His Little Puppet

08 | signs

The hallways were crowded as everyone made their way to lunch. By memory, my feet took me to the cafeteria I saw Calla at our normal table. She was eating fries. She had that sad look on her face, evidence she was still mourning my mother's death.

I was ready to walk over her table but someone caught my wrist. I looked at Asher with a quizzical look. "Come sit with me." There was no room for an argument. I looked at Calla, she was watching me as I say down beside Asher.

"Hey, Leah. You alright?" Theo asks. He was seated between that same blonde from the party and another guy I didn't recognize. "Yeah, I'm great." I smiled. Theo gave me a concerned look before masking it with a smile.

"Guys, this is Leah. Leah, Kayla, and Coby." Asher introduced. Coby saluted, but the blonde pursed her lips and looked back at her phone. The Kayla had green eyes and porcelain skin her lips were big with fit her face and she didn't have any trace of makeup on her face. She was a natural beauty. While Coby had messy brown hair and brown eyes. He was attractive but not as attractive as Theo and Asher.

"Aren't you gonna eat anything?" Asher whispered. I shook my head. I wasn't in the mood to eat or drink anything. Heck, I don't even feel hungry. All I ate this morning was the Greek yogurt that I found.

"I'm gonna run some errands, see you at Jimmy," Kayla announced, she before walking out of the cafeteria. Her nude heels clicked against the tiled cafeteria floor.

Theo started to converse with Coby and Asher turned towards me and ask, "How was your mother's funeral?"

I shrugged. "It was okay. Nobody came. Just me and Calla who didn't even say a word to me." We didn't have much family. Our grandparents died, Calla's father left when her mother died and my mother didn't have any other siblings. Dr. Clark paid her respects and left.

"Come on. I'm gonna show you something. It will cheer you up." Asher got up from his chair, took my hand, and led me out of the small cafeteria. Theo watching us as we left.

"Where are we going? We can't just skip school." I asked. We made it in the parking lot and he got on his bike. "Yes, we can." I followed him wrapping my arms around his waist.

The bike roared to life as Asher started it driving out of the parking lot. We drove through traffic, Asher swerving through cars. The wind blows through my hair and I smiled to myself.

Thirty minutes passed and we stopped at Griffith Park. His bike drove on the trail that leads us on Mount Lee which was at least three miles.

I smiled to myself as we approach the Hollywood sign. The wind was strong up here and my black hair blew around. "Wow." I exhaled looking at the view in front of me. Asher was standing beside me his on curly black hair moving in the wind.

I saw everything from here. My school. Hollywood Boulevard. McDonald's.

I heard distant police sirens and music from nearby buildings and I saw traffic on the streets.

"I always loved out here. It's quiet and I can think out here. It's beautiful." I looked at asher and he was already looking at me. I wasn't thinking about my mom. That was the last thing I was thinking about and I didn't feel bad about it. I was thinking about the calmness I feel right now. I wanted it to last. I blushed at what asher said, feeling something flutter in my stomach.

I blocked my emotions. Not in the mood to mourn my mother. I moved my gaze from Asher and looked back at the city in front of me.

Asher caught my hand and sat me down on the ground, not missing the feeling I felt when he touched my hands. I sat Indian style, my boots getting dusty by the dirt.

"I want you to come to stay with me and Theo." My eyes snapped to his and I looked at him dumbfounded.

He's crazy right. He was taking drugs and it got to his head. "Are you insane?" I exclaimed. He looked at me with a blank look on his face. His eyes showed no emotion as I stared at him.

"I can't get up and pack my stuff and come live with you Asher. I don't even know you." I can count the things I know about Asher on one hand.

He's possessive. Possibly dangerous. Theo is his best friend and he and Calla had a thing. I don't know anything else about him and he doesn't know anything about me.

"I wasn't asking Leah," He spoke, looking out at the view in front of us. "And you know what I'll do to if you don't listen."

I looked at him with disbelief, his warning didn't scare me because he didn't pull anything bad yet. I wanted to speak but the right words couldn't come out of my mouth, instead, I agreed. "Fine. I need to go home for some clothes." I noted.

We stayed like this until the sun was going down. The cool evening air fan across my cheeks. The city lights turned on one by one, like stars.

•°•°•

Asher parked his bike in the driveway of my house. The living room light was on. For the past week, Calla avoided me. She ate in her room and left for school earlier than me. I found it weird, seeing her not speaking to me.

Normally we would make up right away but this was different, she blamed me for the death of my mom.

And I do too.

I turned the doorknob on the front door but it was locked. I knocked. "Calla, can you let me in?" I knocked for at least two minutes straight before I heard the door unlocking. Calla was dressed black tank top and sweatpants. Her black hair in a damp bun on her head and her red eyes evidence that she was crying.

"What do you want?" Her voice was cold. I frowned, "Calla what is your problem? You won't even look at me. Can we talk?" I asked, she looked behind me and her eyes were trained on Asher, avoiding my question. "I simply told you to stay away from him. Don't worry your gonna get what's coming to you." She said before she slammed the door in my face.

I scoffed.

Is she serious?

I walked back to Asher's bike. He saw everything. He was leaned against a tree, his hands in his pockets. "I need clothes and Calla won't let me in."

I announced."I'll buy you some clothes get on the bike."

"You think that you own me. Telling me what to do. I can call the police on you." He laughed darkly turning me around and pinning me against the tree. "Try that..." He says, he lifted his white t-shirt exposing his abs and a black object peeking out of his pants.

I gulped, fear rising in me at the sight of his gun. His grey eyes looking at my exposed chest watching as my chest moved up and down real fast. His eyes snapped back to mine and he leaned closer before a voice interrupted.

"Hey, Leah. Is that boy giving you trouble?" Asher and I looked across the street and saw my neighbor Ms. Rory watching us through her window.

"Tell her your fine," Asher whispers. I looked back at the old lady in her nightgown, her hair tied down. I cleared my throat. "Yes, Ms. Rory I'm fine."

She gave me another worried look and Asher squeezed my side, signaling me to convince her better. "He's my b-boyfriend. He won't hurt me."

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