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The aggression in Noah’s voice filled the room. The tension escalated with every word. I had no idea what Josh was trying to accomplish, but I was grateful that he saved me from an unwanted confession.

“Leave him alone, Noah.”

It seemed like the right thing to do. He defended me, so it wouldn’t hurt to take some of the heat off him. However, the fiery look in Noah’s eyes showed my words did more harm.

Asher stood up, shifting the attention to him. He clenched his jaw so hard I thought it might crack. Without a word, he marched out of the room. The room remained silent, followed by the slam of a door.

??

14

“You know, I’m such a fool for you.”

Linger, The Cranberries

Asher

A tranquil layer of snow blanketed the neighbourhood. The soft glow of the streetlights casted a gentle illumination on the sidewalk. My breath formed misty clouds in the air as I took angered steps, which became muffled by the snow beneath my feet. The cold air stung my cheeks, a deep contrast to the warmth of thoughts spiralling in my head. She kissed him. She kissed my brother, and I hated how much it upset me. I sped up my steps as if trying to escape my inner turmoil.

In the distance, the low hum of a vehicle grew louder until the unmistakable sound of an engine became apparent. The familiar black and blue van, covered from top to bottom in graffiti, pulled up beside me. The sliding doors opened, revealing the smiling faces of my friends and bandmates.

“Give us a smile.” Benjamin said with a chuckle.

“I don’t smile.”

“Hop in, buddy.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the corner of my lip from twitching. They were relentless. Sum41 was playing in the background as I made myself comfortable in the seat beside Benjamin. Liam turned to look at us, while Sebastian looked at us through the mirror.

“What’s up with you?” Liam asked.

He was always timid in front of people, but when it was just the four of us, it all flew out the window.

“I just needed to get out of there.”

They raised their brows in sync as if they’d rehearsed it.

“So, it had nothing to do with the fact that your brother kissed the girl you like?” Sebastian asked.

My shoulders slumped. I hated how they knew me.

“Does it surprise you?” I asked. “Josh always gets what he wants.”

“Maybe if you let her know how you feel-” Liam said, but I cut him off.

“I’ll get over it.”

Benjamin snorted but said nothing. Sebastian, however, had a habit of saying what’s on his mind.

“We’ll pretend to believe you, for now.”

??

The atmosphere was tense as an uncomfortable silence settled over the table. The clinking of utensils was the only sound to be heard as we poked at our food. My mother’s awkward cough punctuated the strained atmosphere.

“Did Elsie have a wonderful birthday?”

My eyes glanced at Josh before looking at my plate again.