Paige stood fuming in front of her bedroom door, glaring at it with an anger that threatened to melt it on the spot. 'Who did the girl think she was?' Paige thought to herself. She wrapped her fingers around the door handle but didn't open it. She needed to think of a good comeback. Something to say that would leave Asher speechless. Paige tried to think of something, but it seemed like her brain hated her in that moment. She stood outside for a moment before swinging the door roughly open.
"Just can't stay away, can you?" Asher was still lying on her bed- socks now discarded- gazing intently at something in her hands. Upon further inspection, Paige saw that it was one of the adult magazines she had hidden in the boards under her bed. How Asher found it, she had no idea. Her face turned bright red with a mix of fury and embarrassment.
"P-put that down!" Paige lunged at Asher, landing on top of her and causing the
magazine to fly across the room. Asher shoved her off the bed with surprising strength, Paige hitting the ground with a loud thud. When she looked up, Asher was already across the room, looking at the magazine with disgust on her face.
"Do you get off to this stuff?" Asher shook her head. "This is disgusting." She flipped the page towards Paige, the very explicit photo of a man staring back at her and causing a fresh blush to color her cheeks.
"No, I don't get off to it," Paige stood up, "I was just curious."
"Instead of looking at these middle aged men why don't you just, I don't know, have sex?"
Paige set her jaw and stepped up to Asher. She yanked the magazine from her grasp and smacked her in the head with it. Asher looked at her in surprise, so Paige did it again. "What I do in my free time is none if you damn business. This is my room and my house. You have no right to go through my stuff and make fun of me for the stuff I have," Paige went to smack Asher again, but the girl grabbed the rolled up magazine from her and smacked Paige on the head instead "Jesus you're so annoying," Asher spat at her. "All I've heard you do is whine and act like a brat. Maybe you should take a good long look in the mirror and take that stick out of your ass."
Paige laughed bitterly. "I'm the brat? All you've done is insult me. From the first time we saw each other."
Asher shrugged. "I only say what's true, sweetheart."
"Stop," Paige said in a low voice. "Stop calling me things like that."
Asher rolled her eyes. "I will call you what ever I damn well please," she leaned in closer, "just try to stop me, darling."
Paige glared at her but Asher just smirked. "You suck," Paige spat. "You are an awful person and you're going to die alone." Asher surprised Paige by looking genuinely hurt by her words. But Asher quickly shook her head and the hurt left her face instantly.
"Dying alone would be better than spending another minute with you," Asher spoke in a whisper. She put the magazine in Paige's hands and walked slowly to the other side of the room. She sat down on the floor next to Paige's closet and pulled her knees up to her chest. Paige stared at her for a moment almost feeling bad. She must have said something that struck a nerve with Asher. But the guilt quickly disappeared when Paige remembered all the things that Asher had said the her.
"Girls," Margret spared them from the interaction by sticking her head inside Paige's bedroom, "dinner's ready." Asher quickly stood up and rushed over to Margret, getting right in her face.
"What did you make?" Before Margret could answer Asher sniffed the air like a weirdo and smiled. "Pork chop with mashed potatoes and gravy. The gravy is slightly cold and the massed potatoes are too salty. The pork is seasoned perfectly but slightly undercooked," After speaking Asher rushed out of the room and into the kitchen. Margret looked amazed and slightly offended by her words but quickly followed her into the kitchen with Paige trailing behind.
"Mom, can I talk to you about Asher?"
"In a minuet Paige. Let me set the table. Will you go get Danial?"
"But, this is important. Asher, she—"
"What about me?" Asher seemed to spawn next to Paige carrying a plate with mostly pork chop piled on it. Paige jumped and glared at her. "You know Paige, if you frown so much your face is going to get stuck like that."
"Shut up Asher," Paige crossed her arms over her chest and met Asher's glare with her own."
"Paige," Margret spoke softly, "stop being rude and go get your brother."
Paige gaped at her mom for a long moment before heading down the hall. She pounded on Danial's door until he opened it.
"What the hell, Paige?" Danial stood in long shorts and a t-shirt, his hair messy like always and a pair of headphones crooked on his head, one ear peeking out.
"Dinner." Was all Paige said before walking back towards the kitchen. Danial stood in his door way for a long moment before slowly following her.