A/N: Due to computer malfunctions, there will be no more pictures past the ones I had taken during this chapter. Thank you for your understanding.
Also, this was officially posted on the 4 year anniversary of California Rain (formally known as Self Conclusion). Thank you for reading and following my progress for all these years!
------------------------------------------------------
Those kids’ll bring us down
All their fucking around
We’ll never be the same
--------------------------------------------------------
Alicia stared at the post-it note stuck on the door of her fridge, the numbers written carefully across the yellow surface. The mug in the hand warmed her skin, her fingertips tapping on the ceramic surface.
Aislynn watched her from where she leaned on the wall, an amused look spread across her face. "Just call him." She steps forward, next to the blonde and cocked her head at the number. "We both know he's probably sitting by his phone, waiting for it to ring anyway."
Alicia shook her head softly, taking a drink of coffee and letting the bitter drink wash down the taste of sleep. "I'm already so busy with school and work, I need to focus on that. So, I'm not calling him."
Aislynn took Alicia's phone from where it was sitting on the kitchen table, dialing the number on the fridge and pressing send, handing the ringing device to Alicia, receiving an eye roll from the other and listening as the recipient picked up.
"Uh, hey, Asher." Her voice wavered with anxiety, turning away from Aislynn and holding the phone closer to her. She smiled to herself as he chatted away on the other end about how he was waiting for her to call, leaning on the kitchen table with one arm as Aislynn left the room with a smirk. "Yeah, I was just wondering, are you free tonight?"
Asher let out a short laugh on the other end. "Yeah, I am, actually. Wanna meet up? I know a really nice restaurant near your place."
Alicia smiled, pushing herself up on the kitchen counter and nodding into the phone before speaking up. "Yeah, yeah. That sounds great."
A sigh of relief sounded on the other end. "Alright, great. I'll pick you up. Wear something nice."
--------------------------------------------
The sun was shining.
That was his first thought, was that the sun was shining, and it was such a nice day, and it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair that she should have had so many nice days left to enjoy, and she had none.
She had none because some asshole decided to shoot her because he had a problem with her sexuality, because he was crazy, because of some fucked up reasoning that Thomas didn't quite get.
She had none because Thomas ran late, because he could have been the one the sick fuck targeted, because he should have been the one. She had the rest of her life planned out, down to the very last detail, and she'd never get to live a single one.
They were all wearing black, because that's what they were supposed to do. He could hear what she would say to them if she saw them like this, the jokes about how depressing and gloomy they all were, and he knew she'd hate it.
The pastor was speaking about life and death and the sins of the man or whatever they said at these things, but Thomas couldn't listen, couldn't process what was happening, he hasn't been able to process a thing since it happened. He felt like he was living in a never ending nightmare and he just wanted to wake up.
He heard a weak whimper from beside him, Liza's shoulders shaking from the tears that were falling. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him as she broke down in his arms, tears welling up in his eyes.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Venus's mother fall to the ground with a loud wail, Nico kneeling down beside her to pull her into an embrace. She kept repeating the same words, over and over, each time breaking Thomas down even more.
"My baby, my baby, my baby."
-----------------------------------------------------
The car door fell shut behind Alicia, the lights from the restaurant window illuminating the parking lot that was darkening fast as the sun set. Golden hues and orange tones flickered and danced through the sky, her heels clicking against the asphalt.
The sign above the doors said Aurora in fancy writing, the cars parked in the lot nicer than any she'd even hoped to have one day. She hesitated a moment before turning to Asher, smiling softly and opening her mouth to speak.
"You know, I have much better idea."
Asher raised an eyebrow at her, leaning on the car and waiting for her to speak.
"It's such a nice night, and I hate fancy restaurants, let's just grab some ice cream and walk in the park."
She could hear Asher chuckle under his breath before locking the car doors and nodding.
She smiled up at him and gestured over to the ice cream shop that rested a couple buildings over, turning to walk towards it. She could hear the click of Asher's shoes behind her, her hands clutching to the small purse she was carrying with her.
A small bell rang through the shop when Alicia opened the door, the cold air rushing into her. They were greeted by the two workers behind the counter. She smiled at the two, walking up to where the ice cream was being held and ordering a strawberry milkshake, Asher ordering a mint one.
Asher pulled out his wallet, sliding a bill to the two teenage workers and smiling as he took the two cups and handing Alicia hers. She took a sip from the straw, the cold washing down her throat, numbing it.
The bell rang again as they left the shop, Alicia draping the chain on her purse over her shoulder. The street lamps shone on them, causing a glimmer of light on the dark ground.
They could hear the chatter of nature around them, crickets and birds sounding throughout the area. Cars passed near them, the engines purring against the tranquil silence.
"So," Asher started, taking a drink of his milkshake and looking off into the night sky. "You're in college, right? What are you majoring in?"
"Arts. I wanna be an art teacher." Alicia replied, stepping off the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. She poked holes in her milkshake with her straw, "My mom was an art teacher."
"Oh, that's cool. Did she retire?" Asher said.
Alicia cleared her throat, averting her eyes and taking a deep breath. "No. What about your parents?"
Asher took a beat to let what she said settle in, but didn't press the answer. He stirred the remnants of his half-consumed milkshake a bit before answering. "Dad was the Founder of a large business, and when he passed away, he left it to me. Mom's living out in New York somewhere, but we don't talk much."
Alicia watched as he stirred his shake some more, the golden light accenting his sharp cheekbones, his dark eyes. He was gorgeous, Alicia thought, and it amazed her that he was here with her, when he could easily have anyone he wanted.
"I'm sorry. About losing your dad, and your mom." Alicia whispered, clearing her throat to hide the tremble in her voice that came with thinking about her family.
It was so unfair, just how screwed up everything was. She saw the pressure eat at her father for years, building up, and then... Prom night happened, and he broke. He completely shattered, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Events that big didn't just affect those involved, they touched everyone around it. It was like a nuclear bomb went off and destroyed everyone and everything around her and all she could do was pick up the pieces and run, going to a school four hours from home.
She didn't know what to do. She was lost, for the first time in her life. She put up the charade of having everything together, but every day was grasping at straws.
"I'm sorry, too. For your mom." Asher noted, smiling over at her. A genuine, pure smile, and not the sympathetic ones she got from her classmates. She smiled back at him, taking the last drink of her milkshake and throwing it in a nearby garbage can.
She turned to him, watching as he slowed to a stop close to her. "So," he started, his voice low. "that diner you work at, you're a waitress there, right?"
Alicia nodded, turning her back to him and taking a couple more steps, finding a nearby park bench for the two of them to sit at. Asher sat down next to her, watching her as she stared up at the night sky, the stars twinkling brightly through the thin layer of clouds that were forming quickly.
"How's that going? The waitressing gig?" He asked, moving an inch closer to her. She leaned back, her skin cold from the metal. He inched forward again, his body heat warming her up as she turned to face him, a content smile on her face as he leaned forward, his lips meeting hers, soft and sweet.
He tasted like the mint milkshake he had still grasped in one hand, the other coming to meet hers, lacing their fingers together as the kiss intensified, the passion behind it shining through. She pulled away, chuckling to herself and whispering "hi."
"Hi," Asher laughed with her, pulling her up off the park bench and continuing their walk, hand in hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aislynn was waiting up for her when she walked in the door, the lamp next to the couch and the cell phone in Aislynn's hand the only light in the dim apartment. The dark haired girl clicked her phone off when she noticed Alicia walk through the doors, excitement lighting up her features. "So, did you guys have fun?"
Alicia laughed softly, setting her purse down on the kitchen table and stepping out of her heels. "He's sweet." She said, moving to the couch and sitting next to her friend. She leaned back into the seat, crossing her arms and looking over at Aislynn.
"Good." Aislynn responded, looking back to her phone and scrolling for a moment, before showing the screen to Alicia. A black screen showed, with bright neon lettering that said "BLACKLIGHT PARTY" and a time and place.
"What do you say?" Aislynn smiled. "Should we go?"
Also, this was officially posted on the 4 year anniversary of California Rain (formally known as Self Conclusion). Thank you for reading and following my progress for all these years!
------------------------------------------------------
Those kids’ll bring us down
All their fucking around
We’ll never be the same
--------------------------------------------------------
Alicia stared at the post-it note stuck on the door of her fridge, the numbers written carefully across the yellow surface. The mug in the hand warmed her skin, her fingertips tapping on the ceramic surface.
Aislynn watched her from where she leaned on the wall, an amused look spread across her face. "Just call him." She steps forward, next to the blonde and cocked her head at the number. "We both know he's probably sitting by his phone, waiting for it to ring anyway."
Alicia shook her head softly, taking a drink of coffee and letting the bitter drink wash down the taste of sleep. "I'm already so busy with school and work, I need to focus on that. So, I'm not calling him."
Aislynn took Alicia's phone from where it was sitting on the kitchen table, dialing the number on the fridge and pressing send, handing the ringing device to Alicia, receiving an eye roll from the other and listening as the recipient picked up.
"Uh, hey, Asher." Her voice wavered with anxiety, turning away from Aislynn and holding the phone closer to her. She smiled to herself as he chatted away on the other end about how he was waiting for her to call, leaning on the kitchen table with one arm as Aislynn left the room with a smirk. "Yeah, I was just wondering, are you free tonight?"
Asher let out a short laugh on the other end. "Yeah, I am, actually. Wanna meet up? I know a really nice restaurant near your place."
Alicia smiled, pushing herself up on the kitchen counter and nodding into the phone before speaking up. "Yeah, yeah. That sounds great."
A sigh of relief sounded on the other end. "Alright, great. I'll pick you up. Wear something nice."
--------------------------------------------
The sun was shining.
That was his first thought, was that the sun was shining, and it was such a nice day, and it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair that she should have had so many nice days left to enjoy, and she had none.
She had none because some asshole decided to shoot her because he had a problem with her sexuality, because he was crazy, because of some fucked up reasoning that Thomas didn't quite get.
She had none because Thomas ran late, because he could have been the one the sick fuck targeted, because he should have been the one. She had the rest of her life planned out, down to the very last detail, and she'd never get to live a single one.
They were all wearing black, because that's what they were supposed to do. He could hear what she would say to them if she saw them like this, the jokes about how depressing and gloomy they all were, and he knew she'd hate it.
The pastor was speaking about life and death and the sins of the man or whatever they said at these things, but Thomas couldn't listen, couldn't process what was happening, he hasn't been able to process a thing since it happened. He felt like he was living in a never ending nightmare and he just wanted to wake up.
He heard a weak whimper from beside him, Liza's shoulders shaking from the tears that were falling. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him as she broke down in his arms, tears welling up in his eyes.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Venus's mother fall to the ground with a loud wail, Nico kneeling down beside her to pull her into an embrace. She kept repeating the same words, over and over, each time breaking Thomas down even more.
"My baby, my baby, my baby."
-----------------------------------------------------
The car door fell shut behind Alicia, the lights from the restaurant window illuminating the parking lot that was darkening fast as the sun set. Golden hues and orange tones flickered and danced through the sky, her heels clicking against the asphalt.
The sign above the doors said Aurora in fancy writing, the cars parked in the lot nicer than any she'd even hoped to have one day. She hesitated a moment before turning to Asher, smiling softly and opening her mouth to speak.
"You know, I have much better idea."
Asher raised an eyebrow at her, leaning on the car and waiting for her to speak.
"It's such a nice night, and I hate fancy restaurants, let's just grab some ice cream and walk in the park."
She could hear Asher chuckle under his breath before locking the car doors and nodding.
She smiled up at him and gestured over to the ice cream shop that rested a couple buildings over, turning to walk towards it. She could hear the click of Asher's shoes behind her, her hands clutching to the small purse she was carrying with her.
A small bell rang through the shop when Alicia opened the door, the cold air rushing into her. They were greeted by the two workers behind the counter. She smiled at the two, walking up to where the ice cream was being held and ordering a strawberry milkshake, Asher ordering a mint one.
Asher pulled out his wallet, sliding a bill to the two teenage workers and smiling as he took the two cups and handing Alicia hers. She took a sip from the straw, the cold washing down her throat, numbing it.
The bell rang again as they left the shop, Alicia draping the chain on her purse over her shoulder. The street lamps shone on them, causing a glimmer of light on the dark ground.
They could hear the chatter of nature around them, crickets and birds sounding throughout the area. Cars passed near them, the engines purring against the tranquil silence.
"So," Asher started, taking a drink of his milkshake and looking off into the night sky. "You're in college, right? What are you majoring in?"
"Arts. I wanna be an art teacher." Alicia replied, stepping off the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. She poked holes in her milkshake with her straw, "My mom was an art teacher."
"Oh, that's cool. Did she retire?" Asher said.
Alicia cleared her throat, averting her eyes and taking a deep breath. "No. What about your parents?"
Asher took a beat to let what she said settle in, but didn't press the answer. He stirred the remnants of his half-consumed milkshake a bit before answering. "Dad was the Founder of a large business, and when he passed away, he left it to me. Mom's living out in New York somewhere, but we don't talk much."
Alicia watched as he stirred his shake some more, the golden light accenting his sharp cheekbones, his dark eyes. He was gorgeous, Alicia thought, and it amazed her that he was here with her, when he could easily have anyone he wanted.
"I'm sorry. About losing your dad, and your mom." Alicia whispered, clearing her throat to hide the tremble in her voice that came with thinking about her family.
It was so unfair, just how screwed up everything was. She saw the pressure eat at her father for years, building up, and then... Prom night happened, and he broke. He completely shattered, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Events that big didn't just affect those involved, they touched everyone around it. It was like a nuclear bomb went off and destroyed everyone and everything around her and all she could do was pick up the pieces and run, going to a school four hours from home.
She didn't know what to do. She was lost, for the first time in her life. She put up the charade of having everything together, but every day was grasping at straws.
"I'm sorry, too. For your mom." Asher noted, smiling over at her. A genuine, pure smile, and not the sympathetic ones she got from her classmates. She smiled back at him, taking the last drink of her milkshake and throwing it in a nearby garbage can.
She turned to him, watching as he slowed to a stop close to her. "So," he started, his voice low. "that diner you work at, you're a waitress there, right?"
Alicia nodded, turning her back to him and taking a couple more steps, finding a nearby park bench for the two of them to sit at. Asher sat down next to her, watching her as she stared up at the night sky, the stars twinkling brightly through the thin layer of clouds that were forming quickly.
"How's that going? The waitressing gig?" He asked, moving an inch closer to her. She leaned back, her skin cold from the metal. He inched forward again, his body heat warming her up as she turned to face him, a content smile on her face as he leaned forward, his lips meeting hers, soft and sweet.
He tasted like the mint milkshake he had still grasped in one hand, the other coming to meet hers, lacing their fingers together as the kiss intensified, the passion behind it shining through. She pulled away, chuckling to herself and whispering "hi."
"Hi," Asher laughed with her, pulling her up off the park bench and continuing their walk, hand in hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aislynn was waiting up for her when she walked in the door, the lamp next to the couch and the cell phone in Aislynn's hand the only light in the dim apartment. The dark haired girl clicked her phone off when she noticed Alicia walk through the doors, excitement lighting up her features. "So, did you guys have fun?"
Alicia laughed softly, setting her purse down on the kitchen table and stepping out of her heels. "He's sweet." She said, moving to the couch and sitting next to her friend. She leaned back into the seat, crossing her arms and looking over at Aislynn.
"Good." Aislynn responded, looking back to her phone and scrolling for a moment, before showing the screen to Alicia. A black screen showed, with bright neon lettering that said "BLACKLIGHT PARTY" and a time and place.
"What do you say?" Aislynn smiled. "Should we go?"
