galaxies

[i.] nick

nick; prospective bffs.

my legs dangled off the balcony as i looked at the scattered stars in the sky. the wind left goosebumps on my skin but it was refreshing. finally. despite the fear of being seen as incredibly pretentious, i felt at least a little bit content. standing off to the side in a stuffy room full of people didn't really sound appealing anymore. especially when said people are now strangers i'm acquainted with solely because it feels obligatory. i hummed quietly, lightly running my fingers on the opening of the bottle.

i heard the door behind me slide open. i didn't bother turning around as i addressed the mysterious trespasser, "occupied."

"i need some air." the voice surprised me. most people haven't stayed long enough for a response lately. i turned around as i raised an eyebrow  to whom the voice belonged to. "anyway, it's not like you own the house."

i stifled my chuckle.

"i really value people who respect personal space", i continued eyeing her. the girl stood near the shadows, her tall and thin presence filled the balcony. her light eyes searched mine, looking for a sign of acceptance. the ends of my lips twitched.

she rolled her gray eyes, all i could think of were storm clouds. "i'm naomi." she said in a low voice before sitting down next to me with her long legs crossed. she smelled like fresh laundry and vanilla.

"i'm not trying to make new friends."

this time she returned the raised eyebrow before slowly shaking her head at me. her look lasted briefly before she leaned back onto her hands and looked up at the stars. there weren't that many visible on account of living in the outskirts of the city, but it wasn't awful. it was strange being this close to somebody without being fully under the influence of something.. but this too wasn't awful.

fine. i was interested.

i kept looking at her. i can't say there's anything physically striking about her at first glance. if i saw her in a crowded room, i think i'd skim right past her. however, her presence, the way she moved, and simply the fact that she stayed made me want to look a little bit deeper. her long, dark hair was in two tight braids that fell to the middle of her back and her dark complexion made her look as if she was the daughter of the sun. she was wearing a small yellow tank top with high waisted denim shorts and sandals. freckles lightly scattered her tan body and her visible belly button revealed the metal glistening of a piercing.

"my name is nick."

"hm," she paused, "nice to meet you, nick." naomi goofily grinned at me, her big lips exposed her pearly white teeth as she extended a hand. i shook my head but returned a small smile. she retracted, "not too keen on prospective bffs?"

"i prefer the troubled loner guy persona, it really builds." i shrugged, "the ladies love it."

"ah, i'm sure.." naomi still had a small smile on her face. there was a pause before she cleared her throat, "so i'm kinda new here."

that probably explains why you're still here. i looked at her sun kissed face, "i could've guessed that."

"i'm staying with my grandmother for the summer. she's lovely"

i nodded, i wasn't really sure of what comes next in these situation. lately, my experience in interactions like this have been not only brief and limited but also painful. it's hard to be around people after what happened.

i have never been so aware of how much i need to be alone. at this point it wasn't even that i wanted to be or was choosing to be, now i just find my own presence as my only consolation. my chest started to ache again and i could feel my surroundings close in on me, it was definitely more than time to go- interesting girl or not.

fuck. i forgot my stupid breathing exercise. 4 seconds in, hold for 7, and 8 seconds out. at least my therapist taught me one thing. with a mind slightly more at ease, i cleared my throat and began to stand.

"wait!" naomi snapped me back into reality, her eyebrows were knitted together as she looked at me with her calming eyes. i waited. she shrugged at me cooly, "d-do you, maybe, wanna go somewhere else?"