Cherry, That Girl

t w o

"Who do you have to thank for this," Nat asked, smug and very clearly rubbing it in.

It'd only been two weeks, but he'd gotten to hang out with Cherry a few times. Usually to cook dinner for her floor or friends, since it seemed everyone was incapable of cooking. Though, he could have sworn some of them were in his major classes.

"Yes, yes. Thank you, great goddess Natalia," Ambrosia drawled out. He made damn sure she'd known how he felt about her taking off without him, despite the fact that he later received a text from Cherry. The correspondence had been short, but it was something.

Interrupted by the ringing of his phone, Natalia's brows rose with curiosity, nodding for him to answer it. Carefully selected by the subject of conversation, Cherrybomb identified the caller. He'd thought it interesting that she'd choose this song of so many with the word "cherry" in their lyrics, but he hadn't questioned it.

"Hello?" Rising out of his seat, he took a step away from Nat. He wasn't about to let her listen in on their conversation.

"Hey! What's up?" She sounded groggy, like she'd just woken up. He could imagine her sprawled out over her bed like he'd seen once before. Nope, no; don't go there.

"Nothing much; just grabbin' some lunch with Nat."

"Oh, cool."

"Yeah."

There was a moment of silence, which Ambrosia took as the opportune time to check if Nat was trying to move closer. Catching her just as she was getting out of her seat, he stared at her until she sat back down.

"Listen," Cherry started, "You free tonight?"

"Yup, I am." She probably wanted him to cook for her again. "What do you feel like having?"

"What?" A beat and then she blessed him with a laugh. "No, no. Dude, to hang out. Floor's throwing a party. I thought I would invite you. You can bring Nat, too."

"Oh."

Oh. A party.

Ambrosia was in no way prepared to attend a party thrown by Cherry. Or, at least, he thought he wasn't. The reply didn't come from him, but from Nat as she took the phone from him and gave Cherry the answer, "Yeah, totally!"

He couldn't hear what else was said, but Nat cut the call and stared at him for a moment. He watched her pink, glossed lips purse and her chilly gray eyes examine him. He could see her mind working, coming up with something before she says it.

"We gotta find you something to wear."

"This was a lot harder than I thought."

Nat's revelation was no surprise to Ambrosia. He had known long before that getting dressed for occasions just wasn't him. He usually did well with just jeans and a t-shirt, but Nat was not having that at this point. But she also wasn't having any of what was in his closet.

He could do no more than say that half his wardrobe hadn't made the trip to college.

"I told you," he chimed, dropping down onto his bed.

His roommate, Daniel, had a knack for sending all hours outside of the room, which meant the room was pretty much his. Ambrosia had to appreciate that in light of how much Nat seemed to hang around. He suspected if she could, she'd take up residence in the room with him.

Tapping a finger against her chin, she surveyed the clothes that she'd taken from his closet and his drawers. He watched as she picked up a random set--he wasn't paying much attention at this point--from off the bed. A moment later, the same bundle of clothing was obscuring his vision. Letting out a soft sound of displeasure, he glanced over what he'd been given before being shooed off to go change in the bathroom.

His re-emergence bought no new change, save his clothes. Perhaps not as comfy a pair of jeans and maybe an added cardigan--why a cardigan? He was tempted to take it off--Ambrosia was not much better off than he was before.

"I literally could have just gone as I was," he remarked, brows raised.

"Yeah, but that would have been no fun," she retorted, a grin breaking out over her face.

"Fun?"

"Fun."

"This was all for fun?"

"Yep."

"Sheeee-it." He couldn't help the grin that matched her own. He honestly should have known.

Another moment of being fussed over, Nat's hands in his hair and her short remarks--or complaints and compliments; it was a gray area--about his lips and she deemed him acceptable. Ambrosia himself didn't see much change in his appearance, but if Nat was satisfied, it meant that he wouldn't have to deal with her poking and prodding any longer.

"Now let's go get you laid!"

"Nat."  

// okay, so I swear there's a point to this chapter. I swear. let me know what you think so far, and where the story is headed. I'm open to all theories. please vote if you liked. cheers, rem