2. CHAPTER TWO
1663 Words
ANASTASIA'S POV
One moment, I was actually about to feel bad for hitting Asher across the face, but he suddenly smiled, “Are you sure you eat because that felt like feathers touched me. You weigh nothing.”
I rolled my eyes. Since I started school, the number of times I have rolled my eyes at Asher is uncountable.
His words earlier echoed in my head. ‘If you want to seduce my best friend,”
My eyes widened, “Who said I wanted to seduce your best friend??”
“I have eyes, Barbie.” He grabbed my hands and dragged me out after telling one of the attendees to put my clothes together. “So what's your budget like. Is it unlimited spending?”
“I don't know. And you know nothing about me. I'm not trying to seduce your friend.”
He just nodded, which was far more annoying.
“Keep explaining that to yourself. But Asher knows you want to eat up Landon. Can you swear that isn't the reason you came shopping?” He says.
I was lost for words. We were now inside the next store. I stood there, eyes wide as Asher left me and began rummaging through the racks of silks and cottons.
His eyes darted to my chest repeatedly. I wanted to blend into the wall as two older women pointed at us.
“Asher. That's enough. I don't need your help shopping for underwear.”
“You sure do. Even from your outfit, everyone knows you wear Grandma's bra.”
My mouth hangs open.
“Are you always this shameless?”
“Now you are taking my goodwill for granted, Anastasia.” He turned and stuffed two sets of matching undies into my arms, “These will do.”
“Asher…”
“Anastasia.” He screamed back. “If you don't love them, call me an idiot.”
By the time I finally walked out of the mall, my hands were stuffed with several shopping bags thanks to Asher. My face was still burning from embarrassment inside there.
Asher kept asking the salesgirl if what he picked was my size.
My body was vibrating from being in there. Asher would give me a heart attack.
“I used to think skydiving was the most thrilling thing I had ever done, but shopping for your underwear was much more thrilling.”
Glaring at Asher at this point was fruitless. I just stomped to the street and waited for a taxi.
The sun's heat wasn't kind, and my forehead was burning.
All I wanted was to go home, away from Asher. He had gum in his mouth and chewed it disgustingly. Irritating.
Some girls who came out of the store chuckled as he winked at them.
When a taxi finally pulled up, I jumped in, ready to flee as far away from Asher as possible, but the moment I shut the door, he slid in through the other side.
“Asher.”
“Barbie.”
“Stop calling me Barbie,” I snapped.
“But you look like one.” He flicked my ponytail.
I huffed, exhausted, “Why are you following me around? Haven't you done enough? You embarrassed me there.”
“Embarrassed. I helped you. The least you can do is be grateful.”
He looked annoyed and popped his hand into his sweater, pulling out a cigarette.
“Are you smoking in here?”
He fished out a lighter and actually lit it, “You are driving insane, Barbie. I might actually have to shut you up if you keep going, and you might not like my method.”
His eyes drifted to my lips, and I gagged in disgust.
“I would rather kiss a pole than kiss you.”
“I know.” He muttered quietly and blew the smoke out the window.
The rest of the ride was quiet. Asher didn't say another word, and I couldn't even ask where he was dropping off until the taxi parked in front of my house.
He got out before I did. And after I paid the taxi, I turned to him, “Where do you live?”
He shrugged, “None of your business, Barbie.”
“Stop calling me Barbie. You are outside my house, so it's my business.”
“So you won't invite me inside?”
I hissed, “Never.”
He smirked and started heading to my door. My mom was home, and she would freak out if a boy suddenly popped up in front of the house.
“Asher Wait.”
Before I could run up to stop him, he rang the front doorbell, and I heard my mom's voice yelling, “I'm coming.”
“What the hell, Asher. My mom would kill me if she found you here.”
“I'm sure she always wanted a handsome son.”
I scrunched my nose, “Handsome? You look like you just got out of jail and smell of cigarettes.”
His face hardened, but the words were already out before I caught myself and slapped my hand over my mouth.
“I don't mean it like that.”
“I'm nothing like Landon. Trust me, I get it.”
My heart clenched as he turned and jogged down the stairs.
Mom pulled the door open. Her eyes swept past me in a confused stare to Asher, already storming off.
“Who was that?” She asked.
I exhaled heavily, feeling drained, “Some boy at my school.”
“Why was he here?”
I held the bag up, “I met him at the mall, and he helped me pick out some dresses.”
She mouthed an ooh and glanced back to the distance. Asher was already far gone.
As I unpacked, my mind drifted back to Asher. Were my words hurtful?
Good.
He deserved it.
At least that was what I told myself while unpacking the dresses he had spent two hours helping me pick.
I brushed it off. I wasn't seriously going to let him into my house.
During dinner, Mom brought it up again.
“Why did that boy leave suddenly like that?”
Dad paused his movement on the plate, “What boy?”
“You know your daughter went shopping and one of her classmates helped her out.”
Dad turned to look at me. “A boy?”
I let out a huff, “Yeah. A boy. He isn't that important anyway. He's shabby and unkept.”
“Did you say that to his face?” Mom's voice rose.
I dropped my cutlery. “Kind of.”
“Anastasia Greene. I didn't raise you like this.”
“Mom, he smokes. Flicks my forehead and annoys the s**t out of me.”
Mom hit the table, “I don't care. You will apologize properly.”
“Mom…” she didn't blink. I glanced at Dad, and he just shrugged like he wasn't here.
I gave in, “Fine.”
“Not fine.” She shook her head. “You will invite him for dinner tomorrow.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
And that was it, I was like a freaked-out puppy, wondering how to talk to Asher after the morning assembly.
“That's insane.” Maddie laughed as I narrated the whole ordeal to her. “Asher is hot. Look, you shouldn't have said that to him.”
“He isn't hot.” I corrected.
“Look, during our first year as seniors, something happened to him. We don't know exactly what happened, but he changed. Asher has always been hotter than Landon.” Stacy chirped in while Maddie nodded in agreement.
They could argue all they want, but I'll never believe that.
We got to class, and my eyes drifted to the back desk where Asher always sits, folding paper or loudly chewing gum, but it was empty.
My eyes shifted to Landon. He raised his brow, and I hurriedly looked away, hating the way my face was starting to flush.
Stacy and Maddie noticed and hit my shoulder.
The rest of the day went smoothly, and I was more than happy to tell my mom that Asher wasn't in school, but during lunch, he barged into the cafeteria.
My breath caught.
Asher looked like someone had used his face as a punching bag.
One side of his lip was split.
Dried blood stained his jaw.
A purple bruise darkened his cheekbone.
He marched to the servers, got food, then left.
“What the hell?” Stacy yelled. “Did he get into a fight or something?”
I rolled my eyes, “I knew he was no good.”
Words broke out in the cafeteria. Some students were even saying he got into a gang fight. Others even said this wasn't the first time he showed up with bruises.
I wanted to ask Stacy or Maddie, but then decided against it. What was the use anyway? Mom would be relieved someone like this didn't get into her house.
When we returned to class, I noticed Asher wasn't in. Two classes went by, and he didn't come in.
His two friends, Landon and Fred, were in class. I don't remember them leaving the cafeteria to check on Asher.
This probably happens all the time.
My heart won't stop aching so when the last class ended, I stood up.
“I'm coming guys. I need to get to the bathroom.”
I didn't wait for the girls to answer before I left the class and walked down the hallway.
“Just to get rid of this stupid guilt. I'll check on him.”
I didn't know where to start looking until it occurred to me that he might be at the clinic. I made a turn and headed there.
When I pushed the door open, the sight made my breath catch, and my feet stumble.
- Writer
