Red Thorns 💯💯🔊🔊🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

number six

So yeah..  I've been kicked out of my apartment on the exact day in which I have plans with a good friend of mine.

I head to work early with bags filled with my stuff.

Yes, I'm dressed in average clothing since my landlord was nice enough to let me shower and stuff before leaving.

I unlock the doors to the library with my employee keys, re-lock the doors, (I think employees have keys but I dunno, I've never had a job before. And if employees don't, in fact, have keys to their workplace just pretend that I do because of some special privileges that I have for some reason.) and head to the break room to change into my uniform and wait until the store officially opens so I can do all of the opening stuff for the bookstore.

While I'm waiting, I search up places to stay on my phone.

'Maybe I'll stay at a hotel in the meantime. Orrrr...
maybe I'll crash at Claire's apartment since we already go to the same job together,' I thought.
I was practically homeless so I was kinda stressing.
I wasn't going to cancel on Az, though. We had already agreed on a time and place, so, why not go through with it?

Speaking of Az, I got a text message from him.

"Hey, bro! I'm stoked to see you at the fair today!"
he texts.

"Excited to see you, too! 💙"
I reply.

I actually really, really like him. I can't tell if it's just the feeling of how fantastic or friendship is or if it's something else.

Now that I think of it, he's been acting just a TAD bit off lately. He's been inviting me to go out more, he's been super nice, and I feel like he's trying to build a closer relationship with me.
Maybe I'm just taking it the wrong way.
He's super nice to everyone.

Whatever. It's opening time for the library and when I open doors to the public, I can see Claire come in, wearing her uniform and stuff.
We greet each other.

"Ooh, yeah, I saw you get beat up by that big, bulky, ginormous, dude the other day. HAHAHAHHAHAHHA LOSER LOSER LOSER LOSER" she said.

Well, she said something like that.

"Hahaha!! I know right, sooo embarrassing. In the end, I didn't even gain anything from it, either! Can you believe it??? I've been missing work in order to go to the gym for a good while and I lost my apartment!! Hahahhahahha!! I'm sooo tremendously upset, so would you help me out and let me stay at your apartment for a bit until I can get myself an apartment again, my pookie wookie shnookie dookie bear?"
I ask her.

Since I'm such a good friend of hers, obviously, she let me crash at her place.

Besides me not having an apartment anymore and resorting to staying at a friend's apartment, the day went on normally. I did library stuff, helped some people out, talked to Claire, per usual.

Then, it was 6 pm which meant closing time for the library and amusement park fun time with abnormally close friend for me!!

Being so excited, I quickly raced to the employees bathroom and changed into the most flattering I had. Which wasn't that flattering, actually. It was just a pink and blue Hawaiian shirt and some khakis.

I look at myself, in the mirror, smiling. I hate to admit it, but I had a crush on Asmodeus. Honestly he was all I'd ever wanted and more. But there was absolutely no possible way to tell if he felt the same way about me or not. Right? Right. Cause he treats me like I'm the most important being in the universe, but if I'm being serious, he really does treat everyone that way. Plus, I just CAN'T do anything about it because I'd be putting our friendship at risk, and if something happens, I don't think we could go back to being 'just friends' in a non-awkward way. So, yeah. Better safe than sorry.

Claire and I look up the doors to the bookstore and she heads home while I make my way to the amusement park.
It was super pretty outside since the sun was starting to set. I was basically giggling and kicking my feet out of excitement, because, not only was I going to get to spend time with him, but I was getting the chance to go to an amusement park. Yeah, I've been to it once, but no more than that. Why? Because the entrance tickets and stuff cost a mega, super-duper, butt-ton of money and I didn't want to spend money. But, hey, at least it's not MY money I'm spending this time since Az pays for most of our outings.

(If you're wondering, YES. I DO FEEL BAD BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT ASMODEUS IS SPENDING HIS WELL-EARNED MONEY HALF OF THE TIME. It's not that I TRY to spend his money that he worked so hard to earn because if he'd let me, I would most definitely pay for things myself. However, he always insists that he pays for everything because he has 'tons to spare'.
MY POINT IS THAT I'M NOT PURPOSELY TRYING TO SPEND HIS CASH.)

I soon arrive at the amusement park. When I get there, I can see Az at the entrance, waiting for me, like the tremendous friend he is. He looks around before spotting me.

"Oh! Hey, Kaleb!" he says, eyes lighting up as he waves at me.

I wave back at him and quickly rush toward him.

"I've already gotten entrance tickets for us!" he says excitedly.

We do the entrance thing, blah blah blah, and get the amusement park wristbands.

We enter the park and the place is noisy and crowded with people, which is the perfect atmosphere. There are bright, flashing lights in every direction.

"You ready for this?" Az asks me playfully with his hands in his pockets.

I nod at him as we both walk forward a bit in order to take a look at all of the different rides.

He looks over at me.
"Which one do you think we should go on first?" he asks.

I look around before deciding on this, "Well, you see that humongous roller coaster over there?"
I ask as I point at it.

"Yeah?"  he replies.

"I think that we should go on that. Then, we could go on all of the other high-thrill roller coasters before topping it all off with a nice, calm ride, like a Ferris wheel, or something," I tell him.

"Sounds good to me," he says, looking at me with a small smile.

We both walk over to the huge roller coaster. It was about as tall as a 6-story building and multiple loop-de-loops. I was terrified, but still, I walked in the line for the ride with Az.
I tilt my head up and see all of the people on the roller coaster. I can see them screaming, shouting, waving their hands in the air, and having a great time... I think.
The ride is insanely fast, so the line moves up quickly.
I actually have no idea why I chose to go on petrifying roller coasters first, but it was too late to go back because after a few minutes, it was already our turn to get on.
We both got strapped in, side by side by the ride operator. I hadn't said a word since we decided we wanted to go on this roller coaster.

"You haven't been very talkative," he says to me teasingly.

"I know that," I say to him.

The ride operator straps all of the other people in, too. Once he finishes, he walks over to the machinery-controlley thing and prepares to start up the roller coaster.

Out of nervousness, (🤷‍♂️) I reach over and grip onto Az's hand tightly.