Deja Vu (SatoGou)

Chapter 5

The next couple of months were a whirlwind. Ash came to my house more often, usually just to watch TV together for a few hours until my parents were due home, and then he'd leave. It seemed like I was hiding him from them, and in a way I was, because my parents had already started to suspect I wasn't straight, and I didn't want to add fuel to that fire. We'd sneak out a couple of nights a week to ride around in Drew's car, singing along to stupid pop songs I didn't think I'd like. I didn't tell Chloe, because I didn't think she'd approve.

We'd go to the park, go bowling, and to the cinema. It seemed like I spent all of my free time with Ash, and a lot of it with Dawn and Chloe, who started officially dating midway through December, though it was our secret, because Chloe didn't want the rest of the school to know yet. That meant that even in a group setting, it was usually me and Ash stuck with one another, but that was okay, because I was quickly realising that this was my best friend. This was like the one person that was made for me. He was the missing puzzle piece in my life, and that's why he fit so quickly and perfectly into it, when I'd thought there was no space for him.

Then, one day when we were sitting in my bedroom after school right before Christmas break, I heard the door unlock and open downstairs. I froze up, and Ash looked sideways at me, sensing my sudden tenseness. We were lying together in bed, so I quickly sat up, in case whichever of my parents had come back early came up to see me. Ash followed my move, sitting up.

"Is that your parents?" He asked, unbothered. I nodded, already standing to go downstairs. Maybe I could get Ash out without them noticing?

When I reached the door, I heard footsteps on the stairs, and sucked in a deep breath. I opened the door, and my dad was there, home early from work, looking tired.

"Hey Goh," he said, smiling. "You good?"

"Hey dad. I'm fine," I answered, standing in the doorway. I was hoping he wouldn't look past me, but then I saw his eyes flick over my shoulder, to where Ash was sitting on the edge of my bed awkwardly. His eyebrows raised in surprise, just for a second.

"Oh, you have a friend over," he said. "I didn't realise."

Ash came to stand behind me, and I stepped out of the way, knowing it was better to get the awkward encounter out of the way. Ash smiled, in his usual charming way. "I'm Ash. It's nice to meet you, sir."

I almost laughed. I wasn't used to hearing him sound so formal. My dad seemed charmed, though, and just nodded once. "Nice to meet you too. Walker." He actually stuck his hand out and shook Ash's. I was mortified, but neither of them seemed bothered at all. "Well, I'll leave you two alone."

He disappeared back down the stairs. I shut the door again and shivered. I wanted to quickly forget that encounter. I just prayed that he wouldn't question me about Ash later. Ash was frowning when I turned back to him. "Do you want me to go?"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. He doesn't care that you're here, I promise." I was nervous about my mom coming home soon too, but now that he'd met my dad, a weight had lifted slightly off my shoulders anyway.

"Okay," he said, and went right back to the bed, where the paused TV show waited. I climbed back on beside him, and pressed play.

— — — —

I wanted to see Ash on Christmas, but I had only been friends with him for a few months, and I didn't want to ask him to take away some of the time with his family to see me. We'd seen each other a few times over Christmas break, and on the last time, we'd exchanged gifts. I worried he'd think mine was lame. I got us matching leather woven bands for our wrists. His was navy blue, and mine was dark red. I hadn't thought that he might find it weird until after I gave it to him, and on Christmas day I cringed thinking about him opening it, and wondering why I would get us a matching present already.