Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 74

On this episode of my-life-is-a-fever-dream, Lyra takes me grocery shopping.

I've never been grocery shopping before. But I will die before I admit I can't do something to Lyra. Esmerelda usually would drop supplies off whenever she can, and it really didn't matter if my fridge is stocked or not because I am rarely home.

But now, now it's different.

There are considerable changes I've noticed in the past few weeks. The blinds are up more often and there are tea and coffee rings on the counter specifically marking where Lyra and I put our mugs (we always forget the placemats). Lyra's perfume has now interwoven with the smell of the house. Making it a part of home.

I spend more time at home. I bring whatever work I have left from the office and work on it in the living room. No longer do I sit in my office into ungodly hours. There are documents on the coffee table, interspersed with Lyra's novels.

The main bathroom has both our toothbrushes, and now I'm used to feeling her solid figure pressed against my arm when we brush our teeth together. Sometimes, I hear muffled music from Lyra's room but mostly, the loneliness that triumphed is stepped on by our conversations.

And there is a lot more washing up to do. I never used to cook, unless someone was over. But now that I'm living with Lyra, we cook at-least thrice a week. I fall into the schedule blindly, unknowingly but comfortably. Eating more at home also mean we run out of groceries fast.

For the past couple of times, Lyra had been doing the shop runs. But this time, she sees me lounging on the couch, flicking idly through some proposals before she grabs me by the ear.

Hence, why I'm staring, mouth agape, at the sizeable crowd at the doors of the supermarket.

"There are so many people." I groan, refusing to budge when Lyra nudges me with the trolley

"You like people." She says

"I'm good with people. Doesn't mean I like them." I grumble and letting her grip my upper arm

We are immediately attacked by a large group. I stop in my tracks but Lyra tightens her hold around me and marches on. I forget how many people I knock into and how many I've pushed aside. Lyra is a flurry of activity, checking expiry dates and weighing food.

I spot the brainsnacks cereal and remembers that our stock of it is woefully empty. I take it and mimicking Lyra, I look for its expiry date. I'm about to chuck it in the trolley when I lock eyes with a child next to me. He is clinging onto his mother with a thumb stuck in his mouth. He blinks at me and then stares. Feeling rather caught out for some reason, I stare back.

"Aiden, where—" I hear Lyra come up from behind me and then sigh. "What are you doing?"

"He is being very accusing." I stare my intensely and the kid drops his thumb from his mouth to stare at me harder

Lyra comes into my view.

"Hey." I begin

She glares firmly at the little kid until he starts crying. The mother begins to fuss over him now.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." She says quietly. "Pick on somebody your own size next time."

I watch it happen, weirdly warm that she fought in my defense. "Did you just make a child cry?"

And then she turns to me, unimpressed. "I'll make you cry too."

I scratch the back of my head, sheepishly and the raise the cereal box at her, "Brainsnacks?"

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"Penny for your thoughts?" I sit on the edge of the barstool when Asa approaches me, his white shirt damp with sweat and something dubiously pink.

"By penny do you mean whiskey and by thoughts do you mean my existential spiral?" I look up at him with a strained smile. "Don't mind if I do."

Asa slips into the empty seat next to me and waves at the bartender. A bartender, who is very much aware of just how underage we are, swaddles over and leans in so that Asa can hiss his order in.

"What," I grumble at I feel his suggestive expression. He looks innocently at me and I glare on unimpressed. "Asa, either your eyebrows are trying to do the Macarena or you have something to say to me."

"Subtlety is not my forte is it?" he thinks out loud and then shakes himself out of it. "We haven't got the chance to properly talk after your accident."

I try not to let my initial confusion take hold of my facial expressions. That's what Nick had come up with to cover for my absence of three weeks. I got into a car accident because he is just that creative in his lying. And I mean, it isn't a whole lie.

"Well, I've been busy catching up on school work and we've SATs coming up." I wave my hand around dismissively

Because that's why we are at a bar at 2am. Amy would have a stroke. Multiple.

The bartender knocks on the counter between us and Asa turns around with his mouth open midway as if to ask something. He nods a thank you and hands me one of the glasses.

"Bottoms up," he smiles and we clink our glasses before downing it. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

Asa tries again, "I just meant, you seem tight lipped about it. I understand you went through some serious trauma but it helps to talk to someone about it."

I sigh and look down.

Asa nudges me and then when I don't budge he gently tugs at my shoulder. I look at him. "You know we are your friends, right? Nick's not the only one who has your back around here."

That's, awfully sweet.

"I—thanks Asa." I say sincerely and he looks a little taken aback when no snark follows but then happily smiles because he knows he is getting through to me. "Admittedly, everything that happened." I draw in a harrowing breath reminding myself of glimpses of the ice box. "It's still too much of a shock to process. I just want to get my life back on track."

He nods, trying to be understanding, "Okay," he says quietly but content that I admitted it. "Anytime you need to talk, anywhere, I'm here for you."

I chuckle and let myself take comfort in the way he presses his shoulder against me in silent support. The moment lasts a whole minute before Jenna comes running in screaming over the music at us asking why the fuck are we not on the dance floor.

Asa and I let out startled yelps of laughter when she grabs us by our hands and bulldoze her way to the middle of the floor where I catch glimpses of Liam, Nick and Mena. The harsh EDM beat throbs through me as I disengage from Asa. Liam grabs my hands and I gratefully follow his lead not wanting to thirdwheel the happy couple.

Liam leans into whisper, "How are you?"

"Seen better days," I try to be loud as I can so he hears me. He looks at me worried and I shake my head at him choosing to dance instead of talk. Nick hoots his approval and twirls Mena who is beyond hammered unable to coordinate her movements anymore.

Still in his drunken haze, I watch as Nick linger near me, pushing through the crowds to stay within arms distance, almost terrified that I might disappear into thin air as I once did. I can't begin to understand his pain. It's not like I didn't try to. I tried to imagine what I would be like if our roles were reversed because if anything happened to him, I'd-

So I try to be sympathetic.