𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟓| 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

ANTHEA

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

As I made my way to the living room, I couldn't help but miss my parents. It had been now 6 days, the house felt so empty without them, I mean I have Aiden and Tyson but still.

Sitting down on the sofa, I grabbed the phone and dialed their number. As it rang, I couldn't wait to tell them all about my week. It had been eventful, to say the least.

"Hello?" My mother's voice rang through the phone.

"Hi Mom, it's me, Anthea," I replied, a smile spreading across my face.

"Anthea! How are you, sweetie? How's everything at home"My mom asked, sounding genuinely happy to hear from me.

"I'm good, Mom. But I miss you and Dad already," I admitted, my voice cracking a little.

"We miss you too, darling. But we'll be home soon. Now tell me, how was your week?" My father's voice boomed in the background.

I took a deep breath and began to tell them everything. I told them about how my friends and I went to the beach and spent the entire day soaking up the sun and swimming in the ocean. I could almost hear my parents laughing as I recounted the funny moments of our trip.

"I wish you were there, Mom," I said, pouting a little.

"We wish we were there too, sweetheart,"my mom replied.

I continued to tell them about my school started. They listened attentively, asking questions and offering words of encouragement.

"I can't wait for you to come back, so I can show you everything," I said, feeling a little nostalgic.

"We can't wait to see it all. We're so proud of you, Anthea," my dad chimed in.

We spoke for hours, catching up on everything that had happened since they left. We laughed, we joked, and we shared stories. It felt like they were right there with me, even though they were miles away.

As our conversation came to an end, I couldn't help but feel grateful for my parents. They may not be physically present, but their love and support crossed any distance.

"I love you both so much," I said, my voice filled with emotion.

"We love you too, Anthea. Take care of yourself and we'll see you soon," my mom said, her voice soft and full of love.

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't wait for my parents to come back home. But for now, our phone call was enough to make me feel connected to them.

Tonight, as we sat on my front porch, listening to music and talking,

"What should we do tonight?" Aiden asked, taking a sip of his beer.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that their main priority for the night was to find something fun to do and potentially get into some trouble.

"I don't know, guys. I don't really feel like getting arrested tonight," I joked, earning a chuckle from Tyson.

"Don't worry about it, Anthea. We'll keep it low-key," he assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I smiled, feeling grateful for their presence. Growing up without any siblings had made me crave having people around my age to hang out with. And although Aiden and Tyson were technically too old to be my friends, they never made me feel like I didn't belong.

I can't help but smile at the memory of how we became the best of friends. It seems like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it's only been a few years.

Growing up in a small town, everyone knew each other. Aiden, Tyson, and I were no exception. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, and our parents were all good friends. We were inseparable, always playing together and exploring the woods behind our houses.

But everything changed when we were 11, 14, and 14 respectively. One day, Aiden and Tyson's parents were involved in a car accident that took their lives. It was a devastating blow to our small town and an even bigger one to us. We were just kids, trying to understand the concept of death and loss.

My parents, who were lifelong friends with Aiden and Tyson's parents, stepped in to take care of them. I remember the day they came to live with us, it was a bittersweet moment. I was happy that they were with me, but also deeply saddened by the circumstances that brought us together.

At first, things were a bit awkward. Aiden and Tyson were grieving the loss of their parents and I didn't know how to console them. But as time went by, we found comfort in each other's company. We would talk for hours, sharing our favorite memories of our parents and finding solace in our shared experiences.

Living together also gave us a chance to really get to know each other. We discovered that we had more in common than just our parents' friendship. We all loved the outdoors, had a passion for adventure, and a love for music. We would spend our days exploring the woods and our nights jamming out on our makeshift instruments in the garage.

And that's how my friend group was filled in with everyone.

As the night went on, we decided to have a movie night and build a fort in my living room. I couldn't help but laugh as Aiden struggled to hang a large sheet from the ceiling, while Tyson helped me gather pillows and blankets to make it cozy.

"Alright, movie time!"Aiden declared, plopping down on the floor in the center of our makeshift fort.

I joined him, and Tyson squeezed himself in next to me, making me blush at the close proximity. We spent the rest of the night watching cheesy comedies and snacking on junk food.

As the night came to an end, I couldn't help but smile at the memories we had just created. It was nights like these that made me appreciate my friendships even more.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, guys," I said, hugging them both tightly.

"Of course, Anthea, anytime," Aiden replied, ruffling my hair playfully.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Anthea," Tyson added, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before I went to sleep.