What happens when you can't even recognize your own parents, but you're able to identify the most notorious playboy in school? //
Asher Thomas lives in a world where she isn't able to recognize people's faces, including those of her parents and even...
I park my car beside the beach leading to the lake, but make no move to get out. I simply sit there in the driver's seat, staring out into the calm, blue waves, reminiscing. This was the place I fell in love with her. This was the place where everything changed.
With a small smile, I grab the crate sitting in the passenger's seat. I walk out to the blue, calm waters before me, hefting the box along the way. The bottles clink together in their own little melody, no longer possessing the same power over me. They have simply become bottles filled with liquid, adorning unopened caps.
I stop where the water starts, squinting out into the sun. The sun is just beginning to dip lower in the sky, bejeweling the waves with white diamonds. A beautiful home, for such an ugly thing.
I set the crate next to me, then pick up one of the bottles. I stare at my reflection in the glass. Bright, wide-awake eyes stare back up at me, set in clear, healthy skin. Finally, I am beginning to become to person I used to hide behind.
I heft the bottle over my back, then with a mighty swing, launch it into the lake. It feels good to fling the glass away from me, away from my home, watching it enter the water with a small splash. Along with the bottle, the demons disappear with it.
I reach down for another, hurling it into the sky. It glistens in the sun for a split second, then dives into the waves. Shortly thereafter, another bottle joins the previous at the bottom of the lake. Then another, and another, until I have emptied the entire crate, and am left with nothing but cardboard.
I pick up the empty box, swinging it easily from one hand. I begin making my way back to my car, feeling as if I can breathe easier without the bricks on my chest. The demons scream from their watery cage, but I lock the doors tight.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ASHER
After our first date, it's a whirlwind. We go on a few more, and I introduce more junk food in the process, but we don't take it further than it already is. The thing about saving is, you don't know when to stop.
Aaron stops by my locker after second period, looking more giddy and excited than usual. His happiness is contagious, and before I know it, there's a slight spring to my step.
"Do tell why you're so happy today," I say, snuggling under his arm. His hand squeezes my forearm, and he begins parading me down the hall. "It's the best news," he responds happily.
"Spill."
Aaron puckers his lips, looking mockingly thoughtful. "Well," he begins, "My parents aren't home this weekend."
I freeze, and his mood instantly drops. His eyes widen, and his hands still on my arm. "Asher?"
I give him a meek smile, continuing down the hall. "Sorry. Jitters."
"Did you just say 'jitters'?"
"By golly, I did."
Aaron laughs, stopping at my third period class. He pauses, both hands on my shoulders. His voice is quiet, but sincere. "Don't forget what I said."
