Ashlee's Rival Love Read online

  I turned away from him, afraid my face would show my feelings. “You must have finished early helping Coach Evans.”

  “Is Jake with you?” Sarah interrupted.

  Tanner nodded. “Yeah, he’s in line.”

  Sarah rose and hurried toward the door.

  Tanner scooted into the chair beside me. “I don’t remember telling you I was helping the coach. Are you checking up on me?”

  I pushed the taco salad around with my fork. “Why would I do that?”

  He chuckled confidently. “Maybe you miss me.”

  My face burned. “Is that what you think?”

  “I don’t know. I’d like to think we were friends and sometimes friends miss each other.”

  I wanted to be a lot more than friends but at least I hadn’t given myself away. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Yeah, I guess we’re buddies. But does that mean we won’t have any more of our famous heated discussions?”

  We both chuckled.

  “I doubt if they’ll stop,” Tanner said. “But maybe we won’t have so many.”

  It was easy to talk to him. He made me happy. If all we could be were friends then I would have to accept it.

  Tanner leaned closer. “Now, tell me, who is this mystery guy that you’ve fallen for?”

  Had he heard his name? His smile was gone. His expression was serious, and his green eyes wide and inquisitive. “You don’t know him.”

  He shrugged. “He must be a Carlie. But whoever he is, he’s a lucky guy.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Are you trying to butter me up for something?”

  A smile broke out around the corners of his mouth. “No, I’m just giving you a compliment.”

  I was disappointed. “Did you say that to keep us from arguing?”

  His gaze held mine as he studied me intently. “No, I said it because you’re a nice girl.”

  “Thanks.” Just to have him sit next to me made my skin tingle and my heart beat faster.

  “Hey, where were you yesterday after school? I thought you were meeting us at Chancy’s.”

  Images of Tiffany snuggled in Tanner’s arms came back to me. She was the girl he wanted. “Something came up. I had to leave early.” I unwrapped my cake and handed it to him. “You must be starving. Would you like this?”

  “It’s okay. The line’s gone down. But I’d love to taste it.”

  I handed him a fork and he took a bite.

  “Thanks, it’s good cake. How are you doing with the entertainment?”

  “It’s going well. I got Forever Blue to play. They’ve agreed to sing a few of Magenta’s songs.”

  “That’s great. I knew you’d get a good band.” He put the fork down. “Have you bought your dress yet? I want to know what color of corsage I should get.”

  “My dress?”

  “Yeah.” His eyes held a touch of amusement. “Have you forgotten we’re going to the Frolic together?”

  I might as well wear a sign saying “Ashlee Stone is brain dead when Tanner is near.“ Yes, I remember. I’m still shopping for the right dress.”

  He flashed one of his killer smiles at me. “Any dress would look good on you.”

  Unlike me he always knew the right thing to say. “There you go with those compliments again. You better stop before I get conceited.”

  “I meant it.” He cut a piece of cake with the fork and handed it to me. “You haven’t eaten any cake.”

  I put the fork in my mouth, the same fork he had eaten out of. The chocolate was rich and creamy, like a chocolate kiss. All I could do was stare at him. When I did I saw myself. We had so much in common. Why hadn’t I seen that before? We even liked the same music. I wanted to throw my arms around him, just like the first time we met. Those feelings flooded back to me. I had suppressed them since that day. I couldn’t admit I liked the enemy. He didn’t seem like it anymore. He was the perfect guy.

  “Are you thinking about that mystery guy again?” Tanner asked. “You have a weird look on your face.”

  I jerked back to reality. “I’m sorry. I guess I was.” What would he do if he knew he was the dream guy?

  “I bet you wish he was taking you to the dance, instead of me.”

  “No, I’m glad I’m going with you.” I said too eagerly. “It would be nice if he was my date, but I’m obligated to you.” I could have slapped myself. “That’s not what I meant. I want to be your date.”

  “It’s okay. I understand. You’re stuck with me.”

  “It’s not like that. We agreed to go with each other.”

  He crossed his arms, and glared at me. “Yeah, we did.”

  I squirmed under his gaze. This conversation was turning out wrong. I wanted to be his date. He was the one that didn’t want to go with me. “You don’t have any right to look at me like that. You would rather take Tiffany to the Frolic.”

  “Tiffany?” He acted like he had forgotten who she was.

  “Yeah. Don’t try to make me feel guilty when you wish she was your date.”

  “Why would you feel guilty? Unless it’s because I’m right.” His mouth hardened into a rigid smile. “Just remember, we don’t have to go to the dance together. If you want to go with someone else, it’s okay with me.” He pushed away from the table without giving me another glance.

  My chest felt like someone had drilled a hole in it. Not because I had blown it, but because he didn’t care.

  Mrs. DeGraff folded her hands on the desk and gave me her full attention. “Now, what did you want to see me about?”

  I cleared my throat. “You wanted to know if I had any suggestions that would help with the consolidation. I think I’ve finally come up with something.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m anxious to hear what you have to say, but I think Tanner should be here before we begin.”

  My biggest concern was that she would want to include him. I took a deep breath and plunged in. “I haven’t told Tanner about the meeting. He’s been so busy with the Frolic that I didn’t want to ask him.”

  She studied me. “It’s fine to be considerate of him but he is the co-president. He should be present.”

  “I would’ve invited him, but I wanted this to be a surprise.”

  “I see. Then there’s more to this than you’re saying.”

  My hands were hot and clammy. If she guessed how I felt about Tanner then how could I hide the truth from him? I couldn’t stand it if he felt sorry for me.

  “Sort of.” I bit my lower lip. “It’s just that Tanner likes surprises.”

  She raised her eyebrows and gave me a doubtful smile. She wasn’t buying it, and I didn’t know what else to tell her. Everything was complicated. I had several reasons for keeping it a secret. When Tanner was around I could hardly think. Half the time my tongue became glued to my mouth and I couldn’t speak. Soon he would guess how I felt. I had to stay away from him. If we didn’t have the consolidation to work on then I wouldn’t have to see him, except at council meetings.

  Even though Tanner had been full of compliments in the cafeteria, it didn’t mean anything. He was trying to be nice. If I couldn’t have Tanner’s love at least I could have his approval. He would like it if I created a new logo.

  Then there was Tiffany. She would oppose anything I designed. I had to take her by surprise, before she could object. I didn’t know about Mark either. He had stayed away but I feared he waited for the chance to cause trouble again.

  I met her gaze. “It’s more than that too. Tanner and I get along but we’ve had our disagreements. Sometimes I think he doubts my loyalty to Westview.” That much was true. “I want to prove to him that I’m a Westie now. When he sees my surprise he won’t have any doubts.”

  “Can’t you tell him what you are planning?” Mrs. DeGraff asked.

  “Yes, but I’m afraid that he won’t like it unless he sees it. So far he hasn’t liked many of my ideas. He needs time to think about them first.”

  She studied me a long time. “It’s u
nderstandable that you and Tanner won’t always agree on everything. I don’t expect you to. He’s very devoted to this school. That’s why he was elected. He’s a good leader and I believe he might doubt your loyalty. After all, he is a Westview student. However, I know how much effort you’ve put into uniting the students. So if you want to have him wait to see the surprise, then it’s all right. But I insist you inform him that you have something planned. If he doesn’t agree to wait then you will have to tell him your idea.”

  I relaxed my shoulders. The first hurdle was over. “Thank you. I’ll talk to him. Can I show you what I have planned?”

  She nodded.

  “We know the Carlton kids are still resentful because they’ve had to give up all of their traditions. And the Westies don’t want to change theirs. I’ve come up with an idea where both schools can be represented.”

  Mrs. DeGraff leaned forward. “That sounds ideal.”

  Reaching into my bag, I brought out a large and a small poster and lay them one on top of the other. “This is our Westview logo,” I said pointing to the ‘W’ with the mustang centered on top. “The Westie kids are proud of it, but the Carlton kids feel left out.” I pulled out the smaller poster where I had drawn an eagle with outstretched wings. “This was our Carlton logo.”

  “They are both impressive, but I don’t see how this will help the consolidation along,” Mrs. DeGraff said.

  I lay the eagle on the mustang’s back. “If we put them together like this we can have both schools represented.”

  Mrs. DeGraff’s face lit up. “That’s an excellent idea.”

  “Does this mean you approve?”

  She pushed back in her chair. “Yes, but I’m not the one you have to convince. The students will have to vote on this. What we can do is propose the idea to them and let them decide.”

  “Do you think they’ll go for it?”

  “Yes, the majority will. Although there are some who will be opposed to any kind of change. But in time most of them will come around.” She tapped a pencil on her desk. “We’ve had the school suggestion box for ideas such as this since last spring. And frankly, this is the best idea I’ve seen.”

  She strolled to the window and gazed at the parking lot. “However, there’s a problem. Our logo is everywhere. It’s on all of our uniforms. It’s even painted over the front entrance to the school, not to mention the auditorium and the stadium. To incorporate the eagle into the logo will take money and time.”

  I slumped in my chair. “I hadn’t thought about that. I was only concerned with how it looked.”

  “I don’t mean to dampen your enthusiasm. I like your idea. You did a good job creating the new logo.”

  “If the school selects the logo, is there any way the art department could help? All we need to do is add the eagle.”

  “Yes, I’m sure they can help with most of the painting. There’s also the parents association and other groups that will help.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the window. “Have you thought about how to introduce this to the school?”

  “Yes, I was hoping we could somehow display the logo at the Frolic. I thought it would be a good time. Everyone will be more receptive to the idea then. If it goes over we can vote for it in the next election.” I didn’t mention that at the dance Tiffany would go along with the crowd. If she kept quiet then Mark and his buddies would too. Most of the Carlies would be for the new logo since it had the eagle on it. I hoped most of the Westies would like it too.

  She rubbed her chin absentmindedly. “I think that should work out all right. Just make sure you tell Tanner there is to be a surprise at the dance.”

  “Thanks Mrs. DeGraff, I will.” It meant I would have to talk to him but only for a few minutes to explain everything. I could handle that although I didn’t look forward to it. Our last conversation had ended in disaster.

  “Have you decided how to display it at the dance?”

  I shook my head. “I was hoping you could help me there.”

  She repeatedly thumped her fingers on the desk as if that would help her think of a solution. “Can you run an errand for me tomorrow after school?”

  “Yes. I’d be glad to help.”

  “Great.” She picked up the phone and dialed. “I’m going to see if the Custom Graphic Shop can do a sample logo on one of our uniforms.”

  After she explained her idea she handed me a piece of paper with the address of the shop on it. “Mr. Brickman will see you tomorrow. He thinks he can do it, and he’s even offered to give us a considerable discount. But first he wants to see what the changes will be. Can you take your poster and explain it to him?”

  “Sure, I’ll go right after school.” Everything was going better than I had expected.

  “I appreciate all of the work you’ve done on this.” She drew a quick map. “Have you been to the north side of town? It’s not too far from here but it is tricky to find the shop. The streets aren’t well marked but the stores on that side of town are very unique.”

  I grabbed the poster and my bag, remembering that Gina had told me about the shops. “I haven’t been in that area, but I’ll find it. Maybe I’ll have time to do some shopping afterwards.”

  “Teenage girls never change.” She smiled and held the door open. “You will love the stores. They’re very popular with the students.”

  The next afternoon I strolled away from the graphics shop satisfied with my meeting with Mr. Brickman. He had been encouraging about the logo, promising to have a sample ready within a few days. I breathed deeply of the crisp fall air. It hinted of fallen leaves and pine trees. A gush of wind blew my jacket open and I walked faster, pulling it closer to my chest.

  Across the street a streak of color caught my eye. A blue dress stood on a mannequin in the window of a boutique. Not an ordinary blue, but a Westview blue with a touch of white at the top. Westview colors. I stared in awe at the blue lace gown. It was a floor length fitted dress with a slight flare at the bottom. Not exactly a mermaid style but with enough flare to make it great for dancing. White satin roses lay on a strip of shirred white satin forming the short sleeves and off the shoulder neckline. My dream dress.

  I raced across the street and hurried inside. It was even more stunning up close. Simple, yet elegant, it screamed, Ashlee, to me.

  “I see you like the blue gown,” a tall brunette with red rimmed glasses crept up beside me. “I just put it out today.”

  “It’s beautiful. I’d love to try it on if you have it in my size.”

  “It’s the only one I have, but I think it will fit you. When I bought it in New York I envisioned a young lady like you wearing it for a special occasion.” She removed it from the mannequin and held it up to me. “Yes, it should be just fine.” Folding it across her arm, she motioned me toward the dressing room. “We can do alterations if you need it, but I don’t think it will be necessary.”

  Slipping out of my skirt and into the gown, I was glad I had the meeting today. I had dressed up more than usual with a grey skirt and black flats. My shoes looked okay under the dress. I glanced in the mirror. The gown fit perfectly. The bodice made my shoulders look broader and my waist smaller. I smoothed the lace and fingered the tiny satin roses. It was like touching rose petals in a soft cloud. I could envision Tanner holding me close, dancing to the music.

  Pulling my hair up off my shoulders, I twirled around. For the first time I could see his face clearly as the prince in my fantasy. It had always been him only I had been too stubborn to see it.

  The dress made the Frolic a reality. Tanner and I were going to the dance together. For one night he would be mine. I would dance with him and pretend he loved me. I would be the princess in my fantasy.

  “Is it safe to come in?” the clerk asked, opening the door. She clasped her hands together and surveyed the gown. “It was made for you. It’s lovely. And it won’t have to be altered either.”

  Taking my arm, she led me onto a platform in front of a three-way mirror. “
It brings out the blue in your eyes. I have just the shoes that will match your dress.” She said asking my size before she disappeared into the back room.

  I turned to see how the back of the dress fit. The roses continued all around my shoulders with the bottom of the dress barely dipping into a slight train. It made the dress more elegant and yet it wouldn’t get in the way while dancing.

  The clerk appeared and handed me a box. “How do you like these?”

  I reached inside and pulled out a pair of white satin heels with a cluster of miniature roses on top. The shoes were comfortable with a low heel. “They’ll be perfect with the dress. And they will be great for dancing.”

  She smiled and pushed her glasses higher on her nose. “We can dye them to match the blue in the gown. That is if you’ve decided you want them.”

  I nodded, marched back to the dressing room and changed back into my school clothes, putting a deposit on the dress and shoes. A weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I practically danced across the street. Tanner was the cutest guy I’d ever seen. The Frolic was going to be the most romantic night of my life.

  Unlocking my car door, I slipped on my sunglasses and started to slide in when I heard heels clicking on the pavement. I spun around and faced Tiffany striding toward me.

  She stopped with her hand on her hip, like she owned the sidewalk and I was trespassing. “What are you doing here? This part of town is out of your league. Only the best people shop here.”

  Her insults got to me. We were off campus and for once I didn’t have to be careful of what I said. “Then what are you doing here?”

  Her green eyes flashed. “How dare you talk to me like that?“

  “I’m not in the mood for any of your rude comments so let’s just end this conversation now.” I threw my bag in the back seat. “Goodbye Tiffany.”

  She crossed her arms and leaned against the car. “I’ll bet you were shopping for a dress for the Frolic. Tanner will laugh at you. He likes girls with taste. Of course, I’m having my dress custom made. I wouldn’t buy it off the rack.”

  I tried to ignore her but I couldn’t. “I’m glad you found someone to take you to the dance.”