Best Friend's Brother

[2] Seven Minutes in Hell

ASHER

My skin pricked as my nerves twisted inside me. Ryder. Out of all the people in this room, Ryder Gray. My best friends brother. And beyond that, it's a small space, I could possibly die. Ever since I could remember I've been afraid of small spaces, and it's beyond control. I can't be stuck in cars with no space, I can't stand narrow hallways. It's annoying....
Ryder rose to his feet, and i rose to mine, shaking with dread. The high scent of alcohol rushed through my nostrils with a single sniff, and the hint of cigarette smoke oozed up my nose as I inhaled a soft and shaky breath for air. "If you don't do it you have to have the rest of Amy's tequila." Said the blonde girl, ripping the bottle of tequila from Amy's wasted grasp.
Shoot. Now I have to do it. Damn it... there is no way I'm drinking tequila. Or maybe I wouldn't mind it.

"Asher!" I heard a familiar voice from in the hall. I instantly jumped. My heart rushed, pounding like the rapid beating of a drum.
I ran for the closet as fast as I could, not even caring for anything. The room blurred away, and I was tucked into the darkness of the shadows. I could barely see Ryder, only a figure in the dark. A silence fell over me and Ryder as I heard the bedroom door open with a loud creak. Then I heard footsteps. "Have you seen Asher Valen? Slim guy with light hair?" I heard my best friends voice. Although right now I wasn't sure what he was. A ditcher? Who even knows. "No. No no. No light haired Ashers around here." Amy managed to spill from her mouth, before stumbling into her blond-haired friend. I could barely see much going on through the small blinds of the closet, but I could definitely see Amy's face, and Cyrus' pants. "That's cool. Thanks anyways." Cyrus said, leaving the room with a soft slam behind him. I felt my breath come back to me, I inhaled sharply and exhaled. In and out.
And then it hit me. I was still in a small space. A closet mind you. JESUS! I'm going to die.
I began panicking, my breath shaking rapidly. I felt my skin shake and prick. The spikes of hair rise dead straight. My lungs impaled with air of dread. The darkness with flickers of light streaking across my pale face.
"Are you okay?" I heard Ryder's voice. I could barely see anything. My lungs were collapsing, and the darkness was surrounding me more.
"I. I.. i." Suddenly I couldn't get anything out, my throat lumped and I couldn't speak.
I fell forward, leaping out of the closet and on the carpet floor. I gasped for air harshly, almost as if were dying. And I was. At least it felt like it. I never much liked small spaces. Mainly because I was claustrophobic. That's why I had the biggest room. That's why my tree house was the size of a garage.
Then suddenly, I stopped urging for breath, and all the lights went out. The blurry faces surrounding me went dark, and I was now surrounded by blackness.

RYDER

Suddenly Asher stopped breathing, and I panicked. Was it my fault? Was it that bad being in a closet with me? No it couldn't have been me. Perhaps he is allergic to closets or something. Or maybe he was spiked, that happens a lot at parties. "Someone get help!" Amy cried, without staggering this time.
That girl can never handle her liquor, but she was right. Someone needs to get help.
"He's claustrophobic!" Sarah, the blonde girl beside Amy, said. "I know. Because my sister is." She added, most probably heading towards a pointless story.

As I stare down at Asher's unconscious body, I freak out. My mind was whirling and twirling and I wasn't even drunk anymore. I had no idea that Cyrus' best friend was claustrophobic. Which I should've known seeing as he basically used to live at my house before he stopped coming over.
His hair was a nice light shade of brown, and his skin was rather fair. He looked so peaceful, at ease. Yet I was scared for him. Was this normal for a claustrophobic person to pass out. And stop breathing.

I put my hands on top of each other and placed them over the middle of his chest. I held my breath and leant down, colliding my lips with his, breathing my air into his lungs.
His lips delicate and soft, with the taste of tequila, or perhaps it was vodka. The scent of alcohol laced his lips like poison, and a deadly kiss it was as I gave him my own breath. I kept pumping my hands against his chest, and once again I held my breath, and leant towards him, colliding my lips against his soft lips and exhaling my air into his lungs. Then he twitched. His lips slowly clicked together as he opened his eyes below me. "He's alive!" Amy cheered. I pulled myself away from him, launching myself into the air and onto my feet. Hardly finding my balance, I reached my hand down for his. He's eyes were cautious, scanning the faces that looked over him as if he were an adorable puppy. His blue eyes then shifted to me, and I was lost in them. Until I wasn't. I shook myself awake, and pulled him from the floor.

"What happened?" He asked in confusion. I could tell he was lost, as if he had woken in wonderland. "You passed out." I spilled.
I was completely nervous, and that's rare. Ive never been nervous before, at least not at parties. I'm usually so drunk, I end up waking up with bruised knuckles and a bloodied face.
"Actually, you stopped breathing." Amy interrupted, stumbling into Asher's arms. He almost fell, until I held them. A drunk Amy cracked into laughter, and Asher followed her.
That damn smile. That freaking damned smile.
What am I doing? What is wrong with me!
"I suppose I better go." I said, turning my back on that GOD GIVEN SMILE.
"Wait." I heard Asher say. I turned around to face him. His ocean eyes. His smile. His face.
"Could you maybe take me home. I'm not exactly in the mood to talk to Cyrus." He said.
I wanted so bad to say no. But the word wouldn't come out. "Yes." I said, instantly regretting it. And that damn smile came back, and haunted me instantly. "Let's go." I say, twisting my mind from these horrendous thoughts. God. What is up with me today?

>>>

"That was the worst game of seven minutes in heaven." I say as we pulled out of Amber's street. "Yeah. More like seven minutes in hell." Asher said, chuckling softly. I quickly flashed a look towards him, finding that same smile. And then I faced the road. "So, what's with you and Cy?" I asked, confused to why the closest friends I have ever known wouldn't be on good terms. I heard nothing. Only silence that filled the empty air of the car as we strolled along the road. "He's your best friend." I say. "You guys won't be angry forever, you two are like the three amigos, but two. The two amigos. As long as I can remember you two have basically owned the school." I kept my eyes on the road, and inhaled softly. Still, nothing had come from Asher's mouth.

A few minutes down the road I halted at the front of a two story house, with a beautiful garden at the front. I knew that it was Asher's house, mainly because our family used to dine with them every Sunday. My father and Asher's father were best friends. But when Asher's dad died, everything changed.
"Thanks for the ride." Asher said as he opened the car door. "No worries." I replied, watching him as he closed the car door and walked toward the driveway. I started the car, and pulled my eyes to the road before me. The abandoned street, forsaken. The street lamps glitching. It was like a horror movie. The streets were completely empty.
I looked back toward Asher's house, only to see him on his front porch, waving slowly. I smiled, uncontrollably. And I waved back.
Then I drove off into the night, my bed calling me home.