Dusk [sequel to Aurora] - HS AU

Chapter 5

You know that I care
You should have been there

Song: Overdue, by Muse

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FIJI

2020, April 21st, Tuesday | 11 a.m

Aster's P.O.V.:

I'm standing in the middle of a Fijian commercial area, with my chin on the floor and my stomach fluttering so bad I feel like Rickie in a boat. To every second that passes, I'm more and more sure that I heard it wrong.

Is it possible that I'm hallucinating this bad while being completely sober?

I mean, yeah, Rickie and I got high last night, but it was like, 8 hours ago. There's no way I'm still tripping. Unless he baptized the weed with something else, but I don't think Rickie would do something like that, without talking to me first.

"Is she OK?" I hear an unfamiliar, feminine voice asking in the distance, but I'm so lost in my own confusion, I can't find it in me to answer. I'm not even sure if I actually heard it, or if it's just a product of my imagination.

There's a soft grip on my shoulder that suddenly gets a bit heavier, and in my shocked state I try to blink away the sudden blurriness from my eyes, desperately trying to focus my vision again.

"Cupcake, hey." Rickie's voice breaks the barrier between my conscience and the real world, squeezing my shoulder again, and suddenly it's like I'm pulled back to reality with a harsh jolt.

Always tired, I read, realizing he's leaning down to my eye level, while holding both my shoulders and gazing at me like a falcon, worry stamped all over his tattooed face.

"Dude, is she having a stroke or something?" Again, the feminine voice speaks, now sounding closer and way more real.

I blink again, focusing my eyes on Rickie's and softly shaking my head.

"There you are." He smiles as my eyes stay focused on him. "You OK?"

"Y-Yeah, I just..." My voice trails off as I look away from his friendly face, taking a step back so I can escape from his grip and look at the girl who is glaring at us awkwardly. "I'm sorry, you said your name was E-EJ?" I manage to mumble out, slowly recovering the control over my own conscience.

"Well, kinda, but if it's going to give you a mental breakdown again, you can call me Eve." She shrugs.

Smart ass.

"I'm sorry, it's just that... I know someone called EJ, and it surprised me." I try to sound nonchalant, now paying attention to every little detail on this girl's face.

I'm positive I've never seen her before, but somehow her green eyes are strangely familiar to me. In fact, everything about her face is kinda familiar - her pale skin, dark hair and full lips. But specially, the bratty expression as she looks away, pinning her eyes on Rickie, that's standing by my side.