Shattered Tears mxb

Chapter 1

Riley woke up feeling the pain of yesterday already resurfacing. His parents arguing was still fresh in his mind. For as long as he could remember they were constantly fighting about the most insignificant things.

They never really cared for him, and being an only child he was always lonely growing up. His parents never paid him much attention, so he learned early on how to be independent. He was forced to take care of himself despite being only a child himself. This seemed to only make his parents neglect him more.

On the rare times they were home they only bothered to make sure he was breathing. He was forced to learn how to cook at the age of 5 considering his parents often forgot with their demanding careers. His mother was a cardiothoracic surgeon, and his father was a big-time corporate lawyer.

He never felt like anything he did was good enough for them. Not even when he was announced to be the valedictorian of his graduation class. He wondered if they would even show up today.

He got dressed for school in his usual clothes, a hoodie and jeans, choosing to drive today instead of walk. Classical music played in the background to keep his mind distracted from the dark thoughts that always found a way in.

The school was buzzing with students as they all found their way behind the stage. Most were dressed in formal attire while he was the only one looking like a homeless boy. They all began putting on their gowns seeing as the ceremony was starting soon. Deep down he knew his parents wouldn't be there, but he still had hope.

They called him up on stage first to give his speech. It was the typical valedictorian speech with nothing particularly special. All he wanted to do was get home and cry. After everyone received their diplomas, families started swarming their loved ones. He watched from afar wishing he could feel the warmth of a mom's hug or the gentle pat on the back from a dad. Refusing to give up hope he walked around looking for his parents thinking they might be lost. After about 45 minutes of walking around he came to the conclusion that they had not shown up.

Feeling dejected, he walked back to the car and immediately started blasting Chopin Etude Op 25 No.11. He drove aimlessly watching the sunset from the highway he was currently on, but all he could think about was swerving off it and ending his suffering. With dark thoughts now clogging his brain he chose to stop at a small diner on the outskirts of the city.

It was a small locally owned restaurant by the owners of the huge forest nearby. They are said to have the best pancakes in town, and hopefully they served them all day. It was a small diner that resembled Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks'. He walked in looking around before sitting down at the back of the restaurant.

"What can I get you to drink sweetheart?" The waitress asked him setting down a beat up looking menu.

"I'll just have water, thank you." He murmured fidgeting with the menu. "Do you have breakfast all day?"

"We sure do," She pulled out a notepad. "What can I get for you"

"Can I have 2 pancakes with scrambled eggs, please?" His stomach grumbled just thinking about having pancakes for the first time in years. The last time he tried making them he was around 8, and burned his hand on the pan causing him to never try after that.

"Of course, it will be right out." He watched the old woman walk away. The sound of rain drops pulled his focus to the window. The night looked peaceful with slight drizzle and twinkling lights of the cars and street lights.

The waitress came back after a couple of minutes and placed his water and food down. "Enjoy sweetie." She lingered, "You look a bit down. If you need to talk I would love to listen. No one as young as you should look so sad." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

He had no idea what to say. No one in his entire life has ever said something so strange to him. He could only nod at her staring at his pancakes when a familiar sting hit his eyes. Taking in a deep breath he began eating.

The pancakes were warm and fluffy with the perfect ratio of butter to syrup. He added syrup to his eggs and ate some with every bite of pancakes. He looked back out the window feeling much better than he was earlier.

He wondered what his life would look like if he were born with more caring parents. Would he still be depressed and cripplingly anti-social? Was this his actual personality or only a result of his childhood. He would never know.

The diner's door opened rather loudly making him turn his head to see who walked in. The first thing he saw was green eyes, not the kind that looked blue, no, these eyes were distinctly green. They reminded him of his neighbor's clover lawn. They were framed by long lashes and thick dark eyebrows. His hair was wavy and a bit long reaching slightly below his ears. It was parted in the middle framing his defined face, and connected to his full beard that made his jaw look more sharp. The beard only made his plump lips and straight nose stand out against his sharp features.

The man's body was just as captivating. He was buff, making it clear that he worked out every day, and even from where he was sitting he could tell the man was tall. He could not keep his eyes off him, at least until said man looked back at him. His brows furrowed and jaw clenched. Nothing good could come from this.