until it's empty

03.

song for chapter- stay by rihanna
(put on repeat)

"okay so what are we doing this project on?" i ask Mandy.

it was now Monday and after school. we decided to do it at her house today. her bedroom is the fucking size of my apartment. she has a bed like queens do in the movies. pink walls. couches. a TV AND HER OWN FULL BATHROOM.

i'd believe it if she said this was supposed to be a castle. "um...same-sex marriage? imeansinceitsnotlegalinArizona-"

i cut off her rambling with a chuckle, "slow down princess, we can do that. may i ask why though? i didn't quite understand what you said."

"i uh- um...just cuz it's easy and i uh it's um illegal here in Arizona," she says with a shrug.

i just nod in response. i knew she was hiding something. we used to be friends until sophomore year. before than she was very clingy and wouldn't want me to have ANY other friends.

then sophomore year came around and she just dropped everyone she was close with. she cut everyone out. now she's miss popular. everyone loves her. why? i couldn't tell you.

she draws my attention by clapping her hands "shall we start," she says in a cheery voice.

"yeah um let me just get-"

"hey honey- oh you have friends over," her father says. he was worse than her. i've been to their old house when i was younger and i've always gotten a weird vibe from him.

"hi Mr.Lance," i wave. he starts walking closer and stops when he's at the edge of the huge bed.

"d-daddy um please leave," Mandy chimes in. she sounds rather uncomfortable and awkward. i turn my head towards her giving a confused look.

"i don't think i've met you before," he continues holding out his hand.

"i used to be close with your daughter," i say. Mr.Lance gives me a look as if we were up to something suspicious. maybe because i refused to shake it.

"oh when she was going through that little phase? Mandy i thought we talked about this," he says sternly.

"i-" she started but i quickly cut her off. "no! it's not like that at all! we're not even friends! we're just doing a project for school," i say.

"yeah so please. leave. now," she says coldly. i turn my head once more to look at her and see that her face is red in embarrassment.

"i'll be wanting to talk with you later sweetheart when you're little friend leaves," he says before he exits her room.

"okay let's start now," she manages to say.

it's been about 2 hours and we've been doing research for our project until we started to end it for the day.

i was confused as to why she hasn't made a bitchy remark. it's strange. she's always had a problem after we didn't talk anymore. i even tried to be nice before but she wouldn't crack.

she knew about my home situation. she told everyone. then i just gave up. i took up drugs to cope with the bullying at school and at home.

i became a bitch and then i gained respect.

fucked up.

so i guess in a way, we're kinda the same. that just angered me. i hated her. she didn't help my situation at all. but no matter how many times i told my self we were nothing alike, the more it made me realize we really were.

"okay i'm leaving since we're done," i say as i get off her bed.

"you don't wanna stay?" she asks. she sounds like she was pleading for me to not go.

"why exactly would i stay? we're not friends. i don't like you and you don't like me," i spit. her face falls as if she was hurt.

but i knew as soon as we get close again, she's gonna fuck it up.

"please," she says, her voice cracking a bit.

"go ask your daddy to bye you a friend," i reply walking out.

"how can you be so cold?! i'm being nice!" i don't even pay attention to her following me. i don't care.

as soon as i got out of her house, i pulled a rolled joint out of my bag and lit it. the fumes of the cannabis filling my  lungs.

the walk to home wasn't long so i was already stepping through the door before 6:00 pm. the house was silent which was unusual. i pulled out my phone to text Mark and Eli.

Group Chat-

me: where are you guys?

eli: Mandy called me

me: i was just there how come i didn't see you?

eli: don't know

mark: i'm staying at aunt lucy's tonight

me: and dad right?

mark: sorry rich, he's sleeping at home

great. fucking great.

i made my way through the hall that led to the bedrooms and peaked through the cracked door. there i saw my father passed on the floor with a syringe in his arm.

my eyes widened as i bolted towards him and yanked it out. i rolled him on to his stomach so that he would throw up.

"wake up! please! wake the fuck up!" i yelled. i patted his back until he got on all fours and basically hurled his guts out.

i hugged him from behind, crying into his back. "thank God," i cried. as much as i feared him, i wished every shooting star that he would become the father i've always wanted.

and me saving him was a start...right?