Falling For Asher

Homecoming is a big deal here. It isn't a stretch that the celebration party is an even bigger deal. Our school has been undefeated for the past five years. It became a tradition to throw a party where even the towns near us are invited.

We won, which wasn't a surprise with how hard the football team practiced.

The car comes to a halt, my eyes taking in the house. Packed with cars and music loud enough to be heard throughout the neighborhood.

The party started long before we even won, the stumbling girl leaning over the front porch is proof of that. I step out of the car, rubbing my arms as the cool air hits my bare skin.

"What do her parents do for a living?" James asks in disbelief.

My friends - James, Melissa, Paige - and I rode in the same car. James' will be driving us to his house since his parents won't be home for the weekend.

I don't plan on drinking too much. However, Mel and Paige will most likely be taking advantage of that.

We follow a group inside, the music only getting louder as the large oak doors open. My eyes widen at the double staircase, and tall windows. A chandelier hangs in the center, sparkling with the reflection of the lights.

The first living room is to the right. With white furniture and perfectly hung wall decor. The kitchen is to the left, the island filled with snacks and drinks. Each room feels spacious even with the number of people inside.

"I need alcohol, " Melissa says, making her way to the drinks.

We trail behind her, still admiring the interior.

James stops to greet his friends. I take a water bottle while Paige grabs a beer.

Melissa narrows her eyes, "You're not drinking?" She asks.

"We just got here." I laugh, "At least let me get comfortable."

She shrugs, taking a long gulp. I watch her in amusement with an eye roll. She always finds an excuse to drink, not thinking twice before doing so.

We wander into the main area, finding some familiar faces. Within a few minutes, Melissa is already flirting. Her ability to be confident, but not too forward is admiring.

"Want to dance?" Paige asks. She tosses her blonde hair, exposing her tanned shoulders.

I nod but hesitate as I look at our friend across the room. This house is big, it would be impossible to find each other.

James notices my expression, nodding towards the crowd. "Go have fun."

I nod, getting off the comfortable seat. "Bye, " I say, allowing Paige to drag me away.

I've had two drinks already, feeling myself loosen up slightly. My heart beats rapidly with the beat of the music. Although James told me not to worry about Melissa, I make sure to keep an eye on her.

She has definitely had a lot more than we have. Melissa is carefree while sober, it's even worse when she's drunk.

I spot her with a boy from another school. She twirls a dark strand of hair between her fingers, giggling flirtatiously. My eyes subconsciously dart to where James sits with his friends.

His eyes are on Melissa, his jaw tense. I raise a brow, nudging Paige, who turns to look at the two.

"What?" She asks, clueless as always.

I shrug, brushing it off. It's probably nothing, I tend to piece things together quickly. Although I'm not always correct, it's a habit to see any possibility before I'm even aware of it.

I feel my feet ache, wincing at the pair of shoes I wore. "Let's go sit for a bit, " I suggest.

I find a seat beside James, while Paige grabs us drinks. His attention pulls away from our friend, his expression quickly replaced with a smile.

"Having fun?" He asks.

I raise a brow, "Are you?"

He swallows visibly, only furthering my suspicion. We're joined by our two friends. Three of us drinking a stronger drink. I allow myself to take a shot and even play Beer Pong with a stranger.

A few people simply watch, not having any intentions of drinking.

As another hour passes by, I can barely walk straight. Melissa is playing twister with some of her friends on the cheer team. Paige is eating cheese puffs and cheering them on.

I look for James, stumbling towards him leaning against the wall. He's talking to a girl from school, her hand rubbing his chest.

"I'm going to go for a walk, " I announce, getting lost in the mix of sweaty teens.

I find the door leading to the backyard. Pushing the glass doors and inhaling the fresh air. The backyard is decorated with fairy lights hanging from the patio roof and leading into a garden.

The music is drowned out as I walk closer to one of the benches.

Before I can relax, a voice disrupts me.

"Are you lost?"

I scream, turning around with a hand over my chest. He's on the opposite side, sitting with his back against the fence. With the lights lowly illuminating his figure, it's difficult to make out any features.

A deep chuckle comes from him and I stare at his shadow.

The movement of him standing up alerts me. Until I recognize his dark hair and deep green eyes. Even while my mind is cloudy, I can make out who it is.

"Asher?" I scoff, "What are you even doing out here?" I ask, crossing my arms.

His usual grin has made its way onto his lips, as he gestures to the doors.

I give him a blank stare, sitting on the bench. I pat the spot beside me, surprised when he doesn't question it. I watch the night sky and enjoy the light breeze.

Asher turns to face me, arching a brow. "Are you drunk?" His brows crease as he watches me in amusement.

"No." I lie.

His laugh fills the air, causing my lips to twitch. "If you weren't drunk you would have run the other way already."

I want to argue that he's wrong, but I can't. Not when that's exactly what I do. We stay quiet while I search for anything to break the silence. It's hard to form coherent thoughts with the amount I had to drink.

I shiver as the night gets colder. My thin shirt doing nothing to keep me warm. The adrenaline from dancing and being inside has worn off.

"You didn't answer my question." I remind him.

I hear him sigh before responding. "All the girls were all over me, it's also peaceful out here, " he adds.

I laugh at his obvious sarcasm. "Right, the usual."

"Is that why you're here?" He jokes.

I roll my eyes, scoffing. This causes him to laugh even harder. We then sit in silence, the music sounding like it's miles away rather than right behind the door. It's almost soundproof which helps in case any neighbors complain.

I rub my arms as the air gets cooler, turning my head to look at Asher. Even just being this close to him would normally not happen. I vowed to never speak to him again.

"Come have a drink with me?" I ask, missing the warmth from inside.

I know the answer before he even responds. "I don't think that's a good idea, Zoey." He says.

I nod, standing up and smiling. "I'll see you around?"

He sticks his pinky out, my heart flipping because we used to do this years ago. When we were in grade school and I would make him use pinky promises to make sure he couldn't break them.

Asher gives me his best smile, as I pull my hand back and give him a small wave.

If only I wasn't holding on to my own promise to someone else.

I sit on the couch, scrolling through the movies sections while eating the frosting off of Oreos. For a Saturday night, this is not exactly the most exciting thing ever.

James did agree to come over while my parents go out on a date. I could tell that they were hesitant when I asked if it was okay for the two of us to hang out. They don't usually mind when all of us are together.

It has a lot to do with how this generation thinks that two people can't be left alone without wanting to do the tango.

The sound of heels against the floor pulls my attention away from the screen. My stepmother - Candice - stands in the living room with a smile. She wears a knee-length red dress with black heels. Her blonde hair curled loosely and red lipstick to match.

"I left my card on the table if you want to order food." She says.

My dad walks in shortly after, dressed in a nice button up and black slacks. He adjusts his watch while eyeing Candice. I make a gagging noise causing him to chuckle.

He leads her to the front door, telling me to lock the door and call if I need anything.

"Don't do anything you wouldn't do if we were here, " Dad says, kissing the top of my head.

With a laugh, I roll my eyes and wave at the two of them. Candice turns to face me, as my dad walks to his car.

She gives me a pointed look. "He has to leave before midnight."

I gesture towards the door. "Bye!" I smile as she narrows her eyes, but mutters a goodbye.

I sit back, hearing the car pull out of the driveway. I settle on Criminal Minds because James and I used to watch it together all the time.

My phone vibrates on the coffee table, a message from James reads that he's on his way. After I reply with a short message, I set my phone on the table.

Twenty minutes pass by until the headlights shine through the window. I get up from my spot on the couch to unlock the door.

James gets out while holding two paper bags in one arm and two drinks in the other. He struggles to lock his car with his arms full.

I take the drinks, opening the door wider. "You got us food?" I ask, my smile growing when I realize where it's from.

My stomach grumbles at the sight.

"I knew you would appreciate me a little more." He teases, kicking his shoes off at the front door.

I laugh, going to grab two plates from the kitchen. "It definitely helped!" I call out.

We watch an episode while having a light conversation. James gets up when it ends, taking the trash to the kitchen. I check my messages quickly, reading about Melissa and her date. Apparently, he only talks about himself and they are only a few minutes in.

"What are you laughing at?" James questions, tilting his head.

I consider brushing it off but figure that it would answer my assumptions. Although I'm sure he's aware of it anyway since she's very open about her life.

My attention is fully on him as I respond. "Mel's date isn't going that great."

His jaw immediately tenses, "The ones she's interested in are definitely something else." He laughs lightheartedly.

It's blatantly obvious to me that he's hurt. I ask myself when this happened. The four of us have been a tight group for four years now. Melissa being the last one to become join us. The two of them got along from the start, but I never noticed anything until recently.

And as their friend I already dread James being hurt when she finds out. Melissa is sometimes unaware of how harsh her words can come across.

James shifts in his spot on the couch, clearing his throat. "You're trying to figure out when I fell for her?" He asks.

For someone who is in their head a lot and would rather not talk about their own feelings, this was straightforward of him.

I nod, turning to face him curiously. "Has it been a while?"

Despite how uncomfortable he looks, he sighs deeply.

My phone rings, disrupting his response. I sigh, seeing the caller ID. I give him a small smile before making my way to the kitchen.

"Hey, dad."

His voice is quiet, "Can you clarify to Candice that you and James are simply friends."

I groan, leaning against the wall and sliding down.

______________

I bury my face in my arms, hoping that the kitchen suddenly opens up a giant hole that swallows me up.

"You're seventeen now Zoey, I was your age just fourteen years ago."

I press my cheek against the cool surface. "Oh my go-"

My stepmother felt the need to remind me of the practice of safe intercourse. It was awkward when she brought it up to me when I got my first boyfriend two years ago. And it's even worse now that I'm older.

"You might get urges, and that's normal. I just want to make sure that you know about diseases and pregnancy." I'm mortified when she pulls out a box of condoms.

I groan, "Why now?" I ask.

I've gone through sex education. And I definitely know how to use one by now. In fact, we went to the clinic just a few months ago for birth control. It's not like I'm ashamed to talk to her about it. It's simply not a conversation that I wanted to have again.

Or this early I'm the morning.

She casually shrugs, stirring her coffee as if she isn't embarrassing me.

"Because you're a young adult and I have doubts that you and James are just friends."

I laugh at that, my shoulders shaking as I throw my head back. "What the hell have you been reading?" I snicker.

"Language." She points at me.

I slide the box towards her. "You really don't have to worry about him."

Any traces of homecoming are gone by Monday morning. The neon flyers and banners have finally been taken down. Prevention posters filling the previous spots instead.

The halls are quiet as I carry a stack of portfolios to the art room. My current class is a free period used to study or to catch up on homework. I had nothing to catch up on, which is why my teacher had me doing this. I don't mind at all.

The art room is almost hidden in another building, along with two of the classrooms used for yearbook and photography. The old gym is downstairs, although no one uses it anymore.

I knock while juggling the crate in my arms.

I hear shuffling, the painted pale blue door with a quote in white paint creaks open. The art teacher is a young woman with curly blonde hair and an interesting style.

"Hey sweetie, you can set them down right over here." She leads me to the front table.

My arms fall at my side, reminding me of how unfit I am. This is an advanced art class, only holding six students. They all seem to be concentrated with their work.

"There's another box of canvases that she wanted me to bring, " I tell her.

She nods, looking towards the back of the room. "Anderson!"

I freeze when Asher glances up from his drawing, taking his earbuds out. "Yeah?" He asks, his dark hair falling right above his eyes.

"Do you mind grabbing some supplies that just came in?" She asks.

He nods, watching me curiously as he stands. "Sure."

I look away, making my way without checking to see if he is following. By the sound of his footsteps, I'm assured that he is.

I push the doors open, crossing my arms as the air hits my skin. After our short conversation, I assumed that we would go back to ignoring each other. We seem to do better that way anyway.

I feel him beside me, our arms brushing each other lightly. I tense immediately, instinctively moving away.

"There's the Zoey I know." He laughs.

I keep my lips pressed together, aware of my promise from two years ago.

Asher doesn't back down, bumping his arm against my shoulder. Our height difference is by a few inches, me being shorter.

"Even if you tell me off, I'll be satisfied."

I sigh, giving in. "You've always been stubborn."

He holds the door open for me, as well enter the empty library.

"Not true." I watch as he picks up a box with ease.

I give him a pointed look, reminding him of all the times where he was persistent. "I could name a few times."

He grins, pushing the door open as we both carry a box. I struggle more than Asher does which explains a lot. Considering that he works out and I don't.

"It never got us in trouble, " He says smugly.

I answer with a scoff. "You don't remember getting us both sick and grounded for persisting that eating a tub of ice cream would be fun?"

He chuckles at the memory, "Alright, you got me there."

We make it to the art room, setting the boxes down. The teacher thanks me again and I say goodbye to Asher before leaving.

The bell for lunch rings shortly after I have gathered my things from the classroom. I spot Melissa in the hall as I make my way into the cafeteria.

"Hey Zo, " She says, joining me.

I give her a smile as we get in line before the rest of the buildings are allowed out. Seniors are allowed to get to the cafeteria five minutes before everyone else. It may not seem like much, but the lines get full in the blink of an eye.

As soon as we get our food we join Paige and James at our usual table. It's near the middle, where most of the cheerleaders and football players sit.

The seating here is as stereotypical as it gets in high school. Although there a lot of people who belong to no group that sits wherever they want. Me being one of those.

I have never been one to try to fit into a group. My friends have a sport or club that they are in but it has never gotten in between us.

Somehow they start a conversation about movies. Paige seems to know just about everything single movie that is considered a classic.

"I still can't believe you guys haven't watched The Breakfast Club." She pouts. "It's a rule in life to watch it at least a hundred times."

Mel scrunches her nose. "I watched a few minutes of it and got bored." She shrugs.

I bite my lip to hold in a laugh as Paige gasps. "You can't judge an entire movie without watching it."

She definitely has a point.

I let them argue, James and I watch in amusement while eating our lunch.

I look around the cafeteria discreetly, my eyes landing on the table in front of us. Asher sits with his friends and a few girls who attempted to flirt with each of them.

I shake my head, hiding a smile. His head lifts, our eyes connecting for a few seconds until I break eye contact. I noticed his lips tilting up already.

I glance at Melissa and end up reminiscing on what happened at her sixteenth birthday party. The reason why things between us there are so strained.

Or non-existent because she avoids him at all costs. And because I'm her friend, I agreed to also stay away.

I'm pulled away from my thoughts with a question about which restaurant has the best fries.

"Chick-Fil-A, " I say without any hesitation.