Floating in the Abyss ✔️

Chapter 37

Chapter 37 –

*ASH'S POV*

"Wakey wakey." Laura smiled, coming into my room and opening the blinds. "How did you sleep?"

"Good thank you." I smiled, sitting up sleepily.

"Ready for some shopping?"

"Definitely." I grinned. I got up and ate some breakfast which Laura made for me and got fully ready to leave.

"Hey Ash." Ryan said, appearing behind me and giving me a fright. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He laughed.

"It's okay." I told him, tying up my shoelaces.

"Looks like you're ready to go." I nodded. "I better go and get dressed then."

"Hurry up!" I called after him. Laura laughed.

"Sure thing bossy-boots."

Laura and I waited for him to come back down and made sure some of the seats in the car were down. She figured we would have quite a few large boxes and we would need a bit more space to fit everything.

Finally, after a long fifteen minutes, Ryan came downstairs, ready to go. He offered to drive, but Laura insisted she could, so we were on our way. It was strange to think that my brother could drive, but he was 18. Austin will probably drive for the first time later this year once we've had our birthday. Our birthday. Weird.

"Do we have a list of what we need or a we just shopping by looks?"

"We don't need a list mum. We're just being cruisy and living in the moment." Ryan laughed, winking at me.

"Right then, living in the moment it is." I could feel Laura's sarcasm easily this time.

IKEA wasn't too far away, so we were there quick enough. I just listened as Ryan and Laura spoke about exam results and his study. He was in his last year of school and had less than six months until he would graduate. I was pretty sure he said he wanted to study engineering, but I don't know what that is.

We found a car park and made our way into the building. People were everywhere doing all sorts of things. Many were carrying large bags full of clothes and others full of groceries. Cafés were filled with people, happily drinking coffee and dining on chocolate muffins.

"We should get something later." Ryan said to me, out of earshot of Laura. I nodded and smiled.

"Woah." I gasped as I stepped onto moving stairs. "Is it magic?" I asked Ryan.

"No." He chuckled, amused.

"The stairs are moving, Ryan. Stairs don't move!"

"Well these ones do." He rolled his eyes, still smiling. I didn't understand, but they were entertaining, nonetheless.

The magic moving stairs, also known as an escalator, apparently, led us upstairs to IKEA. We passed another café, with more people drinking coffee, before entering the store.

Wire baskets were filled with all sorts of objects and others lined the walls.

"Come on." Ryan called. I hadn't realised I had gotten distracted, and him and Laura were much further ahead. "We don't need anything from this bit." He told me. "These are more things for the kitchen." I could see Laura had grabbed a few little things which were now in the basket, but nothing was mine yet. I felt greedy, but at this point also too excited to care.

The first thing I chose was a new bed frame, which we had to place an order for so that it could be delivered to our house in a truck. It was just a simple white frame with draws inside it so that I could store things underneath my bed. I also chose two new bed covers; one is white with lots of black butterflies on it and another tropical one which had lots of pretty colours. Laura had helped me pick whilst Ryan complained this bit was boring. She also grabbed a pink 'knitted throw blanket' and said that it would be useful, and I could use it in the lounge room too. It was so soft.

Continuing on, we picked up simple bedside tables and a lamp, as well as a rectangular mirror to go in my wardrobe. We also got a few cushions to go on my bed and one that would go on the armchair that we were yet to pick. Other little things included a little mirror, storage baskets for inside my wardrobe, towels for the bathroom, candles and a few little fake plants. Eventually, we got to the bit Ryan was most looking forward to. Together, we chose a new bookshelf, which he was excited to build, and a new desk. The desk was pure white and had a little shelf and whiteboard attached to it on the top. Underneath, there were two sliding-out drawers and a shelf which I could use to store drawing and schoolbooks. The bookshelf was simple, with just lots of squares, divided by wood painted white. Next, we needed to decide on a desk chair and an armchair. We managed to find the white hanging chair which I had seen online and decided to get it. Ryan and Laura both agreed that Chris could handle that one, whatever that meant. We also chose a simple white desk chair. I felt like I was choosing a lot of white, but with the colour from the little things, I was hoping that it would look alright anyway.

"I think that's everything isn't it?" Laura said, grinning at our overflowing trolley. Suddenly the realisation of the cost of all this stuff started to hit me, and I wasn't so sure anymore.

"Maybe we don't need all this stuff." I said quietly, looking at which things could go back.

"What do you mean, honey? You chose all this." Laura frowned.

"But, it's just so much. I don't need this much stuff. I don't need any of it!"

"But do you want it?" She smiled softly, prompting me to think. Of course I wanted it. Everyone wants lots of things. But I don't need it.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Honey, it's yours then. I haven't paid for anything for you since you left, and nothing will ever be able to make that up. Don't worry about this. It's yours."

"But..." I tried to argue, but Laura wasn't having it. I tried to look to Ryan for help, but he just shrugged and walked with me to the checkout. I sighed but decided that being grateful was the best option for now. "Laura?"

"Yeah, honey?" She gave me her full attention.

"Thankyou. Thankyou so much." I smiled.

"You're most welcome." She beamed, hugging me tight. "Why don't you and Ryan go and get something from the café downstairs whilst I scan all this and get it in the car?" She suggested.

"Good idea." Ryan nodded, leading me away quickly. They weren't so sneaky. I knew what this was, but if it meant getting on of those chocolate muffins that smelt so good earlier, I was okay with it.

"What flavour would you like, Ash?" Ryan asked, pointing to the array of muffins. This was actually a muffin store, not a café, but they sold coffee too.

I browsed along, looking at all the funny names. They also sold these weird things called a Duffin, which is a cross between a doughnut and a muffin. I could see them on the menu, but the basket was empty, so I figured they had all been taken already.

I decided on a triple choc muffin and Ryan got a coffee and a triple berry muffin. He offered to get me a drink, but I thought I might explode if I ate the huge muffin and a drink, so I just ordered a muffin. We waited for them to heat up and for the coffee to be made, and then went and sat in the food court.

VOTE and COMMENT please!! 

Also, what's everyone's opinion on online school? I'm restarting tomorrow since I've just gone back into lockdown.