Edge of seventeen

Chapter 30

The morning after the party, I woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring in my ear. Groaning, I fumbled to turn it off, blinking blearily in the early morning light. Asher was already up, sitting on the edge of the bed and stretching.

"Rise and shine, Ell," he said, nudging me with his foot. "We've got a mess to clean up."

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Do we really have to do this now?"

"Unless you want my parents to murder us, yeah, we do." Asher smirked, tossing me a clean shirt.

We dragged ourselves downstairs, still half-asleep. The house was a disaster zone, evidence of the party everywhere. Cups and plates littered the floor, confetti was still scattered across the living room, and there was a mysterious sticky spot on the kitchen counter that neither of us wanted to deal with.

"Well, this is going to be fun," I muttered, grabbing a trash bag.

Asher laughed, already starting to pick up the cups. "Just think of it as a bonding experience."

We worked in silence for a while, the only sound the rustling of trash bags and the occasional clatter of dishes. Despite the mess, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The party had been a success, and for once, I felt like I was part of something. Like I belonged.

As we cleaned, my thoughts drifted to the reality that I was still staying at Asher's place. My parents and I had reached a sort of uneasy truce, but I knew I'd have to go back home eventually. Just... not yet.

"Hey, Asher," I said, breaking the silence. "Thanks for letting me crash here. Seriously."

He looked up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "No problem, Ell. It's been... interesting having you around."

"Interesting, huh?" I chuckled, tossing a crumpled napkin into the trash bag. "I'll take that as a compliment."

By the time we finished cleaning, the house looked almost as good as new. We both stood back, surveying our work with a sense of accomplishment.

"Not bad," Asher said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "My parents might not kill us after all."

"Always a plus," I agreed, feeling a strange mix of relief and exhaustion.

We headed upstairs to clean ourselves up, taking turns in the shower. When I stepped out, I found Asher waiting for me, dressed and ready for school.

"Come on, slowpoke," he said, tossing me my backpack. "We're gonna be late."

We walked to school together, the cool morning air waking us up more with each step. Despite the late night, I felt surprisingly energized. Maybe it was the lingering effects of the party, or maybe it was just the fact that, for once, I didn't feel like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

As we approached the school gates, I glanced over at Asher. "So, what do you think today's going to be like?"

He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Probably the same old shit. But at least we've got each other's backs now, right?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "Right."

We parted ways as we entered the school, each heading to our respective classes. As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Things were changing, and for the first time in a long time, I was okay with that.

Sure, I still had to face my parents eventually. And yeah, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the future. But right now, in this moment, I felt like I could handle whatever came my way.

And that was a pretty damn good feeling.