Ashlee's Rival Love

  Ashlee’s Rival Love

  by

  Mary Ann Montoya

  Thanks to Honey, and my Critique pals

  Dedicated to all the Ashlee’s and Tanner’s

  This is for you

  Rival Love

  Chapter One - First Day

  Chapter Two - The Speech

  Chapter Three - The Date

  Chapter Four - The Dance

  Chapter Five - The Visit

  Chapter Six - The Invitation

  Chapter Seven - Fake Boyfriend

  Chapter Eight - Fall Frolic

  Chapter Nine - The Logo

  Chapter Ten - Love

  Chapter One

  “Please open. Now,” I pleaded with my locker door as if it had a mind and would obey me. It’s not that I usually talk to doors, but this was an emergency. I was ready to try anything. It didn’t help. The door remained stuck with the hem of my skirt lodged inside. Frantically, I yanked on the handle and pulled as hard as I could. Still, it wouldn’t budge.

  “Calm down and think,” I muttered to myself. Normally I didn’t panic. I was known as Cool and Calm Ashlee Stone. Right now I didn’t feel calm, not on the most important day of my life. My first day of school at Westview High and I had to get my skirt caught in my locker. What luck! With my right hand I grasped the bottom of my skirt, trying to free it. At the same time I pulled on the door with my left hand. I heard my skirt tear, and jerked backwards tearing it further.

  Now what was I going to do? I had to give a speech at the assembly this morning. How would it look for the co-president of Westview High to stand on stage with a torn skirt? I shuddered to think of it. My old school, Carlton High, wanted me to represent them and I couldn’t let my friends down. The Westies would think all Carlies were weird. Maybe they already did.

  It was bad enough I had to start my senior year in a new school, but to be a Westview student was the pits. They had always been our rival. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be happy about being a Westie. In my heart I secretly remained a Carlie.

  I leaned against the locker. The metal felt cold and unfriendly. Would the Westie students be cold and unfriendly too? I’d have to wait to find out. The halls were still empty. No one would be coming soon to help me. I had arrived early to meet with Principal DeGraff and my co-president, Tanner Ryan. I had never met him and I didn’t know much about him except that he was a Westie and he didn’t return phone calls. At least he never returned mine even though I sent him several text messages and left several messages on his voice mail. Finally, I gave up.

  Principal DeGraff had suggested Tanner and I meet over the summer to discuss how we could help unite the school. We had never met because the guy was irresponsible. Now we were expected to meet with Principal DeGraff this morning to discuss how we could help unite the school. That was our job as co-presidents but I didn’t know what Tanner thought of the consolidation. Maybe he opposed it. If he did, it would be one thing we had in common.

  No one cared what the students wanted. The school board had decided Carlton and Westview should consolidate even though Westies and Carlies had protested. I protested the loudest and ironically Carlton elected me to represent them as co-president of the student body. I didn’t want the job and had decided not to accept the nomination until the school board asked me to take it.

  They thought if someone as opposed to the consolidation as I was, could change and support it the rest of the Carlies would follow. I had to have been temporarily insane when I agreed with them, but I was kind of intimidated. I was the only teenager in a room full of dark suited gray haired men with comb overs. Although they were right about one thing, I cared about my Carlie friends and I wanted to make it easier for them to switch to Westview. If that meant I had to pretend to like the consolidation, I would do it.

  Glancing at my skirt, I sighed. A small gap hung from the side, showing a part of my leg. I took a deep breath. The smell of fresh paint and new wood filled the air. I longed for my old school, for the scent of old brick and wooden desks. How I missed the red velvet stage curtains with the Carlton eagle mascot printed at the top, and the creaky auditorium chairs. The building may have been in need of repair, but at least it had lockers that worked.

  I pounded on the locker with renewed frustration. “You stupid locker. Open now,” I shouted. My voice carried like an echo inside canyon walls. With one swift movement I kicked the door as hard as I could. A sharp pain shot through my foot and I leaned against the door. Could the day get any worse?

  A sound came from behind me. It sounded like a chuckle. I stiffened. The sound came again. It started as a snicker, then turned into laughter, male laughter.

  He obviously enjoyed my predicament. I couldn’t see anything humorous about it, unless he heard me talking to the locker. Color rushed to my cheeks. I didn’t dare turn around and rip my skirt more.

  His laughter echoed down the empty halls, a rich and powerful laugh. If I hadn’t been the subject of his amusement, I would have enjoyed listening to him.

  He had to be from Westview. Carlton boys had better manners.

  I cleared my throat. “Excuse me. Do you think it would be too much trouble to stop laughing, and help me, please?”

  His laughter stopped. I sensed he debated whether or not I was worth the trouble.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Not at you anyway. It’s the locker.” He paused. “You’ve been introduced to locker six.”

  Maybe my first impression was wrong. He sounded friendly and sincere. His voice was addictive, smooth and rich as a hot fudge sundae.

  “Locker six always sticks. You have to learn how to work the handle.” He stepped beside me. “Here let me help you.” His hand gently brushed against mine.

  I shivered at his touch. Perhaps I misjudged him and he was a nice guy, after all he apologized for laughing. I wanted to look at him but for some reason I couldn’t.

  “See, when it jams, just push in, then up, real fast. Like this.” He pulled the locker open, then shut it. His hand was broad with square tipped fingers. “Go ahead, try it. It’s easy once you learn how. He reached for my fingers, “hold it like this.”

  His hand covered mine in a soft, yet strong grip. My heart beat so hard I feared he could feel my pulse in his hand. He pushed in and up. Miraculously the door flew open.

  “It’s simple. I had number six last year. It kept jamming on me. I was late for class the first two weeks of school.”

  I nodded, still afraid to face him. I kept my gaze on the locker handle. What would I do if his face matched his voice? What would I do if it didn’t?

  Slowly, I lifted my head. So far so good. I’d never seen anyone look that good in a pair of jeans with his muscular legs and small waist. He could be a model for all I knew. He wore a blue striped shirt that showed off his broad shoulders. He had to be well over six feet tall.

  I held onto the locker for support. Something told me my life would change once I saw his face. My intuition was right. He defined perfection. His eyes sparkled like shimmering green diamonds. His mouth was masculine, yet soft and full. Everything about him was perfect, from his shiny black hair to his kissable mouth.

  Once, in history class, I had read about a European prince who was so handsome ladies fainted in his presence. I hadn’t been able to understand how women could act so silly, until now.

  He stared at me, his gaze intense. My heart did a somersault. I closed my eyes and imprinted his face in my memory.

  “Are you okay?” His voice held amusement.

  I opened my eyes. Warmth flooded my cheeks. “Yeth,” my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I struggled to unglue my tongue and thank him. “Thigh.”

  “Thigh?” He grin
ned and glanced at my legs. “Not bad for a Carlton girl.”

  My eyes opened wide. “No.”

  “No?” He chuckled. “Let my take another look.” He gave my legs a quick evaluation. “They look good to me.”

  I wanted to hide in the locker. My cheeks felt a thousand degrees warmer. “I mean, ah, I was trying to say thank you for helping me.”

  He smiled, showing even white teeth. “You’re welcome, and I enjoyed thighing.”

  I grinned and stared. It would be easy to stare at him for hours, especially those addictive green eyes. “How did you know I’m from Carlton?”

  “I figured that out when you couldn’t open the locker. Every Westie knows about locker six.” He pointed to the pile of books on the floor. “Are these yours?” He bent and stacked them in a pile.

  “Yes, by the way, I’m Ashlee Stone.”

  He froze with a book in his hand. “I see.” His voice could have chilled an Eskimo.

  My stomach tightened. “Is something wrong?”

  “So you’re Ashlee. I’ve heard of you. Aren’t you the new co-president?” His tone was full of contempt.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  He started to rise, then grabbed a book by my foot. He jerked his head up, then down. “Do you always dress this way?”

  “Yes, most of the time.”

  He took a deep breath. “I can’t believe you did this. You of all people.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t act so innocent Ashlee. You know the school board has forbidden Carlton kids to wear their school colors. You’re setting the worst example as a leader.”

  Why was he acting this way? Dream guys didn’t throw accusations. He should have understood the school board had been unfair to Carlton. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not wearing brown and white.”

  He pointed to my feet. “What do you think that is?”

  I glanced at my shoes and gasped. On my right foot was a brown loafer, and on my left foot a white flat. At home I had grabbed two different shoes to see which matched my outfit. The flat had looked the best, but in a rush to be on time for the meeting, I had forgotten to change my shoes. Now I would be the laughing stock of the school. “I wanted to be early and I forgot to change my shoes. I’m never this careless.”

  “Yeah, right. Everyone knows Carlton doesn’t want to be here, but I thought you would try to be good sports about it. I have to hand it to you. Principal DeGraff probably won’t notice your shoes, but you know the kids will, especially when you speak at the assembly.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “You’ll get your point across, just like you planned.”

  I clenched my fists. “You think I did this on purpose? You think I want everyone to see me wearing two different pairs of shoes on my first day of school?” I stepped closer my voice rising. “Just so I can make a stupid point?”

  He stared at me. “I wouldn’t doubt it. I saw some of the protests Carlton staged. Some Carlies told the school board if they closed your school they’d do everything they could to make Westview suffer.”

  My dream guy had turned into a monster. “I didn’t go to that protest. Only a few kids feel that way. But I’m not one of them.”

  “Are you saying you’re glad you’re a Westie?”

  I crossed my arms across my chest. “No, I wish Carlton was still open.”

  “Just like I thought. You Carlies are still protesting.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it? Then you’re for the consolidation.”

  “Not exactly.”

  He shifted from one foot to the other. “Some school leader you are. You were elected to unite the school, not divide it.”

  “You’re rude and arrogant and you don’t have any right to criticize me. Just because I’m not crazy about the consolidation doesn’t mean I won’t work to unite the school.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? I’ll bet most of you will be wearing brown and white shoes today. No doubt you encouraged them.” The corners of his mouth turned into a smirk. “Maybe they’ll remember to wear matching pairs.”

  “Only a Westie would think of something so stupid.”

  His eyes narrowed. “It figures you’d say that. What else can you expect from a Carlie?” He shoved my books in the locker and started down the hall. After a few steps he spun around and grinned. “I almost forgot, welcome to Westview High, Ashlee.”

  I stared at his retreating back, wishing I could throw something at him. He was the most arrogant guy I had ever met. How could I have thought he was gorgeous? Only one word described him, disappointing. I slammed the locker door and checked my watch. I barely had time to fix my skirt before the meeting.

  Rushing to the bathroom, I forced myself to forget about him. The odds of running into him again were slim. Besides, I had more important things to think about, like meeting Principal DeGraff and Tanner.

  I thumbed through my purse for a comb and a safety pin. After I fixed my hair I pinned the tear in my skirt. It was still noticeable, but it was the best I could do. I dabbed on a little strawberry lip-gloss, then headed for the meeting.

  All the way to Principal DeGraff’s office I told myself to think positive. The day would go well with the right attitude.

  The door to the office stood open. I stopped outside and took a deep breath. Voices drifted out into the hallway. I recognized one as Principal Degraff’s. Although we hadn’t met, we had talked on the phone. The male voice was barely audible. She had to be talking to Tanner.

  What if Principal DeGraff didn’t like my suggestions for the consolidation? I couldn’t think about that now. Without hesitating I stepped inside.

  Principal DeGraff whirled around in her chair and faced me. She looked exactly like I had imagined her, a grandmother type with short gray hair.

  I held out my hand. “Hello Mrs. DeGraff. I’m Ashlee Stone.”

  She rose from her chair. “Ashlee. Welcome to Westview High. She smiled, and her face appeared more youthful. “Tanner just told me you’ve already met. I’m so glad. That will make our work go faster today.”

  I stared at her in confusion, wondering why he would tell her that.

  “Why don’t you sit next to Tanner,” she pointed to a chair behind me, “and we’ll get started.”

  I spun around and there sitting with a big smile on his face was the rude guy. “Not you,” I blurted out.

  He glanced at Principal DeGraff and shrugged.

  One thing was clear. I’d rather flunk my senior year than work with him. He glared back at me. Apparently, he thought the same thing about me.

  “Is something wrong Ashlee?” asked Principal DeGraff.

  “No, I’m fine.” My mind went blank. Warmth spread to my cheeks. All I could do was shuffle my feet and stare at Tanner.

  The more I blushed, the more his expression softened. His eyes held a flicker of amusement. He clearly enjoyed my predicament. I forced myself to smile. The last thing I wanted was for him to gain any satisfaction on my account.

  “Everything is fine Mrs. DeGraff.” Tanner said. “She’s happy to see me again.” He winked. “Isn’t that right, Ashlee?”

  “I’m thrilled to death,” I said sarcastically.

  “That’s wonderful.” Principal DeGraff leaned over her desk and smiled. “It’s important that you enjoy working together. You have a difficult job ahead. It will help if you’re friends, and I can see that you are.”

  We both stared at her. She either had a great sense of humor or she was blind. A dozen questions filled my mind. I didn’t know how I could be his co-president. He had to be impossible to work with. He hadn’t even introduced himself at the locker. He was rude and irresponsible.

  Principal DeGraff pointed to the tear in my skirt. “Ashlee, what happened?”

  “I got it caught in the locker this morning.”

  “She sure did,” Tanner chuckled. “You know how locker six jams. You should have seen her pounding on the door. Th
e more she pulled, the worse it got.”

  It was hard to believe a half-hour ago I had liked his voice and thought he was my dream guy.

  “I have just the remedy to fix it,” Principal DeGraff snatched some tape off her desk and knelt beside me. She taped the tear from underneath. “This will make it less noticeable.”

  The tear looked smoother. “That’s a great idea. Thank you, Mrs. DeGraff.”

  She touched my shoes. “What have we here?”

  My stomach tensed. “It’s not what you think. This morning I tried on both pairs of shoes and forgot to change them.”

  “I see, and what did you assume I was thinking?”

  “I was afraid you thought I was trying to break the school color rule.”

  “That’s nonsense. You have a reputation as an honest, responsible, young lady. My only concern is that you have to go through the day with these shoes and that patched skirt.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief and gave Tanner a smug glance before I sat next to him. “Thank you for understanding Mrs. DeGraff.”

  “Some kids might think she did this on purpose to show her loyalty to Carlton,” Tanner said.

  I glared at him. “Carlton kids know I wouldn’t try to cause more friction than there already is.”

  “It’s obvious you’re concerned about the unity of the school Tanner.” Principal DeGraff eased herself into her chair. “That’s why you’re a class leader. Many of our students are angry and may want to blame you and Ashlee for everything. You’ll both be under a lot of scrutiny for a while, but don’t worry, the students will accept the consolidation.”

  I wished I shared her optimism. If the Westies were like the Carlton kids, it would be a long year. A year I would have to share with Tanner. We had to respect and like each other in order to be a team. We hadn’t gotten off to a good start, and it didn’t look like things were going to change. I wanted to walk out of the office and leave him to work everything out by himself, but I wasn’t a quitter. If I did, it would create a problem for Principal DeGraff. Although Tanner would be better off with another co-president. I glanced at her, wondering if I explained the situation to her if she would understand.