a void in the heart - void stiles¹

03

My parents had finally made the decision to go and volunteer in South Africa through a program that mom had been working through for years. I'd always known it was going to happen but now that the date had arrived for them to leave halfway through my junior year I was still shocked it was happening. I had half expected my parents to flake out, but they were dedicated.

The small town that they were leaving for didn't have a very good school system so they were going with a group of about 20 others to try and help with as much as they could to improve it. They were going to be away for at least 6 months, the longest they'd ever left me alone. Both Noah and Melissa had sworn up and down to my parents that they would check up on me as often as they could and keep an eye on me too.

There were only a few rules my parents had put in place while they were away. Normally there weren't very many restrictions on what I could and couldn't do but without my parents to supervise what I do and don't do, made sense. I wasn't allowed parties or alcohol, and no one was allowed to stay the night that wasn't a girl. Although, my dad had thrown me the key to the alcohol cabinet with a wink, so maybe not on that one. My mother has a hand on my shirt sleeve, picking off the fluff that isn't there. "Are you sure that you'll be okay? 6 months is a long time." She says with a small frown on her face.

I smile at her. I knew this was coming, it was her motherly instincts kicking in. "Mom, I'll be fine. The worst thing I'll do is drop out of school and start working at a strip club." I said with a smile.

"If you work at a strip club you better share the money you make." My mom says with a grin, "if I didn't want to be a teacher so bad I'd have dropped out of school to become one myself."

I can't help but laugh at the absurd idea of my mom as a stripper. "Sure mom, whatever you say,"

I was just glad I had taken her mind off the idea of leaving home.

A moment later my dad walks out of the garage wearing the stupidest outfit I've ever seen. He's wearing a Hawaiian shirt and black sweatpant-shorts. I let out a snort at my mom's face.

"Dean, they physically will not let us on a plane if you wear that. It's business attire! If you don't change I swear, I will have your head." She says with a scoff and my dad laughs.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" He asks looking down at his outfit and I laugh as I walk over to him, dragging my mum along with me and wrapping him in a hug.

"I'll miss you guys so much," I say as I squeeze them to me.

"We'll miss you too sweetheart," My mom says as she places a kiss on my forehead.

My dad pulls back from me with a massive grin. "You've grown up so fast, Mallie. It feels like just yesterday when Scott, Stiles and yourself were running around terrorizing all of our poor neighbours with your pranks, which they never seemed to like for some strange reason." He says and I started to laugh at the memory.

Mom shakes her head grinning as well.

A memory resurfaces and I smile. "Remember when Stiles and I went over to Mrs Chankleyouse and dyed her pool acid green after I accidentally dyed my own hair green and she said it made me look ghastly and more pale than usual," I said with a grin.

My mom sighs fondly. "That boy was so in love with you," She says and I raise an eyebrow.

"No, he was not," I said, taken aback.

My dad chuckles. "He was too, he asked me when you were ten if he could marry you one day. I could barely hold back my laughter as I gave him permission to propose to you."

I frown at this. "Your kidding, there is no way he asked to marry me,"

"Sure, sure sweetheart. If telling yourself  that makes you feel better." My mom says and I begin to protest but the taxi that will take them to the airport arrives, interrupting the conversation with an impatient honk.