"No way! I can't believe it!" Aaralynn gushed on the
phone with her best friend. "He asked you out? How!?"
Karista just got a date with one of the basketball
boys. Aaralynn couldn't remember which one, but she was pretty sure Karista
have been crushing on this dude for a long time. All Aaralynn could remember
was his name. Liam.
Listening tentatively to her friend's story,
Aaralynn couldn't help but wonder if Asche would ever ask her out. Karista got
the same thought cause she said, "I wish someone could ask you out, Ari.
Maybe then you could forget a certain someone."
Karista said 'someone' like she's spitting out
evil poison not worthy of her life.
"Don't change the subject. You haven't told
me everything yet!" Aaralynn tried to steer the conversation away from
Asche. Thankfully, it worked. Karista immediately jumped into another episode
she had with Liam.
Suddenly, a huge crash was heard. Aaralynn jumped
on her bed in surprise. "What was that?" Karista inquired through the
phone.
"I don't know...” Aaralynn trailed off really
frightened now. The sound came from somewhere close. That much Aaralynn could
tell. Not to mention she was alone at home. Her parents are out on their
office's welcoming party or something and won't be back until tomorrow, and her
older brother was away at college at another state.
"Talk to you later," Aaralynn hung up
her phone before Karista could say anything else. Looking around her room, she
found her brother's old baseball bat and she took it, grasping it tightly in
her hands. What could it be?
Aaralynn thought of calling the police. But what
if it isn't something major? Aaralynn never liked ruckus and the like. What's
the point if it's only a loose rat scuttling around the house anyway? Hoping
that it is only a rat, Aaralynn reached out for the door when she thought of a
better idea.
Locking her room's door, she reached for her cell
phone and press call on a contact's name. Waiting for the other end to pick up,
she pressed her ears on the door trying to pick up a noise. Sure enough, she
heard a little bit of sound through the door.
"Yes?" Someone answered through
Aaralynn's cellphone.
----------------------------------
"Asche!" Aaralynn whispered frantically.
"Can you come here quickly?"
"What is it?" Asche asked in a bored tone.
"I think someone broke into my house. No
one's home. Please come!"
"Call the police," came the short reply.
"But what if it isn't really a burglar?"
"Then go check it out."
"But what if it is!"
"Then call the police."
"What if the burglar killed me first before I
can reach for a phone? Please come!"
Asche sighed.
"All right. All right. I am on my way. Just
stop making those stupid reasons. Hang on." The phone line went dead.
Relieved yet anticipating, Aaralynn paced her room
back and forth. After five minutes and still no sign of Asche, Aaralynn try to
listen through the door again. Sure enough, there are still sounds coming from
outside.
Knock, knock.
Aaralynn jumped. She spun around and there on the
window sill, knelt a silhouette of a figure visible through the curtains.
Holding her baseball bat, Aaralynn moved to the window and in one quick
sweeping motion pulled the curtains aside, raising her baseball bat high in the
air.
----------------------------------
"Asche!" Aaralynn cried in relief
throwing her baseball bat away. She quickly undid the window locks and Asche
jumped into the room. Relieved, Aaralynn hugged him tight. Asche pried Aaralynn
away from him.
Casually and unarmed, Asche stride to the door and
unlock it like there's no danger lurking behind the door. Before Asche could
open the door, Aaralynn pulled on his out stretch arm.
"Asche! It's dangerous! Don't do things so
hastily!" Aaralynn chided quietly. Asche pulled away and opened the door
anyway.
Sticking a head out of the room and into the dark
hallway, Asche could hear noises from the first floor. Not bothering to be
quite, Asche walked towards the staircase, Aaralynn following behind quietly.
Walking down the staircase, Aaralynn could make
out a figure lurking in the dark of the family room. It was a burglar after
all! Grateful she didn't try to act on her own, she looked at Asche. Asche just
went into the family room and switch on the lights.
"Hey," Asche casually greeted the
burglar. The burglar dropped all of the things he's carrying. Mostly electronic
goods and little bits of jewelry.
"Asche Faber!" The burglar cried
astonished and ran out of the house looking like he just saw a ghost.
Relieved didn't even begin to describe how
Aaralynn felt at the moment. Dropping to the floor, Aaralynn started sobbing.
----------------------------------
"No, I am okay. Yup, not hurt at all."
Aaralynn was explaining to Karista what just
happened through the phone, leaving Asche out of the picture of course.
Instead, she said a neighbour heard the noise and came over causing the burglar
to flee.
"No, you don't need to come. I'll be okay. I
got company."
A pause as Aaralynn listened to Karista on the
line.
"Who you ask?" Aaralynn glanced uneasily
at Asche who was lounging on the couch in her room watching TV while snacking
on potato chips. "Just a neighbour!"
Another pause.
"Okay. Night Karista!"
Hanging up her phone and sighing, Aaralynn managed
to convince Asche to accompany her until tomorrow morning after cleaning the
house up. Asche just agreed readily, happy at the chance to stay away from home
and his drunken father.
Aaralynn curl next to Asche at the couch and made
a grab for the chips. But Asche was fast and pulled the chips away.
"Not in your lifetime," Asche said
coldly.
In response, Aaralynn stuck a tongue out at Asche.
Asche just gave a little humorless smile. It disappeared as quickly as it came.
Aaralynn focused on the TV instead.
"Catdog?" Aaralynn asked unbelieving.
"Asche, you're watching Catdog?"
"So?" Asche asked shrugging.
"Nothing. Never mind." Aaralynn said
quickly. Sleep was taking over her entire body, and before she knew it, her
head fell to Asche's shoulder. This time, Asche just shrugged it off and
continue watching.
----------------------------------
Asche picked the sleeping Aaralynn up and gently places
her on the bed. Then he pulled a blanket over her body and sat in the foot of
her bed, contemplating.
Asche never remembered feeling so caring towards
someone. Usually, he never answered pleas of help. But today, he readily came
to Aaralynn's rescue. Not to mention tucking her in bed. It's all so weird for
Asche, but he felt natural doing it to Aaralynn.
Maybe it's because she's different. Asche thought.
Maybe it's the way she didn't show fear or the way she said she likes me. Maybe
it's the way she looked cute sleeping or the way she's actually making an
effort to care for me.
All night, these thoughts troubled him. No. He
won't allow himself to care for someone. He won't love. Love is for the weak
and the insecure. He's neither weak nor insecure. He doesn't need these
feelings.
Morning dawned and he felt like he has completed
his promise to stay by Aaralynn's side. Then he left.
