𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓- 𝙟𝙤𝙝𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚

06. 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐔𝐏

— ASTRA

"You should speak to him.." Daisy told me as we both walked down the sidewalk toward the town library. Our book bags made our shoulders ache as we dragged our foot one after the other onto the pavement. My back felt as stiff as a board, I was so tempted to just drop the bag and go home.

"Daisy.." I groaned, throwing my head back in frustration. "When are you going to let it go! he clearly doesn't wanna be around me." I reminded her, rolling my eyes at her.

"That ain't true!" she scolded, slapping my arm. "You didn't even get a chance to hear what he had to say before you stormed off!" She practically yelled. I looked at her surprised as I never told her to the details, so how did she know? she realised what she had said and she covered her mouth before giving me a guilty look. "Listen..." Daisy cleared her throat, "I saw Johnny when I went home with Two-Bit that night..."

"Shit.." I whispered, rubbing my forehead. "Let me guess, he never wants to speak to me again- oh Daisy, I knew it!" I yelled, stomping my foot.

"Ash." She quickly cut me off, her tone of voice all serious which scared me something awful since she was never serious. "He told me that he really didn't mean to get angry with you. He just.. hates talking about his parents. He really didn't mean it and he wishes that he could take it all back." She explained to me, my eyes widening with each word said. Her explanation didn't make sense, and I felt almost as if she was just bullshitting and she was only saying all of this because she didn't want to upset me, but I hoped that what she was saying was true.

"Really?" I questioned surprised and she nodded with a wide smile. I smiled brightly as I thought about Johnny and being able to see him again. "So.. you think I should go for it?" I asked Daisy before walking into the DX to grab a snack for the library.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, walking down the aisle next to me as we scanned the racks for something to eat. Just then, a boy came out in a DX uniform and a smile. He was beautiful if I did say so, with his blue eyes and wheat blonde hair. He had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth, causing him to make slight sucking noises every once and a while. I knew him by his name, which was Sodapop. It was quite peculiar, but it wasn't like mine was any more common. He was also known for his looks, which was fair as he was gorgeous and girls would always come down just to get the chance to flirt with him. It was as if he was a movie star or something with fans coming in, one by one. He looked like a movie star too, so I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him on screen one day.

"How can I help you lady's" the boy asked politely as we walked up to the register, snacks in hand. I could tell that Daisy was immediately turned on by his looks, and I couldn't blame her— though, he wasn't my type and I was already committed to Johnny.

"Let's start with your number" Daisy winked at him, causing me to cringe and roll my eyes. I immediately knew where this was going, and I didn't want to have to witness the whole thing so I walked outside.

I threw my head back and leaned on the brick wall, watching as residents of Tulsa walked past. Some were different while others were the same. Some had different dog breeds while others were identical. It was all repetitive and boring, so much so that I had to tell Daisy to hurry up as she continued to flirt with the boy. "You get his number?" I asked as she walked out of the DX and we both continued to walk. She nodded happily, almost skipping down the sidewalk.

I wish that I was as beautiful and courages as Daisy. She could get any guy that she wanted, and I was merely a girl who happened to be her best friend. People always compared the two of us, making me more and more insecure. It was both heartbreaking and disappointing as Daisy never really defended me with it. She just laughed and took the compliment, flipping her hair and batting her eyes lashes. She knew of her beauty, so whenever she saw a boy that she knew she could easily wrap around her finger, she took the chance to make a move. It was agonising to watch as I was always fuelled with envy.

"Are you okay?" Daisy asked as she noticed my sudden shift in mood, from happiness to the jealousy that shined through me. "You seem off?"

"I'm fine" I lied with a half assed smile. I continued to walk to the library, not bothering to look back at Daisy who hadn't stopped. After I heard her footsteps continuing behind me, I realised that Daisy didn't always look out for me like I did with her. She never defended me when I needed her to, and she always found a way to make me feel like shit. Even so, she had moments where she stuck her neck out for me— and those were the moments that counted the most. She's gotten me out of situations that most can't get out of, and for that, I was grateful.

"You can't dodge him." Daisy finally followed me as we walked into the library. I looked around and saw that it was empty as it was summer vacation. I walked down the aisles and skimmed the shelves for a new read. "Ash."

I whipped around and looked at her. "I know Daisy. I'm just-"

"Scared?" she finished my sentence and I nodded. I sighed deeply and she stayed silent, figuring out how to respond to my stress and constant fear of the situation at hand. "Maybe.. you should dodge him then."

I was surprised by her answer as she was usually being supportive. I mean, the entire roller coaster ride that I had with Johnny, she was always there. She always gave me advice when needed and was supportive, so why was she suddenly switching up? maybe it was because she couldn't be bothered with what I had to say or what was going on between us, and I honestly couldn't blame her. At the moment, it was messy, and who knows how long this will go on for. Maybe Johnny will be another failed talking stage, who knows?

"Well.. alright. I won't talk to him" I told her disappointed, almost as if I was waiting for her to change her mind. As she began to walk away, I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. Just as she was turning the corner into the next aisle.

— I SAW HER   SMIRK