My Best Friend

Chapter 1
Long day

Chapter Description: Alex recounts his shift to Ashley as they walk home.

The sky was dark and threatened to pour its contents on the earth below. Lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a loud boom. It was a terrible day to be outside.

The light rain felt cold on Alex’s skin. The drizzle he felt on his neck and arms usually made him shiver, but today he was on edge and ignored it completely. He’d had a long day, and quite frankly, he was grateful he wasn’t fired. He had gotten into an argument with a customer, which had ended up involving his manager. He continued on his way back to his apartment. “... yeah, so that’s how it went. My manager just gave me a warning and I’m off the hook. I even got to finish my shift.” Passersby stared at Alex as he walked past. Some called out names and insults. Alex tuned them all out.

“Sounds like they let you off easy. Some places fire you if you piss off their customers that much. What was the argument even about?” asked the short, dark-haired woman who accompanied him. She looked to be in her late twenties. Her long, dark hair that extended halfway down her back was a stark contrast to her pale white skin. The woman was very slender, almost as if she spent her free time running trails.

“Geez, you were there, Ashley. It all started over a movie... words were said... names were called... and... god, I need to get a new job. Fast food sucks. I’m just really lucky we’re understaffed right now.” He continued to ignore the stares he received as he kept walking. He was used to it and it didn’t bother him anymore.

Alex was average height, had red hair, freckles, and was generally withdrawn. He used to spend every waking minute with Ashley, but as reality set in and he finally came to the conclusion that it would be unrealistic for them to always be together, he drew the line. This was the first time in a few days that Alex had even acknowledged Ashley when she tried to speak to him, which made her happy since he’d started ignoring her almost out of the blue. She was someone who liked to be acknowledged whenever she spoke.

As they approached his apartment, Alex reminisced the good times he used to have with Ashley, but it felt as though the good times were just... over. He just didn’t feel anything for her anymore. She used to be a very fun and fulfilling part of his life, but nowadays it seemed as though she were almost more trouble than she was worth. Alex stopped at his door.

“Actually, I wasn’t there, remember? You told me not to show up while you’re at work anymore, so I’ve left you alone since then.” she replied. She put her hand on the wall next to Alex’s door as he fished his apartment key out of his pocket. “The only times you even let me talk with you anymore are when I’m walking you home and when we’re alone in you’re room. Even then you tune me out if something more interesting comes along. It’s pretty insulting.”

Alex unlocked the door. “Well, we’re home now, so you know what that means.” Ashley hung her head in acknowledgement. She followed him in silently, without further complaint, but had an unmistakable look of resentment on her face.

His apartment was small. It had two rooms and a kitchen/eating area. The living room often doubled up as a dining room when they decided to eat on the couch, but that only took up a small corner of the place. All in all, it wasn’t worth the money they spent on it every month, but then again, none of the other local apartments were.

“Hey, Alex! Heard you almost got fired today! How’d that happen?” Freddy greeted him from the couch. His roommate was a complete slob and liked to hear and spread gossip. Alex found it nothing short of amazing that Freddy knew, but then again Freddy knew a lot of people, so it wasn’t too shocking for him to have found out by now, especially considering he had his phone out and was obviously texting people. Freddy continued, before Alex could respond, “I also heard you been talking to yourself lately... you ok, man?”

Alex turned red with embarrassment. Freddy had kinda left that quirk of his alone up till now. He didn’t make eye contact as he made his way to his room. “I was just on the phone.” With that he closed his door, locking it behind him. Ashley had to rush in, ducking under his arm just to get in on time.

Alex’s room was very tiny. Atop a hard-wood floor stood a twin-sized bed that took up approximately half the room with a closet concealed by a sliding mirror right behind it. The other half of his room contained a desk with his computer that barely had space for a rolling chair to squeeze between it and his bed.

“You’re not giving me much time to get in anymore,” Ashley panted as she sat down on his bed. He usually took the chair when they chatted in this manner, but today he just wasn’t in the mood. He scowled. “Come on, don’t look at me like that. Remember how much fun we used to have staying up all night talking? What happened to that?”

Alex just fell onto his bed, going right through Ashley as she gasped in shock. “You’re not real, Ashley. Leave me alone.” Obediently, but feeling neglected nonetheless, Ashley faded into nothing.

***

Alex felt bad for shunning Ashley as he had been doing, but the realization that she wasn’t real and was holding him back socially had sunk in, so he figured better social life meant less time chatting with Ashley, all of which Ashley was unaware, in spite of technically being a part of him.

As Alex tossed and turned, he thought he could see Ashley sitting at his computer. ’It’s not real,’ he told himself, ’she’s just in you’re head. Go to sleep.’ It was another two hours before Alex started to nod off.

“Come on, talk to me. What’s wrong?” his apparition inquired, “You can tell me, you used to tell me everything. Remember when you used to call me Miss Ashley?”

Alex couldn’t help but smile. He’d been a social outcast from the get-go, so to ease his loneliness he created Miss Ashley to keep him company. At first he pretended she was there, but after about a year of talking to her and trying to visualize what she’d look like, he finally saw a woman of Ashley’s features. He could see her, hear her, touch her, and feel her. She had become his best friend.

He’d talk about her a lot at first, but as it earned him counseling a couple years later, he kept quiet about her and she became his little secret. He summoned her at will when no one was around and he could get away with it, which raised a few red flags when people caught him talking to himself, but he learned to shrug it off after he realized he could just tell people he was on his phone.

Alex never let go of Ashley. He started calling her Ashley when he got into his late teens. He knew it was weird and it kept him from at least trying to connect with others around him, but he didn’t care. Other people had their chance and he at least knew Ashley wouldn’t leave him, so he always chose her over them, but now he realized if he wanted to get anywhere in life he’d have to break out of his shell, something he just couldn’t do until he’d officially dismissed his imaginary friend.

“I’m sorry, Ashley, I just can’t do this anymore. You’re not real and I have to meet real people and make real friends. I can’t keep doing this anymore.” he replied after some time. In the back of his head he knew that no one was there, but he just had to give closure to that part of himself.

Ashley roughed up his hair. “You’ve never needed real friends before. You have me. Besides, I am real- real to you. That’s what counts, right?”

Alex shook his head. She’d won him over with that argument before. He wasn’t sure when the topic came up before, but now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his life wasn’t going anywhere with Ashley in it. The only problem was she didn’t seem to want to leave.

“Will you just go? I’ve made up my mind. It’s over between us. I’m don’t need you anymore.” Alex dismissed her again. Finally, with a huge sigh, Ashley vanished. Heaving a sigh himself, Alex rolled over and tried to go to sleep. Tomorrow was his day off and he’d be seeing Megan again.