“Yeah, but you guys have fun, okay? Go meet a bunch of cute college guys.” Just then Macey came out. Standing there next to both of my gorgeous friends, I felt like a rat. In my worn out ripped jeans, and graphic t-shirt, I felt ugly compared to them. They both looked gorgeous in their dresses. Hell, they always looked gorgeous compared to me. I’ve always been considered the less pretty one of our group.
“Okay, if you need anything, just call me. Have fun,” I said, hugging both of them before they left. Closing the door, I laid my back against it, sighing. I looked around my new apartment, the silence wrapping around me. The place was pretty empty, making it seem even newer to me. Macey and I really needed to decorate this place soon.
The longer I stared around, the more I felt the pang of loneliness. I missed my home and my parents. We used to almost always have dinner together, talking together about our days, then we would sit down and watch some TV. It sounded boring, but to me it was great. My parents were the greatest and always knew how to make me feel better. It was going to take a while to get used to being on my own and not seeing either of my parents every day.
Instead of standing there the entire time, I headed toward my bedroom. Grabbing my iPhone dock, I set my phone in it before hitting play. I let music echo around the room. I felt a little bit better. Knowing that Amy and Macey wouldn’t be back for hours, I grabbed my easel and my paints before settling in my chair.
***
I let out a sigh as I finished the last of my drawing. I was going to work on my painting of my parents for their anniversary in a few months, but for some reason I couldn’t. I didn’t feel like continuing it at the moment, so I took out a blank sheet and just let my hand draw. Staring back at me was a set of eyes, something I hadn’t drawn in a long time. I had unconsciously made them a light blue mixed with green. Flecks of dark blue and green surrounded the pupil, making them look realistic. The eyes looked so lifelike, and I instantly knew whose eyes they were—Ethan’s.
They stared almost mockingly at me. All I could think about was him hooking up with some girl at a party. I knew he wasn’t mine to have, but the image was not something I wanted to see. My long-time crush was as big as ever, which was pretty pathetic. Nothing could ever happen between us anyways, especially with my kind of brother. If Luke knew that we were a thing, he would flip—not that it would ever happen. I had thought of both situations enough to psych myself out of ever telling Ethan. To him I would always be his best friend’s sister.
Heaving another sigh, I closed my eyes and brought my hand to my neck, rolling it around in circles. I was stiff from sitting in the same spot for two hours. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was almost nine. I didn’t expect Macey back for another three to four hours, if that. She may be a smart cookie and responsible, but when it came to partying, she never returned home before midnight.
Taylor Swift’s song “Clean” played softly around my room. I closed my eyes, slowly swaying to the music. I wasn’t the greatest dancer but that didn’t stop me. My talents stopped at art and photography. Hand me a camera or a notepad and I could immediately do something, but I sucked at anything else.
Needing to get out of my chair, I stood up twisting my body, hoping to relieve some of the tension. As the song changed from Taylor Swift to All Time Low, I hit the volume button louder as I left my room. Walking to the kitchen, I opened the fridge praying there was something inside it for me to eat. I let out a small squeal upon seeing that there was some food in the fridge. My parents or Macey’s must have put some in there before leaving. Sending a silent thank you to them, I reached in and grabbed some cookie dough. I knew this was my mom and aunt’s doing, since they loved cookie dough just as much as Macey and me.
In a way Mace and I were the exact replicas of our mothers. They were best friends in high school and all through college. They lived with one another through college and after, which Macey and I planned on doing. Macey was just like her mother Kacey. Same names, I know. Aunt Kay was outgoing, smart, spoke her mind, and great with fashion. My mom, Layla, was on the shy side, liked to be in the background, and was smart, and a bookworm. We were more like our mothers than we wanted to admit.
Deciding to watch some TV, I went back to my room for my phone before flopping down on the couch. I was thankful our couch was comfy because I knew I would be sitting here a lot in the future. Scrolling through the shows I finally put it on replays of Modern Family, digging into my tub of cookie dough. See, Mace, look what you are missing out on. The only thing that would make this night better was if Friends was on, but Modern Family was just as good.
After one episode my phone started ringing, making me sigh. I knew who it was and had been waiting on this call for the last hour or so. Turning the volume on the TV down, I grabbed my phone and swiped to answer.
“Hi Mom.”
“Hi honey! How are you? Is everything okay there? Have you seen Luke yet? Did you eat? Are you at the apartment and are the doors locked?” my mom asked immediately.
“Mom, everything is fine. It has only been a few hours since you left,” I said, biting a chocolate chip.
“I know, honey, but I am just worried about you,” she said softly.
“I know. And to all your questions before, yes. I ate with Luke and Ethan, I am home, and the doors are locked.”
“Good. I am glad you saw Luke and Ethan. They are supposed to be watching out for you.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyways. I know it had only been five or so hours since I last saw my parents, but I was already missing them. It felt like it has been ages since I last heard my mom’s voice when it was really only a few hours.
“What are you and Dad doing?” I asked, poking the cookie dough with my spoon.
“We just finished a show on TV and are probably going to bed here in a little bit.”
“Oh yeah? What show did you watch?”
For the next hour I talked to my mom. I heard my dad’s voice in the background as well. She told me what happened in How to Get Away With Murder, a show we use to watch together, and what they had for dinner. We mostly talked about random stuff, but it made me feel better. I didn’t know I would already be homesick after a few hours. The conversations slowly died away and I knew I had to hang up. They were probably going to bed early, even though it was only ten.
“I better let you guys go. I love you and tell Dad I love him too,” I said, feeling myself wanting to cry.
“We love you too, honey. Call us tomorrow, okay? Sleep well and give Macey a hug from us,” my mom said, her voice wobbly.
“I will. Goodnight, Mom.”
“Goodnight, baby. I love you.” With that I hung up, swallowing the lump in my throat and blinking back tears. I really shouldn’t be this upset, but I was. It was just an emotional day. I would be better tomorrow and as I started to get used to being here.
Not in the mood for cookie dough anymore, I put the lid back on and went to put it in the fridge. I realized then that I still hadn’t showered yet so instead of sulking on the couch, I decided to go take a warm shower. Hopefully Macey would be back soon.
Twenty-five minutes later I walked back into the living room dressed in a pair of comfy PJ shorts and a big t-shirt that use to belong to my brother. My dark brown hair was pulled back up into a messy bun. My feet were clad in a pair of slippers. I sat down on the couch, grabbing my fuzzy zebra blanket and watching Modern Family. I slowly started to drift off to sleep, the sound of the TV fading in the background.
Chapter Three
I jerked awake at the sound of my cell phone ringing. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I noticed I was still on the couch and the TV was still on. Groaning I reached for my phone, knowing who was calling me.
“Yes?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep.
“Hey Carterrr,” Macey slurred on the other side of the phone.
“Macey, you’re drunk.” I closed my eyes, leaning back on the couch.
“No, I’m not.”
“C
an you stand still for more than a second?” Over the phone I heard her mutter something before grunting. Yup, she was drunk, and on our first day here. “I’ll come pick you up. Where are you?” I asked, throwing my fuzzy blanket off and standing up. When I walked into my room, I noticed it was two in the morning.
“I don’t know. Some huge-ass house,” she said. Her voice was distant, like she pulled her phone away from her mouth.
“Fine, I’ll find you. Just stay there, Mace.” She didn’t reply so I just hung up. Sliding on a pair of flats and a thin jacket, I grabbed my phone and keys before heading out the door. I was more awake now, thankfully. I would have to be if I wanted to find Macey and deal with her being drunk. Not caring that I was still in my PJs and that I was half awake, I walked out of the dorm building and headed in what I thought was the direction of the frat houses.
Before coming here, I studied the map they sent with the acceptance letter and made sure I knew the campus pretty well, or at least well enough to get to classes on time. The only place I really knew how to get to was the football stadium because I had to go last year, for Ethan and Blake.
The moon was high in the sky as I trekked across campus. It was almost a full moon, so it lit up the pathway for me, which I was thankful for. I knew I shouldn’t be walking alone at two in the morning, but if I didn’t, who knew what would happen to Macey? She tended to trust random people when she was drunk. We went to a party for graduation and she got bombed. She went up to some random guy we didn’t even know and clung to him like a bear. If it hadn’t been for me, he would have taken her upstairs and done God knows what.
“Macey, you owe me for this,” I muttered under my breath. Even though it was nearing the end of August, I shivered in my jacket. Late at night it got cold, even during the summer. Plus, it didn’t help I get cold easily. Sighing, I kept walking glancing around to make sure no one was following me.
I passed the café we went to earlier and continued straight. A few minutes later I passed a couple, the guy holding his girlfriend in his arms while she was passed out. Figuring I was going the right way, I continued. I kept grumbling under my breath. I hated when this happened. I’d done it enough with Macey, Amy, and Luke. My parents were lucky I learned from those three not to overdo it with alcohol.
Too focused on muttering angrily at my situation, I didn’t hear footsteps coming my way. With my head ducked down, not seeing where I was going, I slammed against something hard. I stumbled back, but thankfully found my footing. Tilting my head up, I saw a tall boy with a hoodie covering most of his face so I could only see a pair of pink lips. He stood towering over my short five-foot-five frame. He had to be six-foot-three or taller. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders were slumped.
Not being able to see his face and his intimidating stance, I took a small step back. Something about him made me fearful. Standing alone on the pathway with this stranger made me wary. A minute passed, and neither of us said a word.
“I-I, um, I’m sorry,” I stuttered out. I could feel my cheeks turning pink and hoped he couldn’t tell with it being so dark.
“Watch where you are going next time,” the guy spat. His voice wasn’t really deep, but it wasn’t like a normal guy’s either. What surprised me was his tone. He said it with a lot of venom.
“Excuse me?” I asked, confused as to why he was rude to me. Yes, I ran into him, but I apologized, and it wasn’t like I did it on purpose.
“I said watch where you are going next time, or are you deaf?”
“You can’t use that tone with me! I didn’t mean to run into you and I apologized so stop acting like such a dick,” I found myself saying.
“What did you just call me?” His voice was low as he took a step toward me. Uh-oh. Swallowing, I took a step back to get away from him.
“I-I said I apologized,” I said in a small voice. He seemed threatening as he stared down at me. I couldn’t see anything under his hood, and I was more than tempted to reach up and yank it off. I would feel better seeing the face of the person who was being rude to me.
“Look here, little girl. It would be in your best interest if you just walked away right now,” he said. I wanted to take his advice and leave right then to get Macey, but something inside of me was forcing me to stay.
“You can’t tell me what to do.” My lips moved, and my feet stayed planted firmly on the ground. I think I just signed my own death warrant. He took one big step toward me, making me crane my neck up to see his face. From this angle I could see more. Staring down at me was a pair of deep brown eyes. They looked almost lifeless as he glared down at me. Moving my eyes away from his, I noticed he had blood running down his cheek, which was also bruised. One eye looked to be swelling up, forcing his eye almost shut.
“What happened to you?” I breathed out. I watched as a little bit of blood ran off the side of his mouth.
“I said leave,” he bit out. Everything inside of me was telling me to go but I couldn’t. I felt drawn to this stranger and I wanted to help him.
“Do you want some help cleaning those?” I asked quietly, against my better judgement. He continued to stare down at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually considering my offer or trying to not kill me.
“I don’t need help,” he finally said before pushing past me. I stumbled slightly before turning and staring after him. What crawled up his ass? Sighing, I continued toward the frat houses. At least I tried, right? He didn’t accept my apology or my offer to help, so his loss. After walking for another five minutes I started to hear loud music and knew I was in the right spot. As I got closer I called Macey, hoping she would pick up. I’d rather stay outside and wait for her instead of trying to find her in the maze of people throughout the house. It was one ring away from going to voicemail when she picked up.
“Hellooo,” she sang.
“Macey, it’s me. Where are you?”
“Carter!” she yelled, making me pull the phone away from my ear.
“Can you come outside and wait for me? I will be there in a second,” I said, really hoping she was listening to me.
“Okie dokie, Cartie!” This is going to be interesting, getting her home. I came to a stop in front of a huge house that had people stumbling in and out of the front door.
“Please hurry, Macey,” I muttered, running my hands across my arms. Glancing around, I saw one girl throwing up in the bushes by the side of the house. A guy and a girl were making out heavily against the house. A few guys were also stumbling across the yard. Definitely glad I didn’t come tonight. A few minutes later I finally saw Macey come through the front door. She was stumbling slightly. I groaned internally.
Rushing forward, I slipped past a few people before finally getting to Mace. Her hair was everywhere, and her lipstick was smeared. Seeing me, she squealed and ran into my arms. I planted my feet firmly on the ground so we both wouldn’t tumble to the ground.
“Cartie! You are finally here! I missed you.” She breathed in my face. I scrunched up my nose at the heavy smell of alcohol on her breath.
“I missed you too. Now let’s get you home,” I said, wrapping one of my arms around her waist and steering her back toward the way I came.
“You should have come to this party! It was banging. Hotties everywhere I tell you.” I bit back a laugh at her saying “banging”. If she were sober she would never say that word.
“Oh yeah?” I knew if I kept her talking she would be less likely to pass out on me.
“You would have been in heaven, Car. I made out with this one guy, and damn! Definitely not like high school,” she rambled. Even though it was now three in the morning and I was dragging her ass back home, I was glad she had fun. At least one of us deserved to.
Macey rambled on about the party and everything she had to drink as we walked home. Every once in a while, she would stumble against me and I had to quickly catch her before she fell, but other than that she seemed to be doing better.
“Damn it!” I yelled. This was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in my bed dreaming about making out with Ethan, but no, I had to be here holding my unconscious best friend’s body. “I love you, Mace, but right now I want to kill you,” I said down at her sleeping face. “You couldn’t wait to pass out until we got home, could you?”
Struggling with her weight, I looked around. There was no one around to help, and the dark was starting to scare me. As I stood there, I was more than tempted to call my brother. Hell, even Ethan would be fine right now. The sad part was I couldn’t reach my phone on my jacket pocket, with my arms around Macey. Seeing no other option at the moment, I situated Macey in my arms so I could drag her next to me. She was probably going to hate me in the morning for ruining her shoes, but I had to get us home somehow. You would think with it being college someone would be up at three in morning and would help a poor girl out.
After I dragged Macey with me a few feet, I knew this wasn’t going to work. She was literally dead weight. Yelling some more curse words, I awkwardly stood there holding her against me. Sitting on the ground was starting to look very tempting right now.
“I’ll carry her,” a semi-familiar voice said, suddenly scaring me. I jumped, screaming and whirling around toward the voice. I didn’t expect someone to be around here. Standing in front of me was someone I thought I’d never see again.
“You!” I said. The hooded rude guy was standing there. “What are you doing here?”
“Do you want my help or not?” he snapped, not answering my question. Figuring there was literally no other option other then drop her, I nodded. With neither of us saying a word, he took Macey’s weight off of me. Staring at him, I watched as he swung Macey into his arms bridal style.
Silent Love Page 3