The Colors Of His Persona

His Persona- 3

Breathless and panting, I dashed down the bustling sidewalk, weaving through the throng of people, deftly avoiding overhead obstacles like low-hanging branches and even the occasional garbage bin. It had taken me a good half an hour to catch the bus, and now I was putting every ounce of speed I had into reaching our meeting spot.

"Hey, you're finally here!" Ashlyn's unusually cheerful voice greeted me as I approached. Drawing closer, I couldn't help but admire her appearance. She stood before me in a simple yet stunning white off-shoulder mid-thigh red dress, complemented perfectly by silver heels that matched her heart-shaped bag. Her wavy, dyed blond hair was styled in an elegant half-up, half-down 'do, with a subtle peek of her light brunette roots showing. Though there was a hint of annoyance in her expression, she masked it with a forced smile as she handed me a water bottle.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, accepting the bottle like a lifeline.

"You look great," she joked, striding ahead with her hand brushing against the flower petals lining the path. "But I thought I told you to dress up?"

"But you never—" I began to protest, but she shot me a sharp glance, her smile still firmly in place.

"Yeah, yeah, what's so urgent that you literally made me fly here?" I asked, sidestepping her forced expression. Straightening up, I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead and took a long gulp of water. Ashlyn giggled softly, but behind the laughter, I could see a mixture of annoyance and sadness flickering in her eyes.

"Ash, are you okay?" I asked softly, reaching out for her hand, but she pressed her hand to her chest and rushed into my arms, catching me off guard. Seeing her tears, I held her more firmly, my own emotions swirling inside me.

Ashlyn was the older, more accomplished sister, only 27 but already achieving more than I ever could. I knew our parents would have been proud of her accomplishments, while I struggled just to make ends meet.

She cried for a while, but my mind was consumed by my own emotions, memories of our parents' tragic passing flooding back.

"You're gonna be okay," I whispered, brushing her hair back in a comforting gesture. Even though I didn't know why she was crying, I felt like I needed to be the older sister right now, to comfort her in any way I could.

Honestly, I never thought I'd see her so vulnerable and in tears. After our parents' deaths, she had never shed a tear, but I knew it had been suffocating her inside. Being only six at the time and having only faded memories of the past didn't help.

"Ash, I'm here. You can talk to me... I'm here," I whispered, meaning every word. She pushed herself away, wiping her tears away ever so slightly. It broke my heart even more, but I waited for her to speak.

"I must look stupid, crying like that," she chuckled lightly.

I furrowed my brows at her words, but she smiled softly, taking my hand. Her red cheeks matched her eyes, shining with a smile.

"Ellie, it's just that I have some great news I desperately want to tell you, but my emotions took over... Would you look at that, we're gonna be late," she said, glancing at her gold watch and pulling me in an unknown direction. I was speechless, unsure of what to say or do.

It took only five minutes before we reached a surprisingly luxurious restaurant. I suddenly felt out of place in my baggy overalls and blue anime T-shirt. It was now clear why Ashlyn was dressed so fancy on a Saturday night.

We entered, and instantly I felt out of place. The decor screamed "rich" to me, making me feel even poorer by comparison. Ashlyn spoke to the receptionist, her voice filled with excitement.