Asher woke up incredibly sore. His body was cramped on the tiny couch, and his muscles ached from maintaining the position. He rolled off the couch awkwardly and stretched, his hands skimming the ceiling as he did. It was brighter now, giving him a better look at the living room. Everything was black, nearly every surface decorated with pentacles or moons or other imagery he didn't recognize. Lauren had always had a more alternative sensibility, but she seemed to have become more extreme since leaving home. He examined a crystal ball on the coffee table, squinting into the clear glass. It reflected his face back at him, his features warped and exaggerated. He frowned.
Lauren peeked her head out from around the corner. "Hey, you're up!" She looked much more like Asher expected this time. Her black hair was pulled into pigtails, leaving only a few strands loose at the front. In addition to her many facial piercings, she now wore giant hoop earrings. Her entire outfit was black, with lots of mesh and lace. There were a few kids at FDR that looked similar, but the goth kids tended to avoid Asher like the plague.
Lauren beckoned him with a nod of her head into the kitchen, and disappeared again. He wandered in after her, taking his time to examine the decor of the room on his way out.
His sister was at the stove, working on heating a few empty pans. "I've got eggs, toast, oatmeal, or bacon?" Asher made a face at the last suggestion, at which she laughed. "Right, sorry, I forgot. No bacon."
Asher sat down at their small dining table across from the fridge. "You don't have to feed me, Lauren."
She scoffed and poked his shoulder with a spatula. "Please, you look like you eat a dozen eggs every morning."
Asher blushed. She wasn't far from the truth.
Without waiting for an answer, Lauren began cracking eggs into the hot pan. "Nothing cures heartache like scrambled eggs." She chucked the empty shells in the garbage and turned to him while the food sizzled away behind her. "What's the deal with those muscles, anyway? You got huge while I wasn't looking!"
Asher laughed loudly and flushed red. "I'm on a few sports teams."
"No shit," she mumbled while fussing with the eggs, scooping almost all of them onto a plate and setting it down in front of her brother. She put the rest in the fridge, and took the seat across the table from Asher. "So, you want me to hex this boy for you?"
Asher choked on his mouthful of eggs, coughing hard. Lauren stood frantically and smacked him hard on the back to dislodge the food from his windpipe. She laughed with him after his breathing returned to normal. "I was kidding. Mostly." She returned to her seat and gave Asher a moment to continue eating before speaking again, softer now. "Tell me about him."
Asher thought quietly for a moment as he chewed. "His name is Cameron Hobbes. We play baseball together, he's the team captain." He felt his mouth going dry as he thought about Cameron. His memory kept flashing back to the night before. "Maybe it would be best if you left."
He sighed and took another bite. "He's leaving for California next week. And I couldn't-" He cleared his throat, feeling the familiar lump start to form. "I couldn't let him go without telling him."
Lauren nodded thoughtfully. "He sounds like a real dick."
Asher laughed again. "He's actually really nice." He winced. "Well, I thought he was."
Lauren grabbed the empty plate of eggs from him and tossed it unceremoniously in the sink with a clatter.
Asher glanced at the clock. It was still early. He wasn't expected for a while, but he should go home before his mother could get worried and call the Sung-Wons.
