COSMOS | Complete

CRASH INTO YOU

I stick close to the staircase, but Aaron's mansion has two. I snoop around on the top floor for a bit, knowing he has me trapped if I stay too long.

Making sure he's still wandering around downstairs, I tiptoe to his bedroom. The door swings open without the slightest squeak, probably helpful for when Aaron snuck one-night stands over. He probably has the window oiled down too, I think with a silent laugh.

Aaron's bed is the type of thing you'd see in castles. It's a gigantic, small Heaven with a thousand pillows and a mattress that feels like clouds. I run my hand through the sheets, letting out a soft groan. If I had to live in Aaron Blakely's blankets, I'd oblige without a second thought.

Beside his bed, Aaron has a night stand and a photo of the family, dating back to when he was a toddler and his mother seemed stress-free. The Blakely's smile back at me, all peaceful and innocent, with no heed as to what a turn their lives will take. I touch a finger to the cool glass of the frame, smiling slightly.

Stepping back, I look around, spotting a desk shoved in the corner with a mass of unfinished worksheets. Rolling my eyes, I cross over to it, scanning the dates on the papers. They're all past-due, and I'm sure Aaron wants to leave it that way. It's senior year, and if Aaron Blakely wasn't slacking before, he sure is now.

I'm ready to return to the game downstairs, with Aaron provocatively calling my name, but a new picture stops me in my tracks. In the corner of his desk, a moat of blank desk protecting it from the worksheets, is a framed picture of us at the beach party. Aaron and I are dancing, hands thrown up to the sky and heads tilted back, eyes closed. Laughing. Forgetting. The picture is focused on us, making our surroundings blurred, exactly how I felt that day, and every day. Our own world, surrounded by a busy, chaotic life around us. Two people, one planet.

With a soft smile, my eyes drift back to the bed, but the nervous twinge isn't as significant as before. One picture, one look, and my nerves lessen by a landslide.

I hear his call another time, my name rolling off his tongue with a jeer. "Asher Thomas!" he yells, footsteps nearing. "I'm coming up, and I'm winning!"

With one last look around the room, I back out and close the door softly behind me. "Keep dreaming!" I goad, lightly running to the stairs. "Actually – dream of my win, please."

I quickly run down the stairs, arms locked in front of me with the Nerf gun. Aaron's nowhere in sight, and he's vanished completely, along with his taunts and his footsteps. Cautiously, I begin circling the perimeter, hunched over my gun and scanning over every surface in the house. Nowhere.

Suddenly, Aaron pops up from behind the couch, gun trained on me. He flashes a triumphant grin, though not before I dart behind an opposing couch and start raining him with Nerf ammo.

"Give up the fight, Thomas," he says, shooting expertly aimed darts in my direction. For every one projectile he fires, I use five.

I scoot out from behind the couch, then make a mad dash for the kitchen. Aaron's darts follow me all the way, one coming close to grazing my arm. I hear him get to his feet, racing after me, and I hurry into the next room, one dedicated entirely to pool boards.

I hide behind the door, but Aaron knows better than to follow me inside. He waits a few feet back, eyes trained on the darkened room. As soon as he glances away, I back out from the door, aiming my Nerf gun at his chest.

I fire several rounds, but my aim is horrendous. He ducks out of the doorway, and I follow him out, right into his arms.

Aaron takes one of his darts and taps me on the arm with it, letting out a triumphant laugh. "Fuck you," I groan, setting my Nerf gun aside. I cross my arms and stalk away with mock annoyance, Aaron still crowing about his win. I stalk into his kitchen, opening the fridge. "Tell me what your imprudent prize is."