Lips Made of Yarn

Ashley stayed overnight and we had a sleepover party to put even teenage girls to shame, complete with romance films and my coffee table overflowing with enough sweets to knock out a tooth. It was nice, and distracted me from obsessing over the obvious failure I had that day with Brendon. I know it was pretty much all Ashley’s fault, but that’s just how she is and I’ve come to expect nothing else. I just hope he doesn’t plan on me coming into work every day wearing such low-cut shirts.

"I don’t want to go," Ashley pouted the next morning over breakfast.
"Don’t you want to go home to your loving, doting, husband?" I joked, smiling in between bites of a piece of buttered toast.
"Eh, he could do without me for a few days," Ashley waved her hand breezily and I laughed.
"What I really want to know," Ashley continued. "Is how you’re going to act with Brendon when you go back to work tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to act no different and hardly even talk to him."
"Mel, come on," Ashley whined as if I was letting her down in some ridiculous way. "You have to be flirty!"
"Whatever," I shrugged, finishing my toast and getting up.

I helped Ashley get all of her stuff together which turned out to be a surprisingly large amount for someone who only stayed one night. She loaded the lightest bag in her car, leaving me to stumble and trip down the stairs with two large, black leather suitcases.
"Don’t worry Ash, I got it," I said dryly, rolling my eyes when she didn’t catch my obvious sarcasm. I heaved the two bags across the sidewalk, the end of one catching my thigh and making me trip again.

Ashley laughed, finally reliving me of one and putting it in her trunk. I followed suit and rubbed my throbbing thigh, cursing the unnaturally sharp corners of her suitcases.
"Just don’t push him away, okay?" Ashley said seriously and I furrowed my brows.
"What are you talking about?"
"I know you Mel. You push guys away because you’re too scared to take it any further. And no matter what you say, I know you like him a lot. I just don’t want you to do something stupid."

"You worry too much," It was the only thing I could find to say, because she did have a point even if I would never admit it to her.
Ashley shrugged and smiled, pulling me forward into a parting hug.
When she pulled away, waving wildly out of her window, I beamed and waved back sadly.

As soon as she turned the corner it was like a switch went off in my head. I pivoted and sprinted back inside the building, taking the steps two at a time and barreling down the hall to my room.
"What’s the rush, dear?" I skidded to a stop at my neighbor, Ms. Crowley’s, voice.
"Um, nothing?" I said, breath a little heavy.

She raised a quivering, white eyebrow from her position hanging out of her door. She was the known gossiper of this floor, and she was exceptionally good at it too, weaseling her way into the lives of everyone she met.
"You look a little out of breath," She pointed out.
"Right, well, I have to go. Have a good day," I rushed dismissively, quickly unlocking my door and hurrying into my room.

I dropped to my knees at the side of my bed, sticking my hand underneath and digging around until I pulled out the plastic bag I knew would only be safe under here. I honestly don’t even know what Ashley would do if she found out I bought this, but that would just spark her keenness to meddle deeper.
I pulled myself onto my bed and took out the large book, letting the plastic bag fall to the floor. I cracked it open carefully, the smell of newly printed paper rising off the pages.

There was a small forward, explaining what the book entailed and such, with a plain white CD attached to the bottom. ‘Interactive DVD’ was printed on the front of the disc and I peeled back the tape to unattach it, getting to my feet and walking into the living room.

I entered the disc into my DVD player and sat down on my small couch, folding my legs underneath me and waiting patiently as the menu screen came up.