Red Thorns 💯💯🔊🔊🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

number nine

I blush at his mention of 'exclusive, behind the scenes action'.

Wow. This is it.
Ever since grade school, Asmodeus has always been there. I could never get away from him.

In the hallways, he'd be there.
In class, he'd be there.
During lunch, he'd be there.
At every public event I went to, he'd be there.
On billboards, he'd be there.
On social media, he'd be there.

Night after night after night, I twist and turn in my bed, my brain invaded with thoughts of him. He never leaves my mind. He's all I can think of.

Everywhere I look, he's there. He's always been involved in my life one way or another. Could we be meant to be?

...No.

Az is a prince. A professional wrestler. A coach.
He's been in tons of interviews, commercials, and he has more friends than I could ever imagine.

Shouldn't he be meeting suitors or something? Wait, no, that's for women... That's not the point though.

Asmodeus is associated with so many people, people who are so much more attractive, charming, smarter, and nicer than me. From his perspective, I'm probably just some loser he feels bad for. Maybe that's why he decided to be friends with me.

What are the chances I'll be able to wind up with a dude like him? He's very nice and compatible, but even so, I still manage to get nervous around him. I've never been this way about anyone else before. He's done so many kind gestures for me, I don't know how I could ever repay him.
I try my hardest to avoid the fact I'm in love with him, but I can't. It's gotten so bad that I even bought merchandise of him. I hope that isn't weird... but he wants to give me 'exclusive behind the scenes action'? Isn't that weirder...?

I shake my head, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get a move on!" I throw my tote bag over my shoulder and motion for him to follow me out.

He nods and the both of us quickly exit the arcade.

"It's taking place at a new venue, by the way," he informs me outside.

"Oh, okay."

He waves for a taxi, and it drives up to us. We both step in and close the door behind us. I put my tote bag in the middle seat, separating us.

"1392 Scarlet Ave." he tells the taxi driver.

The driver nods and begins to take us there.

Me and him sit in silence.

I try my best to avoid eye contact and look out the window to view the beautiful, deep red sky.

In the slight reflection of the window, I can see his eyes trained on me.

Do I say something? Start a conversation? What even is there to talk about? Now that I think about it, he barely knows that much about me. He probably doesn't even know Twilight Sparkle is my favorite 'My Little Pony' character. Sigh.

"So... uh... how's work at the library?" he asks.

I turn to him and shrug.
"Normal, I guess. Manning the cash register's pretty cool. I don't have that much time in between to read books, anymore, though. It's been pretty busy."

"That sucks."

"Yeah. It really does."

Awkward!...

***

We finally arrive at the venue.

"Thank you!" he says to the taxi driver, handing them cash.