Walking at Night, Alone

The next morning I woke up and put some high waisted shorts from American Apparel on with a white form fitting v neck and threw my hair up in a bun. I didn’t plan on doing anything today I just wasn’t in the mood. I plopped down in the living room and began watching X-men. Whenever I was relaxing at home it seemed my mom didn’t enjoy me doing so. “Ashton you should do something today it’s the last day of the weekend” My mom said coming down the stairs “But maybe put some more clothes on.” She said noticing my revealing outfit.I groaned at her.

“I’m not feeling it maybe later,” She nodded rolling her eyes as she grabbed a bag of mini muffins off the counter and leaving to work. I unpaused my movie and was interrupted again minutes later by my doorbell. I opened the door assuming it was my neighbor who ‘ threw his ball into my backyard.’ But it was John who I saw right away looking me up and down before smiling.

“You look really good today.” I smiled back there was so much sexual tension that you could cut it with a knife.

“As do you Mr. O’Callaghan.” I laughed at myself, he always looked good but was also not my boyfriend. “Anyways what are you doing here?” he looked me down again.

“A guy can’t just visit his best friend?” he smiled and chuckled a bit

“Yes he can but why?” him staring at me made me nervous.

“I just came from starbucks I got you a drink and I came to take you to band practice.” He said grabbing my hand as he pulled me out the door.

“John you do realize I’m wearing common whore clothes right?” I looked down I couldn’t go anywhere like this.

“I think you look good, plus I can’t wait for you to get changed, I’m late as is.” I gave in and sat down in his car and looked over to my drink and thanked him for remembering what I got there. He smiled at me as he started the car and began driving.

We stopped at a red light and he placed his hand on my knee and looked me in the eye. “I’m glad we can be friends Ashton.” He stated as he squeezed my knee slightly, it sent shivers throughout my body. He left his hand there for the rest of the drive and it shouldn’t have but it felt nice.

I got out of the car and felt everyone’s eyes on me automatically. “Uh Ashton you should go put some clothes on.” Kennedy said shocked as he came over to me with a sweet, tender kiss.

“Kennedy, trust me I wouldn’t be wearing this but John didn’t want to be late, even though he would have been just next door if he didn’t have to go get starbucks.” I said taking a sip of my frappachino “And I don’t feel like wearing your clothes so I’m just going to wear this, so maybe tell your friends to stop eyeing me.” I smiled as he turned around to see everyone watching.

The practice went by too slow and they had only been practicing for an hour but it felt like more than five. Boredom took over so I went into the house and laid down on the living room couch and attempted to fall asleep which failed. I then resorted to getting a snack but as I turned the corner into the kitchen I ran into John who just so happened to be holding drinks. The drinks spilled everywhere thank god the cups were plastic, I just couldn’t help but laugh, this would happen to me. But John wasn’t laughing he was speechless for once.

“Y-you might want to actually change now.” He wiped a drip of water off my face.

“I should help you clean this up though.” I said ignoring his statement.

“No- no it’s fine I’ll clean it just you go change.” I gave him a quick thank you and a kiss on the cheek before I ran upstairs to Kennedy’s room and looked in the mirror at my now wet and see through tank top. It made sense why John was acting so weird. I’m sure it wasn’t the first time John had seen nipples.

I looked in Kennedy’s closet and found a baggy Aerosmith t-shirt that we got at the concert we went to last year and kept my shorts on since they didn’t get too wet and then made my way back into the garage which was now empty of people.

“You look great in that babe,” Kennedy said coming up to me wrapping his arms around my body as he kissed my neck.

“Where is everyone?” I asked ignoring his romanticism

“We’re taking a lunch break, so do you want to go out or stay in?” he said the last part with a wink.

“Well I’m really hungry and would love to go out to eat but look what I’m wearing.” I said looking down at my outfit.

“You look beautiful in your boyfriends clothes.” He smiled at me then pecked me on the lips Kennedy was sweet that’s what I loved about him, but it just wasn’t the same but sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it.

Once we got back to Kennedy’s house after we ate Denny’s together the practice was back on but they were doing some instrumental stuff and John wasn’t needed. Instead of going home he just sat down next to me and put his hand on my knee again. It made me feel uncomfortable not because I didn’t like him but because I do like him and were in front of my boyfriend.

“John you might not want to do that, my boyfriend could see.” I put emphasis on boyfriend.

“He won’t care he knows we’re just friends.” My smile dropped at the thought. But John and I just being friends could be good right? Being close without pressure.

“Anyways why isn’t Myriah here?” I attempted to change the subject.

“She lives an over an hour away she can’t come down every day.” He didn’t seem all that upset over it.

“Well that relationship sounds like a mess, but I’m sure it will work out you two are cute together.” I shivered at the fact that I had said that.

“Are you cold?” I guess I really did shiver and he noticed.

“Yea a little bit.” I lied and he shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to me. I didn’t want him to know I was just jealous of Myriah.

“No no it’s fine I just felt a breeze or something.” I suck at lying but he didn’t mind it. I spent the next couple weeks like this, spending time with Kennedy trying to make myself like him again, going to band practice, and hanging out with John. He is a great best friend even if I did like him more than that. I’ve even kind of become okay with Myriah even if deep down I despised her.

It’s now October 30 and John and I didn’t have our costumes for Halloween. “You can go as Shaggy and I can go as Velma from Scooby Doo.” I said spouting out another idea. We wanted out costumes to match since we were going to the party together because Kennedy was out of town and Myriah was sick.

“That could work except you’re too gorgeous to be nerdy ol’ Velma although I wouldn’t mind seeing you in that skirt with those knee highs the turtleneck kills it though.” He laughed

“Thanks Johnny boy” I laughed as I saw an idea in his brain.

“You should be Daphne, you do have red hair already.” He said twisting some of my hair in his fingers.

“You just want to see me in a short purple dress.”

“I do. Not going to lie.” He smiled “So should we go get our outfits now?”

We hopped in his car and drove down to party city. Sadly they had no Daphne costumes and for his Shaggy costume all he really needed was a green v-neck so we just decided to look for a casual purple dress. We found a dress at some little boutique and we found the rest at target.

“The dress it a bit too long” I whined to John as we walked out of target.

“Come home with me?” He asked and I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Uhm, what? Why?” I asked and he chuckled at my confusion.

“I just meant my mom could hem it.” He smiled at me and the smile killed me it was perfect and so we drove to his house and he looked for his mom but alas she wasn’t home. “I’m sure she’ll be home soon, want to wait?”

“Yeah it’s all good what do you want to do in the meantime while we wait?” I wasn’t sure why I asked we always had something to talk about or something to do.

“You might not want to ask that.” He laughed looking at me devilishly. I sat down to get out of his view and he sat down next to me. Right before I was going to turn my face he pressed his lips to mine and I couldn’t resist, we stopped only when we heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. “H-hey mom, sorry about that this is Ashton.” I muttered out an awkward hi through my now swollen lips.

“Oh hi Ashton nice to meet you, John talks about you a lot if I didn’t know any better I’d think he were dating you rather than Myriah. Speaking of where is she?” the words his mother said made me feel terrible. John seemed to just brush it off his shoulder, he was used to cheating so it made sense and with that thought I felt used.

“She’s home, sick. We were wondering if you could hem Ashton’s dress for her?” she agreed and asked for me to be sent up in a few minutes before she walked upstairs into her room.

“John what just happened is wrong. You’re my boyfriend’s friend. How could we do this? How could I?” I knew I liked John but I never saw this happening cause cheating wasn’t in my nature.

“I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me its just.” He sounded stressed as he took a deep breathe before looking around. “Myriah’s pregnant” he whispered. And anger settled over me.

“Oh great John you get Myriah pregnant and then basically cheat on her? What the hell is wrong with you?” I said running out of the house collapsing in the front yard as I bawled my eyes out. I had finally got what I wanted from John.

I had no way to leave since John drove me here but a good long walk never hurt anyone. I got halfway to my house and stopped at starbucks and called Roxy who agreed to pick me up.
“So why are you at starbucks with no car?” she asked as I got into her car.

“I thought that I’d walk instead of drive but then I got tired and didn’t want to walk back.”

“Ok so again this time without the bullshit. Since I know you were supposed to hang out with John today and I can tell you cried and that you’re lying.” So there was a downside to best friends, they knew everything.

“It’s nothing important, we watched a really sad movie and I wanted starbucks so I walked.” My lies were horrible.

“I don’t get why you’re lying to me, but if you and John got in a fight you guys need to make up because he’s one of the best friends you’ve had other than me.” I hate how right she was and as mad as I was and as much as I liked him I didn’t want to lose him completely.