Chapter 11: Two truths and a lie.

Perse quietly slipped away from the throng of partygoers. She moved through the dimly lit hallway, her steps careful and deliberate, like a shadow in the night.

Outside, the moon cast a soft glow, and Persephone's eyes scanned the backyard, searching for any sign of Asher. She had watched him walk away after their intense beer pong game, and a nagging curiosity had compelled her to follow him.

As she reached the back door, she noticed a faint flicker of light coming from the pool area. Her curiosity piqued, she cautiously made her way toward the source. The soft glow revealed Asher sitting by the edge of the pool, his silhouette framed against the night sky.

Persephone watched him from a distance, hidden in the shadows. She couldn't help but wonder what had brought him to this secluded spot. Asher seemed lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the shimmering water before him.

The music from the party provided a distant backdrop, but here, by the pool, it was a world apart. The cool breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees, and the serene ambiance cast a tranquil spell over the scene.

Persephone debated whether to approach him or remain hidden, but her curiosity got the better of her. She took a tentative step forward, her presence still unknown to Asher.

As she drew closer, Persephone finally spoke. "You were amazing back there," Her voice was soft, gentle, and filled with genuine awe as she stood shyly behind him.

Asher briefly turned to look at her, surprise visible in his eyes before he covered it with his usual impassive aloof gaze.

"I know," he said. Then returned his gaze to the pool. Perse wasn't discouraged by his attitude. She continued.

"Mind if I join you?" She stood there, waiting for him to mule it over. She vaguely saw a smirk play on his face.

"You know," he turned to look at her. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're obsessed with me,"

"Me? Obsessed with you?! Oh please," She smiled, rolling her eyes. But took that as an invitation to sit down beside Asher.

"I mean, I get it. It's me we're talking about here___ It's totally normal to be into me," an arrogant, prideful smirk played on his lips. "But to the point of stalking me? Geez cheer squad! Ever heard of 'taking it slow'?"

"Weren't you the one who was just idly standing outside the girls' locker rooms waiting for me? And you want to talk to me about 'stalking'?"

Asher found himself shaking his head with a chuckle. Perse smiled at that. There was no arrogance in the gesture.

"I mean I'm not complaining," Asher glanced at her, his trademark smirk playing on his lips. "__ so don't stop on my account,"

"You are too full of yourself Asher, it's almost unbearable!" she shook her head as she smiled.

Persephone settled in beside him, the warmth of the night wrapping around them. They both gazed up at the stars, lost in the quiet beauty of the moment.

"Can I ask you something?" Persephone began, breaking the silence.

"I have a feeling you're still going to ask even if I say no__ so knock yourself out," Asher said, ever so casually. Perse cleared her throat and turned fully so she could face him.

"Where were you earlier today? I looked for you at school the entire day but you weren't there,"

"Why were you looking for me?" There was a mixture of confusion and surprise on his face as he looked at her. But Perse only shrugged. "You are a stalker," he chuckled humorously, shaking his head.

"No I'm not!" she smacked his shoulder playfully. "I was just__ a bit worried when you didn't show up to school,"

Asher was for a moment taken aback. 'Worried'? That was new. She briefly looked at Perse, the light from the pool reflecting the warmth in her brown eyes. Was the care she was showing genuine? Or a ploy to get him to lower his guard?

"Just be upfront with me cheer squad___," he said, his look serious, but his eyes shining with mischief. "Have you already fallen for me?"

"NO!" Perse defended with a mocking scoff. It got Asher laughing in amusement.

"Are you sure_? Because___"

"I know what you're doing Asher! You're deflecting," she said firmly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"You use your charm and sarcasm to steer the conversation away from yourself,"

"Is that so?" he had an amused smile on his face, even though his voice sounded like it was mocking her.

"Yes!" Perse nodded.

"Well, cheer squad, I very much enjoy talking about myself. There's no way I'd avoid doing it,"

"You're doing it right now Asher," she raised an eyebrow. And Asher shook his head, a smile playing on his face.

Perse couldn't help but notice how beautifully at peace he looked. His dark eyes, which normally scanned his environment with a lot of nonchalance and boredom, were shining as he stared at the stars. She wasn't one to rank guys based on their looks, like all her friends did, but she certainly understood then, why Asher was ranked first.

"Tell you what," she broke the silence, and Asher turned his gaze on her. "What if we play two truths and a lie?"

"What?"

"Two truths and a lie? That game where___"

"I know what it entails cheer squad,"

"So we can play?" Perse leaned in closer to Asher, her eyes sparkling with childlike enthusiasm. "Come on, Asher," she urged, her voice carrying a playful and persuasive tone. "It'll be fun,"

"You and I clearly have different definitions of fun,"

Persephone chuckled, undeterred by his initial hesitation. "Well, they do reveal interesting things about interesting people," she replied, wiggling her eyebrows playfully with a mischievous grin.

"Plus, it's a great way to get to know each other better."

"Is this just a ploy to dig into my life and find out my deep dark secrets?" Asher raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in his expression. "Because if it is, it won't work,"

"Are you always this paranoid about everyone who wants to be your friend? Because that would certainly explain why you don't have many friends. We can do just one round then. And if it won't have gotten your interest, I will let you sulk and brood in your circle of mystery. Deal?"

Asher considered her offer for a moment, his dark eyes studying her playful demeanor. He couldn't deny the appeal of getting to know Persephone better. It was the main reason he had accepted her help in the first place. But the idea of revealing a bit more about himself didn't intrigue him as much.

"Alright cheer squad, you've convinced me. Let's play," he relented with a nod.

Persephone's face lit up with delight, and she clapped her hands together, a childlike gleam in her eyes. "Fantastic! I'll go first." She paused, contemplating her options. "Okay! I've got it. Number one: I once climbed a mountain in the Himalayas. Number two: I can speak six languages fluently. Number three: I've eaten seven different types of sushi,"

Asher leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "Sounds like two lies and a truth. But I'm gonna go with the second one. I don't think you can speak six languages. Seems like a bit of a stretch___ even for a nerd as big as yourself,"

"First of all, loving books and being bilingual isn't being 'nerdy' it's being smart," she chuckled, rolling her eyes. "And you're wrong. I can speak six languages fluently,"

"Seriously?" Asher raised his eyebrow in amusement, not bothering to hide the intrigue in his voice.

"Yep!" Perse nodded, obviously proud of herself, and trying incredibly hard to hide it. "Seven, if you count English,"

"Well color me impressed cheer squad," Asher didn't even bother trying to hide his fascination. "What languages do you speak?"

"Well, there's English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, and Arabic." she listed them off with an air of modesty.

"That's__ incredible. I can barely get in by two,"

Persephone's cheeks flushed slightly at his praise, but she appreciated the genuine admiration in Asher's eyes. "Thank you," she replied, her voice warm.

"So what's the lie then?"

"The third one. I've never even had sushi in my life!"

"So you've climbed a mountain in the Himalayas?

"Yeah. 'Gurla Mandhata'. We were supposed to go for a month, but my father gave up on day three. So we spent the rest of the vacation touring China. Your turn,"

"That's going to be hard to beat," he chuckled, leaning back thoughtfully. "Alright, here are mine. One: I've skydived from a plane. Two: I've been to three different continents. Three: I've never broken a bone."

Perse listened intently, her brows furrowing slightly as her curiosity got the better of her. She contemplated his statements before offering her guess. "I think... the breaking a bone one is the lie,"

Asher raised an eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What makes you say that?"

"If you lash out as quick as you did with Josh, then you've probably been involved in a lot of fights. I'm pretty sure one of them resulted in you breaking a bone,"

Asher shook his head, a smirk playing on his face.

"Am I right though?"

"I break hearts cheer squad... not bones,"

"So I'm wrong?"

"I didn't say that,"

"So I'm right?" Perse asked, not seeming to believe it herself. Asher gave a shrug. "I'm right!" she laughed. "I know I'm right!"

"Partly. That was the lie though. I have broken a bone before__ multiple times actually. But it wasn't because I got into a fight,"

"What happened then?" She leaned in closer, genuine curiosity and a hint of worry in her eyes.

"It was a long time ago," Asher shrugged it off. But the Perse looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. He hesitated for a moment, his dark eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions. He could see Perse's genuine curiosity and concern, and it made him pause to consider how much he was willing to reveal. But there was something about her openness and the connection they were forming that encouraged him to share a part of his world.

After a thoughtful pause, he finally began to speak. "Motorcycle accident during a race,"

"You race?"

"Often,"

"And you aren't scared?" Perse looked at him in awe, like it was the most fascinating thing she had heard all day.

"Why should I be?"

"Because motorcycles are dangerous!" she said it like she was explaining the most obvious concept to a child. "The fact that you've broken your bones multiple times while riding it should be proof enough of that,"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you've tripped and fallen before. But that hasn't stopped you from walking, now has it?"

"That's completely different,"

"How?"

"I can't choose to not walk. You can choose to avoid motorcycles,"

"And where's the fun in that?" he grinned, and Perse found herself smiling in return. "You have to live a little cheer squad,"

"More like die a little," she chuckled and he smiled.

"You want to tell me that you can climb a mountain in the Himalayas, but you can't ride a motorcycle,"

"Since when can the two even be compared? Plus I'm looking for adventure___ not the quickest way to end my life,"

"And here I was thinking you're fearlessly brave," he joked.

"I'm brave__ not stupid," she said and he laughed. "But I'd gladly come to watch one of your races if you invite me,"

Asher hesitated again as if weighing his words. He looked at her for a moment, a silent acknowledgment of her sincerity and the bond that was forming between them. What was it about her that pulled him in? Nobody had ever made him speak that many words before__ but with her, it came so naturally.

"Sure thing cheer squad," he smiled. "Since it's clear that you can't get enough of me___"

"Asher!" she laughed, playfully hitting his shoulder.

For a while, they simply sat there, each immersed in their thoughts, content in the shared solitude of the night. It was a silence that needed no words, a connection that transcended the need for explanation.

Persephone finally broke the silence, her voice a gentle murmur in the night air. "Asher," she began, her tone soft, "what happened at the cafeteria the day you were supposed to meet me at the library?"

Asher regarded her for a moment, his gaze unwavering. "Why are you asking?" His jaw ticked. His look was that of seriousness__ but not malice. Perse observed him thoughtfully.

"You were pretty insistent on me asking you on Thursday," she gave a slight shrug. "Now I want to know,"

"It was nothing. Just a disagreement with your wonderful friend," he said. There was so much raw emotion in that sentence, that Perse felt like she was touching a sore subject. She didn't bother prying any further.

"I'm sorry for whatever Josh did. He can be a bit of a douche at times, but he's a good person,"

"He's more than 'a bit of a douche' all the time,"

"You two actually have more in common than you think. I think the both of you would make amazing friends,"

Asher shook his head, clearly not in agreement with what Perse was saying. Josh was her friend. Of course, she'd naturally defend him. He didn't want to ruin the night by talking about West. To him, he was an omen he would rather forget. Her phone pinged, indicating a new message. She read the text, her brows furrowing ever so slightly.

"Trouble in paradise?" Asher asked, studying her.

"It's June. She says Maya's back at the beer pong table___ but instead of drinking, it's stripping. And she's bound to take it too far,"

"Sounds like fun,"

"For you, it would be. Not so much for her tomorrow when she realizes what she did," Perse stood up in a hurry. "I'm sorry Asher, but I have to drive her home,"

"It's cool cheer squad_"

"But we can meet tomorrow if you want,"

"I have detention, remember?"

"No, you don't. I talked to principal Malt and he agreed to temporarily suspend your detention. And once you pass, he'll cancel it altogether,"

"Are you serious?" surprise was evident in Asher's voice as he stared at Perse as if she had just performed a miracle. "He actually agreed to it?"

"You're not the only one with a charming personality you know," she smirked, pride shining in her eyes at her accomplishment. "So will I see you tomorrow?"

"I'll text you," Asher replied casually, and Perse nodded in return.

"Okay Ash," she gave him a bright smile. "Thank you. This was fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again"

"Yeah. It was okay,"

Perse smiled at Asher's inability to give and receive a compliment. With one final wave goodbye, she left. Asher remained sitting by the pool, his thoughts and feelings in a state of delightful disarray.

He leaned back in his recliner, gazing up at the night sky with a sense of contemplation. The moon cast a silvery glow on the water's surface, and the distant sounds of the ongoing celebration in the mansion filled the air. The night held an air of enigma, much like the woman who had just left his side.

Asher couldn't help but feel a growing connection with Perse, no matter how faint. Her openness and curiosity had left an indelible impression. She was an enigmatic and captivating presence in his life, and he found himself eagerly anticipating the next time they would cross paths.

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