Lost In Nothing

Chapter 1

It was cold and dark as I made my way home from school. I looked at my phone to check the time and mumbled 'crap' to myself realising it was 7pm.

My mom hates it when I'm late home and don't warn her but band practice ran late today.

"Hey Hailey wait up!" I heard my best-friend Sawyer call from behind me as his feet bash against the ground. " You.. Said.. You.. Would.. Wait.. For.. me!" He says between deep breaths.

I burst into fits of laughter the moment I catch a glimpse of his face."Wow Sawyer you really need.. to start working out you look like a tomato and.. you can BARELY BREATH! I'm surprised you were even able to Ket-chup".

"Haw haw you do realise that you aren't actually funny.. right?" He says looking at me with threatening green eyes.

"And you do realise that you aren't scary.. right?" I say mimicking his tone. I put my bag down and pull my grey hoodie over my baseball tee to try and gain some warmth with little to no success. "I mean you could have put that on before you left school, WITHOUT me I might add, but instead you choose to slow us down tut tut," Sawyer remarks.

"Awh Sawyer I'm so sorry that I made you do some much needed exercise oh how will you ever forgive me," I say sarcastically,  putting my hand to my forehead.

"No but seriously Hails what's the rush?" He asks with concern is voice. "You know how my mom is.. ever since my dad got killed by that random drunk guy she doesn't like me coming home late," I reply letting a stray tear run down my cheek. "He was just trying to make sure the guy was okay and then bam he hits him, his head hits the ground and now our lives are turned upside down!"

"Tell your mom I'll walk you all the way home starting next week  okay? That way you guys won't be worried about one another and I won't be wandering around the school corridors like a lost puppy," Sawyer says making me laugh. Ever since we were little he has took it upon himself to cheer me up whenever he sees me sad. It has really helped over the past six months since my dad died. I don't think I could ever tell him how I really feel about him.

"You don't have to do that, my house is like a ten minute walk away from yours," I say quietly. "Hailey. I want to, that way we get to hang out a little longer." He smiles down at me making me feel super short, I try to convince myself that he's just freakishly tall to make myself feel better. I return his smile and then focus on the pavement.

"I'm sorry, I still let it get to me sometimes and I just can't hold it in," I say with an apologetic smile. "You know it doesn't bother me. It's still pretty recent, you need to give yourself more time," he replies.

The air falls silent as we walk along the broken pavement. The street lights give the road a yellow glow and there aren't any stars in sight. Lights from houses peak out of the driveways and make the walk home a little less creepy. God my mom is going to be so mad when I get home. I wondering what she made for dinner, I hope she kept some for me.

"Finally home! and the best part is we don't even have to wake up early tomorrow. God I love Fridays," Sawyer says snapping me out of my daydream. "Do you want to hang out for a bit? We could watch a movie or something, I'll drop my bag in and we can go over to your house?" Sawyer suggests.

"Yeah that actually sounds great we could watch 'The Mask' again," I reply.

"YES! Good choice my friend. Good choice," Sawyer says making me laugh. We walk up the path to his house as quick as we can. Purple flowers and red roses are on either side with a rectangle of concrete on the right where his dad's car is parked.

We walk in and are greeted with the familiar smell of freshly baked cakes. "Sawyer honey is that you? I'm in the kitchen!" His mom calls. We make our way down the hall and past the staircase and open the door to see flour everywhere and a flustered looking woman with a flowery apron and green icing in her curly blonde hair. Something Sawyer clearly hasn't inherited. His hair is a chestnut Brown colour and dead straight, his little brother on the other hand reminds me of that girl from 'Brave' except his hair is blond and shorter.

"Uh.. mom is everything alright?" Sawyer asks with confusion in his voice."Oh yeah yeah just you know a client with a short deadline.. nothing unusual," she mumbles taking her glasses off to wipe away some flour.

"Hailey darling! how are you? I haven't seen you in a while," she exclaims running over to me with her arms outstretched. "I'm good Mrs. P how are you?" I say gladly accepting her hug. "Mom let go of Hailey I'm sure she doesn't want flour all over her," Sawyer says with a small laugh.

"Oh I suppose you're right spoil sport, I'm well.. as you can see not very well, anyway what's up?" She asks flicking through her recipe book.

"I'm just gonna go over to Hailey's so we can watch some movies, is that alright?" Sawyer says. "Yeah of course see you later!"

"Bye Mrs. P," I say as we turn to leave. "Sylvia Hailey, call me Sylvia don't be silly," she says laughing.

When we leave the house cold air slams into our faces. "Okay I was not expecting that at all!" Sawyer shouts."Me neither woah," I say laughing.
      
About an hour later we're both sitting on my double bed laughing out heads off with my laptop between us and 'The Mask' playing on the screen.

Sawyer turns to me and stops laughing. "What's wrong?" I ask. "Well.. there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while.. but don't freak out okay."