1001 Love Stories Darker

New York (92)

The number that called was unsaved and I probably wouldn't have answered it if I hadn't recognized it.

264-9914

I still use 9914 as the four digit pen to anything that requires a four digit pen, even after eight years.

My heart seemed to not want to entertain the idea but I answer it anyways.

"Andrew?" I hear Mason say softly and I feel a swell of emotion after hearing my once best friends voice after three years of radio silence.

"Mason." I say and suddenly he begins to cry.

"You finally left him?" I ask.

"This was the worst five years of my life." He cries and even though it's been three years, even though it's been three years. Even though we ended things an explosion of anger. I was in route to his apartment in about fifteen minutes and pulling up after only 17 when the gps calculated 25.

The moment he opened the door for me I recognize him but only faintly. In the three years since I've seen him he's looked as if every once of life, every bit of color was gone from my once Bubbly best friend.

His once well maintained blonde hair was now in a loose ponytail that looked about two weeks old as well as the bags under his eyes. Gone was that natural tan he used to have and I wonder if he went out anymore.

His lips were dry and cracked, small as if his smile wasn't almost strangely big.

We take a minute to take eachother in and after that, I step into his door hugging him as he begins to cry again.

"Andrew I'm sorry." He says and I know that eventually we'll talk, and I'll chew him out for the ways he hurt me. But for now. I just wanted to get some color into his skin and a smile on his face.

"Mason, remember when I got dumped by that goddess of a woman when I was nineteen and you were so sure you knew the cure to a broken heart?" I ask making my self at home and searching through drawers and cabinets while he looks away.

"I don't think I can." He whispers and I smile.

"So did I." I say finding a towel and putting it in his hand and he almost cracks a cute smile.

While he's in the shower I begin to go through his close pulling open one drawer to see it completely empty and the other filled with just pajamas and work pants.

I begin to search more looking for something that resembles Masons flair for fashion but there's nothing.

"Mason this can't be all the clothes you have?" I ask and when I don't get a response I push open the bathroom door walking in as the shower ran.

"He hasn't worked in two years, so I had to support the both of us. Seems like all I did was work and sleep." He says softly in a voice that's horse from five years screaming and crying.

I check the time seeing it was a little passed five so we could probably make it to a few places before nine.

So I leave him be making him an appointment with a stylist for seven and look up the closest mall I could take him too.

And as he comes out of the room dressed in a hoody and sweats and he offers me a soft smile.

"Come on." I say leading him out and to my car.

We arrived at the mall and he seems a bit worried.

"Andrew?" He questions and I smile.

"You don't expect me to be seen out in public with you looking like you just rolled out of the most depressing bed imaginable." I say and he looks down at his shoes.