Platonia

5. Hormones kicking in ~

Misty was putting the last drop of the homemade egg yolk face mask on when someone knocked on the door of her bedroom. She kept staring into the mirror, thinking of how unflattering she looked with egg yolks on her face. But it was good for the skin, wasn't it?

"Misty?" Her dad called out behind the door.

"Coming!" Misty got off her bed and put her dressing gown on.

She walked over the door and opened it. "Hi—oh."

"Hi Misty." Ash smiled genuinely at her.

"Oh, she's in a good mood, trust me. Look at her face!"

"Dad, can you?" Misty gestured to the stairs as she wrapped her robe around her. Might as well look decent and hide some flesh.

Mr. Williams patted Ash on the shoulder and made his way downstairs. "But she might make you join her, son! Happens to Lily's boyfriend all the time! She puts those pictures online. She's a little devil."

Did Misty's father just compare her and Ash to Lily and her boyfriend?

"I bet dad would like that." Ash got in after Misty let him inside.

"It's not funny." She closed the door and followed after him. He sat down on her chair desk. "I told you I'm busy. Why did you come?"

"You're not busy. We still can study."

"The exam is next week. Stop freaking out."

"I can't. I'm so bad at math. You know that, come on."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Can't I get some little time for myself?"

"No! You're stuck with me forever." Ash winked at her. He always did that, but now that she realized she liked him... God, that was so satisfying.

"Fine, fine!" Misty walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed some books. She threw them into the bed. "All I wanted to do is paint my nails and now I have to study math."

"Nail polish is bad for your health."

"How would you know?"

"I wouldn't, but it smells bad, so it must be bad for your health, right?"

Misty wanted to slap her forehead but she remembered she had the facial on. "Ash... you're just..."

"Isn't it true?"

"Was it your mom who told you that?"

"No, it's brainstorming."

Misty giggled as she got on her bed. Ash took off his vans and joined her on the bed too. He sat facing her. "Isn't it true?"

"I don't know. Maybe it is. I never thought about it in that way." Sometimes, Misty thought Ash was too curious about everything. When they were younger, he always asked her how it feels to have long hair or lipstick on.

"What?" At some point, Misty noticed Ash was just staring at her and not paying attention to what she was explaining to him.

"I don't know. I can't take you seriously when you're looking like this." Ash chuckled a bit. Misty grabbed her math notebook and hit his shoulder with it.

"Hey!"

"I'm helping you, I think!"

"Fine! Go on. I'm following you."

"No! I'm done."

"Come on!" Ash shook her arm. "I swear I was following you."

"Get your hands off of my arm, Ash!"