The Mess We Made

Ashley

Veronica was standing outside Ashley's class building, scrolling on her phone when a giant sunflower appeared in front of her face. She blustered and backed away, to see Ashley in the full picture in front of her. Her afro was tied up into two poofs on the sides of her head, and she was wearing a yellow button down jumpsuit that popped against her dark skin.

"Did you pick a sunflower to be your accessory and just decide to walk around campus with it?"

Ashley threw her head back to laugh. She always did that, Veronica noticed. She laughed with her whole body no matter how small the joke was. Veronica didn't know if she did that with everyone, or if she only did it because she liked Veronica. Veronica wanted to find out.

"I got it for you from my environmental science class. We were in the greenhouse today."

Veronica raised an eyebrow, "Is that allowed?"

Ashley held one finger to her lips while she shoved the sunflower at Veronica again, and Veronica cracked a smile. She plucked the flower out of Ashley's hand and Ashley beamed like a proud child. Veronica liked seeing Ashley smile like that, it was something so pure, so genuine. It didn't take a lot to make Ashley smile, she did it without demanding anything in return.

It had been a week since they had first met, and they'd taken to texting all the time. They hung out every day since, just as casual friends.

Ashley fell in step with Veronica as they walked to Ashley's apartment together. Their sides were pressed close, and their knuckles kept brushing until Veronica just went ahead and grabbed Ashley's hand, intertwining their fingers and swinging them back and forth. Ashley flashed her that smile again. Veronica liked making her smile.

For a second the thought that they looked like a happy couple, holding hands in broad daylight, made Veronica's stomach turn. She usually never did this. She had never waited for a girl after class before, aside from Reina who didn't count. She had never walked around campus holding a girl's hand, and she had never walked home with a girl without the sole intention of sleeping with her. All of those things led to the expectation of a relationship, which Veronica didn't, couldn't give. Now more than ever before. She realized that when they got to Ashley's place she was going to have to give her the talk, make sure she understood what they were. But in that moment, Veronica liked how easy and uncomplicated everything felt. She embraced it for now.

Reina texted Veronica as soon as Ashley turned the lock and held an arm out to present her room. Veronica swiped the notification away.

"Welcome to my humble abode, population of one, sometimes," Ashley said cheekily.

Ashley lived by herself in a small studio, and it was stuffed with her personality. If someone showed Veronica pictures of a room and had her guess which one was Ashley's, it would've been easy.

There were plants in every corner, of all kind. Long, spindly plants, pots of flowers, and small succulents dotting the window sills. A colorful rug took up the center of the floor, and there were contemporary art pieces of naked women on every wall. The bed was a small twin sized mattress covered in throw pillows. On the bed was a tray that held a half wrapped blunt, a Hello Kitty lighter, and a glittery, resin ash tray.

Veronica made her way to the bed without hesitation and sunk into the plush mattress. She flicked open the lighter and gaped at Ashley when she saw the flame was pink. Ashley laughed.

"It's cute, of course I had to get it."

She crossed the room to sit next to Veronica, grabbing the tray and fixing the blunt. She sat cross-legged and Veronica turned to mirror her, knees touching. When the blunt was rolled up Ashley brought it to her lips and looked at Veronica expectantly. Veronica moved closer, so that the flame lit the space between them as she burned the end. Neither of them moved as Ashley took her first inhale, then let the smoke out between them.