University Roommates (Restart)

Emily:
"Thats because you're boring," I said, looking up at him with a smile. "They're on the top shelf in the second cabinet, next to the coffee mugs," I told him. I always had some kind of candy hidden up there.

Ashton:

I snorted when I found the bag of candy “You are the weirdest girl I've ever known,” I commented, fishing out an apple flavored lollipop. “What flavor do you want?” I asked but tossed her the bag instead of waiting for her answer.

Emily:
I let the bag hit the couch cushion before picking a grape flavored one. "You know, the last time something was thrown at me, I got a concussion," I joked, setting the rest of the bag on the table by the couch.

Ashton:

I unwrapped the candy and popped it in my mouth. "Yeah, well the last time I was sucking on something it wasn't a lollipop," I said without thinking and immediately regretted it.

((Almost spit out my water omg))

Emily:
I barked out a surprised laugh, almost choking on my lollipop and turned to face him, my expression completely amused. "Oh, do tell..." I teased, sitting up a little straighter.

(( ))

Ashton:

My face grew hot. "It was a joke." I turned away, slightly embarrassed. Something about her injured, feeble state must have lowered my reservations with her. First at the hospital, then touching her leg. And Now I was making dirty jokes.

Emily:
His embarrassment only made it funnier to me. I giggled into my hand and got off the couch. "Is somebody blushing?" I asked, moving closer, in front of him since he turned away. I laughed again at his flushed cheeks, not even remembering that my head hurt.

Ashton:

"Jesus. It's not that funny," I said, looking at her sideways. She was ridiculous. "You're gonna hurt yourself, go sit down." I nudged her shoulder back in the direction on the couch. Her laughing was doing nothing to lessen the heat in my face.

Emily:
I didnt let him nudge me too far. "You know, I am capable of walking across a flat surface without hurting myself." I informed him, a trace of a smile still on my lips. Maybe it was so funny because he never really joked around with me.

Ashton:

"Yeah, well. I'll believe it when I see it." I moved past her and left her to follow along by herself. I flopped back onto the couch and laid the book out in my lap looking for our stopping place.

Emily:
I followed along and took my spot back, curling back up on the couch. I sighed and stuck the lollipop back into my mouth. I guess joke time was over. "You were right up to the part where Harry comes back into the room," I informed him, talking through the candy in my mouth.

((Are you good if I skip a bit? Do you have any plans in the next few days? I'd like to get to a point where we can progress the relationship more, but I also don't want it to seem like it happened in just a couple days.))

((Yeah go for it, skip away. I have nothing planned at all))

((Ashton:

Emily developed a pretty substantial bruise on her forehead the next day. Tasha noticed immediately. We were forced to tell her what happened and she chastised us for not saying something sooner. I continued reading to her until she could watch TV again, then we watched the whole Harry Potter series in a marathon. I kept true to my word and didn't withdraw from her.

It got harder to hold onto my reservations with her as the days past. I started letting my guard down more. I touched her more here and there, and I didn't brush her off when she touched me. I should have been more careful, but I wasn't.

I found a job finally as a bouncer at a club a few miles down, near where Emily had gotten herself drunk. I worked all night, three nights a week. Shortly after I started working, Tasha announced a surprise at dinner one night when the three of us went out.

“I'm moving to Brazil for six months,” She said.

Emily:

Over the next few days, my head started to feel much better. The bruise was starting to fade and it was at a point where I could easily cover it with make up.

Ashton read to me until my doctor gave me the green light to start watching TV again. And he also started looking way less repulsed when I touched him and even touched me a few times here and there. It was starting to feel like a real friendship.

When Tasha announced her news at dinner, I almost dropped my fork. "Brazil?!" I asked, loudly. I checked my volume level and shook my head. "Why the hell are you going to Brazil?" I asked, more controlled this time.

Ashton:

“There's a woman’s clinic there that reached out to me and wants me to come intern there. Room and Board is completely covered. And I'll be able to do some real good helping people!” She bounced in her seat with excitement.

“Isn't it dangerous?” I asked with a frown. All I ever heard about Brazil was that people usually got murdered there.

“No… Not really. They said it's pretty safe where I'll be.” She gave a little shrug.

Emily:
"But six months is a long time Tash..." I frowned. "What am I supposed to do without you for six months?" I asked, feeling anxious. "Without you, I might do irresponsible things!" I threw in, hoping in vain that she would change her mind.

Ashton:

She laughed. "Don't be silly. I trust Ash to keep you out of trouble. And you to keep him out of trouble," She said with a proud smile. I was having completely different feelings. I would be alone in the house with Emily with no moderator. After getting the job I had hopes of finding a place on my own, but I couldn't just abandon her like that. I didn't have the same confidence in my sister that we would look out for each other, in fact, I thought we would have the opposite effect of getting each other into trouble.

Emily:
I pouted. "Your brother leaves dirty towels on the bathroom floor..." I whined. And since he was sitting next to me, I reached over and gave him a little shove. "Which we are going to have to talk about, by the way," I told him. Then I turned back to Tasha. "When are you leaving?" I asked, regaining my pout in full force.

Ashton:

I glanced down at her then back to my sister hoping that she wouldn't leave for a while. Maybe I could save up enough to move out before she left and find a new roommate for Em..

“I leave in a week!” She was excited about it. I stared at her in disbelief. She had no idea what kind of mess she was leaving behind.

Emily:
"A week!" I groaned and pushed my plate away. "Fine, leave me for Brazil, I'll just waste away here in the apartment, wishing for my best friend..." I said, dramatically.

Ashton:

Tasha made me move so she could sit on the side with her best friend and console her. The next week flew by. Tasha wasn't working at the clinic anymore, so she was home more often, but she was crazy busy.

Emily and I came home from the airport after dropping her off for her trip and it just felt weird without her. I suddenly didn't know how I was supposed to act, especially since I had barely been alone with Emily in a week.

Emily:
Dropping Tasha off at the airport was harder than I wanted to admit. Sure, sometimes our schedules clashed and I didn't see her for a few days at a time, but I always knew she was there. And we had lived together for a really long time. How was I supposed to adjust to this place without her? And now she was gone for six months, which may as well have been an eternity. When we got back to the apartment, I slumped off to my room, stopping to close Tasha's empty doorway. I dropped onto my bed and hugged a pillow to my chest.

Ashton:

I felt awkward. I could tell Emily was upset but I didn't know how to help. I shuffled around the kitchen and living room for a while before finally going to the kitchen and pulling out a few ingredients. I knocked on her door a few minutes later.

"I made hot chocolate," I said through the door.

Emily:
I still felt like sulking but I also really wanted hot chocolate. So I took my blanket with me and shuffled my way into the kitchen to grab the mug that I assumed was for me. Then I went to the fridge and pulled out the whipped cream. "Do you want some?" I asked, holding the container up.