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valerie

i stepped outside and walked towards the shop. i have nothing else better to do. i hope fez won't be annoyed and let me stay for a bit.

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i arrived at shop and walked in. i was greated with a simple 'hey kid,' from fezco which made me smile. 'hey fez,' i said back. 'what you in here for?' he said looking at me. 'im not sure? i just came here because i was bored.' i said, kinda feeling bad since i didn't want to annoy fez. 'came to talk?' he said leaning towards the counter. 'i guess so, i mean only if you don't mind.' i said almost regretting why i came here in the first place.

'nah ion mind kid, you cool,' he said while pulling out a joint from his back pocket. i mean it didn't surprise me, he looked like the type to sell drugs but he definitely didn't act like it, he was genuine and nice. i looked at him as he lit the joint up and brought it up to his lips, taking in a big puff. 'you want some kid?' he said moving the joint towards me. 'nah im good thanks,' i said to which he responded with a simple nod.

we were in silence for a bit but it was weirdly comforting. i walked towards the counter and asked if i could sit on it since my legs hurt a bit. he nodded and i jumped up to sit. 'how old are you?' i blurted out randomly. '21, you?' he said still smoking his joint. 'im 16,' i said which he nodded to.

'ash is 17, you guys should hang out,' he said. ash? the kid with tattoos? 'he's in the back of you wanna talk to him,' i shrugged. i didn't like talking to new people without them talking to me first, i found it weird and awkward. 'i doubt he'll mind, he rarely has company,' fez continues which made me feel kind of bad.

i hopped off the counter and walked towards the open door freezer. i knocked at the window like i did yesterday which made him look up at me. 'what do you want.' he scoffed. could he be anymore rude? i just knocked.

'no, i just... never mind,' i said before turning around and walking back to fezco completely embarrassing myself. fezco lifted his brows as i walked back in. 'you good kid?' he asked. 'i just don't think he wants to talk to me.' i said looking down at my shoes. fez kisses his teeth, 'i doubt that, he just doesn't know what to talk about.'

i looked up back at the freezer and could see  ash staring at me. as soon as i looked up he looks down onto his phone pretending he wasn't staring at me. 'yeah but i don't know what to say either, im not the best with words,' i say pulling an awkward face to fezco. he laughed a little and said it was ok.

i walked towards the freezer again and walked in. 'sorry about that,' i said looking down at his shoes. he had really nice shoes, 'it's calm,' he said still looking at phone. i stood there for a while until he looked up at me and nodded his head towards the chair in front of him. i smiled and sat down.

'sooo, how are you?' i said trying to start a conversation, i sucked at this. he shrugged his shoulders and replied a simple 'fine' i nodded and answered my own question. 'im doing fine too, i just moved here so you know...' i said playing with my fingers. he just nodded again. what's up with him and nodding?

i sat there for a good 5 minutes in silence before he turned off his phone and looked up at me. i wasn't looking at him but i could feel his eyes burning holes into mine. i turned to look back at ash which made him look back down at his phone.

'where did you come from?' he said while putting in his password for his phone. 'georgia' i replied playing with the pockets of my cargos. he nodded in response. could he not like give me an actual response or what?

'i like your shoes,' i said trying to get him to talk to me even though i didn't really want to talk myself. he looked down at his own shoes, 'thanks, yours too.' he says which made me kinda smile. 'thanks,' i replied with before fixing the lace of my shoe.

'is your name ash?' i said. it was a stupid question because i already knew his name and i was asking for no reason. 'ashtray.' he corrected me. i smiled again, 'ashtray? that's a nice name,' i said and i genuinely meant it, it was nice.

he looked up at me and tilted his head to one side, he looked a little taken aback and confused. 'eh,' he said shrugging his shoulders while looking back down to his phone. 'why'd you move here,' he said carrying on the conversation which made me kind of happy since it wasn't just me putting in all the work. 'not sure if im honest, my brother just wanted to,' i lied because i didn't really want to go too deep into my life but more into his, he seemed interesting.

he looked at me, 'no parents?' he asked out of pure curiosity, i doubt he meant it in a rude way although he can be really rude from what i've seen from him. 'yep,' i said awkwardly. 'my bad,' he said closing his phone again and looking at me. 'nah it's calm,' i said back to him like he did to me when i walked in. 'i live with just my brother too,' he randomly said still staring at me. 'who fezco?' i asked looking away from ash since i didn't like eye contact that much but he seemed to like it. 'nah, the dog down the street,' he said scoffing, i laughed and saw him smile a bit.

i felt my pocket vibrating so i took out my phone to see that andrew texted me. weird.

weirdo drew😟
come home, we gtg
read 12:39

he never texted me so i kind of panicked as i read his message. 'you ok?' ash asked looking down at me seeing the slight panic on my face. 'uh um yeah im fine, i have to go sorry,' i said quite quickly. i saw the corners of his mouth drop slightly, like he was disappointed in me leaving?

'well bye ash, it was nice talking to you,' i said standing up and walking out the freezer room, 'yeah you too,' he said quietly as i walked out.

'yo kid where you goin?' fezco asked as i walked past the counter towards the door. 'oh my brother told i had to go back home for something, thank you for having me though,' i smiled at fezco and he smiled back, 'alright kid, be safe,' he said nodding his head and i walked out the door.

au
longest chapter yet💀 anyways ash and val met🤯🤯 i ship them already

1208 words

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