How Lost Souls Love

Where the fun in that

Maisie POV

I was sprawled out on my bed with papers and books in front of me. My dad and Noah had gone into the shop to do some ordering and fix up a car. There wasn't really anything dummy proof for me to work on so I stayed home. I tried to watch some TV at first or eat a snack but nothing was curing my boredom. 

I ended up in my room moving things around until I found the box of college applications that my mom had been adding too since the start of my senior year. When i first unpacked i was annoyed with the box. She had shoved it in with my things after I specifically told her I didn't want it. She had already ruined my life, she didn't get to try and tell me what to do with it anymore.

Out of pure boredom, I ended up dumping the contents on my bed and going through them. That was my first mistake. All of the brochures that got tucked into the box all told the story of how well my mother actually knew. I hadn't wanted to think about it much in the past year but when it came down to it.. I have to remember how much my mom has really been there for me.

Until she wasn't…She wasnt there when I needed her the most and that would never go away.

“Noah?!” I hear someone yell from the front door. It bangs shut and for a second my heart is beating through my chest.

“Lotto? Maisie? Anyone home?” the voice calls out again. I take a deep breath as I relax. It's just Dax.

“In here!” I yell out. I sit up and start piling the papers back into the box.

My door opens and Dax peers in from the doorway. “Whats up.” he says more as a greeting than an actual question. I smile and nod to the chair in my room to welcome him in. He walks over and plops down roughly. “Where is everyone?” 

“They had some stuff to do at the shop. There was nothing for me so I stayed home. What are you doing here anyways?” I say as I reach for the lid of the box.

“Noah bought a game he wanted to test out. He told me to meet him here. The bastard probably forgot. He has a s**t memory.” he says shrugging with a smirk. I smile and stand to put the box back in my closet next to his chair. A pamphlet I didn't see slips from under the box to the floor and Dax picks it up glancing at the cover before handing it back to me. “College? I thought Noah said you didn't want to go.” 

“I'm not sure what i want right now.” i say throwing the thing in the box and dropping it on the floor of the closet. I shut it in and hope that this doesn't spark up a hundred questions about what i want to do with my life because to be honest i have no clue anymore.

“That's normal. I did that too.” he says leaning forward, elbows on his knees. I pause and look at him. He smiles shyly. “Don't get all crazy. Im not about to give you all the messed up details.. But there's no denying we are alike ok.” he says scratching the side of his neck. “Sometimes it helps just to see that you have someone around you that understands. So you know.. I understand.” 

I stare at him for a few minutes longer. I get that. I completely get that. I walk to my bed and sit pulling my feet into a criss cross and hugging my pillow to my chest. “How long did it take for you to start making big decisions again?” I ask, hoping that the question lacks enough of the personal stuff that he answers. 

He looks at the ceiling and sighs. “I'll let you know if I start.” he says scoffing like he was disappointed in himself. I let out a small sarcastic laugh. It may not have been a helpful answer, but it was an honest one. And that I appreciated a lot.“How long has it been for you?” 

My eyes shift and wonder over the walls of my room. I decide that it's ok to answer. After all this is small stuff that even Noah knows. “Almost 4 months. You?” I ask, looking back to Dax. 

“About a year now. I remember 4 months though.. I don't miss the pain of 4 months.” he said sadly. “I'm sorry. I know getting pitied and having strangers apologize about s**t they know nothing about probably doesn't help. I know i hate it. But you seem like you had a pretty chill life. It sucks that you had to move here like you did. Samoa is beautiful. One of the greatest places on earth. If you had moved here as a kid…” he said trailing off. “I just hope whatever happens doesn't keep you from seeing how beautiful it is here, or forget how it was when you visited as a kid.” he says smiling lightly.

“Did you forget?” i ask curious.

He thought about it for a few seconds before answering slowly. “Yeah. Yeah I did. I kinda just gave up. It was Noah and Lotto who helped me find my way back to the land of the living. They were good for me. They'll be good for you to.” he says gently.

I wondered how My dad could have helped Dax. Could he really help me to get from where i am to where Dax seems to be now? Sure he had had an episode but he seemed to have the daily routine down at least. He even thought of using earplugs to get through the normal day. They even helped me now, and I wore the pair he gave me almost every day. But especially at the garage.

“Thanks for the ear plugs by the way. They were pretty helpful.” I can't help but smile. He smiles back and just slowly nods his head before looking down at the floor. I think about how to say it and decide to ask first. “Did Noah.. you know.. Tell you about ..” I trail off.

Dax shakes his head. It's clear he has the same question in his mind too he just isn't sure how to ask. “Did he tell you about me?” he asks slowly. I shake my head no. He visibly relaxes, and we drift into a comfortable silence. “Want to exchange short five worded stories?” he asks curiously. 

I think about this.. I am curious to know about Dax and his story.. But i don't know if it is worth me giving up the biggest part of me. Maybe it being worth it isn't the problem.. But i don't know if i'm ready for more people to know yet. 

Before I even have to answer we hear the front door open. “Dax?” Noah calls. We hear him drop his bag of stuff somewhere and Dax nervously looks around. 

I give him a look as if to ask why he’s freaking out and he whispers, “He isn't gonna like that I'm in here.” 

I laugh a bit and jump off my bed in a hurry. I look to Dax and point to the bathroom. Then I run for Noah and jump on his back. “Your home! Thank god i've been bored for hours!” i say dramatically

“Get off me you demon!” he says playfully swatting at me from all directions. I just laugh. “Dax is here isn't he?” 

“He just barely got here a minute or two ago. He went to the bathroom.” I say, and as if on cue Dax comes out of the bathroom.

“Hey man.” he says with a quick glance at me behind him. I drop from Noah's back and smile at Dax. and as if it was contagious he smiles back at me. 

“Are y'all hungry? I think dad was gonna order some food on the way home.” he says turning towards the hallway.  Me and Dax exchange a relieved smile, but mine stays on my face even after he goes to follow Noah to his room. It felt nice to have the good kind of fluttering butterflies in my stomach again. It was a pleasant change to the bad ones full of fear and anxiety I had gotten since that night. 

My dad walks in the door next to me and I smile up at him. He stops in his tracks and smiles back at me with love and happiness.

“What's up with you?” i say laughing.

“Nothing.. I just miss seeing those kinds of smiles on you. The big genuine ones that make a dad stop and make his heart happy that his daughters happy.” he says pushing the door closed behind him. As he passes me he kisses the top of my head. “Whatever it is that's making you smile.. I hope it stays forever.” he says with another kiss to the head before walking away grinning ear to ear.

I look down the hall and smile.

I don't think he's going anywhere.

Dax POV

“Dude! Seriously what is going on with you? You're barely paying attention.” Noah says annoyed for about the tenth time. 

Shit. I couldn’t get the dumb smile off my face for about three hours. And now I’m still not paying attention. “ sorry man. Just distracted.” I say shaking my head and trying to focus on the game. I shifted in the bean bag chair and took a deep breath. 

“No. I’m distracted. Your f*****g spaced.” He laughs sitting the controller down. “Hey man I didn’t tell you. I got a date with a girl from the store where I bought the game.” He smirks. 

I laugh. “She must not be that smart then.” I tease. His face falls and launches a pillow at me. 

“And here I thought you were my boy.” He said getting up from his chair and going to his door. 

“Where u goin?” I ask because I know Noah, and I didn’t really make him that mad. 

“I gotta take a piss.” He said. I hear the bathroom door close and I pull out my phone. I’m flipping through f*******: when Maisie creeps into the room and throws a piece of paper at me and then runs out just as we hear the toilet flush. 

“Maisie?.. what the hell?” I laugh in a whisper. I get up and poke my head out of the doorway to look at her. I look through her door to see her launching herself back on her bed. She looks up at me silently laughing and I raise my eyebrows as if to ask “what the hell?” Again. But she whooshes me and waves me back as the bathroom door opens again. 

I fall back behind the frame and wait for Noah to walk through before jumping out to scare the s**t out of him. 

“Agh!” He screams as he falls against the frame and clutches his chest. I laugh hysterically and hear Maisie laughing from her room as well “Dammit Dax!” He says coming over and trying to put me in a headlock. 

We wrestled playfully for a bit before Noah shoved me off. “Such a prick sometimes I swear man..” He says laughing. “Ima grab a coke you want one?” He says. I shake my head no. 

He walks out and stops at Maisie's door. “And you! You little traitor I heard you laughing! You saw him attacking me and didn’t help a brother out? That’s just cold!” 

I watch and laugh with them. I look at Maisie and she holds up her hands and makes it look like she’s writing something down. Or texting? I look at her confused.  She rolls her eyes and pretends to throw something at me. 

Then it clicks. I make an “ohhh…” face and look around for the paper she threw at me. I uncrumple it and look down at the scribbles. 

Text me? 

It read and underneath her cell number was scribbled. I plop into the bean bag chair in front of Noah’s entertainment center I was sitting in before and pull out my phone again. I put the number in and text it. Smiling like an i***t. 

DAX: You could've just told me your number at work. lol

MAISIE: Where’s the fun in that. 

She replies. I chuckle. Noah walks back into the room and I slide my phone down so he doesn’t see the number. 

“So? What’s this girl like?” I say giving Noah an encouraging smile. He sighs like he might be head over heels in love already and slides down into his own bean bag chair. 

“I don’t know yet man, but I sure as hell wana find out.” He says chuckling