alec. ashannie

f i v e

☽

"do you want anything?" asher asked, tapping away at the screen.
"no i'm not really hungry." annie said.
"are you sure?" asher said.
"i'm positive."
"pregnancy tests could never." asher grinned.
"that was hands down one of the worst jokes i've ever heard ever." annie deadpanned.
"don't mock it because you can't rock it." asher said, doing an imaginary hair flip.
"shake it up theme song could never." annie said.
"that was hands down one of the worst jokes i've ever heard ever." asher said in a high pitched voice, obviously imitating annie. the one other person in the mcdonald's turned round to look at asher with the face of the most confused person ever.
"you're such an embarrassment." annie shook her head.
"just go and find a table." asher said, pushing her gently and going to pay and collect the food. annie chose a table next to the window so she could people watch. it was nearly 3am but people were still around, coming back from work and parties and such, some drunk, some high, and some just tired. people watching was annie's favourite thing to do.

"food time. even though you don't have any. ashers food time!" asher said, setting the tray on the table and sitting opposite annie. she grabbed his milkshake and took a sip quickly.
"hey! you said you didn't want anything!" asher said, making a swipe for his drink, but annie held it out of his reach.
"i said i didn't want any food." annie said.
"no, i asked if you wanted anything and you said you weren't hungry, so if you listen to the tapes you will find you perjured yourself." asher said.
"was that a half john mulaney quote?" annie said.
"maybe." annie drank some more of the milkshake and smiled.
"can i please have my milkshake back now?" asher asked.
"how about no?" annie grinned.
"phewww." asher said, grabbing a fry and throwing it at annie. it hit her square in the nose and she squealed.
"oh it's on." she said, taking one of his fries and throwing it back at him.
"like donkey kong." asher said. the pair continued to throw fries at each other until there were no more left in the cardboard container, and asher still didn't have his milkshake back.
"i guess i'll just go and buy another one." he said, standing up.
"wait, here." annie said, digging in her pocket for the money.
"no it's fine." asher said.
"will you stop being such a gentleman and take the change!" annie said, dropping the coins into his palm.
"okay." he gave up and closed his fist around the cold coins, going up to the counter once again to order a second milkshake and to apologise for the fries littered around the tiled floor.
he sat back down, milkshake in hand. he looked at annie for a second, who was completely spaced out.
"wow i'm gone for literally two minutes and i come back and you're gone with the wind." asher laughed, snapping annie out of her daze.
"gone with the wind?" annie said, wrinkling her nose at the boy sat in front of her.
"haven't you ever heard of that phrase?"
"no?"
"i just read it on one of my mom's books when i was younger and wanted to use it. i don't know if it's in the right context or not." he shrugged.
"wow." annie said. "owen wilson could never." she giggled.
"what?"
"owen wilson could never."
"who's owen wilson?"
"he's a meme dude who says wow, duh." annie said.
"oh i'm so sorry for not knowing who owen wilson is." he said sarcastically.
"hey sarcasm is rude." annie said.
"do you wanna leave? it's getting earlier and you should probably go home and try and get some sleep. you're gonna be even more tired in the morning because you've actually been doing shit instead of just lying awake all night." asher pointed out.
"maybe you're right." annie said. they both stood up and walked to the car.

asher drove to annie's house and parked outside in front of the driveway.
"there's a light on." asher said, pointing to the downstairs window that was annie's living room.
"shit." annie said under her breath.
"what?" asher said, having heard her.
"it means that my stepdads awake. he's gonna be so pissed off with me." pissed off wasn't even the word. annie knew he would go bat shit crazy.
"just tell him you went for a walk because you couldn't sleep." asher said like it was the most simple thing in the world.
"if only it was that simple." she said.
"what do you mean?" asher said, a confused look on his face. annie took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
"he's gonna be drunk." she said.
"oh."
"and sometimes when he's drunk he hits me." annie said quietly.
"what?!" asher exploded, making annie jump.
"sorry." he said. "but why didn't you tell me?"
"because i never saw any reason to bring it up." she said simply.
"you're not going in there." asher said. "i don't want you to get hurt."
"if i don't come back at all it'll be worse." annie said.
"i really don't want you going in there."
"asher i'll be fine, trust me." annie said.
"call me if anything happens and i'll come and get you straight away, okay?"
"okay." she said. "thank you for tonight. and thanks for the hoodie." she grinned, leaning over the middle of the car and kissing him lightly on the cheek, before opening the car door and getting out. asher was left speechless, his cheeks bright red and blushing.

annie crept up the stairs as quietly as she could, to no avail.
"where the fuck have you been?" a hoarse, slurred voice came from the living room.
"i just went for a walk because i couldn't sleep." annie said, her voice going high pitched because she was so scared.
"get down here." he said. annie did as she was told, opening the living room door slowly. her stepdad was sat, surrounded by empty cans and glass bottles, on the sofa. his face was red as he stood up and walked over to her.
"you're a bitch." he said simply, before punching her in the stomach. "i don't ever want to see your face again." he said before dismissing her with a wave of his hand. annie clutched her stomach in pain as she hobbled up the stairs. asher had said to ring him and he would come straight away to pick her up, but she couldn't ring him. she wouldn't ring him, she would worry him, and that was the last thing she wanted. he was an angel, in more than name, and she wanted the best for him.

asher got home about twenty minutes after he left annie. even though it was so early there was already traffic, people coming back from night shifts or people leaving for early morning shifts. he changed out of his jeans and into some basketball shorts and lay on his back on his bed. he was shirtless, and couldn't help but wish annie was with him. not even in a weird way, just so that he could protect her. he wanted to keep her out of anything bad, and protect her at all costs. he was so worried about her, but she hadn't rang him, so everything must be alright, right?

hi
i wanted to update
so it takes me a while to update because i have to plan every chapter in my alec planning book. this is actually the first time i have actually planned a book chapter by chapter, and i don't do it all at once in case someone comments something that i wanna use and then i have to change everything. i plan the chapter, then write it and then start to plan the next chapter when the previous chapter is published, so after i publish this i'll probably start planning chapter 6

so what are your opinions on this book so far? comment them so i know if i need to change anything or not

bye my chickpeas