If the Story Aligns

Chapter 21-Bright Ambitions

Asher Reed

I wake to soft repeated thuds, hazily I sit up remembering I'm at Rhea's. She's not next to me, where I left her falling asleep. Walking out of her room I see her hitting the punching bag, it is obvious she's lacking her usual strength by the looks of her hits. She doesn't notice me as I walk up behind her.

"Rhea..." I hesitantly say, she doesn't reply. I tap her on the shoulder and repeat her name, she turns around in shock on the verge of hitting me.

"Oh my god, Asher." She says relieved, "You scared the shit out of me."

"What are you doing? You're still hurt." She sighs annoyed, and turns around to return to hitting the bag.

"I'm fine. I'm the best now so that means I have to stay the best. Are you hungry?" Changing the topic.

"Uh, yeah." She grabs my hand and walks over to the kitchen.

Rhea begins making some eggs and grabs some bacon out of the fridge and says, "So, we still have to finish our project, the wax museum is tomorrow."

"Shit." I sigh, "I totally forgot about that, we don't even have stuff to wear for it."

"We have to dress up?"

"Yup, I guess we get to go shopping today. At least we're done with the majority of the rest of the project."

"I need my bike."

"No."

"Yes, Asher." She says handing me some eggs and bacon.

"I'm not letting you ride your bike right now."

"Then let me ride you." I choke on a piece of bacon.

"What?" I rasp out.

"Huh? Did I say something?" She denies.

"Rhea..." I groan. Fuck, now I cant stop thinking about her riding me.

"What, Ash? I was just asking about my bike" She says smirking.

"So, the mall?" She adds.

"Nah, we probably have to hit up a costume store, unless you can find something from back then at a normal store." All I get in response is an awkward chuckle then her walking back to her room.

I continue eating my breakfast while I wait for her to come back out, she's changed into a different pair of pants and a very similar looking hoodie, the only thing she ever wears.

"Okay, let's go." Rhea interrupts my staring.

I walk out in front of her, opening the doors for her before we make our way to a costume store.

"You know if we would have planned ahead we could have just ordered stuff on amazon and it probably would've been cheaper and easier." She chides.

"I've tried getting you to come over more for the project but you're the one with a secret you insisted on keeping." I bite back.

"Touche."

Entering in the store the people inside consisted of little kids and their parents, cosplayers, and goth people. Safe to say, it's not my usual scenery.

"BOO!" a small kid wearing a mask jumps out from around the corner, I stare at him confused as Rhea fake screams and crouches down to his height.

"You scared me!" She sighs.

"I DID?" The little kid squeals in joy.

"Yes, you sir are very very scary." He smiles so brightly then turns to run back to whoever he was with. I smile at Rhea's interaction with the little boy. I've realized the only times she ever seems happy is with little kids, and once in a while, me. Whenever she talks to Nia, I see a completely different side of her.

She walks ahead going over to a section with "medieval" type clothes.

"I feel like a thrift store probably would've worked better than this." Rhea says snarkily, "Don't they just wear suits and dresses, but from 40 years ago? I don't think we need to go this far back." She says gesturing towards the medieval section.

"Shit," I say, realizing she's right, "thrift store it is then." I grab her hand and walk out of the store, so we can head over to a thrift store. She tenses at me grabbing her hand but lets me anyway.

Once we arrive at the thrift store, she quickly makes her way to the women's sections not waiting for me. I decided to just grab things from the mens section so I don't just keep following her around like a lost puppy.

I found clothes that would work fairly quickly, of course Rhea was right. I make my way over to her and I see she has this ugly looking old ass dress, a blazer, and a hat.

"Well, those will definitely work." I say sheepishly.

"I know it's ugly, but so are most of the clothes from back then." She counters.

"Let's leave before I have to stare at that dress any longer." I retort.

"Funny." I get a sarcastic reply in return.

We walk up to the check out and it's a older lady working, "You two are such a darling couple," She says with a southern twang, "These clothes y'all got are precious, people your age nowadays tend to dress in those little skimpy clothes, or extremely oversized things, no one has style anymore likeI did when I was young." The clothes we are buying are probably from when she was young.

"Thank you, ma'am." Rhea says, not disagreeing with the women's antics, Rhea goes to pay for the clothes but I tap my card before she can.

"I could have bought that." She grumbles, and leaves the store. I hum in response and lead her towards my car.

"So, we are a darling couple, I personally enjoyed her word choice, darling."

"First off, we aren't a couple. I just didn't argue because I didn't want to be there longer than I had to be, and second stop calling me darling."

"Agh, my heart," I say, clutching my chest, "It feels as if someone broke it."

"Shut the fuck up," She mumbles, "Can I finally get my bike back? My leg is fine"

"She says while she's still fucking limping and wincing at too much movement."

"Fuck you, Asher." Rhea adds while getting in the car.

"Please do." This time instead of me freezing at her comment, she freezes at mine. "Cat caught your tongue, darling?"

"Whatever Asher, just take me home."

"Only if I can stay over again."

"Why would you fucking want to stay over?"

"Well darling, we still have to finish our project, and you don't have your bike so how are you supposed to get to school tomorrow. It's either we stay at your place or we stay at mine. Your choice."

"Ugh." Is all I get as a response.

"So, mine it is." She doesn't protest so I head into the direction of my house. Every time I think I make progress with her, we go back to the exact spot we were previously. As if she was reading my thoughts she interrupts the silence at a red light with, "I'm sorry."

"For what, darling?" 

"Pushing you away."

"I'm okay with you pushing me away, as long as you're there to let me back in once you're done." Rhea lets out a breath of relief and positions herself more towards me. 

"Thank you, Ash, for everything."

. . .