Asher's Heart

Epilogue

"I thought Noel was going to ask her out," Brooke said and we both looked at Megan who was sprawled across my bed, reading a book that she found on my bedside table.

"I thought so too," I mumbled.

"Poor Red. We're almost done with high school and she hadn't even got her first kiss. This was like her last chance," she snickered.

I shushed her, smacking her playfully on her shoulder.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes. "She is reading and when she is inside a book, a zombie apocalypse might break out in the room and she wouldn't bat an eyelash," she rightly said.

"I can hear you very well, Brooke. I just don't find you interesting enough to hold my attention over a book," Megan drawled still reading, making Brooke glare at her.

Now it was my turn to snicker.

"You make me want to commit murder," Brooke said. "Preferably yours."

"Glad, I could get such a strong emotion out of you," she looked up then and smirked.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you don't have a date for prom," Brooke said.

I lay my cheek on my knee and sighed. Brooke and I were sitting in the alcove, looking out of the window. Prom was only hours away and neither of us had dates. Though, my reason was different. I didn't want to go. It didn't actually matter if I wanted to go or not because apparently none of us was going anyway.

"Neither do you," Megan shot back.

"Who said?" Brooke swung her legs down the seat and sat straight.

"I did," I piped up, raising my hand in the air.

"Well, you're wrong. Now get up," she said standing up.

I watched her, my position still unchanged, as she made her way to my closet and swung open the doors.

Megan and I exchanged a shrug.

"What are you doing?" I called.

"Finding a gown or dress. Whatever looks best," her voice came a bit muffled.

I shot up to my feet and followed her inside my walk-in closet. She was searching through my dresses, discarding all of them.

"Brooke, stop," I said. "I'm not going."

She halted, a blue dress in her hand. "Why?"

I looked away. I didn't have any answer that wouldn't make me seem more pathetic than I already felt. She threw the dress on the carpeted floor.

The sudden action made me look at her and the expression on her face, the unveiled anger surprised me. "Why don't you want to go, Ellie?" she asked again.

"I just don't feel like it," I muttered.

"Is it because of him?" she asked, but she wasn't expecting an answer.

"I wasn't planning on going from the beginning. High school dances are lame," I answered.

"True story," Megan joked and it was then I realized that she had joined us in the closet. Brooke's glare shut her up and she mimed zipping her lips.

"Since when does something being lame has stopped you from enjoying it? You haven't been yourself for so long and I don't like it," she said.

I was going to play it off when she spoke again.

"What has he done to you?!" she demanded and I flinched.

She wasn't saying his name intentionally because she knew it hurt. And it did hurt. So much that I wanted to curl up and force myself to forget. The months didn't make it any easier. Neither did they help the pain fade.