Mia
For a few long moments I just stand there, leaning against the truck and staring at nothing.
Nick kissed me.
Sort of. Almost.
And then he was gone.
But that's not what surprises me. Since Nick has returned he's left me more times than ever. What surprises me is that my anger is gone. His words dissolved all my anger and frustrations towards him completely. Remembering me is what would of broken him.
I don't want to be what breaks Nick, I want to be what holds him together.
Sighing, I straighten myself up, wipe the tears from my eyes and brush the dirt from my dress. I need to find him.
I circle through the party, looking into the various trucks and tailgates, searching out Nicks blue eyes through the faces in the crowd.
The dust coats my sandals and a bead of sweat runs down my back. He's not here, I finally admit to myself after my third loop through everyone. His truck is here, but Nick is gone.
I'm passing through a group of people when I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Are you ok, Mia?" A petite Hispanic girl asks. I blink at her for a second, trying to remember her name. She graduated last year. I think we had a class together but were never really friends.. Lina.
"Oh hey Lina. Yeah I'm fine, I'm just looking for someone" I force a smile that I know probably looks more like a cringe.
"Are you looking for Nick?" She asks.
I pause for a second, surprised that I'm that obvious. "Yeah actually, I am. Have you seen him?" I reply hopefully.
She shakes her head,"No, sorry."
Damn.
I give a small wave and start to walk off when Lina adds "I'm friends with April."
April. Nicks sister who he's living with now. They were so far apart in age growing up that she was never around when I knew him. I turn back towards Lina. "Really?" I say, sensing there's more she wants to tell me.
Lina plops down onto a white cooler and looks up at me with a knowing gaze.
"Yeah, she's told me some stuff, you know? Or atleast alluded to it." She looks at her feet "I've got shit parents too, so I stay with April a lot. And Nick, he always seems so miserable." She pauses briefly, picking at her fingernail polish. "I feel bad for him, honestly" she continues. " But I saw him over there laughing with you, and at first I didn't even recognize him." She looks back at up at me "I don't think I've ever even seen him smile before."
I look closer at this girl, with her long brown hair and big brown eyes. She's a year older than me but she so tiny it makes her look so much younger. She seems kind, and pretty damn perceptive. I like her.
"It's nice to see him smile" I reply.
"Yeah, it is" Lina says. "I hope you find him."
"Me too" I smile at her before turning around to keep looking.
..
I don't find him. I looked for atleast an hour, and this party isn't all that big. We're in a large open desert. It's not like there's all that many places for him to hide. But his truck is still here.. I eventually go sit with Liam and Marley.
"Mia-bina" Liam slurs, "where's your newest male victim?" Marley smacks him "Mia does not have victims!"
"Try telling that to Cole" Liam replies with a laugh. "Have you seen the guy lately?" I give Liam a small kick in the shin. "OW! See! Another male victim!" Liam cries.
"Don't be a baby" I laugh. "And to answer your question, he's gone, left, somehow. So doesn't that make me the victim?"
"What!" Marley bellows.
I shrug my shoulders. "I've looked everywhere."
Marley narrows her eyes "there's no way he left you. He wouldn't" she hesitates "Right?"
"Didn't your boyfriend leave you at the last party too?" Liam chimes in while grabbing a bag of chips from his cab. Marley gives him a look. "What?" He says innocently while chewing. "It just seems like Mia has a type."
"Guys who ditch me?" I say, crossing my arms.
"Something like that" Liam shrugs.
Marley punches him in the shoulder. "Ouch!" He says rubbing his arm "You two are violent tonight." I laugh and grab a handful of his chips. Marley puts her arm around me and squeezes. "Want a beer?" she asks. I'm about to say no when I think what the hell, feeling a bit pitiful and sorry for myself. "Sure" I say, grabbing the bottle she's handing me.