Page 13 of Asher

Thirteen missed calls from Stella.

Three from Asher.

Stella –Co, I’m sorry.

Stella –Co, please answer your phone. I shouldn’t have done that.

Stella –I’m just so frustrated. Because of who my dad is, nobody wants to ask me out.

Stella – The amazing friend you are, you would tell me that it means they don’t deserve me.

Stella –You would be right.

Asher –Talk to her, Chloe. She’s torn up.

Stella –I love you like a fat kid loves cake. I know how you feel, and I am so sorry, Co.

Stella –So I don’t do it again, I’ll delete your number from my phone?

Stella –I’ll dress up in purple tomorrow.

Stella hates the color purple.

Stella –Please forgive me, Co. Please. I won’t do this again.

Asher –I’ve talked to her. Let her off the hook for me, yeah?

I sighed. I knew Stella couldn’t help herself, and I knew she was frustrated. But if she did anything like this again, I was egging her car.

And I texted her as much.

Her reply was instantaneous, almost as if she was staring at it.

Stella –Deal.

Asher –Thanks. My ears just bled from her screech.

Asher –Do anything to make her smile.

I smiled at that.

Me –I know. Me too. But I can’t create feelings for someone that aren’t there.

Asher –And that makes you one admirable person, Chloe. Someone I’m honored to know.

Then I smiled.

That felt nice.

That caused my body to warm all over.

Then to Stella, I said.

Me –I forgive you. But you have to wear purple tomorrow.

It was the very next day, and since today was Friday, and since we were old enough now, and our parents were okay with it, we were leaving at noon since it was a half day, swinging by the clubhouse, then heading to Badd Motha Ink and getting our noses pierced.

We both had been begging to have it done.

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