Days of Decay

Chapter One

Then

Outside the corner shop, the two teens stared begrudgingly at the sorry states of their wallets.

"Maybe we can pawn off that ring of yours," Kit remarked as he pointed to the silver, floral ring that wrapped around Asha's middle finger.

She gasped, mocking shock, and held her hand protectively over it before nudging him hard with her elbow. "I've literally had this for a week and you're already trying to sell it for alcohol."

"Oh, come on, I'm sure Mamasita wouldn't mind," Kit grinned as he rummaged desperately in his jean pockets for any hidden cash.

Asha's hazel eyes rolled instantly. "When will you stop sexualising mi mamá?"

"Never," he replied, his freckled nose scrunching in a smirk.

She frowned up at him. "She would kill you if she knew you were the reason her Mexican, family heirloom lived in a pawn shop mere days after being gifted to her eldest daughter on her 18th birthday."

Kit shook his head, amused. "Isobel would never kill me. I'm the son she never had."

"You are something else..." Asha mused, reaching into the deep crevices of her bag. Her fingers brushed over something that felt very thin, and very crumpled. She grabbed it immediately and whipped it out, her eyes burst wide.

"Yes!" Kit shouted before snatching the £20 note from her grasp. "We can get a nice bottle for pres."

Asha promptly plucked it back. "I can get a nice bottle for pres."

He shrugged, not looking too disappointed. "Is that really how you treat your best friend?"

"Yes, and that's why you're my best friend over anyone else."

"You don't count Ella as your bestie?" He asked, pushing the door to the shop open and walking in.

Asha followed him, keeping as close as possible to him as the guy who ran the shop had a penchant for younger girls, especially ones who wore what Asha was wearing at that very moment. "No, she's my sister. I was forced to spend my life with her. You're a choice."

"I feel so privileged," Kit remarked, moving Asha in front of him as they walked further down the shop, his glance pointed behind them for a brief moment before he looked ahead again to the shelves of enticing bottles.

"You should." Asha's focus stuck fast onto the variety of drinks in front of them. She reached out for a pink bottle of gin and after checking the price, pulled it from the shelf. "This will do."

"Okay, but I need to mix it with coke. What will the boys think if they saw me chugging that down?"

Asha's frown re-appeared. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Honestly. Your toxic masculinity will be the death of you. It's 2021, we're drinking it with lemonade."

"Fine," he agreed, "I'll get over myself just this once."

"Since when did you become so agreeable so fast?" She questioned him with a thick, dark eyebrow raised high.

"Since I can't be bothered to fight with you, and since we're going to be late to this fucking party if we don't hurry up!" He said, swiping a 2L bottle of lemonade from the bottom shelf and walking towards the cashier.

Asha scoffed and hurried alongside him, gin and money in one hand while the other hand rummaged in her bag for her ID.

When they reached the pay desk, Kit purposefully stood in front of Asha and presented all of their goods on the counter before sticking both of their IDs out to the man.