almost

2

Asher

Asher tossed and turned, being succumbed into his navy blue bedsheets, until his 5:30am alarm went off. Three days since the funeral and five days since her death. Checking his notifications, he notices one missed call from Raven Gonzales at 2:04am. Why would she call him past midnight? A few more questions surfaced, but he shrugged them off before grabbing a towel from the hallway cupboard. Hot, steamy water skimmed every inch of Asher's skin, but it was never enough to wash away the memory of Eden. Black coffee with one sugar cube wasn't enough to wash away the parts of her that clung to his tongue. Taking the long way to the local bagel shop, to avoid passing her house, did not console his curiosity. Her parents were withdrawn, but they had every right to be. Their only daughter killed herself in the only home they had ever lived in. Or so they thought.
***
It was still the beginning of fall break, therefore school was out. Consequently, every place was booming with business from bored and hungry teenagers. Asher took his normal seat in a well-lit booth, facing the door. Ron's Bagel Shoppe was the best breakfast joint in town, from attractive baristas, freshly baked donuts and bagels, and the aroma of fried bacon and eggs. Raven, who usually worked there on weekdays after school, was nowhere to be seen. Asher ordered his usual - two over hard eggs, a raisin bagel, and a hot caramel latte. He checked his phone again, there were no new notifications.
Asher held the door open for an elderly couple before stepping out onto Lance Street. Walking towards the art store, where he worked, he noticed a new shop on the street - a consignment store. He subtly peered inside the front windows while passing. He saw her. The girl with onyx hair from Eden's funeral. They made eye contact, but she was the first to look away. He kept walking but a million urges to go ask her questions arose.
***
Night came fast and it came crashing. Raven still had not contacted him and worry was still drowning his thoughts. After pacing the hallways of his childhood home, he decided to surf the internet for a bit. Subliminally, he wanted to search for the girl with onyx hair. The first place to look? Facebook. He slowly scrolled through Eden's friends. A million and one people posted condolences to her timeline, but they were all too late to care. He had one promising lead - a girl, her name was Ashlyn. But it was not her because Ashlyn had brown eyes and Asher distinctly remembered the girl with onyx hair having pearly blue eyes. After hours of searching to no avail, Asher rested his own eyes. Thoughts of Eden came swarming, but he was able to escape through sleep soon enough.
He had a single dream.
And of course, it was about Eden.