Bittersweet Sundown

Ash was leaning against Dani’s car in now almost empty parking lot. There were only six cars besides theirs, scattered all over the lot. It was pretty chilly, compared how hot it had been only hours back.

Sighing, she turned her face up, gazing at the stars. This part of the lot was quite dark, streetlamps on this side weren’t working and that allowed her to see stars. She could hear someone approaching but she didn’t care enough to look.

“Hey,” that someone said quietly and recognizing this voice made Ash wanting to run. But this would have been too childish, so she turned her head down, unwillingly.

“I’m sorry,” he said, stopping right in front of the girl. He had dark circles around his eyes that eyeliner nor even this darkness couldn’t hide. Ash waited without saying a word.

“You can come with us,” Brian announced coldly. Ash crossed her arms on her chest and lifted her brow, but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t gonna change her mind just because he said sorry.

“Okay, look, I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting tonight. I just don’t trust people, I can’t trust people. And when Val said you will come with us I exploded. I don’t have anything against you personally. I’m just used to being suspicious,” he tried to explain, looking at Ash, apologetically. But Ash still wasn’t sure and kept just looking at him. Feeling a little nervous, he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

“Look, Jimmy is my best friend and when he wants you to come with us then it’s okay with me. He will kill me if I’m the reason you changed your mind. It’s hard for him, not to be able to meet new people. He’s always loved attention and now he has only us,” Brian confessed, after taking some drags. “So will you please come with us?” he begged, turning his gaze back to Ash.

“Are you totally sure you want me to come? Because I don’t want to cause a least bit of trouble to anyone,” she asked for just in case.

“Yes. I want to start over. I’m Brian,” he held out his hand, wearing now a devilish smirk. Damn he was sexy, Ash thought.

“Great, now I don’t have to call you Rude Guy anymore,” she accepted his hand and watched consternation rolling over his pretty face.

“Rude guy?” he asked, forgetting to pull back his hand.

“Yes. You didn’t say a word to me and kept staring at me whole evening, looking pretty angry. I’d call this rude, don’t you?” Ash explained smiling. Brian looked thoughtful and she felt even a little sad about telling him this.

“I’m sorry,” was all he said before letting go of her hand.

“It’s okay, I’m not mad. I’m giving you a second chance,” Ash told him, forcing a light smile to her lips.

“I’ll better get back inside and let others know you’ll still coming with us,” he said, ​turned around and just walked away. And we’re back to being rude, so cool, she thought.

She stayed where she was, not wanting to go back inside. Besides she had to go to Dani’s anyway, to get her stuff. Only a minute later, a figure shimmered in front of her.

“You are now officially my new best friend,” Dead Guy announced, lifting Ash up in a hug so her legs were off the ground. This would have been an interesting sight to someone.

“Hey, could you put me down before someone gets a heart attack, seeing me hovering above the ground,” Ash laughed lightly. She liked this guy, he was funny.

“Oh, right,” he let go of her and looked around, not seeing anyone. After a minute, contented with the results, he too leaned against the car, leaving some space between them.

“For how long are you planning to stay in Cali?” Dead Guy asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know yet. I don’t have a certain plan, just going by my wishes. If I wake up in the morning and feel like going to some other place then I’ll just go,” Ash shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t make any plans on purpose, for once in her life she just wanted to feel herself free at last, to do what ever she wanted on that exact moment.

“Have you been in Cali before?” he continued asking, turning slightly to look at the girl next to him.

“No, not yet,” Ash answered, thinking about finally going to LA. She had been wanting to go there for years.

“You have to come to Huntington Beach too, we have so many beautiful places you just have to see,” he said, beaming with happiness. He was like a Duracell bunny, fidgeting around and beaming energy.

“Maybe I will go then, I have as much time as I want,” she mumbled, thinking about her slightly dark future. She still didn’t know what to do with her life now.

“You don’t have to go to school or work?” Dead Guy asked curiously, looking at her again.

“No, I graduated few years back and quit my lousy job exactly 8 days ago,” Ash told him, not sounding a bit regretful. And she didn’t regret it, it was actually her best decision so far.

“Why did you quit?” Dead Guy continued questioning her, he seemed truly interested.

“My boss was an asshole. He kept harassing me all the time, even when I threatened to file a complaint against him. On my last day I hid chunks of raw meat behind the counters and also hid half a package of milk to some hidden corner. He’s gonna have fun looking those things when they start smelling. Oh, and I slid a raw fish under the stove,” she snickered. She knew it was cruel and childish but she had to have a revenge some how.

“You worked in the kitchen?” he asked laughing too. Ash nodded her head.

“In a restaurant,” she specified. She was wondering, did that meat stink already. Milk and fish surely did.

​“You should have hid that meat to the restaurant side, then he would have to deal with losing clients and getting complaints from them,” he laughed, showing his wide contagious grin again.

“Oh my god, you’re right. Why didn’t I come to this? Damn,” Ash swore, realizing that this would have been so much better revenge.

“You can always go back as a client and do this secretly. Or hire someone to do it,” Dead Guy advised and turned to look towards the venue.

“You know, I might even do this. You have to share more of your good ideas with me,” Ash snickered evilly, causing him to start laughing again. Following his gaze, she saw two figures walking towards them at the distance. They looked like Daniela and Pamela.

“Okay, I’m gonna say this to you now, before they get here. Guys are waiting us at the Sunmart gas station on the South Redwood Road and I’m coming with you so you won’t think that we abandoned you,” Dead Guy explained hurriedly, glancing towards approaching girls.

“I have no idea where that is,” Ash laughed quietly. She really didn’t know this town, much less, street names or gas stations.

“Don’t worry, Daniela knows. Matt talked to her,” he said smiling again. Ash only nodded once, not wanting to say anything any more, girls were too close already. She wondered who Matt was.

“So are you really going with them?” Pamela asked, catching her breath from walking too fast.

“I guess so. If I manage to find that damn gas station,” Ash answered, peeking at the Dead Guy for a second. He was still beaming beside her.

“I’ll take you there, it’s not far from my home,” Dani smiled at Ash, unlocking her car doors.

“Well then, lets go, we have to go get her things too,” Pamela said, reaching for a door handle. Ash opened the back door and nudged Dead Guy slightly. She looked at the venue to stall a little, so he could get in first.

“Ash? Come on,” Pamela called her, impatient like she was.

“I’m coming, hold your pants missy,” Ash muttered, getting in and fastening her seat belt. She saw Dead Guy trying to do same. Honestly, she had a hard time holding back her laughter. Come on, a ghost who could probably go through any material if he wanted, didn’t really need a seat belt. With wide eyes she shook her head, signaling him not to do it. It would have been weird to other girls, seeing a seat belt hang in the air. He understood right away and let go of it. Luckily Dani was looking on the road and Pamela messed with her phone, so they didn’t notice anything.

“I’m sorry. I’m just used to being around guys,” Dead Guy apologized with a frown on his face. It seemed to Ash that it bothered him that he almost got her in trouble. His hand was lying on the seat beside Ash and she grabbed it for a moment, squeezing it lightly. She wanted to tell him that it’s okay, that she’s not mad.

“Did you noticed too that Brian didn’t talk at all? And when Val said you were going with them, he got angry?” Dani asked with a frown on her face from ​thinking about it.

“He has troubles with his wife,” Dead Guy explained quietly, not that anyone beside Ash would hear him. Of course a guy that sexy had someone special to be with, Ash thought.

“Maybe he just has some problems. And I’m sure he just didn’t have anything to say to others and that last thing just happened. He was looking at his phone just before that, maybe he got some unpleasant message or something,” Ash said, lounging at the back seat. She didn’t even understand herself why she was trying to protect him.

“What if they change their minds and won’t be waiting for you?” Pamela asked after a minute in silence, watching at her phone every thirty seconds. They were almost at Dani’s already.

“So what? They have a right to do that. I’ll just go on my own way then, like I had planned in the first place,” Ash said, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. It didn’t bother her that they may not be there. Her mind was still fighting with that decision, to go with some strangers.

“But wouldn’t you be sad? I’d give anything for a chance to go with them,” Pamela said dreamily, emphasizing word anything. She was one of those crazy fans. Dead Guy was laughing at the back, forcing Ash to bite her cheek to not to start laughing too.

“Not really. They’re strangers to me. It would be smarter to not go with them. I shouldn’t trust them, regardless that they are famous,” Ash said, earning an unbelievable stare from Pamela.

“But it’s Avenged Sevenfold! How can you be so cold towards them? They are Gods of Sexiness,” she asked her seriously, sounding totally shocked.

“Well, not that drummer, he’s good but he’s not sexy at all. Jimmy was sexy,” Daniela interrupted, trying to turn attention away from Pamela’s over reacting. Dead Guy had his grin to his ears now, obviously pleased by what he’d heard.

“So what if they are Avenged Sevenfold, that doesn’t make them someone I know and can trust, they’re still strangers to me. Let’s leave it out for a second that they’re famous, would you go with a bunch of guys you don’t know and just met?” Ash asked her, trying to sound reasonable. Pamela frowned, thinking about it.

“You can trust us, I promise you that,” Dead Guy said seriously, looking at Ash with sincere eyes.

“Probably not, you’re right,” Pamela said quietly, turning herself around and getting ready to jump out. They had arrived to Dani’s.

“Ash, promise me that you’ll call me first thing in the morning and tomorrow evening and definitely when anything happens. I swear I’ll go to the police if I don’t hear from you, I don’t care that they are famous,” Dani stated, being death serious. That’s what Ash loved about this girl, she was so overly caring.

“I promise honey. I’ll call you the minute I get up tomorrow and I’ll text you too,” she promised, hugging her friend sideways while walking inside.

Once inside the house, Dani stopped Ash, before she could get up the stairs.

“Hey hon, give me your iPod, I’ll add some new music for you and pictures we ​took, so you don’t get bored at night,” she smiled, knowing Ash had sleeping problems.

“I’ll keep you company at night. I don’t need to sleep,” Dead Guy said, obviously happy about that last part.

“Sure babe,” Ash complied, handing over her iPod and then ran straight upstairs.

She collected her few things, pushing them into her huge backpack. It was almost same size as she was but she didn’t have any other choice back home. After all, you can’t take a suitcase while traveling with a bike. Unfortunately her bike got stolen somewhere in Nebraska and she had to get on a bus from there. She hadn’t got an answer from her insurance company yet so she was still dragging her helmet with her in hope that she’d get a new bike from somewhere.

Giving that room, she stayed for almost a week, one final look, she took her bag and helmet and walked back to downstairs. She found girls laughing in front of the computer.

“You have no idea what this crazy ass girlfriend of yours put in there,” Dead Guy laughed happily, seeing Ash beside him. “I like her, she’s cool.”

“You’re ready to go?” Dani asked, getting up from the chair and giving her iPod back, Pamela following her lead.

“I guess so.” They got outside to Dani’s car and Ash put her bag to the trunk, so she wouldn’t have to squash Dead Guy with it. And before she got in herself, she tried to stall again, taking one last look at Dani’s house. Ash was going to miss this place, she had more fun here in a week than she'd had in last three years together.

After driving only for five minutes, Dani turned in to some parking lot. There was a light brown building with two-toned beige bricks.

“There,” Dead Guy pointed to the side where a big, all over black bus stood.

“I think they’re over there. It’s the only bus I can see,” Ash said to Dani and she drove slowly closer to that bus, stopping behind it. They got out and Ash just stood and admired the bus, it was spectacular.

“Are you sure it’s them? What if it’s a wrong bus?” Dani wondered, observing that bus carefully. Dead Guy just vanished again, startling Ash a little. Two seconds later, bus door flung open and Val jumped out, wearing a big hoodie. Smiling, she came towards the girls.

“There you are, come on,” she invited, stopping only few steps away.

“Okay, I guess it’s time for a goodbye. I love you girl,” Ash hugged Dani tightly.

“Love you too. Remember to definitely call me honey,” Dani said, hugging her back as hard. Ash kept her in her arms a little longer than was necessary.

“I will, don’t worry. I’m gonna miss you love,” she said, burying her face into Dani’s long silky hair.

“Me too sis,” Dani said, holding on to her friend. Ash felt like she was going to cry, so she let go of Dani and hugged Pamela as well.

“You take care of my lil’ sis, will you?” she said to her before letting go. Pamela nodded her head and put her arms around Dani.

“No crying. Next summer you two are coming to visit me and then we will take over the world,” Ash said, forcing a wide smile to her face and throwing her fist high in the air.

Both girls smiled for a second and Ash saw her chance to get away without enduring Dani’s tears again. So she took her things hurriedly.

​“I love you both, bye now,” she said, giving them both quick kisses on their cheeks and ran that short distance to Val. Together they walked to the bus.