Short Stories

Let's get Lost together

       

Let's Get Lost Together

    It smelled like rain.

        Mickey looked down at the handwritten note in her calloused hands, carefully caressing the sides of the note as she read over it. She smiled at the familiar gold ink on the page, dragging her finger across the slip of paper as she read.

    Dear Mickey,

        I hope we're still on for exploring tonight. Meet at your house at 8.15, remember? I won't forget the backpack this time.

    - Cooper.

    Cooper's handwriting was straggly and ugly, but Mickey had never minded. She slid off her bed, gazing lazily at the time on her electric clock. It read, in glowing red numbers, 6:54 pm. She gave a faint smile, walking up to the mirror to admire her reflection. Her hair, cut herself to a bob only a bit lower than her chin hung lob sided, but framed her face. Her mahogany hair matched her hazel eyes. Her honey toned skin glowed in the candle light of her room. She leaned forward, over her small white vanity, picking and prodding at her skin. Her eye bags, the skin colored bumps on her forehead, and the few birth marks scattered across her face. A light smile graced her rosy, heart-shaped lips as she admired her reflection.

    Mickey picked up her phone, pushing her earbuds into her ears and playing her music. She lifted a tube of lip gloss from her vanity and swiped the formula onto her lips, smiling the whole time.

    "you're my.. my.. my, my kind of woman.." She whispered along to the music, putting the tube down and pulling on her worn leather boots. Mickey walked downstairs, her parents were currently on vacation and she was an only child, so she had the house to herself.

    Cooper's experience getting ready was quite different from Mickey's. Hers was quite tranquil and simple. For cooper, nothing was calm or relaxing. Ever.

    "Mom, can you please tell parker to leave me alone! I have to meet Mickey in a few hours!" Cooper's voice filled the house, his deep tone echoing through the halls of his rather large house.

    "Sorry Coop, i need to go! Just order your siblings a pizza please?" His mother replied from downstairs, applying a fourth coat of bright red lipstick to her supple lips. Cooper's mom was the epitome of the American dream mother. In fact, Cooper's family tried very hard to fit this mold. His mom was tall, as tall as Cooper at least, and was fairly beautiful if you asked most men.

    She had a very young complexion for her age. She looked like she could be in her late 20's, but she was far from that. She had wavy blonde hair, which Cooper and his youngest sister had inherited. Her eyes were the color of the ocean, which only Coop inherited. Actually, Coop had heavily resembled a younger male version of her. Physically yes, but mentally no. His mother was an incredibly outgoing and kind person, someone who would baby sit your kids. She was kindhearted. Cooper on the other hand, had inherited many of his personality traits from his father.

    His father, a tall and intimidating banker, was quite the opposite from his mother. His father was hot headed and usually unhappy. His dark hair was always messy and in his face, his nearly black eyes were always clouded. Through the years, Coop had started to assume he was cheating on his mother. Unfortunately for him, he could never find hard evidence.

    Cooper hated how similar him and his dad were. He was a tall boy, lean and muscular. He was almost as hot headed as him, but he was far more mischievous than him. Cooper was a pick pocket, a thief. Luckily, he had never been caught, which was surprising due to the amount of times he had shop lifted. He was rude and insensitive, but he had a good heart for the people he really cared about.

    "mom that's not what I.. ok. I will. Landon's going to watch them though right?" His voice had softened up, but that didn't stop his youngest sister, still an infant, from beginning to cry. He let out a gentle sigh, hurrying into her room.

    "Yes, he'll watch them tonight. But you're on watch duty tomorrow." She said. "Now, I really need to go. I'll see you all tomorrow." She had walked up the stairs to kiss the youngest, his crying sister, goodbye. After placing a kiss on her forehead, she walked out. Once she had gone, Coop sat down with the baby in his arms. As he tried to console her, Parker walked in, holding two cans of shaving cream.

    Parker, his 7 year old brother, had always been a huge pain to Cooper. Parker grinned, beginning to shake up the two cans.

    "Wait, Park—" He didn't finish before parker began spraying the contents of the two cans at Cooper. He quickly turned his back to him to protect his sister, but his entire face burned beet red with anger. His sister was still crying loudly, but he just placed her back in her crib and stood up. He shoved parker out of the room and closed the door.

    That's when he really grew irate. Parker began to giggle and spray the walls.

    "Parker!" Coop yelled, narrowing his eyes angrily. "You're cleaning that up before Dad gets home! He's going to kill.. you.." His voice slowed as he glanced at the time. Eight O'clock on the dot.

    "Oh shit.." He hissed under his breath. Parker laughed maniacally at this, "Cooper said a bad word!" He jeered . Cooper ignored his younger brother and ran into his room, picking up his camera and phone, and shoving them haphazardly into his messenger bag.

    Cooper grabbed his crappy old headphones, running down the stairs and barely glancing at himself in the mirror. Though, in the half second he did see himself, his eyes caught the dark bruises on his eye, and the scratch marks on his face.

    "I seriously can't meet her like this.." He whispered, forcing the wood door of the huge house open. He took a breath of the brisk, dry winter air and dashed. Mickey's house was about a mile and a half away. It was 8:03.

    A chill ran down Mickey's spine as she stood out on her front porch, waiting for him. It was the dead of winter, and in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it got really damn cold. She pulled her raggedy old hoodie closer to her body and glanced down at her watch.

    Five minutes and i'm going back inside, She thought.