Picturing Different

by Nikki Kwiatkowski

  Tripp reached for the papers handed in his direction and slid one to Ashlyn. She mumbled her thanks, but so far that was the most she had said to him.

  No sooner than they wrote their names on the papers, Mrs. Cohen dimmed the lights to a little less than half their brightness and began the documentary.

  Tripp glanced over the questions. Some he could answer just on his knowledge from of the topic.

  He scooted his chair closer to Ashlyn, which she pretended to ignore.

  “You weren’t at lunch today,” he whispered.

  Maybe it was his closeness and what that did to her now, but shivers ran down her spine. “I was busy.”

  “You never responded to my message,” he pointed out.

  Pretending like this morning hadn’t bothered her, “Oh, yeah. Sorry. What did you want?”

  Tripp picked up on it. Her eyes and the tone in her voice said so much. He thought about when she first arrived at her locker to where she attempted to avoid him in the hall. A satisfied smirk came to his face. Was Ashlyn, the one who was adamant about a friendship only relationship, jealous?

  “I was going to ask you what your plans were for Saturday.”

  Without missing a beat, “Well, they don’t include Grace’s party.” She shut her eyes and bit down on her lip. She couldn’t believe how snotty and catty that came out.

  “That’s good to know,” Tripp softly chuckled.

  Ashlyn didn’t like that he was amused by that. “Just watch the movie.”

  He would have liked to have told her that he’d rather watch her squirm. Instead, he went for something a little less intense. “If not the party, what?”

  Ashlyn sighed and looked away from the movie. She wished she wouldn’t have. Tripp’s face was so close to hers, and his hooded eyes darted from her eyes to her lips. All she could think of was kissing him, almost forgetting what he asked.

  She quickly looked away and wrote down the next answer that she had vaguely heard mentioned in the background. “I just have plans. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Can I be a part of them?”

  Tripp tried his best to keep a straight face and hold in any laughter, all the while knowing that he was getting to her, and knowing that she was going to kick herself for so easily showing her cards.

  Ashlyn stopped writing and looked at him with wide eyes. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. “I thought you had a date.” Apparently, curiosity always won.

  “Oh, you heard that,” he asked, feigning innocence.

  Ashlyn scoffed. “Everyone heard that.”

  Tripp shrugged. “Nothing is set in stone yet.”

  Ashlyn was livid, but thankfully his comment didn’t require further response from her. Who did he think he was? Even if it was Rachel, Ashlyn felt bad for the girl, being strung along until Tripp found something better to occupy his time.

  As much as he wanted to, Tripp couldn’t mess with her anymore. “Remember when we were messaging, and you didn’t know who I was?”

  “Mhmm,” Ashlyn said in acknowledgement.

  “And I told you that I’d tell you who I was if you agreed to spend a day with me?”

  “To which I never agreed.”

  Tripp nudged her playfully and leaned in so that his breath prickled the skin on her neck. “So, agree.”

  Ashlyn snapped her head in his direction. They were so close their noses could have touched. “I don’t understand. I thought…What about–”

  “You should stop assuming. I thought it was obvious that the only person I want to be on a date with is you.”

  Ashlyn was thankful for the little bit of darkness in the room. She felt like her face was on fire and her heart thundered in her chest.

  “You’re such a jerk,” she mumbled with embarrassment.

  “And you were so jealous,” Tripp pointed out.

  “I’m sure that’s just what you want. For all these girls to fall head over heels for you,” Ashlyn spat.

  Hoping to calm Ashlyn before her voice rose over the movie, Tripp grabbed her free hand and pulled it beneath the table. She sucked in a breath and tensed but didn’t pull away.

  He had missed contact with her the day before, and now that he had her small hand in his, he didn’t want to let go. He entangled their fingers while his thumb drew soft circles on the back of her hand. Slowly he felt the tension ease from her body.

  “There’s only one girl I want falling for me,” he whispered, attempting to quell any and all doubts Ashlyn might have.

  Occasionally Tripp let go of her hand to write in an answer, but she always allowed him to take it back. They only separated for good when the documentary ended and the lights came back on.

  “We barely made that,” Mrs. Cohen announced from the front of the room. “Please pass your papers forward, the bell will soon be–”

  Her words were cut off by the ringing of the bell from the speaker in the ceiling.

  “Okay,” Ashlyn said confidently as she rose from her seat.

  Tripp’s brows rose in confusion, not sure what she was responding to. They hadn’t said anything to each other for a good fifteen minutes.

  After seeing the look on his face, Ashlyn tried again, this time using her words and speaking quiet enough so that students nearby wouldn’t hear. “We can hang out Saturday.”

  Then, as if embarrassed by what had just happened in class, Ashlyn grabbed her bags and darted through the students shuffling about. Tripp wanted to ask her if he could walk her to class, but perhaps that would have been too much too soon.

  What he felt was incomparable to anything he had felt before. He only wished that Ashlyn would finally crack and admit that the whole just friends thing was crap.

  Chapter 29

  The remainder of the week went on quite uneventfully. Much to Ashlyn’s surprise and relief, she hadn’t heard another peep from Eric. She had also put off going through her room and finding whatever junk of his she might still have.

  With another baseball game and a project looming over Tripp’s head, he didn’t get much time to see Ashlyn outside of class. Normally he would have been bummed about that, but it only made the anticipation of spending Saturday with her that much greater, despite Ashlyn being a little skeptical when he told her to be ready by ten.

  “When you said the day, I didn’t expect this,” Ashlyn said, putting on her seatbelt.

  “When you agreed to the day, I had to make the most of it.”

  He had told her to dress casual, and she didn’t disappoint. For some strange reason, he loved when she wore her overalls and pigtails. There was something so carefree and different about it. Most of the girls he knew wouldn’t dare style their hair in such a childish way or wear something deemed as unflattering.

  Tripp reached in the cupholder and withdrew one of the large cups and handed it to Ashlyn. “I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee. If you don’t like it, we can find you something else along the way.”

  Before saying anything, Ashlyn took a sip. It was sweeter than she probably would have ordered for herself, but it had a hint of vanilla that she loved.

  “It’s great. Thank you.”

  Then he reached toward the back and brought out a bag. “Donuts,” he informed her as he handed it to her.

  Ashlyn had breakfast a couple hours earlier. She may have woken up at an ungodly hour after being unable to sleep with anticipation. She wasn’t hungry, but she wasn’t about to pass up a donut.

  “I take it we’re not going anywhere for lunch then.”

  Tripp pulled out of her driveway. “Nope.”

  He watched as relief came to Ashlyn’s face. He had figured that she wouldn’t want to be seen around Raymere Grove with him. He’d have to bring it up later and tell her that he was fine with everything, but he didn’t want to venture into that right now. Right now he wanted everything light and fun between them.

  Ashlyn got a little concerned when Tripp headed outside of Raymere Grove and got onto the highway. “Where exactly a
re we going?” She had asked that several times ever since she agreed to spend the day with him, but now she really needed an answer.

  “There’s a place in the city I wanted to take you. It’s about an hour or so away.”

  “Do you plan on telling me…”

  Tripp briefly glanced in her direction before pulling his eyes back to the road. “You’ve waited this long.”

  Though they talked about random bits and pieces of their lives throughout the drive, whenever there was a moment of silence, Ashlyn was deep in her thoughts. All she could think about was how right it felt with Tripp.

  She knew he was going overboard with trying to woo her. After all, Eric had been sweet and caring at first too. She only wished that she had a magic ball that could see into the future.

  She didn’t think that Tripp would ever treat her and talk to her like Eric. He had already proven to be different after she found out about his discussion with her father. However, she was still concerned. Every girl in school had a crush on Tripp. What would happen if she let things progress, only for him to find her boring and want to move on to the next shiny toy?

  “We’re here,” he told her, awakening her from her insecurities.

  “The botanical gardens,” Ashlyn gasped, seeing the entryway ahead.

  Tripp smiled with success. “Most of their spring stuff is very prominent right now. I thought you could get some good pictures, and since I’ve never been…Well, why not?”

  Ashlyn, full of excitement, reached for her camera. She strangely expected Tripp to take her somewhere, to something, that was about him and what he liked. That wasn’t to say that he wouldn’t appreciate the gardens, but he had obviously put her first when he made arrangements for their day together.

  When Tripp headed to the entryway, “Oh, we’ll need tickets to get in.” Ashlyn nodded toward an enclosed booth.

  Tripp reached in his pocket and held up a folded piece of paper. “Bought online.” Ashlyn was about to protest but Tripp cut her off. “I just thought it would be easier in case it was busy. Just because I paid for you doesn’t mean you have to consider this a date if you don’t want to.”

  Ashlyn’s cheeks reddened. She didn’t want to tell him that, but that was one word that she was hoping wouldn’t be brought up. The worst of it, she was beginning to change her mind on what it was or wasn’t called, and the word date was suddenly growing on her.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Ashlyn sat on a bench and looked through the pictures on her camera while Tripp headed inside the main center to use the restroom. When he finally returned and joined her, she couldn’t help but notice the strange change in his earlier calmness. He looked giddy, but also very secretive.

  “Get a lot of good ones,” he asked.

  “Yes. I was planning on using some of my action shots of the games for the photos I can display, but I’m thinking that I may do a floral collection.”

  “Sounds awesome.”

  Ashlyn looked away from her camera to Tripp. He was fidgety, tapping one of his feet, and had the most awkward smile.

  “What,” she asked, drawing the word out.

  “Nothing,” he said a little too quickly. “Are you ready to head out?”

  “Okay, you’re being weird,” Ashlyn pointed out.

  Tripp took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. “I may have something else planned.”

  It was only a little before three. Ashlyn knew they weren’t going to go straight home. “Of course you do.”

  “Are you hungry,” Tripp asked as they headed back to his vehicle.

  Ashlyn didn’t want to say anything, but breakfast and the donuts had worn off some time ago.

  “Yeah,” she finally admitted.

  Tripp opened her door and waited for her to step in. A calculating smirk crept to his lips. “Good.”

  “I suppose you’re not going to tell me anything else about this whole outing,” Ashlyn pointlessly asked when Tripp got in the driver’s seat.

  Tripp did that melting chuckle of his. “Nope.”

  From time to time he glanced over to her. If she thought he was taking her to some fancy restaurant, she was hugely mistaken. A restaurant outside of Raymere Grove would have been the normal thing to do, but he wanted to be alone with her. He had things he needed to tell her, and he couldn’t hold them in any longer.

  Ashlyn was confused. “We’re almost back home.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not taking you to some diner in town.”

  Ashlyn moved about uncomfortably in her seat.

  “I’m also not taking you back to my house.”

  “You’re telling me everything you’re not going to do. It would be easier for you to just say where we are going.”

  Tripp made a turn before they reached the outer part of Raymere Grove, and headed down a road leading to nothing.

  Ashlyn took in her surroundings, the landscape, the countryside. She didn’t know of much being out in the direction they were headed.

  Tripp sensed her uncertainty. “There’s a little lake out here…And this spot,” he began, fumbling for words.

  He parked his Mercedes-Benz in a field that seemed to stretch for miles. Before Ashlyn could ask him just what was going on, he excitedly hopped out and she quickly did the same before he’d run around to open her door. Strangely, he didn’t come to her side, he went to the back.

  Ashlyn grabbed her camera, just in case there were pictures worth taking. When she went to meet Tripp at the back of his SUV, her heart stopped. She should have known that only he would come up with something like this.

  Tripp bunched the folded blanket up in his arms and picked up the cooler from the ground.

  Ashlyn crossed her arms and drew her lips together. “I thought you didn’t know the area, yet you found a perfect spot for a picnic?”

  He nodded in the direction for her to go. “Research.”

  Ashlyn shook her head but couldn’t help smiling as they walked toward a beautiful oak tree near a crystal blue lake. Tripp flopped out the blanket and Ashlyn grabbed two of the corners, helping him spread it out.

  “Do you do such extensive research for all your dates?”

  Tripp froze and their eyes met. Ashlyn quickly realized her mistake and attempted to correct it.

  “Not saying that this is a date…I just meant–”

  “Stop,” Tripp insisted, interrupting her.

  After seeing the look on Tripp’s face, Ashlyn stopped talking. He had been amazing all day, all week. If she thought about it, ever since she met him, he had been amazing to her in his own unique way, and all she ever gave in return was to push him away. She couldn’t believe that after everything, he’d still want to be around her. She concluded at that moment that if Tripp were to call it a date at any point in the future, she wouldn’t correct him.

  Tripp began popping the lids off the containers and placing them neatly on the blanket until it was filled with various meats, cheeses, crackers, and fruits.

  “Did you do all this yourself?”

  Tripp’s face clenched up. “No. My mom may have helped a little, gave me a few pointers.”

  Ashlyn’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. So, your mom…She knows that–”

  “That I’m trying my hardest to win over a girl who refuses to admit that she’s on a date with me? Yeah.”

  Ashlyn grew quiet. She wanted the conversation to go back to being light and fun, which is why she didn’t bother correcting Tripp and telling him that he had already succeeded.

  Thankfully Tripp began a normal conversation that didn’t focus on what they were or weren’t. Neither had realized just how hungry they were until the entire spread was nearly gone.

  “He seems sweet,” Ashlyn said of Cason after Tripp got done telling a story.

  “He can be so annoying.”

  “At least you have a sibling. It can be even more annoying to be all by yourself,” she pointed out.

  Tripp thought for a moment. “I remember when we f
irst started texting and you told me you were an only child, but not by choice.”

  Without Tripp needing to ask, “My parents tried to have children after me.” She shrugged. “I guess it just wasn’t in the cards for them.”

  Tripp hated to hear that. Though she didn’t always show it to him, Ashlyn had a sweet nature about her, and he knew she would have made a great big sister.

  “Speaking of your parents, whatever happened with the Mickey Mantle ball?”

  That was something in the back of her mind that went unsolved. “No idea,” Ashlyn sighed.

  “I can check online,” Tripp began. “Maybe find him another one?”

  Ashlyn laughed. “You don’t have to do that. My dad likes you enough as it is.”

  Tripp felt the heat creeping in his cheeks, and he let out a breath of air. “He told you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, this isn’t awkward,” Tripp grumbled.

  He began throwing the empty containers back in the cooler. Ashlyn refrained from mentioning his talk with her father after seeing how embarrassed he became.

  “This was fun.”

  Tripp closed the cooler and shoved it to the side. There was still a lot he wanted to get out when it came to Ashlyn. He hesitated asking, but did anyway. “Are you ready to leave?”

  Ashlyn could see in those honey colored eyes from the sun’s descent that Tripp wasn’t ready. “Maybe in a little bit.”

  She spread her legs forward, facing the lake, and leaned back on her outstretched arms.

  Tripp sat beside her, a war of words waging in his head. He didn’t know where to begin, how to lead in. Words failed him, and he just blurted it out.

  “I like you, Ash. A lot.”

  His heart pounded in his chest, growing more frantic by each passing second that she didn’t respond. When she finally did, her words shocked him.

  “I don’t know why.” She heard Tripp take in a deep breath. She didn’t need for him to protest, to list all the reasons why he’d say that. “I haven’t been the nicest or most welcoming toward you. I’m an insecure and indecisive mess from my last relationship.”