All The Good Things

Chapter 14 - "Don't be dramatic."

By the time Ash reached the Busy Bean, she felt a little guilty for carrying out Dr. Ellerson's assignment in word but not intent. She knew Dr. Ellerson hadn't just meant for her to ask Zach a question and walk away without an answer. In reparation, Ash spent her whole shift talking to her coworkers and listening for what they did for fun.

Her coworkers were much simpler than Zach. They freely offered up information about themselves. Even when they didn't say what they meant with their words, Ash could pick up the underlying message from their body language.

Zach on the other hand felt much stickier. He had been a mystery before the kidnapping, and now they had the weird bond of being kidnapped together, but leaning into that connection felt strange and fake.

As Ash listened to her coworkers, she started a list of activities in her head. Most of the things her coworkers liked to do weren't surprising. They went to bars, parties, sporting events. They liked to shop and get their nails done. Some of them were really into fitness classes or finding new places to eat.

None of it sounded altogether that fun to Ash, but she made a list nonetheless. The only activity Ash could agree held any notion of fun was the sporting events. But even then, she went to observe the fans while her coworkers went to watch the players.

"Anything fun planned for tonight?" one of her coworkers asked as she clocked out.

Her usual sarcastic response of her awaiting homework and bed was on the tip of her tongue but she held them in. What was the point of going to therapy if she was going to continue to do what she had always done? Laying on the couch and dissecting her feelings could feel like torture and the pain would all be for nothing if she didn't make an effort beyond talking with Dr. Ellerson.

She turned to her coworker. "There's a basketball game tonight, right?"

"Yeah. We're playing NC State."

Ash nodded. She hadn't been to the bar to watch a game since the kidnapping. Her whole life for the last three months had revolved around school, work, and therapy with a side of talking psychology with Zach.

As she stepped out of the Busy Bean, she thought about seeing if Zach wanted to watch the game with her. They had done it before the kidnapping. But she decided against it. She had already treaded into murky waters that morning asking him about what he did for fun. While observing sports fans felt like it landed solidly in the realm of psychology she still felt hesitant.

"Maybe another time," she told herself as she walked towards the bar.

NC State was a popular rival team of Fayetteville State University and the bar was packed when Ash arrived. All the tables were full and the only spot the host could offer her was one at the bar. Ash preferred a back table with a better vantage point, but this whole week was about finding new ways to have fun.

Maybe sitting at the bar would add a new level of fun to her observation game. She found a seat near one of the corners that allowed her to view both sides of the bar and she started scanning the crowd.

Ash had found that busy nights at the bar were the most interesting. There was something in the atmosphere when you got this many people all cheering for the same thing. Their excitement and disappointment went exponential and turned into a gravitational pull, sweeping even the most casual observers into the excitement. Sometimes, it even affected Ash.

She scanned the faces around her, quickly cataloging the usual suspects then moved on to find someone more interesting. Someone let out a loud cheer from the left side of the bar and her eyes were drawn to a group playing darts. She zeroed in on them but after a few minutes her attention drifted to their game of darts and not their expressions.