Ashlee's Rival Love Read online

  “Are you sure that’s all?”

  I nodded. It was true. I had been dreading the meeting. “Yeah. There isn’t much progress to report.”

  “There’s been some changes. I’ve seen Westies and Carlies talking in the halls.”

  We turned the corner and stopped in front of the office door. “I think she’s hoping for more than that. It should be some meeting, huh? Tanner and I are supposed to give an update on the consolidation, and we’re barely speaking to each other.”

  I turned away from Sarah and opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Mrs. DeGraff held the phone away from her ear and pointed to a chair in front of her desk. “Please, sit down Ashlee. I’ll be right with you.”

  I took the seat closest to the window and peered out into the parking lot. Students pulled out of the area in a rapid procession. I wished I were going with them. Besides having little to report about the school, I had nothing to say to Tanner.

  “Hi, Ashlee.” Tanner sauntered into the office with a big grin. “How’s it going?” He sat next to me and stretched out his legs.

  He acted like everything was fine. I would never understand him, and I didn’t want to. He had accused me of lying about Tiffany. “Everything is great.” I turned away. I had never been comfortable around him. Since we almost kissed, it had become worse. It had become embarrassing.

  Mrs. DeGraff hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a meeting. I’m anxious to hear your opinions about the school’s progress.”

  Tanner shifted in his chair. “I haven’t seen much of a change. The Westies still sit on one side of the lunchroom, and the Carlies on the other. It’s like that in the classrooms and the halls too.”

  “I agree with him,” I said leaning forward. “Some kids hang out and talk to each other, but there’s still a lot of tension.”

  “I was hoping for a more positive report,” Mrs. DeGraff said. “But we have to look at the bright side. Since you danced together I’ve noticed the students are friendlier to each other. I have both of you to thank for that.”

  “We don’t deserve all of the credit,” I said. “Tiffany and Ben helped.”

  “Yes, but it took the two of you to break the ice. You don’t realize how much the students admire and respect you. The school board was wise to suggest we have co-presidents. This is working out fine.”

  I exchanged glances with Tanner. It was working out for the school, but not for us.

  Mrs. DeGraff’s eyebrows knitted into a frown. “Although there has been some improvement, it’s not enough.” She clasped her hands in a triangle underneath her chin. Her index fingers pointed upwards like a church steeple. “I’ve been thinking about something that might help,” she said, letting her hands fall to the side like a collapsed building.

  I stared at her fingers pointing down. Were our attempts to unify the school going down too? I squirmed in my chair. Something told me I wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

  “Years ago we had a tradition at Westview. It was when women’s liberation was at its height. Many of our girls thought we didn’t have enough female school leaders.”

  “I’ve heard my mom talk about that,” Tanner interrupted. “Didn’t we elect a guy for class president and a girl as head of the council?”

  “Yes, and it was the custom for the male leader to escort the female president to the Fall Frolic. We wanted to show everyone that they were equal partners. It did that and more, something we didn’t expect. It brought the students together. They had more respect for each other. That’s what we need this year.”

  Tanner cleared his throat. “What does this have to do with Ashlee and I?”

  “I would like you both to consider going to the Frolic together.”

  “I can’t,” we both cried in unison.

  I stared at Tanner’s surprised face. This was one of the first times we had agreed on something. Although he didn’t have to act like it would kill him to take me. I turned to Principal DeGraff. “What we mean is, would it really help?”

  “It worked before. If history repeats itself, it will again.”

  Tanner rose and walked away from me, standing by the window. “It would be like a date.”

  “It’s more like a favor for the school. I suppose it is a drastic measure, but if you went together it would show there aren’t any barriers. Please keep in mind it’s strictly voluntary. I don’t want it to be a problem.”

  “We danced together already,” I said. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “You’ve both done more than your share. You broke the ice that night. All you had to do was dance and the students began talking to each other. The Frolic is our most important dance. Can you imagine what might happen if you attended it together?”

  I could imagine it well, although my vision of us at the Frolic wasn’t pleasant. The only thing I couldn’t decide was whether I should drag him in cave woman style, or vaccinate him with a Polite shot before the dance. Sort of preventive medicine. I gave him a quick glance. He wore a frown as big as the school. He could destroy a girl’s ego faster than any guy I had ever known.

  “I want to help,” Tanner said, “but the Frolic is a different kind of dance. Mostly couples go to it. It would give the kids the wrong idea about us.”

  He’d made a good point. Gossip was rampant in school. Everyone would jump to the wrong conclusions. “He’s right. The kids would think we were dating.”

  Principal DeGraff tapped her fingers on the desk. “This does put you both in an awkward position. I’d like you to enjoy yourselves at the dance.” She rose from her chair. “Why don’t you take some time to think this over?”

  I shrugged into my jacket and pushed my chair back.

  “That would be great. I want to do what I can.”

  “When do you need an answer?” Tanner asked.

  “Next week will be fine. And if you have any other suggestions that will move the consolidation along, I’d like to hear them.”

  I made my way to the door, ignoring Tanner. “We’ll let you know soon.”

  The halls were empty except for a few stragglers here and there. I ran to the side exit, and out into the courtyard. A gust of wind blew my jacket open. I pulled on the zipper and sat on one of the stone benches. A variety of cranberry and mustard bushes surrounded the benches.

  Autumn leaves from the old oak tree fell to the ground. It reminded me of the oak in front of Carlton High. I longed for the old building and for my old self. Until the consolidation I hadn’t had much responsibility. Now, I had to always remember I was a school leader. I cared about Westview, and I wanted to help, but there had to be a better way than going to the Frolic with Tanner.

  The door pushed open and Tanner stepped into the courtyard. “Ashlee, I’ve been looking all over for you. Why did you run off like that?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m surprised you’re talking to me. You’ve been avoiding me all week.”

  He sat on the bench next to me. “I know. I needed time to figure things out. I tried to find you before the meeting, but you weren’t around.” He picked a gold leaf off the ground and examined it. “Look, Ashlee, I’m sorry I accused you of lying about the letter. I know you were telling me the truth.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, and I know Tiffany was too.”

  I slid off the bench and stared down at him. “As long as you think Tiffany was telling the truth, we have nothing to talk about.”

  He grabbed my arm. “Yes, we do. Just let me explain.”

  A grin spread across his face. “Do you know your hair looks darker when you’re angry?” He chuckled and grabbed my arm. “Will you sit back down? I want to talk to you.”

  I eased myself onto the bench reluctantly. “I can only stay a minute. I have to get home.”

  His expression grew serious. “All right, I’ll make this fast. I don’t know what happened last summer with the letter. I believe Tiffan
y thinks she delivered it to you. Maybe she took it to the wrong house. But I know she tried to get it to you. I also know you wouldn’t lie to me. If you say she didn’t, then she didn’t.”

  I stared into his eyes. “I’m glad you believe me. I was really angry when you didn’t. But that’s nothing new. We seem to fight about everything, don’t we?”

  “We both have tempers, but this time it was my fault. I get defensive about Tiffany sometimes. People just don’t understand her. She’s really unsure of herself. She wants everyone to like her, and sometimes she tries too hard.” He turned to me. “You wouldn’t understand that. You’re so confident, and everyone likes you.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe he didn’t need a polite shot after all. Our relationship had always been like a teeter-totter, up and down. I couldn’t stay mad at him. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Tiffany didn’t deserve such a sensitive boyfriend. Tanner may think she had a low self-esteem, but I couldn’t buy that. I’d seen the piranha come out in her.

  Tanner stuck his hands in his pockets. “What are we going to do about the dance?”

  I wanted to help the school. Even though I missed Carlton, Westview was my school now. However, there were many reasons why we couldn’t go together. One of them was Tiffany. She was his girlfriend and he should take her. “Nothing. I’ll see Mrs. DeGraff next week and tell her we can’t do it.”

  “Why not? Do you have a date?”

  I didn’t, but I didn’t want him to know. Some of the guys had mentioned the dance. I had always changed the subject immediately. They would have been fun dates, but the Frolic was special. I wanted to go with someone I loved.

  Lately, I’d caught myself daydreaming about the dance. I imagined myself as Cinderella floating to the music in the arms of Prince Charming. The girls at the ball would sigh when he danced by. He only had eyes for me. The prince held me like I was a rare treasure. I was the luckiest girl in the world, wearing a beautiful gown and dancing with the guy I loved. There was only one problem. I didn’t know who he was. When I lifted my head to look into his eyes, all I saw was a mask.

  It was foolish to dream, but I couldn’t help it. None of the guys I knew fit the image of my prince. I hoped someday he would appear and ask me to the dance. It was my only fantasy. If I went with Tanner, it would be out of a sense of duty. “I haven’t agreed to go with anyone yet. What about you, aren’t you going with Tiffany?”

  “I haven’t asked her.”

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged. “We talked about going together,” his voice sounded uneasy, “but we never made any real plans. Anyway, I think Mrs. DeGraff was right. It would make a difference if we went together.” He hesitated a minute. “So, will you be my date?”

  A hard knot formed in my throat. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be in my fantasy. Tanner wasn’t Prince Charming. He didn’t even like me. He felt obligated to take me. “I can’t.”

  “Why? You don’t have a date. I’ll take you.”

  “I didn’t say that. You make it sound like I can’t get one.”

  “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I’m always sticking my foot in my mouth when I’m around you. Any guy would want to take you. I’m surprised you’re not fighting them off. I’d consider myself lucky if you went with me.” He flashed me one of his killer smiles. “Please change your mind.”

  “You’re a phony. You don’t want to go with me. I saw the look on your face when Mrs. DeGraff suggested it.”

  He stood and shuffled his feet. “You’re right. I didn’t want to when she first mentioned it. You didn’t either. It took us by surprise. It’s not that I don’t like you. I do, but I was thinking of all the times we’ve argued. I didn’t want to do that at the Frolic. Then the more I thought about it, I realized we don’t argue as much as we used to and we wouldn’t do that at the dance. We could have a lot of fun and help out the school at the same time.”

  “Have you forgotten about Tiffany? She plans on going with you.”

  “I’ll explain everything to her. She really cares about the school. She’ll understand.”

  Not the Tiffany I knew. She would be furious. I looked into his green eyes. The same eyes that had me speechless when I had first met him. Tanner was real. My fantasy wasn’t. I had to forget my silly dream. “I guess you’re right. We can have a good time if we want to. Of course I’ll go with you.”

  His smile broadened and he sat back down. “That’s cool.” He reached over and hugged me.

  I leaned my head on his shoulder. The wool from his jacket tickled my nose. He was strong, yet gentle. A breeze stirred and swirled gold and red leaves around us. Neither one of us said a word. It didn’t seem necessary. The quiet of the courtyard was almost magical. I was uncomfortable remembering the near kiss in the park. Yet it felt right to hug him. We had agreed to do something for the school and we needed to be close, even if it was just for a second.

  “We’ll have a good time, Ashlee,” Tanner whispered in my ear. “You’ll see.”

  Sarah sashayed toward me mimicking a fashion model on a runway. Her dress swished back and forth. “What do you think?” She stopped at the foot of her bed, staged a professional pose, then twirled around. Yards of cranberry satin cascaded around her like ocean waves.

  “It’s perfect.” I stretched out on her bed and put a pillow behind my head. “I like it better than the green one you were thinking about. You’re going to be a knockout at the Frolic.”

  “I doubt that.” She smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt. “I just want Jake to like it.”

  “He’s going to fall in love with you all over again.”

  “Then I can’t wait for the dance.” She smiled at herself in the dresser mirror. “It’s going to be so romantic. Wait until you see what we have planned for the decorations. I wish you could be on that committee with me.”

  “I do too, but I have to help with the entertainment.”

  “You’re not just helping. You’re the only one on the committee. It’s not fair.”

  “I don’t mind. Besides, you and Tanner need more people to help with the decorations and refreshments. And he has his hands full with the publicity and tickets. All I have to do is get a band, and plan the music.”

  “It might be harder than you think. We don’t have much money to pay them.”

  “The dean at the college is helping me with that. He understands we are on a strict budget and has given me names of students to call. I think I’ve found a group that will do it. They’re called Forever Blue. Debbie heard them play once and she says they’re good.”

  “I’ve heard of them. I hope they do it.” Sarah kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. “You’re so organized.”

  “Not really. I was just lucky when I called the college.” I traced my finger around a blue flower on her bedspread. It was confusing to think about the Frolic. The more I did, the happier I was that I was Tanner’s date. That didn’t make sense. We weren’t bitter enemies anymore but we weren’t good friends either. It had to be because we were helping the school. “How do you like working with Tanner?”

  “We get along well. He has some great ideas. He wants the decorations to be something everyone will remember. I’ve never seen him so excited.” She flashed a teasing smile. “I think it’s because you’re his date for the dance.”

  I tried not to smile. I tried not to be happy, but I was. Did Tanner really want to take me? It couldn’t be true. He was crazy about Tiffany. Besides, I didn’t care what he wanted. “That has nothing to do with it. Tanner’s only taking me because he has to.”

  I turned and buried my face in the pillow. He was just doing his duty, although it hadn’t seemed like it in the courtyard. Since then he acted quiet and nervous, like he didn’t know how to treat me. I understood since I had felt the same way. Our relationship was different since we decided to go to the Frolic together. I didn’t know why. I had wanted to ask him if he had changed his mind and decided to take Tiffany
, but I didn’t. I had already assured Mrs. DeGraff we were going together. It was too late for either one of us to change our minds.

  “Get real. You know that if Tanner didn’t want to take you to the dance, he wouldn’t.”

  “I don’t know that. He’s always been a mystery to me.”

  Sarah unzipped her dress and slipped into her jeans. “The only thing that’s a mystery to me is what he sees in Tiffany. Everyone’s glad he’s taking you.”

  I sat up straight. “Really? I thought there would be a lot of gossip about us.”

  “There’s probably some, but I haven’t heard any. Everyone likes you and Tanner. They think it’s cool.” She pulled on a tee shirt and giggled. “I hear Tiffany is seething.”

  “I know. She’s given me some nasty looks, but so far I’ve been able to avoid talking to her.”

  “Have you decided on the dress you’re going to wear? I liked that red lace one you tried on at the mall.”

  I was waiting to find the dress in my vision. I was uncomfortable talking about my fantasy, even to Sarah. Although I couldn’t see what my dress looked like, I was confident I would know it when I saw it. “I might have to buy that. I think I’ve been to every shop in Carlton and Westview with no luck.”

  “We can go shopping again this weekend if you want to. Maybe there’s a store you missed. Besides, I still have to buy some heels to match my dress.”

  “Hey, any reason to go shopping sounds good to me.” I jumped off the bed. “I’m getting hungry. Chancy’s is having a special on hamburgers this week. Do you want to go?”

  Sarah stood and grabbed her coat. “Yeah, I love their guacamole burgers.”

  Old number six was acting up again. Tugging on my locker for the third time did the trick. It flew open. I smiled remembering my first day of school when Tanner had showed me how to work it. It seemed so long ago, yet it was barely two months. I pulled out the Frolic poster, slammed the door, and started down the hall.