Empty Apartment

A story inspired by Yellowcard's song "Empty Apartment". About a geek and a girl...Hope you like it!

Empty Apartment

 

It’s getting late.

 

I walk back home, the red skies falling in around me, the wind whistling through the trees. The world is so much quieter now. Not to mention, so much more lonely, now that she’s left. Left to face a whole new world, with new friends, a new life in a different school, even whole new neighbours. She’s left everyone else here, for the big city. For her big shot at success. She’s left me here, hanging all alone.

 

No, we didn’t break up. Far from it. We weren’t even boyfriend and girlfriend in the first place. I mean, look at me. I’m nerdy, thin, and really bad at sports. There’s probably not a single sport which I haven’t found a way to screw up. Hardly anyone gets what I speak half the time, and throughout my life, every bully in the world has sought me out as a prime target. Lovely.

 

It’s really ironic, I think, that one of the most beautiful girls in the school even bothers to take a second glance at a geek like me, let alone talk to me. But she did. Sarah did. It’s absolutely stunning, the way her brown hair just falls into place all around her face. Her eyes, ever so bright, and her smile, her stunning smile, really just lights her whole face up. Like she’s smiling just for me, to give me hope after being beaten up yet again in school.

 

I still remember how she first talked to me. It’s so vivid, like it was just yesterday when it happened.

 

“OW!!”

“WEDGIE!! HAHAHA!”

 

They whooped by me, laughing and high-fiving each other. Everyone in the cafeteria laughed along with them. I’m just another geek after all, yet another guy with an imaginary target board on his back. A target board that says “Hit me! I’m a nerd!” As I staggered to an empty table, still reeling from the pain, she walked over to me and just helped me up. She smiled at me, and at that point I just forgot all the pain I was in.

 

“Don’t worry about these guys, I can handle them,” she whispered. As I watched, she picked up her drink and walked to the table where the jocks were sitting. She gave them a sweet, innocent smile that the jocks returned with leers. Just then, she “tripped”, spilling the hot tea all over one of them.

“What the f-“

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Her hands flew to her mouth in mock surprise worthy of an Academy Award. As everyone in the cafeteria gasped in shock, she turned and smiled sweetly, and I knew that was just for me...

 

And now I’m passing by her house. Her old house, actually. The “For Rent” sign on her lawn is new, hammered into the ground by her father just before her departure. It’s not big, quite the contrary, but it’s quite beautiful for a house. The whitewash walls hardly ever seem to lose their colour at all, along with the streaks of blue and green she painted along the sides of the house, all converging towards the front door.

 

Just before she left, things hadn’t been going well for her. Or for me, for that matter. She had not being doing well for her exams at all, and everything was just catching up to her. As for me, the punks had doubled their attacks on me, now that she wasn’t always there. I really hated it to see her so angry and sad. Not to mention of course, the way she yelled at me. Worse, it was on the day before she left.

 

“I can’t believe it! I studied so hard for this test and I still got a C. It’s just not fair! And with cheerleading practice all the time, I hardly ever get to study! What am I gonna do now?”

As she walked away, her expression that of near despair and dejection, I ran after her.

“No...wait...stop. I can help you study. I’ll show you how I study and what I do to remember stuff. Like you know, for everything you’ve done for me.

She smiled sadly at me. The expression of a dejected girl.

“Thanks, Sam...if only you were in my shoes, you’d know how I’m feeling right now. About everything...”

“But I do...Of course I get how you feel...”

“No, you DON’T!”

Her tone surprised me. I took a few involuntary steps back. She looked me straight in the eye, a pleading expression on her face.

“But I do, I really do...”

“No!” She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “Why don’t you try studying after hours of sports? Oh yeah, I forgot, you can’t play sports. You’ve got your asthma and your two left feet!”

I was really taken aback. “Okay, wait, I’m really sorry...”

She shook her head again. “If you’re really sorry, then be a man, huh? Why don’t you stand up for yourself for a change? What’s the matter? You need me to defend you?” She turned on her heels and walked away sadly. I caught a glimpse of the tears falling down her face...

 

I finally reach home, her last few words echoing in her head, even though she’s left two weeks ago. As I crash on my bed, I reach for my iPod. For once, I chuck all my textbooks, science books and science fiction books aside. I set the iPod on Shuffle mode and place the headphones in my ear. I immediately hear the singing by Ryan Key and the strumming of a guitar. I look at the screen. It’s “Empty Apartment” by Yellowcard.

 

How appropriate, I think.

 

“Call me out...

You stayed inside,

One you love,

Is where you hide...

Shot me down...

As I flew by,

Crash and burn,

I think sometimes,

You forget where the heart is...”

 

At those words, I remember Sarah. Everything about her comes rushing back, and I almost see her face in front of me. Yet she’s not smiling, and everything about her is full of sorrow. I see her deep blue eyes, the sadness reaching out to me from within. It’s all in my head, but I can remember her almost perfectly.

 

Maybe it’s true. Maybe I have forgotten where the heart is. Have I?

 

“...Let her go,

Learn a lesson...

It’s not me,

You’re not listening, now, can’t you see?

Something’s missing...”

 

It’s all coming back to me now. I close my eyes and listen to the song more intently. Maybe the missing thing for me now is her. But would she still want to talk to me now? Is she still angry at me?

 

And then the chorus plays.

 

“Take you away,

From that empty apartment you stay,

And forget where the heart is someday,

If ever you loved me, you’d say,

It’s okay...”

 

As the bridge plays, I shake my head. I never realised how much I missed her, until today. Only now, too, I remembered how her smile could bring me back on my feet again, and how I dreamed of her laughter. As I open my school yearbook, I find a picture of her. I stare at her face, now one I may never see again.

 

“Waking up,

From this nightmare,

How’s your life?

What’s it like there?

Is it all what you wanted to be?

Does it hurt

When you think about me?

And how broken my heart is...”

 

A small smile grows at the corner of my lips. All the good memories of me with her come back, us laughing along at each other’s jokes, her putting on my glasses and pretending to read my textbooks, us having our revenge on the bullies. But all those are over now. Now she’s gone, for good I think. I hum as the chorus plays again.

 

“Take you away,

From that empty apartment you stay,

And forget where the heart is someday,

If ever you loved me, you’d say,

It’s okay...”

 And then come the lines of the song which really reach deep inside me. At those lines, I press the picture of her to my face. I hope no one sees the tears welling up in my eyes.

 

“It’s okay to be angry, and never let go,

It only gets harder the more that you know...

When you get lonely, if no one’s around,

You know that I’ll catch you when you’ve fallen down...

We came together but you left alone,

And I know how it feels to walk out on your own...

Maybe someday I will see you again

And you’ll look me in my eyes and call me your friend...”

 

As the violinist of Yellowcard starts to play, I reach for a handkerchief and wipe away my tears. I’m feeling really weird, like I’ve just woken up from a very strange dream. I vaguely hear a knocking at my door. I chuck my handkerchief to one side and look myself in the mirror, just to make sure my eyes aren’t red.

 

The chorus plays one last time, and I smile to myself as I put the book down and close it, and pick up a comic I’d been reading as yet. Somehow, the knocking grows louder and louder.

 

“Take you away,

From that empty apartment you stay,

And forget where the heart is someday,

If ever you loved me, you’d say,

It’s okay...

It’s okay...”

 

As the song dwindles to a close, I finally open the door. To my surprise, I see my mum standing in the doorway, pointing to the cordless phone on the table.

 

“Whatever were you doing inside, Sam? Someone called and asked for you, someone called Sarah Andrews. She sounded really nice and was really eager to talk to you. You’ve kept all of us waiting.”

 

At those words, I dropped everything and ran for the phone.

Reviews

[Tracie Skarbo]

wow... you have an amazing way with emotions...you make us feel what the character is feeling with ease. I hope this story is not over and you go on with it. I found myself liking this character and the woman of his dreams...excellent job!

[Theresa]

So not only can you write amazing poetry but you can really write a story. I was hooked from the first paragraph. The relationship between Sarah and Sam was genuine and I was rooting for a happy ending. Incorporating the lyrics from YellowCards song really helped support the storyline. Thought this was great would love to read more.

[Jasiel Moreira]

I think that this is a great write. I loved how the story flowed excellently using the song to accentuate the feelings expressed throughout. You seem to have a very good skill at writing a piece that you derived from a song. Keep writing them and we'll all keep reading them!! All in All it was a very wonderfull read and I hope you continue this story.

[Coyote Poetry]

You can write a story. I was caught in the story from the first line. Each event in the poem made the story stronger. Description of the characters was very good. I look forward to reading more.
Coyotye

[ebur™]

This a great story, and very deep around the part when he was listening to the song. I think you described everything well, and just the way you wrote made it enjoyable. As for the story, I think it was a brilliant idea, it was a simple concept, but you displayed the whole idea wonderfully. Great job! :)

[deeps]

This is quite the emotional story here, so full of feelings. This is very well written as well. Wonderful use of imagery and remarkable detail. I like this.