COSMOS | Complete

CHAPTER 27: ASHER

The next day, Aaron meets me at my locker. He seems happier, more lighthearted – I wish the reason was me, but I'm sure that he's on better terms with himself and his mother. Besides, how can one person change the life of another that has been set in stone for eighteen years?

"Hey you." Aaron nudges my elbow, grinning. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." I smile back, closing my locker. "Thank you."

The two of us begin walking down the hall, the student body parting for us like the Red Sea. Last month, I would have had to weasel my way through the jam-packed hallways – now, it seems they are eager to cram themselves to the sides for us. Just another detail of being mutual with Aaron Blakely – suddenly, you exist.

"So ..." Aaron's hands are deep in his pockets, and I know what he's hinting at. I shake my head, looking away. He means for the best, but that doesn't mean he understands.

"Asher. C'mon." He stops, staring at me pointedly. Aaron's eyes are panicked, but his stance is easy. I lick my lips, staring at his shoes. For once in my life, his gaze is intimidating.

"You 'c'mon'," I mutter, starting to walk down the hall. "We're holding up the line." Sure enough, students have been to amass behind us. I'm sure they could skirt around us, but gossip about Aaron Blakely is the entire school's gossip.

I hear him let out a sigh, hear his stride quicken to catch up with me. I'm tempted to run, but Asher Thomas does not run anymore – Aaron made sure of that.

"You know your health is nothing to joke about," Aaron hisses in my ear. He wraps his arm around me, making sure I don't try to bolt. "It's one phone call. You're Asher Thomas – this should be nothing to you."

"I think you're confusing me with yourself."

Aaron tosses his head back, exasperated. "Please. Do it for me."

I finally meet his eyes. I squint. "Do it for you?"

Aaron opens his mouth to respond, but I don't let him. Even as I begin to speak, I realize that I am shutting the door in his face, and I'm reaching for the key.

"You're not my boyfriend, you're not my brother, you're my friend." My lips screw into a scowl. Aaron stares at me, as if he can't comprehend my words. I wait for his retort, but he has lost his voice.

Aaron's jaw tightens, but he doesn't react. He drops his hand, stares straight forward, and doesn't speak again.

Physics. Aaron is sitting in his desk, flipping through a book. A closer look, and I realize it's a Walt Whitman – not the library copy, but a self-purchased paperback.

I sit down next to him, but he doesn't look up. The only acknowledgement of my presence is a flip of a page.

"I'm sorry." My fingers fidget in my lap, and for once, I'm unsure what to do with myself. Apologies are not common for me, and apologizing to Aaron Blakely? I was never prepared for this.

He sets the book down, but he doesn't look at me. His eyes are trained on the wooden desk, an act that I had grown accustomed to before I met him. Before I had someone to talk to.

"I was rude and rash. I overreacted." Hesitating, I look up to him. "You cared about me, and I shouldn't have thrown that away."

Silence ensues, tension and strain all wrapped into one. It's unbearable, and it's long. I can tell that Aaron is thinking my words over, and for once, I'm scared about his verdict. I'm scared of losing him.

Finally, he turns. Meets me in the eye. "Thanks," he murmurs. "But please. Friends look out for each other. Can't you see that?"

"Yes," I say, trying to smother my overwhelming relief. "For that, I'm grateful."

Aaron nods, satisfied with my response.

I suck on my teeth, tentatively venturing further into the topic. My voice is quiet, borderline a whisper. "People die in hospitals ..."

He whips around, jaw set. "Yes. Would you rather you die earlier for not going to the hospital?"

"What if-"

Aaron shakes his head, cutting me off. "I cannot believe that there is any reason not to," he declares. "Humans built a facility to save people. Who would pass that up?"

Me.