Damaged Goods (Book 1)

4.

I've been drifting off into space and Asher has been the nagging babysitter he normally is.

"Mate, I know you have issues with your family, but that was a little too harsh on your Mum don't ya think? She hasn't stopped crying since then and your humongous dad hasn't stopped staring out the window. It's bare weird." Asher has been talking nonstop about how I acted before.

"Asher. Why are you here? Your room is across the hall and for the last time I don't care." I said and felt a pillow hit me on the face.

"Rubbish. I am a guest here and want to be with the one who managed to bring me to this fucked up country. Your room is bloody amazing though."

My room has been remodeled into something of maturity. No more Star Wars light sabers, rock band posters, just white walls and blue carpet surrounded by gaming systems and a king-size bed. Some autographed stuff hung around on the walls but nothing more.

At that moment my door was tapped on. Asher got up and opened the door knowing full well I wasn't going to.

"Well, hello. Can I help you, Miss..."

"Abigail, but please call me Abby."

I tensed up and turned back to the game I was playing before I took a break knowing the evil girl would turn it off anyway. Abigail had been the next-door neighbor, who you wouldn't expect to be friendly, for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't classify her as a friend, but she was close. Apparently not close enough as the letters stopped coming soon after I passed the danger zone in the looney bin. Not that I would return them anyway. I found out pretty quickly that she was more of a designated friend rather than a real one. This was the only conclusion that I gathered as I received letters from the donors about things only she knew.

"Abby, what a lovely name. How may I help you? Come in and don't worry I don't bite. Unless you ask me." Typically, Asher. She must have grown up pretty if Asher was hitting on her.

"I actually heard from his mom that Jayvien was here again. I wanted to see him." Great Melissa Cruz was at it again. She was trying to use Abby to coax me out of the room. I haven't left in 8 hours since the clock read 7:00 pm and honestly I wasn't planing on it.

"He's right this way, beautiful." I snorted hard at the word beautiful. The Abby I remember was not even really pretty to start with. All knobby knees, shoulders, and big doe eyes.

She walked in and I was shocked. She had really grown up in the last three years. She no longer had braces and the braid she always had. She had her hair all out and curled and no more knobby knees and shoulders but curves now. Her eyes were still big and doe-like, but they held confidence in them now. If I was someone else, I'd try to have sex with her, but I just couldn't bring myself to think about it.

"Wow. What happened? England must be the place for enchantments. Where's the scrawny kid I used to know."

She was obviously shocked at my appearance and per her usual snarky personality she had to comment.

"He grew up. What happened to the annoying jabber mouth that lived one over? Oh wait, she is still here." I said and turned away from her and back to my game.

"Wow, way to be an asshole to a friend you haven't seen in 3 years."

"Oh we weren't exactly friends now were we? We were neighbors and we still are just neighbors. Now since Asher has obviously staked a claim on you won't have to worry about me acting out that pervy dream about me you'll be having tonight." At this comment, I received two pillows to the face.

"Arse." Said at the same time as Abby called me an ass. They share a look and boy did I see where this was going.

"Your mom wanted me to tell you school for you is on Monday and I'm your tour guide. More for Asher here than you but still. So cut the jerk act. It doesn't work on me and you know it." She said looking bored at me.