Where Lost Things Go | ✓

【拾肆】A FIGHT BREAKS OUT

chapter 14.
a fight breaks out

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ASHER AND REAGAN spent most of their spring break together. Reagan would read while Asher studied, gamed, or napped beside her. He was a growing constant, and although she'd never admit it out loud to him, she found his presence comforting.

Somehow, he had made it into her daily routine, and each day she found herself smiling back at his crooked grin.

They were sitting at the quad one day when they were interrupted.

"Asher, where you been, man?" Brian greeted with Nick trailing behind him.

"Hey," Asher said, smiling as they went in for a bro-handshake. "Just around."

"When's the last time you came to one of my parties?" Brian asked.

Asher scratched the back of his head as he leaned back, "It's been a few months. Sorry, man."

"Come to think of it," Nick said. "Haven't seen you or Jayden in a while."

"Heard Jayden got cuffed," Brian said.

"Oh yeah," Asher chuckled. "He's with Molly. Reagan's friend." He gestured back at Reagan, who had sat in silence during their exchange.

Brian and Nick peered over Asher, as if noticing Reagan's presence for the first time.

She stared back.

"Hey Reagan," Brian said with a smile as he invited himself to a seat beside her. "Remember me?"

"Unfortunately," she said.

Brian laughed dryly, "Same attitude, huh?"

Her lips twitched.

"I'm Nick," Nick introduced, patting Brian on the back.

Reagan nodded in greeting.

"So you're the one taking up Asher's time," Brian continued, his voice loud and accusatory.

"More like he's taking up mine," she said, a quip that only Asher was able to appreciate.

"That seems like the wrong attitude," Brian said with a mocking frown. "You should consider yourself lucky. Asher has tons of girls lined up."

"Dude, what?" Asher cut in, his eyes boring into Brian.

"I'm sure," Reagan said, her tone dismissive and bored.

Brian smiled, but there was nothing friendly about it, "Is Asher your only friend or something?"

"Brian," Asher said, his voice low in warning.

Brian threw his hands up, "Relax, I'm just playing around. She needs to get a sense of humor."

"If that's your idea of a joke," Reagan said, her tone flat, "maybe you need to get one, too."

His eyes flashed, glaring at Reagan with boiling menace. He leaned in close as if to threaten her, "What the fuck is your problem?"

Reagan bore her eyes into her book.

"Could you step away from me?" she said slowly. "You have bad breath."

Brian growled, "Asher, why are you hanging around this bitch?"

Asher clenched his teeth.

"What did I say about her from day one?" Brian stood up, glaring menacingly down at her. "An absolute buzzkill. Look at her. She looks like she's never smiled a day in her life." He ignored Nick's desperate gestures for him to shut up. "If you're that starved for attention, I can set you up with some girls from Alpha Delta Pi," Brian said with a sneer. "You can do so much better than this fucking chink."