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CHAPTER SIX, fourth of july.
━━━━ THERE'S a fair reason on why ashtray despises averie but at the same time still shows a little bit of care.
Averie and Ashtray used to be best-friends. back in the summer of 2019. ashtray didn't go to her school but she would often go around the store with Rue or with Lexi, mostly Lexi because she was the one babysitting her the majority of the time.
averie has a thing to block out memories that she doesn't want to remember. she likes locking them away with a invisible key and blow them away, just like that she forgets them. that's why averie doesn't know why ashtray hates her so much, for her, he hates her because of who she is. of where she is, of who she is suppose to be.
the real reason was during July 4th, 2019. ashtray was inside of the freezer counting the money of the day when averie entered the freezer slumping against the chair with a big hearable sigh. her head moved her to ashtray who wasn't fazed by her and didn't seem to want to lose count. so she sighed again but this time it was go annoy him.
"shut the fuck up." ashtray snapped shaking his head when he messed up and quickly counted it again. Averie mocked him underneath her breath. after he was finished he finally looked over at averie who was falling asleep on the chair.
she had her arms on the table and her head leaning against her arms as her eye lids closed softly. Ashtray put the money away before standing up moving her shoulders a little to wake her up. "Averie," he said making the girl slowly open her eyes and lift her head to look at ashtray. "let's go see the fireworks on the roof."
the rooftop. it was their favorite place to be, for the both of them. even if they didn't go together on the roof it was an escape to just stare up to the blue dark sky or to just hear everything. Averie stood up walking behind ashtray who made sure fezco knew where they were going behind heading to the back of the store.
Averie jogged over to the latter and was the first one to climb up, once she made her way to the top she felt calm, she felt the soft cool air blow softly around her hair sending chills down her body. she sat down facing towards the park where the fireworks usually are blown off.
"why aren't you with your dad?" ashtray asked sitting down next to her. he wasn't one to always ask her things, but when he did, she would always open up to him. almost feeling hypnotized to telling him the full story whenever he asks the questions.
"work, he's at work." Averie said letting out a humores laugh shaking her head. nothing was funny but for her it was.
Ashtray didn't say anything else as they simply just watched out to the sky waiting for the fireworks to blow. Ashtray the went deep in thought, something he didn't normally do. but it was about averie. he never realized how much averie was a impact in his life.
how he spend every minute of everyday at with Averie. he would always wake up to find himself wanting to see averie, his mood would be lifted when averie would show up at the store with the biggest smile ever telling him the stories about school or just about things she saw on the internet and he listened. the young teenager listens to the girl who thought she has no one.
fezco noticed this, he notices everything in ashtray whenever averie comes to see him. it makes him feel relieved and happy that his little brother had someone who he felt happy with, that some part of him was still being a teenager and having friends. instead of being around drugs all the time.
he didn't like the fact that he was getting close with someone, especially if that someone was Averie. he didn't like the fact that Averie was changing him and his life completely, he didn't like how all he thought about was work when all he simply is is a kid who only has averie and fezco to keep him sane.
"Ashtray?" Averie called out turning her head to look over at ashtray who hummed his gaze shifting over to averie. "what's your favorite color?" she asked him with a soft smile. just now she realized she never asked him that, she never really knew much about him. only that he is very serious about his spaghetti o's.
Ashtray chuckled shaking his head looking out to the sky thinking about it. "red." Ashtray said looking back at averie who scoffed rolling her eyes, it was obvious it was. "you?"
now it was her turn to think about what her favorite color was. "I like all of them." Averie shrugged her shoulders which earned a scoff coming out of ashtray's mouth.
"what's your favorite color today?" Ashtray asked her only now realizing that there weren't any space between them. he didn't mind nor did she, they liked the warmth they gave each other.
"uh, navy blue." Averie said making ashtray tilt his head to the side. "why?"
"because it's the color of the sky, and it's bringing me comfort. it's soft, there's no stars expect the moon and the sky. only them, no one else." Averie said softly letting out a gentle breath staring up at the sky. he liked the way averie spoke sometimes, although he would shove her whenever she wouldn't stop annoying him on purpose, but for a young girl she knew how to word words formally.
from afar people were shouting, probably counting down the time for when the fireworks were going to be thrown. "what?" averie asked as all he did was stare at her which was creeping her out. "ashtray?"
the fireworks went off.
and so did ashtray. lips attached on her, breath being taken away, regrets being filled inside of his body and he instantly wanted to rewind and not let his mind take action on his thoughts.
he didn't regret the kiss. she didn't either.
but he regrets that it changed their friendship. he didn't talk to her the next following week and neither did she. whenever Lexi would take her to the store, averie would stay in the car or stay outside.
she wanted to talk to him the next day after the Fourth of July, but she didn't bother after seeing how all he did was quickly ignore her going back inside of the freezer.
it hurt for her, how a he stopped.
and yet he's the one holding a grudge against her because for him averie is the one who stopped talking to him. for him, averie didn't kiss back once the fireworks were set and lips were attached. but deep inside of him he knew it wasn't Averie's fault. but averie never blamed him.
she simply blocked him out. he didn't seem to block her out, he still holds it.
author's note 💌 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
❝ IF SOMEONE GETS THE REFERENCE OF "what's your favorite color today." IMMA KISS YOU ISTG
