"stargazing." i smiled at him, jogging up the stairs.