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Ashlyn blinked her eyes open reluctantly, sleep weighing them down like that’s all they were meant to do.
She almost gave in, welcoming the warmth of the blankets until she felt an arm snaking around her waist. Normally, she’d freak out and start kicking, but there was only one person who did that.
Opening her eyes again, she came face to face with Aiden Clark. Or, well, she assumed it was him. All she could really see was his bleach-blond hair.
His face was once again, buried in her chest as per usual. Sighing, she looked around at the rest of the group. Everyone had nestled together on the floor in a nest of blankets and pillows just before midnight. Ben was above them all, his arms full of Logan and Taylor still sleeping on either side of him, using his chest as a pillow. Tyler was scrolling through his phone, looking deadbeat as he rested his head on his sister’s lap and showed Ben the occasional funny video.
Ashlyn and Aiden fell at the bottom of the pile. Aiden being Aiden, his whole body was strewn across the entire group. His legs were resting over Taylor and Ben, while his torso and head lay on Logan, then finally, Ash. The poor girl was leaning heavily on Logan with Aiden on top of her.
It seemed to be one of those nights where the group cuddled together like they’d been separated for months. The room was dark, only lit by a couple of plugged-in night lights around the living room and kitchen so they could see.
Ashlyn shifted around, Aiden muttering in protest as he tightened his grip on her. What time is it? She thought, looking around for a clock. Unfortunately, she came up with nothing. It was hard to look around when you were being death-gripped.
Looking over at Tyler, she saw that Taylor had finally woken up. The twins were giggling quietly over a Tiktok, trying to explain to Ben the joke, laughing harder when he only looked more confused.
“Ty, what time is it?” Ash asked.
Tyler looked at her in surprise, realizing she was awake. “I think you got a leech on you, Carrot Top,” He grinned when he saw Aiden.
Ashlyn rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I noticed. Time?”
“Almost one in the morning,” Taylor supplied.
Ash almost choked when she said that. One in the morning? I’ve never slept that late after a shift. I must’ve been exhausted. Looking around at a still-sleeping Logan and Aiden, she guessed they must’ve been pretty tired too.
Squinting down at Aiden, she wondered how on earth even he could still be asleep. She didn’t have to wonder for long when the boy peeked one eye open at her before immediately slamming it back closed.
“I knew there was no way you’d stay asleep for that long,” Ash snorted, raising her brow. “Logan is easier to believe. You? Not so much.”
Aiden groaned, borrowing further into her.
“Aiden, I’m already suffocating over here, come on!”
He responded by letting up just a little bit, giving her a false sense of security as she relaxed again. Then he pulled her down and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“I’m hungry,” He said promptly.
Ashlyn blinked at him before groaning.
Logan yawned, finally waking up before yelping at the scene below him– or, well– leaning on him.
“Aiden, let Ash go,” Logan sighed.
—
Ash looked through the mess of blankets, tossing pillows everywhere as she looked for her hoodie. When she threw the last pillow, apologizing when it hit someone in the face, then taking the apology back when she realized it was Tyler, she came to terms that it was lost.
Or someone took it.
“Has anyone seen my hoodie?” Ash asked, looking directly at Aiden.
Everyone gave a chorus of no’s. “Are you sure you didn’t leave it at your house?” Taylor asked.
“No, I definitely had it in my backpack,” Ash responded.
“Maybe you just misplaced it or something,” Tyler shrugged, shouldering his own jacket on. After Aiden continuously complained about being hungry, everyone else realized that none of them had eaten since yesterday morning. They were too busy discussing their plan for the phantom dimension that night.
Which came up with nothing anyway, Ash sighed internally. Again.
But as a result of not eating, they agreed to Aiden’s suggestion of walking to the market. It was only a few blocks away, luckily. But it was still cold outside, and Ashlyn couldn’t find her damn hoodie.
“Here,” Aiden said, handing her a red and gray hoodie. “Take one of mine.”
Ashlyn took it reluctantly, eyeing him. “Where’d you get this from so fast?” He already had his own hoodie on, plain red with a smiley face and x ’d-out eyes on the front.
He looked away nervously, trying to remain cool. “I just had an extra in my backpack! I forgot to take it out yesterday, so…”
Tyler snickered, Logan hitting him on the arm.
“Uh huh,” Ash said, not bothering to hide her suspicion. “Well, thanks.”
Ashlyn tugged the hoodie on, pulling her braids out. The elbows of the sleeves had a smiley face on them. Predictable.
Aiden beamed, grabbing her wrists and pulling her toward the others. They were already gathered at the door, Tyler fussing over Taylor’s jacket and zipping it up all the way to her neck.
Ben pulled Aiden away, the blond yelping. He pointed to Aiden’s backpack under the table, cocking his eyebrow. Aiden scratched his neck nervously as he followed his finger, already knowing what he was going to find.
Ashlyn’s hoodie was stuffed into his bag, her sleeve sticking out the side.
After everyone was ready and bundled up, Ben locked the door (because Aiden sure wasn’t going to do it) and began walking to the market.
Everyone automatically began to look around cautiously as they walked down the road. The sky was dark and sparkling with a million faraway suns, not a hint of a disturbing red sky or fog, but that didn’t keep them from peeking around every corner on instinct.
The feeling of being watched and not knowing if a phantom double your size was waiting just around a turn never quite left you, even after months of getting used to it.
Ash didn’t know how the first week went for everyone else, but the blood-chilling memory of her walking down the stairs and calling for her parents, only to be met with a phantom stalking right outside her window. Her heart had dropped to her stomach as she threw herself to the ground, covering her mouth as the phantom’s neck snapped in her direction, setting its claws on her window.
The memories of running through town, fear engulfing her entire body. Her heart pounding against her ribcage as the shadows danced and tricked her, her only real alert to a phantom being her ability to hear them. It had been horrible, she felt like a wild animal running from a predator until she met up with Aiden and Ben.
Yeah. It gave you a few mental scars.
But there was still a light air as the gang talked and laughed with each other. Aiden was bickering with Tyler as he promised he’d get several family packs of candy.
They all looked so tired, but at least this had been one of their easier nights. Ash flipped the hood over her head as she put her hands in the pocket of the hoodie, a chilly breeze tickling her face.
They’d taken the jeep around town to test their theories. The theory being that the reason they were brought there was because of some sort of gate. A gate that they’d been unlucky enough to stumble into, a gate that brought them to their own personal hell every night. It sounded like a throw in the dark, but after months of trying to figure out why this was happening to them, this theory was surprisingly the most logical.
Logan had argued that what happened at the arcade a month ago was only further proof of their theory. Ever since the phantom dimension began to…affect us, Ashlyn thought. Every time we have a spout of negative emotions, the phantom world seems to creep closer and closer to the real world.
Unfortunately, though, every place they’ve visited so far led to nothing. Maybe following Reddit theories and videos about supposedly haunted places in their town wasn’t the best way to search, but it was what they had for now.
And last night had been another dead end.
Ash rubbed her temples as she continued to trail behind the others, street lights blinding her every so often.
Aiden peered back at Ashlyn, furrowing his brows when he saw her looking beyond stressed. Sending Tyler one last remark, he slowed down until he was walking side by side with Ash.
“Hey, you good?” He asked, bumping her shoulder.
Ash hummed, looking up at him. “Yeah, sorry. I just hope we don’t keep coming up with nothing.”
Aiden looked at her questionably before realizing what she was talking about. “We’ll find something, don’t worry about it! Let’s just have some fun while we’re not fighting questionably goopy demons.”
Ashlyn shook her head, a small smile tracing her lips. “As long as you don’t go on a sugar rush again, I don’t think I can handle another sugar-drunk Aiden.”
She wasn't joking. Last time Aiden had gotten drunk on sugar he'd convinced Taylor to help him concoct what should've been labeled a crime to the food industry. Instead, it was apparently called girl dinner.
Aiden chuckled when he realized what Ash was referencing. “Aww, that’s no fun!”
Ashlyn was grateful to Aiden for noticing her stress. It made her feel nice; seen. He might be loud and talk nonstop, but to his credit, he was observant.
They stayed behind the rest of the group, talking aimlessly. Well, Aiden did most of the talking, and Ashlyn just listened. She preferred it that way.
Eventually, they made it to the market. Taylor grabbed a cart and they began to look around. They made sure to grab more water for the graveyard first. Then some healthier snacks, but it quickly dissolved into sugars and foods that Ashlyn was sure were a number one lead in cancer.
Not five minutes in, Logan was struggling to stay awake. While they were picking between what chips to get, Logan quietly crawled into the cart with a plush Taylor had thrown in. He was knocked out in less than a minute, his glasses falling off.
Ash longed to do the same but she didn’t trust everyone to stay in line without her, especially Aiden and Tyler.
Walking slightly ahead as Taylor and Aiden begged Tyler to get Hot Cheetos, her eyes spotted a plushie stuffed into the bottom shelf. Look’s like someone’s mom said no, Ash thought as she crouched down and grabbed it.
It was one of those shitty Spiderman plushies. And Ash was slightly embarrassed to admit that her heart did a little cheer when she recognized her favorite superhero.
She smiled at it, wondering faintly if there was a universe where one of them was a spider-themed hero.
“Do you want it?”
Ash yelped, dropping the plushie. Aiden stared at her, holding in a laugh. The plastic bags of chips seemed to laugh along with him.
“Why do you always do that?” She asked, dusting herself off.
“Because you do that,” Aiden answered without hesitation, offering her his hand.
“Ha ha,” Ashlyn deadpanned, taking his hand and pulling herself up.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Aiden said, pointing at the plush in her hands. “Do you want it?”
Ashlyn looked down at the stuffed toy and looked away, embarrassed. “I mean, I guess–”
“Great! Put it in the cart then!”
“I didn’t bring money to waste on something for myself, Aiden,” Ash said, going to put it back.
“Put it in the cart, Ash. I’ll get it for you,” He said like it was obvious that that was the plan from the start.
“I know you’re rich and all, but you don’t need to waste your money on me.”
“I know,” Aiden agreed. “But I want to, and it’s not wasting. If it makes you happy then that’s enough for me.”
Ash followed him, a bit stunned as he led her back to the cart and put the plush in the cart. “Plus, now I know one more thing about you!” He leaned into her ear, grinning. “You’re a Spiderman nerd.”
Aiden then walked away, heading straight to Ben to bother him.
Ashlyn stood there, debating if she should go purchase a brick to throw at him. Then yawned, and took it as a sign that it wasn’t worth it.
She looked back to the plush now sitting in the cart with the rest of the junk food they’d piled up. It was silently mocking her, but it still made her chest warm that Aiden offered to buy it for her, albeit a bit embarrassing.
Logan was still fast asleep, his hair already a mess and his glasses on his lap. God, I’m so tired, but they’ll probably burn down the store if I fall asleep.
Then again, Ashlyn hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep lately. And she usually never did, ever since all this phantom shit started, but she at least tended to get a couple hours in. But she’d been staying up researching possible paranormal leads they could follow for the past week, and she was exhausted.
Maybe a small nap wouldn’t hurt.
Taylor was the only one who noticed when Ashlyn began to follow Logan’s footsteps and climb into the cart. Readjusting herself until she was comfortable, she made sure the hood was pulled up and brought the plushie close.
Leaning against Logan comfortably, she caught a familiar whiff of vanilla and coconut. Of course, Aiden uses those stupid expensive shampoos, she thought, realizing it was coming from his hoodie.
Don’t ask her if it helped her body relax and lull her to sleep faster. She wouldn’t tell you.
The sting of exhaustion breathed in relief when she finally closed her eyes, the heat coming from Logan’s body an added bonus. If she woke up to the store burning and people screaming because she left her friends alone for too long, it would be worth it for how comfortable and at ease she felt at this moment.
Her breath slowly evened out as she let sleep take her calmly for the first time this week. Taylor cooed as she tapped Ben and Tyler aggressively on the shoulder.
“Look, look!” She whispered excitedly like she just saw a stray kitty.
Aiden turned to find Ashlyn cuddled up with the Spiderman plushie he’d technically just bought her. She was leaning against Logan, looking all like the domestic siblings that the group had labeled them as.
And God, it was–
“Adorable! That’s so cute, oh my gosh!” Taylor gushed.
You’re going to wake them up, Tay, Ben signed.
“Right, right, sorry!” Taylor said, lowering her voice comically.
“We should start going,” Tyler said, smiling at the scene before them despite himself. “They’re obviously tired as hell, and we have more than enough. That means put that bag of chips back, Aiden!”
Aiden pouted as he slowly put a bag of Taki’s back.
Tyler sighed. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Wait! Let me get a picture,” Aiden rushed, fumbling with his phone as he opened Snapchat. He snapped a photo and saved it for later.
He opened up his messages app, stepping out of Tyler’s way as he set the picture as Ashlyn’s new profile, sending it in their group chat. “Kay! We can go now.”
If Aiden was attacked by a very red-faced Ashlyn later that night, well, it was still worth it.