Nobody Likes You When You're 23

For The First Time

EMBERLY

We pulled up to my house, and I still couldn't believe tonight. I sat there for a minute just recapping it all. As the man who made it all happen sat in the passenger seat, snoring lightly. Which caused me to smile, like an idiot. I needed to wake him up, but I always hated doing this. Every since I was young, and like my dad or mom would tell me to wake them up at a certain time or just in general.

I finally built up the courage to do it, and I reached over slowly and shook him a tiny bit. "Mark, we have to go in the house." His eyes fluttered open slowly. He took his glasses off, his eyes looked tired as he rubbed them with his free hand, the other held his glasses. He reached over, quicker than I thought and it caught me off guard when I realized what he was doing. He pulled my face closer, as he kissed me. It was sloppy but the cutest fucking thing I swear. I smiled into the kiss, he pulled away slowly and rested his forehead on mine. I just looked into his still half asleep eyes, half grinning. It was weird, he still wasn't fully awake and I think that's what made it so sweet.

"Come on, I'm dead tired." He finally said, I know they always say about guys having half asleep voices that were insanely attractive. But let me tell you, you don't know this feeling of attraction until you hear a half asleep Mark Fischbach. It even made me more nervous than I normally was around him. I had to admit.

We walked into the house and Mark already seemed more awake. He plopped down on the couch, and I did beside him. He looked sad, really sad now that I saw him in the light.

"Mark, what's wrong?" I said, my eyebrows were brought closer together by this look of worry.

"I don't-wanna l-leave you." He wiped a tear away, as he threw his glasses down on the side table next to my old dinghy yellow couch.

"Listen, it's okay I know you don't. But you have no choice and we both have-"

"No! We have a choice Em. Come with me." He sobbed softly, not wanting to look less manly but I thought he was even more of a man, because he wasn't afraid to cry in front of me. But, the words sort of took awhile to register.

"Mark.. You know I have my family here and I don't want to get into the way or your career and I have my job, a house, I can't." I said, placing my hand on his lap. Moving it slowly, trying to comforting him a bit.

"Your job, you could get it anywhere Em. And, you just need to last until the end of this month here so you could pay your last rent on the house. And, I'll go with you. To talk to your mom. Please, I'll do just about anything." He looked so broken, begging me about this. I sighed deeply.

"Mark, your job, your career, is so vital and important. And, I don't want to take away from that. I don't want to distract you. I want your channel, to keep flourishing. I want you to stay in the position you are."

He grabbed both my hands, gripping them tightly. "I'll give it all up, just to have you."

Before I could say another word, my phone rang. I sighed, as I picked it up.

"Hello?" I answered in a sort of sad tone.

"Emberly, I need you to come over. Something's happening to mom." Amy's voice rang through my ears. What she was saying, was barely heard through tears. My heart was pounding. "No...no." I said as I hung up.

"'Mark, my moms in trouble." I said, in a deep, low, hurt whisper. I couldn't fathom what was going on. It felt as my whole world was crumbling, right beneath my feet. And, I had no control. Mark hugged me tightly, and quickly before grabbing my keys. I just followed him slowly out the door. I got into the passenger side and Mark started driving. I finally broke down, as the first tear fell down my cheek.