Half Hearted

Chapter Five

| Teresa |

"I can't believe I'm going to be living under the same roof as Ash Stymest!" Oria screeched, flailing her arms wildly.

"You know," Steven cooed, trying to look as if he didn't care much. This, unfortunately for him, had no effect on me. "He could always stay here, you know. Man to man. Guy to guy."

"As if I'd let Teresa give up this chance," she defended, throwing daggers at him with her eyes.

I shook my head and laughed. Oria was so oblivious to what was going on around her. Here Steven was, head over heels in love with her, and yet she didn't know a thing. "Sorry Steven, I'm with her on this one. You throw parties every weekend; someone's bound to recognize him here."

"What if he just wants to get in your pants?" He defended, and I gave a loud laugh. I laughed until my stomach started forming abs.

"Highly unlikely, but if it's true then I guess I'll kick him out of the house."

"Fine," he sighed with his hands up in the air, defeated.

"We could invite you over for sleepovers if you're so concerned?" Oria suggested, and I saw his eyes lighten up.

He was so deep in the friend zone he would drown before she even noticed he was in the water.

Once we finished cleaning up, Oria and I headed back to our apartment to try and figure out where Ash was going to sleep. Although our place was larger than the average, we had a lot of furniture that we couldn't move, so the only space left was in the kitchen. Sighing, we decided that it was better than nothing, so we laid out a mattress - a twin sized one - in the middle of the kitchen, and moved our small dining table to the living room.

"You know, I always thought we needed to liven things up a bit in here," Oria commented, "but I never thought he would be the reason why."

I chuckled, "I don't really think he's going to brighten up the mood. He's more likely going to take away our only bit left of happiness."

"Whatever," she shrugged, placing the pillow on the bed. "He's hot."

| Ash |

From the savings he had collected working at the Italian restaurant, Ash had enough spare cash to ride the bus, so he did. Although he didn't need it, he kept the paper - with the girl's address on it - tucked in his pocket. He hadn't even asked for her name, but he knew what she looked like, and she knew him, of course. 

He was currently waiting at the terminal, along with a couple of middle school students who were probably at the town for a small weekend getaway. They stared at him, but didn't approach him, so he was at ease. Besides, with the subtle facial hair growing, not even the paparazzi would recognize him.

The thought of sleeping on a warm bed overruled the thought of living with a stranger. Two - actually. She had told him, on the phone, that she had a roommate. Ash just hoped that her roommate wasn't as annoying as her.

She was an odd one, the girl with brown roots and blonde tips. Her eyebrows looked bushy and untamed, and she looked as if she were furious all the time. Which was, in his case, relatable, but it made her undesirable - to his tastes. She was the complete opposite of Cheryl. She was the definition of pep. Everything and everyone around her radiated sunshine and skittles, rainbows and puppy eyes.

Shaking his head, he threw away the thought from his mind and stared out the bus window. He then allowed himself to fall asleep, and was finally able to close his eyes.

~~~~~

Ash woke when the bus driver slightly tapped on his shoulder. Thanking the old man, he stood up and got off the bus, realizing that he was in a city again. Sadly he no longer had his sunglasses to hide his eyes, so he used as much of his hood as possible. 

Remembering the address, he stood for a cab and got in. With the thirty-four dollars left, he hoped he was close enough to the girl's flat to pay for the ride.

Unfortunately the ride was a bit long, and he became four dollars short, but the cab driver simply smiled - told him he was having a good day because his daughter had just graduated - and let him off the hook.

Feeling eternally grateful for these random strangers who had treated him with utmost care, one brick fell from his wall of isolation. His wall of anger and insecurity.

Nine-hundred and ninety-nine bricks to go.

Again, the address was like a chant in his memories. 54 Wallace Road SW, apartment 205.

Taking a deep breath in preparation, he entered a nice looking apartment building. It looked older than the ones he'd been in before, but he wasn't in a place to complain. The lobby looked plain and simple, enough to his satisfaction.

Thankfully the security hadn't paid attention to him, and he proceeded to the elevator. Pressing the button to the second floor, he was suddenly feeling regretful. She should be grateful I'm living with her, he defended himself with his inner thoughts.

Once the elevator bell rung, and its doors slid open, he walked out with a heavy feeling on his chest. Deep inside he knew it was wrong to barge in on someone's home, even if they were the ones offering. But it's too late to walk away now, he urged himself. Even though he knew he was putting up an act - the act he'd been placed upon by his unruly tattoos and planned coercions with the cops - it was the only act that could keep him from getting hurt again. The only act that would ensure everyone's expectations of him stay low.

With that, he had enough determination to find the number 205, and after walking around for a minute or so, he did. All that was left was to knock on the door - since there was a paper on the doorbell saying 'broken, please knock' - but he couldn't even do that without hesitating again.

He was stuck in the middle of choosing between keeping up the act - and possibly turning away every person in the world from him - or being genuine - which would give everyone else the chance to lie and manipulate him again.

Without even knocking on the door, it swung open, and a tall blonde bombshell appeared. For a second he thought he was in the wrong building, so he was going to leave. But then he noticed her features. Freckles. Blue eyes. Cheryl. He was going to leave, but then he didn't.

Cheryl's doppelgänger had appeared right in front of him, and his will to leave dissipated.