“They sound cool.” Sarah strolled thoughtfully beside me. “Why did you run out of the meeting?”
I had hoped she wouldn’t bring up the council meeting. After I had told them there was a surprise, I couldn’t stay to see their reaction. “I was afraid they would be against the idea. Now you know what a coward I am.”
She stopped, her hands on her hips. “You are not a coward. It took courage to talk to the Council. And you succeeded because they’re for it. You’ve come a long way in gaining their trust. Most of them are excited to see what you have planned.”
“Thanks. You’re such a good friend. But I noticed you didn’t say all of them are for it.”
She shrugged. “They all are, except for Tiffany. You know how she is. She said you didn’t care about uniting the students. You just want to impress everyone and make them think you care about the school.”
“I expected as much from her, but I’m glad everyone else is okay with it.”
“Don’t let Tiffany bother you. She believes everyone thinks like her. And she regrets saying that now because most of the kids told her she was wrong.”
“They did? Did anyone agree with her?” I tried not to sound too anxious.
“If you mean Tanner, he had to leave before she started talking.”
“No, I was just wondering if there was anyone else I had to be aware of.”
Sarah crossed her arms and smiled. “Sure, you were.”
“Okay, so I was wondering about Tanner because I don’t know what to think about him. He’s acting weird. That day in his car he was so nice and understanding. But since then he acts like he can’t get away from me fast enough.”
“He’s probably worried about the dance. He’s been busy getting the decorations finished.”
“It’s more than that. He act’s like he’s afraid to talk to me. Maybe he’s guessed how I feel about him.”
“That wouldn’t make him avoid talking to you.”
“It would if he didn’t feel the same and he feels sorry for me.”
“Tanner doesn’t feel sorry for you and I don’t think he’s guessed your feelings. But even if he has, I’ve always thought he likes you more than a friend. He would be happy that you felt the same. Have you asked him if there’s anything wrong?”
I nodded. “That was weird too. He got this serious look on his face and started to say something then he crossed his arms in a no-trespass sort of way. It was like he didn’t want to talk about it. Then he mumbled, “Just for me, not for you.”
“That’s strange. What could be wrong for him but not for you?”
“I’m sure it’s Tiffany. He hates that he has to take me to the dance instead of her.”
“He wants you to go with him. He told you so.”
“He was just being nice.”
Sarah studied me. “You’re so busy thinking he doesn’t like you that you can’t see that he does. Haven’t you ever considered that maybe he’s crazy about you and he’s just as excited as you are about going to the dance together?”
“Yeah, right.” I gave a half-hearted laugh. “That’s why he doesn’t want to be around me, and why he’s always around Tiffany.”
“He’s not with Tiffany as much as he used to be.”
“That’s because she doesn’t eat lunch in the cafeteria anymore. But he’s with her every morning and usually after school.”
“Yeah, he is, and it doesn’t make sense because I know he cares about you.”
“All I know is that he’s never given me any reason to believe he likes me more than a friend.”
“Just because he hasn’t given you a reason doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” Sarah pulled her jacket around her and glanced back at the school. “I wish we could keep talking but I have to go back. I’ll see you at the dance tomorrow night.”
I nodded. “You’re going to look awesome. Your dress is so pretty. Jake won’t be able to stop looking at you.”
“I wish I could see Tanner’s face when he sees you,” she said. “Don’t worry about him, and don’t worry about the Frolic. Tanner could be acting strange because of the dance too. You both have had so much pressure to hold the school together and make the dance a success. Sometimes I think the school has asked too much of you.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think anyone meant to.” I slipped into my car and rolled down the window. “Everyone, wants the school to succeed. That’s why I want everything to go smoothly tomorrow. The council has worked so hard. The dance just has to be a hit.”
“It will be.” Sarah waved and headed back to the gym.
I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Through the rear view mirror I watched Sarah open the door to the gym. She was such a good friend. Actually, she was more than a friend. She was more like a sister. I couldn’t help but smile. All these years I had wished for a sister and I had one all along.
It was hard to believe that the Frolic was one day away. I wanted everything to go well. Tanner and I had tried to do what we were supposed to. Sarah was right. We had succeeded in a lot of ways. There was pressure to bring the kids closer through the dance. We had worked hard to make that happen. If we hadn’t yet, it was too late to worry. Still, I did. It would make everything easier if I knew what Tanner was thinking. The Frolic could be bothering him but his decorating committee was on schedule. The kids looked happier and a lot of the couples going to the dance were Westie-Carlies. Mrs. DeGraff thought Tanner and I were responsible for that. Kids from both schools had started to sit together in the cafeteria too. Even though the atmosphere was much better, the school was still fragile. If something went wrong at the dance it could set Westview back.
Carefully, I applied my last touch of makeup, pale pink lipstick. Examining myself in the mirror, I pushed a loose curl away from my cheek. Tricia, at the Beauty Nook, had styled my hair up off my shoulders. For once I had had a good hair day. Maybe it was a sign the night would be a success. I adjusted my pearl necklace. It matched the white satin roses in my gown. I felt like Cinderella even if I didn’t look like her.
The doorbell rang just as I grabbed my white satin bag off the window seat. I took a quick peek out the window. The harvest moon shone down on Tanner’s car in the driveway. My heart raced. I couldn’t wait to feel his arms around me while we danced.
This was my night and if I acted love sick, so what? Everyone did on Frolic night. It was one of the most romantic nights of the year. If only Tanner loved me the night would be perfect. I dabbed some perfume behind my ears, and headed downstairs. My knees shook when I entered the living room.
If Tanner was a ten in his jeans, he was an eleven in his tux. He looked natural, as if he wore one every day.
“You look beautiful, Ashlee.” A slow grin spread across his face. “You’re wearing Westview colors.”
He noticed. I could have hugged him right in front of my parents. “Thanks, you look nice too.”
He handed me a corsage of baby white roses and I slipped it on my wrist. “It’s perfect.” In between the roses were dainty autumn leaves. They looked like the ones in the courtyard the day he had asked me to the Frolic. I gave him a quick glance. His face flushed a slight shade of pink. He remembered. That day was as special to him as it was to me.
“Time for some pictures.” Mom motioned to us. “Why don’t you stand in front of the fireplace?”
Without a word, Tanner guided me to the front of the mantel.
“Can you stand a little closer?” Mom asked.
I glanced at her pleadingly. Mother’s were put on earth to embarrass their daughters. I was sure of it. Tanner slipped his arm around my waist, making me tingle with his touch.
“How’s this Mrs. Nelson?” Tanner asked.
“That’s perfect,” she said. “Ashlee, can you move your hand forward? I want to get a shot of your corsage.”
I lifted my hand and swayed closer to Tanner. His hold tightened around me. On second thought, sometimes mother’s had the best ideas.
/> So far Tanner was acting like his old self. Whatever had been bothering him was gone tonight. We posed for a few more pictures then I grabbed my coat while Tanner held the door for me. Saying ‘goodbye,’ to my parents, we walked outside. On the way to the car he slid his hand in mine as if he had done it a thousand times. Our hands had touched before, but we’d never held hands. His fingers were warm and strong.
He opened the car door, his hand slipping away from me. It wasn’t a big deal, I told myself. But it was.
Pulling out of the driveway Magenta’s latest hit played softly. I tried to think of something to say. I didn’t want to be tongue-tied or say the wrong thing. It was our first date. Our only date, I reminded myself.
“I hope you don’t mind that we’re going early,” Tanner said.
“No, I told the band I’d be there early.” I wanted to say, No, it means more time with you.
“I hope you like the gym. We had a lot of fun decorating.”
“I wish I could have helped. I’ll bet it looks great.
“You had enough to do taking care of the entertainment. Besides, I want you to be surprised when you walk in. I can’t wait to see what you have planned.”
I squeezed the braided white cord on my purse. “I’m a little anxious about it. I hope everyone likes it.”
We stopped at a red light and he smiled at me but before he looked away I caught something strange in his eyes. They were shadowed as if he were confused or troubled about something. Or maybe it was the streetlights that made them seem that way.
“The kids will love it,” he reassured me. “Lots of girls wouldn’t care about helping the school but you’ve always been different. You’ve worked hard for the dance. You’ve always done more than your share.”
“I’m co-president. It’s my job. There was a time when you didn’t think I cared.”
He nodded. “That was before I understood you. I acted like a jerk, didn’t I?”
“No. At times I wasn’t nice to you either. We’ve both had to learn to trust each other. And you’ve worked just as hard for the school.”
“Yeah, but Westview has always been my school. I know how you feel about Carlton. But, still, you’ve done everything you could to help the consolidation.”
I smiled at him gratefully. “The funny thing is I don’t think about Carlton as much. I had a great time there, but Westview is my school now.”
“Then Westview is lucky.”
“Thanks, Tanner.” Not only was he the cutest guy in school, he was the nicest too. I had misjudged him in the beginning. I’d actually thought he was rude. I couldn’t help but giggle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Do you remember when we met and I was stuck in the locker?”
“Yeah, you looked so funny, but I shouldn’t have laughed. That made us enemies right away.”
“I shouldn’t have been so sensitive. But it was my first day of school and I was nervous.”
I put a hand over my mouth and chuckled. Tanner was silent for a moment then he laughed softly.
We continued to laugh until Tanner turned into the school parking lot. He eased the car into an empty space facing the courtyard. Except for a few cars, the lot was almost empty. Above the bushes in front of us, shone the harvest moon. The bright gold ball took my breath away.
Tanner shut off the engine. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? They say it shines brighter in Westview than in any other part of the state. It has something to do with the way the land slopes.” He draped his arm around the back of my seat and faced me. His fingertips lightly touched my neck. “There’s even a legend about the Westview harvest moon.”
“Really? I’d love to hear it.” My voice squeaked with excitement. I hoped he would think it was because of the legend and not because he sat so close.
“Long ago this used to be the home of a beautiful Kiowa princess,” he pointed to the right. “She was forced to marry a brave she despised.”
“Why are they always beautiful?” I interrupted. “Why can’t the princess be ugly?”
He smiled and shrugged. “Maybe she was, but to the brave she was beautiful because he loved her. And more than anything he wanted her to love him back. He was everything she wanted in a husband. He was kind, handsome, intelligent, a brave warrior, and he owned many horses. But he had one fault. He had a hard time telling the truth. On their wedding night, under the light of a full moon, he promised her that he would never lie. He kept his promise and she grew to love him.”
“Their love for each other was so great that each time he told the truth his words turned into golden arrows of love that filled the sky.” He leaned forward staring up at the bright ball. The moonlight shed rays of light onto the dashboard. “The arrows formed a line and headed straight for the moon. Each month the moon collected the arrows of truth. At the end of the harvest the arrows became part of it. They called it the harvest moon, and it shone brighter than it ever had before because the arrows were filled with love.”
“What a beautiful legend.” I whispered.
“They say whoever you are with on the night of the harvest moon is special, and on this night you must tell the truth.”
I sat up straight. Had he guessed my feelings? Did he want me to tell the truth? He didn’t look angry nor did he look ready to ask me a question. His eyes grew serious. “Ashlee, I…” he paused and touched my cheek, then pulled me closer.
I told myself to stay calm. I wasn’t sure if I could breathe. He bent his head slightly and moved closer until our lips touched like a whisper in the wind. His lips moved gently over mine, gentle yet firm. Music played in my heart, a sweet song of love.
Slowly, he began to ease away. I didn’t want to let go of him. He lifted his head and stared at me. Please don’t move, let this moment last forever. I could feel his breath. His kiss had been a gentle caress and more than anything I wanted him to kiss me again. As if reading my mind his lips brushed against mine so fast I didn’t have time to respond. His kiss lingered on my lips.
He pulled back gently. “Ashlee, we need to talk.”
I licked my lips wanting to savor the moment. Talking was not what I wanted to do. “Okay.”
“Tanner, Ashlee, is that you?” A knock on the window interrupted us. Jake and Sarah’s voices carried through the glass.
Tanner sighed and opened the door. “Is everything all right in the gym?”
“I think so,” Jake said. “We just got here and I was looking for you. Curt Weber tried calling you but you were already gone. I guess you had your cell turned off. Anyway, he called me before I left to pick up Sarah. He’s having trouble with the school camera and since you got it to work the last time he wanted you to look at it right away.” Jake’s voice was apologetic. “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything.”
“Shut up.” Sarah poked him and giggled.
“It’s okay.” Tanner got out and walked around the car to my side. “We should be all right. Mrs. DeGraff has an extra camera in her office.”
Tanner opened the door and a gush of cold wind swept through the car. I slid out and greeted Jake and Sarah. Her green formal was made to go with her red hair. She glowed with happiness. Jake was handsome in a black tux with a green cummerbund. Sarah gave me a knowing smile and winked.
Jake patted Tanner on the back. “I almost didn’t recognize you in your penguin suit.”
Tanner poked Jake’s cummerbund. “Yeah, and just because you cleaned up for once doesn’t mean you’ve changed your ways.” He turned to Sarah. “You come to me if he doesn’t treat you right,” he teased. “I’ll straighten him out.”
Jake exchanged smiles with Sarah. “It’s time I get you away from this guy,” he said. With his arm around her, he led her towards the gym.
Tanner folded my hand into his and we followed them quietly. He seemed deep in thought and I was glad he didn’t talk. Everything was new and I needed time to think. Besides, I didn’t know what to say and I sensed he didn’t either.
; Had he planned to kiss me, or had it just happened? He loved Tiffany and he would always be loyal to her. It had to be just a friendly kiss although it hadn’t felt like it. I sighed inwardly. Who was I kidding? He had pulled away first. It was romantic because I wanted it to be. He had wanted to talk about something before we were interrupted. Whatever it was, this was not the time. He probably wanted to tell me he got caught up in the moment and the kiss meant nothing, that we were just friends. But tonight was my night and if I wanted to think the kiss was special then I would.
We strolled silently on the hard cement sidewalk. To me it was soft as clouds. Tanner had kissed me. The whole world was magical. The air smelled like spring roses, not autumn leaves. The school was a castle, the lawn a carpet of flowers.
Curt pushed the gym door open. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.” He nodded to me then handed the camera to Tanner. “We can’t get it to work and kids are starting to arrive.”
Tanner stood under the outdoor light. “Sometimes this needs a little coaxing, see?” He showed Curt a button on the back. “Just press it a couple of times till it clicks. I think it’s working now.”
“Thanks Tanner.” Curt opened the door with one hand and with the other nudged us inside. “You can be the first couple to have your picture taken.”
Curt led us to a curtain at the side of the door and handed the camera to Matt Baldwin. We stood in front of the curtain and Matt snapped the camera. Other council members formed a line behind us to get their pictures taken.
Tanner led me back to the entrance. I gasped at the change in the gym. Two artificial trees flanked the entry. Each tree was decorated with gold leaves. We took a step underneath them and a sprinkle of gold glitter fell around us. Two council members stood on stools behind the trees holding bottles of glitter. Tanner urged me forward. Hundreds of metallic leaves hung from the ceiling. At the center hung an orange globe of light like the harvest moon. Small clusters of tables covered with gold cloths dotted the sides of the gym. Pots of orange, cranberry, and yellow mums lined the walls. Several tables were pushed together to make a long refreshment table. It was piled high with sandwiches, cookies and cakes frosted in autumn colors. Fat, round pumpkins held the punch in a table next to it.
Ashlee's Rival Love Page 13